New Charlottetown well field not easing demand on Winter River, says watershed group

The watershed group that cares for Charlottetown'smain water source, the Winter River, says the city's new $8 million well field has done little to ease the demand on the river.

Four months after the well field opened in Miltonvale Park, watershed coordinator Sarah Wheatleysays the river's water levels, above and below ground, are about as low as ever for this time of year, with some readings at "historic lows."

"We were very hopeful for the well field ever since it was announced," said Wheatley. "But it was many years coming. And we're still kind of waiting for it to be fully operational, and waiting and hoping for some improvements."

Well field only pumping five days a week

When the city opened the well field in April, officials said it would increase Charlottetown's water capacity by 25 per cent, and reduce the pressure on the Winter River and its three well fields.

But Charlottetown's water and sewer utility managerRichard MacEwen says since opening, the new well field'sonly been pumping water Monday to Friday, between eight and 16 hours a day.

We're still patiently, maybe impatiently waiting for more water to come out of that well field- Sarah Wheatley,Winter River-Tracadie Bay Watershed Association

MacEwen estimates that's increased the city's capacity by just five to ten per cent.

"ButI'm hopeful we're very very close to having it fully operational," said MacEwen.

'We've had to do it all manually'

MacEwen says the city has run into some snags setting up the technology it needs for thewell field's booster station and water reservoirs to run automatically, including ordering in a wrong part.

"So we've had to do it all manually, during the working day," explained MacEwen.

"With every construction project, there's always a delay here and there. But we will eventually get to that finish line."

Wheatleysays she was told a meeting with the city in June that the well field would be completed within the month.

"But we're still patiently, maybe impatiently waiting for more water to come out of that well field, and a bit of a relief for the Winter River," she said.

'Really critical time of the year'

Wheatleysays she's concerned that unless P.E.I. gets significantly more rain in August, the watershed and its wildlife could be in trouble.

"August and September water flows are when they're the lowest of the year," said Wheatley."So we're just about to that really critical time of the year.... There are effects on everything on temperature, on fish habitats, on the other species that can live here. So that water use in Charlottetown has a big impact on the entire watershed area."

The city says ithopes to have the Miltonvale Parkwell field operating seven days a week by the end of August.

Wheatley says in the meantime,Charlottetown residents can do their part to help the watershedbycutting down on their water use as much as possible.

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