New development comes after years of effort
After years of concentrated effort to secure a backup water supply, Woodstock’s well #3 finally entered operation on Aug. 17.
This follows significant effort by the Woodstock Utilities and Public Works teams, the engineering firm Boissonault McGraw, several consulting engineers, and multiple local firms that assisted with the project.
The new well promises to be a solution to Woodstock’s long search for an alternative water source should wells #1 and #2 go offline.
The search started in 2014, when a severe ice jam caused the town’s existing water supplies to go offline, prompting community discussion about the need for a secondary source.
“We thank Mayor Jones and the Council of 2023 for their leadership and support to initiate this project. We also recognize the generous funding of the province through the Regional Development Commission, who contributed 48 per cent of the budgeted $1,027,000 for this project,” said the Town of Woodstock in an Aug. 18 press release.
“The final step was receiving the approval to operate from the provincial government, confirming we have met all requirements under the Water Quality Regulation – Clean Environment Act,” the release noted.
During the course of the well’s construction, several upgrades were made to the well house and the surrounding area to improve reliability and to address changing climate conditions in the town’s water supply.
These upgrades included installing a large propane generator on a raised platform to ensure continued service in the event of a power outage, placing permanent barricades around the wellheads to protect the infrastructure from potential ice damage, refurbishing the manganese treatment system, and upgrading the electrical panels and their placement inside the well house.
“The Town will continue to invest throughout our system to improve reliability and capacity, adapt to changing climate conditions, and above all ensure the safe provision of water and sanitary services to our Woodstock utility rate-paying customers,” concluded the town.
