HRM giving out water as some wells dry up

If you like it hot and dry, then this has been a near perfect summer. But the lack of rain is starting to take its toll on wells in some parts of rural Halifax.

“Right now it’s dozens,” says Halifax’s executive chief of community risk reduction, Erica Fleck, when talking about how many residents are affected by dry wells. “We’re going by 311 calls so we are basing all of our data on that and then of course from information from local counsellors so it’s always hard to tell how bad the situation is.“

Most of the problems right now are on the Eastern Shore, Peggy’s Cove and the Tantallon areas of Halifax.

“Our Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency staff have stepped up to put potable water at fire stations throughout the rural areas,“ says HRM Deputy Mayor, Pamela Lovelace.

Station 65 in Upper Tantallon is one of six locations that have been set up to give out water to residents whose wells are dry. Some will have water available every day, others will only have a supply once a week.

Deputy Mayor Lovelace says this is not usually a problem at this point in the season.

“Obviously, each August and September as it gets drier every fall, we have to help our residents prepare better and ensure that we can supply them with water,” Lovelace says.

City officials say they will continue the program until the wells can be filled naturally.

“We would need at minimum, 3 to 4 days of good, solid rain, and then the problem comes, if their wells are completely dry, then it’s not safe to use after they’ve gone dry. They need to be shocked and they need to be treated,“ says Fleck.

That’s something that can only happen when the clouds bring rain.