Residents of Hammonds Plains, N.S. face water pressure and fire hydrant issues

People living in North Preston have access to safe drinking water, with the correct pressure and reliable fire hydrants, but that wasn’t always the case. For decades the community struggled with issues related to water pressure. In the 1980s, residents of North Preston signed a petition demanding water service from the city, which they didn’t have at the time.

“We brought the water line up from Cherry Brook Water Plant to North Preston,” said HRM councillor David Hendsbee. The extra water line resolved North Preston’s water pressure issues and improved firefighting capabilities.

Similar issues are being faced by residents of Upper Hammonds Plains, who decades ago, had to take the city and Halifax Water to court to secure water service.

“We had to fight for something that was right in our backyards and still, even after we won that court case, they came in, and they still did us wrong,” said Sabrina Allison, a resident who lives in Upper Hammonds Plains

In Allison’s community, Halifax Water installed 6-inch and 8-inch pipes. As a result, the area lacks reliable fire hydrants. Water pressure inside homes drops significantly when multiple taps are in use.

Halifax Water told CTV News on Wednesday that the system built at the time was designed to meet the community’s needs.

“When they’re doing the design they’re looking for optimum design that will provide that portable water supply for that community at a cost that is reasonable for the community,” said Kenda Mackenzie, acting-general manager of Halifax Water.

When smaller communities like Waverley and Middle Musquodoboit were granted water service by the city they were connected by 4-, 6- and 8-inch pipes, but those sizes proved too small for a community the size of North Preston.

“I don’t expect that the planners who designed the systems were really intending to serve a large population. The services weren’t really designed for the population there and there was no planning,” said Robert Wright, Executive Director of the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute.

Halifax Water is conducting assessments in the Hammonds Plains area, which are expected to take four to six weeks. When it receives the results, Halifax Water plans to consult with the community on next steps.

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