Water option for Booth’s Harbour is preferred
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Norfolk staff’s preferred option for extending municipal water into Booth’s Harbour will cost between $922,000 and $1.4 million.
The estimate is contained in a note Norfolk staff shared recently with Norfolk council. The next phase consists of a public consultation with the 100 households involved.
The preferred option involves the installation of a hybrid 150 to 200-millimetre system. This will produce enough pressure to support fire hydrants.
“It would include the replacement of the existing system including mains, services in the road allowance, engineering design, contract administration and site-inspection costs,” Stephanie Davis, Norfolk’s acting director of environmental services, says in her report.
Norfolk staff have identified several ways of funding the upgrade. These include issuing a debenture, drawing on a water capital reserve fund, or applying for a provincial grant when infrastructure funding becomes available.
Booth’s Harbour residents that benefit from the project will be expected to pay back the money.
This could include a local improvement charge similar to the special levy imposed on Courtland nearly 10 years ago when a water main was extended west into the village from Delhi.
Beneficiaries could also make monthly payments until the cost is retired.
The work ahead involves the replacement of the current private system with new mains, new services in the road allowance, engineering design, contract administration and site inspection costs.
Once the public input phase is finished, a follow-up report will be presented to Norfolk council for final approval.
“Council can make a final decision to support, amend or withdraw the project,” Davis said.
Residents of Booth’s Harbour approached Norfolk council several years ago seeking help with deficiencies in their private water system.
The problem is deteriorating infrastructure which has given rise to pressure and reliability issues.
About 15 years ago, Norfolk County extended municipal water from Port Rowan into St. Williams.
This too required a new water main and an expensive rebuild of the private water system serving St. Williams. As part of the project, a water main from St. Williams was extended into Booth’s Harbour nearby.
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