Shared well could end Prawda water woes

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This article was published 16/10/2020 (1724 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A well located on the grounds of the old school in Prawda may be the key to ending a boil water advisory that has stifled growth and inconvenienced residents for years.

Last week, RM of Reynolds council authorized the Manitoba Water Services Board (MWSB) to hire a hydrogeologist who will clean the well, inspect it with a camera, and test its recovery rate.

The Prawda Water Co-op’s own tests suggest the water quality is very good, board member Jeff Zalitach said.

The RM and the MWSB will split the cost of the work, which will be carried out next spring at a cost of about $7,000.

If the well passes the tests, it could eventually supply the entire community with potable water, ending years of dependence on surface sources.

Zalitach said that would require the construction of a water treatment plant that could be connected to existing pipes.

The co-op currently supplies 16 residential and commercial customers with water from the nearby Birch River.

Treating the turbid river water is expensive and the existing water treatment plant is nearing the end of its lifespan.

“Our costs are very high,” Zalitach said. “We’re going through chlorine like crazy just to get to our normal levels.”

Turchyn said the water derived from a groundwater source requires minimal treatment, saving time and money.

Prawda’s current boil water advisory was issued in 2004, but Zalitach said the community hasn’t had a reliable source of potable water for decades.

“It’s still actually almost dangerous to shower in it, but we have no choice.”

The aquifer that supplies the Southeast region with drinking water isn’t accessible for most Prawda residents. Over the years, the co-op has drilled seven wells with no success.

“You can drill a well all you want and you’re not going to find water,” Zalitach said. “It’s all bedrock.”

There are a few private wells in town, but they tend to be unreliable or suffer from a low recovery rate. Zalitach expects those residents would switch to the co-op water system if the well-sharing plan proceeds.

The MWSB, which is mandated to assist municipalities with water projects, completed a feasibility study for the co-op in 2018. Last month, representatives from the two groups met with the municipality.

The school property now belongs to the Reynolds Business Centre. Owner Taylor Plett was receptive to the idea of sharing the well, Zalitach said.

The boil water advisory has frozen development in Prawda for years. Zalitach said a proposed five-lot residential subdivision is the latest proposal to hang in the balance.

“Without potable water it’s pretty impossible for the town to move forward,” he said.

The Manitoba government discourages municipalities from depending on surface sources for drinking water.

Zalitach said he looks forward to the day the community is no longer forced to depend on the Birch River.

“The river is so low this year, it’s been fairly dry. We don’t even know what’s going to happen this winter.”

Zalitach said the co-op has plans to install a 5,000-gallon emergency reservoir and a filling station for rural residents if the well passes muster and a new plant is built.

Turchyn said Reynolds council will wait for the test results before determining how to fund such a project. A local improvement levy or a loan to the co-op are two options, she said.