YARMOUTH COUNTY - The lack of rainfall and dropping well levels are common topics of conversation in South West Nova these days.
Some residents are scrambling to have wells dug or drilled.
“Every person with a machine is pretty much digging for water right now,” said the owner of one excavating company.
Borcherdt Concrete Products manager Edwina Thurston says well ring sales are up this year.
“We’re doing our best to meet the need,” she said.
Jordan Rogers with Valley Well Drillers says they are getting about 50 per cent more calls from this region of the province this year than last… but not as many as two years ago.
“The drought is mainly affecting dug wells not drilled wells,” he said.
“We’re working extra hard to satisfy customers and are usually booking a week in advance,” he said.
Drilled wells are typically (but not always) 100-300 feet and price can range $4,000 -$10,000 dollars, at $25 per foot for drilling.
“A drilled well is a life time investment that a person uses every day and will produce the same amount of water year after year regardless of rainfall,” said Rogers.
The Municipality of Yarmouth (MoY) recently posted a poll on its Facebook Page to gauge the situation. Out of 175 who voted, 59 per cent indicated their well was low.
A similar poll on the Municipality of Argyle Facebook Page showed 52 per cent of 413 voters indicated their well was low.
“What we’re endeavoring to do is to have a coordinated response with the municipalities of Argyle and Barrington to identify trends and measure change over time,” said MoY CAO Victoria Brooks.
“Depending on results, we may have to ask the Province to step in and offer assistance.”
After the drought in 2016, MoY developed a financial tool to help make financing available, with certain conditions, directly through the municipality to remediate applicant’s well water supply.
MoY’s finance director Greg Shay says he’s received at least four applications in the past month for the Water Supply Upgrade Lending Program.
For more information on the Water Supply Upgrade Lending Program click here
