Callander’s taps will run strong and clear, but hundreds of thousands of municipal dollars must come down the pipe.
The Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) looks after Callander’s municipal water supply, including the water treatment plant and the sewage lagoons. Every year the agency presents to Callander’s council to provide updates on the operations.
All is well, but to make sure it all remains well, the OCWA suggested a list of upgrades and improvements over the next few years, and the cost could be around $443,000.
However, these suggested improvements would begin next year and run until 2030. That money will be spread out over those years, and some years will be heavier than others. Council has directed staff to start preparing for these costs in the next budget.
See: Callander’s mission to protect the water continues
Paul Dyrda of the OCWA presented the forecast to council, noting, “This original equipment has aged tremendously, and over the years it’s been repaired and rebuilt and rehabilitated several times.”
He was referring to the intake pump control panel, which controls the pump that brings in water from Callander Bay. Dyrda emphasized, “It’s time to consider replacing that piece of critical infrastructure.” A control panel costs about $56,000, he added, and ideally, it will be replaced next year.
Dyrda’s report suggested that next year, the town spend $166,000, with another $43,000 in 2026. Costs get a little lighter in 2027, with a suggested $29,000 to spend on upgrades. In 2028 and 2029 the number is $10,000, and in 2030 the cost rises to $130,000.
2030, if all goes well, will be the year of the new generator, a 112kW water-cooled diesel generator with a 1,150-litre fuel storage tank. The generator keeps the water on despite what’s happening with the power grid, and machines of this type run around $120,000.
Other big-ticket items are the filters used on the incoming lake water. They last about five years, and two are coming up for exchange in the next few years. Each cost $25,000.
There are also plans to clean some of the pipes in town to reduce the mineral build-up that can discolour water. Dyrda described the process as a “bullet of foam” hurtling through the distribution pipes and scouring the sides along the way. The goal is to banish those minerals, especially the manganese that collects along the pipes’ walls.
This swabbing of the pipes was discussed last year as an option but was deferred. It will cost around $22,000, and this is only for the older pipes where the mineral deposits are thickest.
Dyrda concluded, “There are major items that need to be addressed.” Council accepted his report and will use the information to plan upcoming municipal budgets.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
