By Darren Lum

Published Nov. 13 2018

Dysart now has outdoor year-round water available to the public.

Complete with a tap attached to a UV filter system and water softener the recently installed water source is located at the entrance to the A.J. LaRue Arena in Haliburton.

This location isn’t perfect as it is not directly accessible by a car (there is a small set of stairs) but it will be covered and regularly cleared of snow and ice said Councillor Dennis Casey.

Mike Grinnell 74 a full-time resident of Loon Lake sent the first of a series of emails to Casey close to a year ago to get the ball rolling on this initiative.

Grinnell used to get his water from the Dover Spring but he noticed the spring’s low flow in the summer and found it challenging to access in the winter since the municipality stopped clearing the area around it. He and his wife were “jubilant” at the news of the new tap.

“We’re very glad to see it” he said. “It’s very good water.”

Casey said it cost $5000 which will come from the operational repair and maintenance budget.

Safety concerns around Dover Spring prompted the new water source as well as new Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks regulations. Many springs have been shut down in recent years including one close to Maple Lake on Highway 118.

Dysart was also the only municipality in the county without a public water source.

“That’s the point I kept pushing at. How could we do this? We’re the only ones that don’t provide public water and that was the thing that helped me really sell it to the township” Grinnell said.

Casey thanked Grinnell for his patience. He said he also appreciated the health unit and township staff for their patience.

Permits and approvals took time. The final approval for the water source came close to a month ago he said. Although the installation occurred about a month ago there will be time needed for people to learn about it.

“It’ll take time … I think it’ll be used quite well” Casey said.

He said this is one of those “wee” things he pushed to get done while on council.

“That’s one thing about a councillor sometimes they do little things that [they]  don’t get [a] public pat on the back for. But somebody had their issue handled and addressed but for me this particular one may be fairly good just because it’s a public issue. People can now get water and they don’t have to worry about being hit by a car or scaling a snowbank with a five gallon water bottle” he said. “It’s just one of those things [that make] being a councillor worthwhile. You’ve accomplished something. You’ve done something for the betterment of the community.”