Adequate & Sustainable Potable Water Supply

Torbay requires an adequate and sustainable potable water supply to meet its current and future needs. This is a long-term strategic initiative in the Town of Torbay's 2018-2021 Strategic Plan.

Q & A

Do you have any questions about the Town of Torbay's water supply or planned water treatment plant? Let us know!

Q&A

https://torbay.ca/site/uploads/2020/07/Strategic-Plan-Update-2020.pdf Regarding "Commence Development Exploration Study of Great Pond. Adequate & Sustainable Potable Water Supply has finished this stage Study commenced in January 2020 to explore viability of Great Pond as a water supply." … How many of these viability studies does The Town of Torbay need to conduct on Great Pond to determine if it is potential water supply? This latest 2020 Study, (by my account, having obtained copies of several of these previous Studies through Access to Information) has got to be at least the 4th or 5th such Studies on Great Pond in the past few years for this same purpose. Each of these previous Great Pond water supply viability Studies concluded that Great Pond is not a viable option for potable water supply. In brief, these Studies reported that Great Pond is too shallow, highly organic (1) and the cost of the development, infrastructure required and ongoing operations for a potable water supply is cost prohibitive (2). (1) It is well scientifically researched and reported that water disinfection methods (chlorination) of water supplies, especially from shallow and/or higher organic water sources, pose health risks - carcinogenic / cancer causing and negative reproductive effects. Do the Citizens of Torbay want a toxic water supply? Source: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/canada/health-canada/migration/healthy-canadians/publications/healthy-living-vie-saine/water-trihalomethanes-eau/alt/water-trihalomethanes-eau-eng.pdf Studies are important, all well and good of course, but each of these Great Pond Water Supply Studies themselves cost/have cost in the vicinity of $100,000+ Each… Is doing this study over and over and yet again, with the same outcome a useful expenditure of Torbay Citizens Tax Dollars? (2) The Development and Operations of Great Pond as a water supply (property & land expropriation, damning, settling ponds, lift stations, transport pipeline infrastructure, etc.) Costs are enormous! As former Mayor Bob Codner said so back in 2013 – Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/contamination-at-potential-water-source-for-torbay-1.1381757 Codner added that the town is currently looking at other options in the area, including Great Pond. "Our next move is to get some testing done at Great Pond, and I've got some concerns about that," he said. According to Codner, this pond would be more costly to develop: "You've got to build a dam to raise the water, you got to put in a new pumping station, new chlorination plant, and then you've got to transport the water a considerable distance before you get some sales, so it's going to be a big cost burden to the town, and I'm not sure it's going to be feasible right now." Codner added that the pond is also less ideal because it is shallow water with some potential contamination sources in the watershed. The mayor said high density development will have to be put on hold until an additional water source is found for the town. CBC News · Posted: May 01, 2013 9:26 AM NT And, Do the Citizens of Torbay want explosive development to the point we are packed in like sardines? (…take a look at Paradise! Not so aptly named anymore!). Torbay won’t be so “Beautiful” anymore if our Municipal government places more focus and importance on increasing its Tax Revenue base (through development expansion) rather than on what I believe our Citizens really want, a beautiful, environmentally responsible, healthy, rural community. There are other options, …Responsible, managed, finite growth and development; limited large lot development (with localized water & sewer – See LBOCMC); shared water resource cooperation between neighbouring Municipalities. This MUN research paper written in 2012 is an excellent, well presented overview of the challenges, considerations and viable solutions. https://www.mun.ca/harriscentre/reports/arf/2012/Edinger_Hermanutz_Water_12_13_Final.pdf I encourage everyone, Citizens of the North East Avalon communities and their Municipal governments, to read it! (especially past the diagrams, read page 53 onward) On another point, in my opinion, no further development should be allowed onto the Torbay water/sewer system until Torbay stops dumping raw sewage into the ocean! Thank You Regards, Sheila Glass Disclosure: I am a resident of Torbay and I own property within the Great Pond watershed. The Great Pond watershed has been designated as a WAT zone by the Town of Torbay, but is not recognized as a protected, reserved water supply by the Province of NL.

Sheila Glass asked 3 months ago

Regarding Great Pond, this study will look at current and future development patterns and identify the cost to bring Great Pond online as a source of potable water. Last year the Town commenced a regular water sampling program. These results will provide guidance to potential treatment options. The last study, completed in 2013, identified one out of the box technology for Great Pond. Prior Councils updated the Water Supply Study once per term. These studies date back to the 1980s, all ponds were reviewed. Great Pond remains protected under the Town’s municipal plan. It is anticipated that the Great Pond Study will be completed later this year. The study will be made available to the public.
Will it be expanded to include all of Torbay residents, including those currently on well?

Janet asked 10 months ago

Once this capital project is complete, the Town will have accurate data, that can support a recommendation of expanded serviced development within the Town, if capacity exists.
Has any thought been given to lowering the water line where it leaves North Pond (the area under the dam) say ten feet? This would give an extra ten feet of water in a spring fed pond. I had North Pond sized by Ward Serrick, P Eng, Engineering Services who was working on behalf the then Clean Air, Water and Soil Department of Government (NL) and he determined that there was sufficient water for Fifty Thousand (50,000) North Pond has been a protected water supply for approximately 150 years (first 100 by the Church) - it is probably the best raw water in all of Canada - it is there for the taking - why can we not access it?

Mike Stokes asked 10 months ago

The Town of Torbay has received funding under the Investing in Infrastructure Program to address water quantity issues. This includes the installation of zone meters - which will quantify how much water is being used on a daily basis. The development of a leak detection program will also support the maintenance of the town’s infrastructure. The program will also explore the feasibility of lowering the water line. At the July 20, 2020 public Council meeting, the Town approved its project consultant. Work will begin in earnest in the coming weeks.