This is a reminder of the important presentation being delivered by the Leeds & Grenville Human Trafficking Coalition. You will learn of Leeds & Grenville children who have become victims of human traffickers and hear some suggestions on what we as parents, grandparents and friends can do to keep our boys and girls safe.
I hope to see you tonight.
That is the number of litres of water from illegal sump pumps that went into the sewer system. That is the amount of rain water that people sent to the waste water plant for treatment. That is equal to three times the number of services in the Village. And these wasteful 3,191,000 litres represent the sewage capacity two new subdivisions need to get approval to build. These are the facts.
Council is asking every home and business owner to check the connection of your sump pump to ensure that it is NOT discharging into the sewer system. Help your neighbours as well if you can. If you have questions, please contact our public works department who will quickly respond to provide you with support.
I have heard it said “I pay my taxes, I am entitled to discharge my sump into the sewer system”. One has nothing to do with the other. Water/waste water are paid by the users, not by property taxes. We want to have growth in the Village that will REDUCE BOTH our water/waste water bills AND our taxes.
It has also been said, “I am just one household, how big an impact could I have?”. The industry standard states that the volume from 1 sump pump is the same as 35 households. So even ONE illegal connection is too many.
In the next couple of weeks, members of Council will be following up with residents and business owners to discuss illegal connections to the sewage system. I encourage you to check your sump pump connection today and ensure that it is not an illegal connection. Council is providing a $250 grant to assist in converting illegal connections. Contact Town Hall for details.
The last thing Town Hall wants is charges to be laid for illegal connections. The fine is $500 for a first offence and $2000 for subsequent offences. None of us want to see our residents or business owners pay that amount of a fine, which would go a long way to correcting an illegal connection. However, it has been made very clear to Council that the vast majority of people in the Village want this issue resolved, illegal connections stopped, paving the way for new development. Again, I encourage you to check your connections to confirm that it complies with the law.
Please call anytime if you wish to discuss. 9195.
Please join Mayor Jones and members of Westport Council to hear what planning has occurred since our March meeting. Everyone is invited – residents, business owners and staff, students. We all need to work together.
THERE IS LOTS GOING ON!
BE PART OF DREAM BIG WESTPORT
Venue: The Cove
May 2, 2019 @ 8:00 a.m. for breakfast.
Coming for the discussion only? It begins at 8:30 a.m.
Buffet Breakfast available – $10pp Please RSVP by April 30, 2019 to pmueller@villageofwestport.ca
It’s time to check your sump pump!!
The sewer system in Westport was examined by CCTV in 2018 and found to have no breaks. Good news! The majority of the openings into the sewers from the street have been repaired in 2018, only a few remain for 2019. Also good news!
A sewer system is a closed system – responsible to transport sewage. The government has licensed the Village for a maximum amount of volume to be processed, which averages 350 m3/day. The amount of water drawn from the water tower should equal the amount of sewage pumped at the Glen St station. Earlier this week 186 m3 was drawn from the water tower and 705 m3 was pumped at the Glen St station. And the flows each day show similar results.
The cause? Illegal connections – ie discharging your sump pump directly into the sewer system.
This is not a just a concern for the municipal government, it is or should be a serious concern of every resident. Our new waste water system has enough capacity for an additional 350-400 homes, when processing only sewage. Seriously!! The future and sustainability of the Village depends on reducing the illegal connections. Simply put, to increase our tax base through development, we need to work together to solve this issue and provide sewage capacity for new construction.
To that end, the Village has recently increased the fines for illegal connections. A first offence has been raised to $500 and any subsequent offence is now $2000. Yes, Village Council is taking this matter seriously. The industry standard states the discharge from 1 sump pump is equal to the combined usage of 35 homes. That is a lot of rain water being sent to through the sewage system.
What can you do?
Happy to discuss these concerns. Call anytime – 273-9195
Students from Rideau Vista Public School Eco Club explained to Westport Council during their delegation yesterday the many ways students at the school have reduced waste and increased the amount recycled. They finished their delegation with several “asks” for council, including the provision of blue boxes at Lockwood Field this spring and at the arena in the fall. Council immediately agreed to these requests.
The students were professional, well spoken and very informed. Thank you to the students from the Rideau Vista Public School Eco Club and their teachers – Ms Carty, Ms Seed, Ms Donnelly and school principal Mr Campbell.
After the delegation, Council asked staff to arrange an information briefing on the current recycling options in Westport to determine if there are other potential ways to reduce waste.
Robin, The Mayor 
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