---Montreal firm hired for water pipe upgrade near parc des cèdres
Residents on several Aylmer district streets should see their tap-water quality improve considerably in the near future, thanks to a recent municipal investment. According to a press release issued by the city of Gatineau on December 8, the city will be providing more than $607,000 to Montreal-based engineering firm Pronex Excavation Inc. to eliminate local issues of coloured water.
Properties on the following streets will see their water systems overhauled: rue Valencia, l’impasse du Catamaran, l’impasse du Rameur, l’impasse du Courant, l’impasse des Régates, l’impasse du Kayak, l’impasse du Canotage, and l’impasse de la Descente. Residents affected can expect to receive a written notice about the renovations, with contact information to consult for more details on the project in the weeks leading up to it.
As part of the city’s aqueduct network master plan, the work will include the installation of water circulation loops connecting the water system impasses in the area, aiming to reduce corrosion and prevent coloured water caused by stagnation and rust accumulation. The executive committee officially approved the investment during its December 8 public meeting, noting that the work should take place in the spring. During its 2017 budget discussions, the city approved the investment of $53 million to fix its water colouration issues, and has since done work on various streets including Aylmer’s chemin Vanier and rue Christophe-Colomb.
Considering how long the issue has persisted in the area and the severity of it, Aylmer district councillor Audrey Bureau spoke positively of the announcement. “It’s really a basic service,” Bureau said, noting that yellow water was an issue before she was elected in 2017. “Residents facing this issue found it very worrisome in their daily lives. I’m happy to see that we’re going forward to deal with the issue.”
---Lakeview area water pipes
Uncertain as to when, Deschênes district councillor Mike Duggan said more water pipe renovations are scheduled to take place on promenade Lakeview, promenade Crescent, promenade Oval, and rue des Vétérans. “It’s going to be next year or the one after,” Duggan said. “There’s a lot of backlog. So, we’ll be fighting it out at council to see who gets it first.”
Having seen some of the issues in the Glenwood neighbourhood addressed earlier this year, Lucerne district councillor Gilles Chagnon said he was thrilled to see even more Aylmer streets covered. “When you’ve had yellow water for 10-15 years, that’s not normal,” Chagnon said, pointing to an important reason why the city is raising taxes in 2021. “It takes money to pay for that. It’s important. We’re in 2020. We can’t have yellow water. The service should unquestionably be there.” It was noted that the total budget for water system upgrades has risen to $59.7 million, following adjustments to the city’s budget.
More information regarding water quality in different sectors is available on the city’s website - https://www.gatineau.ca/portail/default.aspx?p=guichet_municipal/eau_potable/qualite_eau_potable&ref=navigation-secondaire.