Misuse of municipal tap leads to usage restrictions

July 30, 2020

By Michael Riley
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Township of Tudor and Cashel has had to restrict the use of the water tap at the municipal office due to misuse by residents and passersby. With the tap deriving its flow from a well and due to a low water table, the tap usage was untenable. They announced the change in a Facebook posting from July 15. Previously the water tap had been free to use anytime day or night.

Nancy Carrol, the clerk and treasurer for Tudor and Cashel Township, said the town had the outdoor faucet installed a couple of years ago.

“It had been open and available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We had been alerted to multiple 1,000 litre water tanks being filled at the site during weekends and outside of regular office hours. The faucet has a threaded tap on it which allowed a hose to be used. We will be investigating alternative solutions to make it so that we can offer this service without scheduling restrictions. The municipal building is on a well, therefore we must be mindful of the water table being low. It was unfortunate that people felt the need to abuse this available resource but because they did, we had to react,” she says.

Maeghan Suzanne Augustine is a resident of Gilmour and thinks restricting the tap's usage is appropriate if it's being misused, especially by cottagers.

“A lot goes on here on the weekends that shouldn't. We live here year-round and people who come for a weekend or a week at a time are often extremely disrespectful. They leave garbage on the road and drive around at high speeds,” she says.

Lynn Marie lives in Millbridge, and she says that she does not use the water tap.

“But if people are taking advantage of it, then limiting its usage is a good idea,” she says.

Carrol says that their community programs hinge upon the Community Centre, and if it has to be shut down because of water issues, so do their meal programs.

“We hope to find a solution in the near future,” she says. “We are aware that the regular office hours are not ideal for those that may require drinking water.”