KINGSTON, N.S. — The Village of Kingston is drilling some test wells but it could still be years before residents can tap into a central water supply.
Village of Kingston clerk-treasurer Mike McCleave said Kingston has completed several water studies over the last few decades. The next step, which he said is very preliminary, is to identify a water source.
The village has been in discussions with the Municipality of the County of Kings, the owner of the neighbouring Greenwood Water Utility, for a few years but no decisions have been made.
“The village has no concrete plans beyond drilling a few test wells,” McCleave said in a recent email. “The village cannot afford to do this without the majority of the funding coming from the federal and provincial levels of government.”
The test wells are being cost shared between the village and the County of Kings, with each entity providing $50,000.
McCleave said it isn’t certain at this point if the provision of central water would be phased in or if the project would be completed all at once. He said this would depend on many factors.
He said that the area or areas to be serviced have yet to be identified but could possibly include the commercial core and other parts of the village that are most in need, such as the central portion. In the end, he said, all properties should be on central water.
“There are properties that do not have good water quality, some properties that have contaminated water, and possibly water to the commercial area may drive growth,” McCleave said.
He assumes that it will still be several years before the central water infrastructure can be completed. There are several factors that could impact the cost but a full, village-wide system could cost upwards of $30 million.
It’s too early to speculate what hook-up costs and water rates would be for businesses and residential property owners wanting to access central water. McCleave said the Kingston Village Commission “does not want to burden property owners with large capital charges.”
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