By Joel van der Veen
CRAIK — Members of Craik’s Water Task Force pulled no punches as they provided an update to ratepayers at a public meeting last week.
Dermot McCaw and Charla Edwards both told the small crowd gathered at the Legion Hall on Wednesday that it would be at least two or three years before Craik residents can drink their tap water again.
“I’m sorry I’m not painting a real rosy picture,” said McCaw, who explained that the task force will need to work within its budget to address issues with Craik’s water infrastructure. “It’s going to be a real uphill battle.”
Their words, though candid, were well-received by the group of about 40 ratepayers in attendance for the one-hour meeting.
Mayor Rick Rogers welcomed the crowd at the meeting’s start and gave a brief introduction of the two speakers. Edwards, also a member of Craik town council, provided a summary of the task force’s genesis and its activities to that point.
After a mechanical failure that forced the town water system offline for several days in July, Edwards recalled that she heard from numerous concerned citizens, offering ideas to address the situation.
This led to a two-hour public meeting that filled a room at the municipal offices, resulting in the formation of the task force.
Other members of the group are Kim Bakken, Jason Hay, Shayne Stubbington and Mark Wegner, while Roger Miller, an environmental project officer for the Water Security Agency, serves as a liaison between the group and the province.
Edwards said the task force is responsible for determining what is needed to fix the town’s water infrastructure issues and ultimately aims to restore potable water to Craik, acting with council’s approval.
Research indicates the town can move forward by using both its old water plant, constructed in the 1960s and still used for distribution, and the new plant, built in 2007 by Mainstream Water Solutions of Regina.
The latter plant suffered from issues shortly after it went into operation and was unable to meet higher water quality standards instituted by the province. Craik has been under a continuous boil water advisory since Aug. 17, 2010.
Council approved a task force budget of $60,000 for the rest of 2015, and repairs have brought all three water pumps — two electric-powered, and one backup running on gas — into working order.
A new furnace has been installed at the old plant and concerns regarding the leaky roof have also been addressed.
Members have also met with engineers from KGS Group out of Regina, who are working on a solution for Radville, which has faced similar issues with its system.
Edwards said the Craik plant is due for its five-year assessment; the task force will use the information received thereby to determine a course of action. A report will be submitted to the task force and town council for approval.
In the meantime, organizers are working to put maintenance and accountability procedures in place, with Edwards remarking, “Each step leads us to a better tomorrow.”
McCaw, a retired oil patch worker, provided some further details, noting that he isn’t an engineer, though his past experience gave him some familiarity with water treatment procedures.
Like the others, he is volunteering his time, knowledge and efforts to address the situation. Edwards said McCaw and others have given “countless hours” towards helping the town.
“We’ve got to try to move forward with what we’ve got,” said McCaw, adding that the task force is looking to resolve the problem in an economical way.
For the full story, see the Sept. 28 print edition of The Davidson Leader.