(Municipal Works Commissioner Paul Groody)
(Photo by Brian McLain)
Common Council has unanimously approved the action plan on safe, clean drinking water after hearing an impassioned presentation by the head of Municipal Operations, Paul Groody who says the way Saint John treats its water hasn't changed since the time of the Great Depression in the dirty 30's and the city can't guarantee Saint Johnners that their drinkinhg water is safe to consume on a day to day basis.
The big challenge, according to Groody, is finding the money to pay for it. Common Councillor Peter McGuire says M-P Rodney Weston will have a huge role to play for this to happen and he has to be brought on board. Groody also told Council, Saint Johnners use too much water and part of the plan, that was approved, is universal metering so Saint Johnners would pay for what they use.
The revised plan calls for just one water treatment plant to be built, instead of two, at a cost of between 90 and 130 million dollars and the preferred location is at the Little River Resevoir on the east side. The total cost of all the water improvements is estimated at 260 million dollars and if it's a three way split, the city would have to come up with 86 million dollars.
