REDVERS — Acting on a concerned resident’s plea, the Water Security Agency was in Redvers on March 12. The main concern was water quality, with the resident saying there was an increased odour of chlorine and noting a resulting rash.
“Michael Kardash with Water Security comes out regularly to check on things, and right now, there’s some changes in our water because we’ve been changing our treatments since back in the fall of last year,” explained Redvers CAO Tricia Pickard. “People are seeing some differences, so we test every day, and then we send a weekly test to the lab.”
Kardash was also made aware of another resident on the south end of Methuen Street who has observed increased manganese. Flushing in this particular area is difficult, and manganese has built up in the pipes. One solution would be to install a fire hydrant at the end of the street so it could be flushed properly. Alternatively, the line could be tied in with existing infrastructure to allow for the flushing process.
Before a decision is made, Kardash suggested confirmation if the lines are tied together as indicated in drawings, or separate as maintenance staff have been advised over the years.
Ultimately, the water quality in Redvers is “the best it has ever been,” and the water treatment plant is operating well.
“It’s mandated that we have to be involved with Water Security if there’s anything that’s different, and if we’ve had people coming in, we need to report that,” Pickard explained. “We have a really great working relationship with Michael Kardash. He’s a great source of information, and he used to be an operator, so he’s very informative, very smart and willing to offer information and work with us. We want to make sure that our water is being treated efficiently, and our plant is running efficiently.”
Access delegation
Council met with Ron Irvine, who appeared as a delegation on behalf of Access Communications. Irvine had a presentation about upgrades Access is planning this spring in the Redvers area, and to answer questions from council.
Access has provided the wi-fi service at the town’s recreation centre for the past couple of years.
“He traveled from Yorkton to talk about new programs and upgrades that they are going to be doing,” Pickard explained.
While an exact date has not been set yet —but will likely be some time in May—Access will start offering faster internet speeds in Redvers similar to those found in the cities.
Camera stolen
Last year noted a string of vandalism and mischief around town, which prompted some enhanced security measures in Redvers, including the installation of video cameras on town property. The town now has one less camera as someone knocked one of the cameras at the transfer station down and stole the item.
“Unfortunately, you put up the cameras and you invest in them to have them for safety reasons and somebody felt the need to make it to theirs,” Pickard said. “It’s really disappointing.”
Measures taken in response to last year’s bout of mischief seemed to have been effective, up until recently.
“We had some issues with people out at the transfer station and a little bit of vandalism around town,” Pickard noted of last year. “But with winter, we typically see everything quiet down a little bit. It’s really disheartening. You just put money in, and then it’s gone, and then you got to re-purchase something again.”
Anyone with information on the theft or any other crime can contact the Carlyle Detachment of the RCMP at 306-453-6707 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
First WTP drawings
Another delegation council met with was Kevin Traves with BCL Engineering regarding initial drawings for the new water treatment plant in Redvers.
“We’re very excited about that,” Pickard said. “We’ve been tossing around some ideas with the water treatment plant, and they’ve been working on them behind the scenes for a bit now.”
The project intends to incorporate the current building into the new structure, and one question Traves had was about the iconic water tower.
“Our water tower will be out of service, but will still stay on location as a landmark,” Pickard confirmed. “BCL has been working behind the scenes on our drawings, so we were able to view a drawing package.”
Other items for consideration included the location of the new plant’s truckfill assembly, the current mechanical plan, and a proposed loading dock with overhead door.
“It’s really exciting to see those preliminary drawings,” Pickard said. “This is a good time to really look at those plans, and think about if everything is practical.”
Tourism chair vacant
Pickard noted in her CAO report the need for a meeting with the town, RM of Antler and the tourism board regarding the upcoming tourist season.
“We need a chairperson,” Pickard said. “It’s been a bit of a challenge to get community members for that committee. There are representatives from the town and the RM, which is great, but we’re looking for some more members.”
New transit bus
Everyone is excited to see the new transit bus coming to Redvers, and that day is coming soon.
“We are in the final stages of our decals for that, so it should be here within the month,” Pickard said.
The new vehicle’s arrival was originally slated for mid-March, but has been delayed slightly.
