The Government of Nova Scotia is helping residents affected by the water shortages in the southwest of the province.
The Emergency Management Office has been working with the municipalities of Argyle, Barrington, and Yarmouth for several months to make sure residents with dry wells have access to drinking water.
“With this summer’s dry conditions, particularly in southwestern Nova Scotia, municipalities, volunteer fire departments, and other organizations have worked together to help residents whose wells are dry,” said Chuck Porter, Minister responsible for the Emergency Management Office. “I want to thank them for responding to the situation facing their communities.”
Dry conditions are ongoing and EMO is working with the Retail Council of Canada to purchase drinking water as needed.
“As the voice of retail in Canada, we are pleased to once again offer our support to the effort to assist families in southwestern Nova Scotia,” said Jim Cormier, director, Atlantic Canada, Retail Council of Canada. “We will work with our members to supply bottled water for distribution to people in need.”
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal will provide non-potable water in tanker trucks for local fire departments to distribute to residents.
“Certainly, the weather’s changing. There’s no doubt about that,” Minister Porter said reporters at Province House repots the CBC. “I hate to call it the new norm, but we don’t know what the weather brings. It seems like there’s something new every season.”
EMO staff will continue to monitor the situation and work with municipalities to address their needs.
In 2016, the provincial government passed legislation that allows municipalities to create a program that pays the costs of drilling or expanding wells through property tax bills.
