Tillsonburg well goes through upgrades

Tillsonburg’s Well 7A is undergoing significant upgrades to install a new arsenic filter in the plant. The work is expected to take until December to complete. The water has always been within guidelines for safe drinking water, but the upgrades will increase efficiency and capacity. (Jeff Helsdon photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Tillsonburg Well 7A is going through some upgrades.

Located on Broadway, the well was drilled in 1977 and redrilled in 2009. There has been an ongoing issue with environmental arsenic in the well, and now the Housing Enabling Water System Fund is allowing for updates to deal with the arsenic at the source.

Don Ford, Senior Manager of Water and Wastewater Services, explained under Ontario drinking water guidelines, up to 10 parts per billion is acceptable. Currently, Well 7A averages 1.3 ppb. The water from the plant is piped to the Fairview Treatment Facility on Langrell Ave, and off of Quarter Line Road.

“In the past the water from this well could be utilized but it had to go to the Fairview Treatment Facility,” Ford said.

The funding will allow installation of a new filter system to remove the arsenic at the Well 7A site, instead of piping it and then treating it. This will allow using the full capacity of Well 7A without having to blend it with other water. Water from Well 7A will still to the Fairview facility, but only for UV treatment.

“You remove that barrier, you can use all the water directly from the well without blending it,” Ford said.

Speaking more to arsenic, Ford said it is a naturally-occurring substance which can have negative health impacts. It is often found in deep wells closer to rock. County staff constantly test the water to ensure arsenic levels are within acceptable limits.

“It’s safe now but this is going to improve operations, make everything more resilient and add to what we can provide,” he explained.

Work at the well commenced in November and will be complete by December. The project involves reconstruction of the building to allow room for the new filter, installing a pressurized filter and updating computer controls.

The cost is $6.8 million. This will be offset by the provincial grant of $2 million, with the remainder funded from county water development charges and Tillsonburg water reserves