Cumberland Councillor Stephen Blais is taking action to help ensure Orléans’ residents are not subjected to the same outdoor water ban that plagued Barrhaven and Riverside South residents, in summer 2011.

“Water is a core service that is used to maintain our lawns, flowers and pools during the summertime,” says Blais. “Inaction by previous councils have allowed our water infrastructure to seriously decay.”

There is only one main water transmission line to Orléans. Moreover, this pipe is about the same age and type as the one that failed in Barrhaven last year. The failure of this pipe led to summer outdoor water ban for tens of thousands of residents in Barrhaven and Riverside South.

After Blais called for a review of this infrastructure, it was revealed that parts of this pipe are degrading quicker than anticipated and is in desperate need of replacement.

“Due to poor fiscal management in the past, it’s going to cost all of us a little bit more today,” says Blais. “The cost of inaction today is so much higher – both for our pocket books and for our quality of life.”

As part of the City’s new water plan these sections of pipe will be fixed. Further, a secondary water transmission line will be constructed to Orléans to provide an adequate backup in the event of future water main breaks.

“As a fiscally responsible councillor, I’m not happy that so much of this burden is being placed on taxpayers now rather than being spread over the past 20 years,” concluded Blais. “I believe today’s action is necessary to help ensure this core service is protected for Orléans residents.”