Iroquois water project funding is approved

SOUTH DUNDAS – Paying for a $2.25 million waterline rehabilitation project along Carman Road in Iroquois just got a bit easier for local water and sewer users.nnSouth Dundas officials learned April 14 that the application for more than two-thirds funding under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program was approved. The application is one of 144 water infrastructure projects approved during this funding window.nnThe federal government is paying $896,201 and the Ontario government is paying $746,759 towards the project. South Dundas will pay the balance of the project, $597,542.nn“South Dundas appreciates the infrastructure funding from the provincial and federal governments,” said Steven Byvelds, mayor of South Dundas. “It will go a long way to dealing with relining the Carman Road lines. It will certainly offset the costs there and if there is any extra money we can save, we will use it on other infrastructure projects in South Dundas.”nnByvelds said the municipality had already dedicated funds for the project and passed the construction tender earlier this spring. He expected work to begin soon on the infrastructure project.nnSouth Dundas applied for the grant in November 2021 after identifying the need to reline and restore over 1.4 kilometres of water main from the Iroquois water tower along Carmen Road. There have been several water main breaks along this section of road in recent years. The last water main break that occurred February 23, 2021 emptied the entire Iroquois water tower in 90 minutes. That resulted in a loss of pressure at the break site and widespread loss of water pressure across the village. A boil-water advisory was deemed unnecessary at the time of that break.nnAt the time, water system operator Denis Villeneuve told South Dundas council in a report that “the whole pipe, in my opinion, is shot.”nnA 2018 proposal made by the Public Works department during the previous term of South Dundas council for refurbishing the water line for $980K was voted down at that time. Water and sewer users pay for operation, maintenance and capital construction costs of the system.nnOther municipalities that received joint federal/provincial ICIP funding include: South Stormont – $1.09M; South Glengarry – $3.65M; North Stormont – $669K; North Dundas – $3.67M; and City of Cornwall – $2.2M.