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m o h EC E \ > \ E. CHER ps BmA reoina at Ers, watERioo g The Old Train Station It was a waste of water he never expected on that scale, especially with the region imposing strict water restrietions for this summer. And it left him wondering when this valuable resource would be returned to the local water table dependent . _ He took many pictures to provide evidence of the dewatering. Thomason said that dewatering lowered the loca! water table in outlying wetlands and wells surâ€" rounding the site. It also raised the level of water that would be lost to evaporaâ€" tion in local stormwater ponds. They got approval to remove up to 360,000 litres a day over a twoâ€"week period that ended last Friday. ° It was at that point that the contractor and city sought Ministry of the Enviâ€" ronment and Waterloo Region approval to dewater the area and put in a saniâ€" tary sewer pipe. more than four to five metres down. The excavation ditches started to collapse and became swamped by the sheer volume of water rushâ€" ing in. They found they were entering the more sandy parts of the moraine, which help convert rainwater into potable water that ends up in the aquifer below. Those fears came true last week when construction crews from PEIL Contractâ€" ing completed the first 200 metres of the road extension and were starting work on the remainder. â€" It‘s in an area where the water table is particularly close to the surface and ripe for these types of problems, he said. Thomason said he was at the council meeting in May when council approved the Wideman Road extension to service the new subdivision, But he was concerned that after the first 200 metres of the project, the roadway was only going to service a potential developâ€" ment on the muchâ€"contestâ€" ed Owens property. Kevin Thomason, presi dent of the Sunfish Lake neighbourhood association and a big backer of the Enviâ€" ronmentally Sensitive Lands designation for the Laurel Creek head waters, saidthe was shocked to see all the water being siphoned off, especially when he and oth ers had warned the city of potential problems with a road that goes nowhere Water worries are exaggerated: city Continued from page 1 Thomas Daniel, the proj ect manager for the Wide Thomason said in addiâ€" tion to the environmental costs, he wondered about the cost overruns of gll that pumping. "This is the one and only source for our drinking water and we‘ve got to treat it better." "We no more envisioned that they would try to do that than if they tried to hang the sewer from the trees," he said. "Even if these are normal construction practices, this is not a norâ€" mal area. Thomason said he newer thought they would dig a sewer line almost three storeys deep into the moraine area. He was Stunned by the outcome. "The people who live on Wideman Road are still waiting for any communicaâ€" tion from the city." Thomason said he does nt feel city staff adequately explained the potential for dewitering when the origi nal motion was presented, which was supported by all of council except for Coun. Jan d‘Ailly. He sent his concerns to the city and has yet to see a H'.\[)(lllhl' from dll'\‘()nl‘ on council CUSTOMER APPRECIATION SALE on rain water ment. Watch for GREAT specials never offered before PLUS â€" super door prizes DAILY!!! Cuisinart Smart Stick 12¢ Coffeemaker v49" 5999 10 Available Silpat Nonâ€"Stick Bakin? Mat 39" ‘12"° 36 Available July 16 ONLY Hand Blendet sso" $29° July 13 ONLY July 10 ONLY 24 Available Cuisinart JULY 10 â€" 16, 2006 for replenish * _ "Your Kitchen Store" 75 King St. North * 550 King St. North Waterloo Town Square Conestoga Mail 519â€"746â€"7734 â€" 519â€"884â€"4181 "ZYLISS" Salad Spinner 39" $19°° SALE STARTS TODAY! July 14 ONLY Garlic Press 497 5999 48 Available July 11 ONLY 50% OFF AND MORE "ZYLISS" af7mos "The maximum area it is going to affect is 20 to 30 metres from the site. That‘s the maximum area. It‘s not going to affect 100 metres "Our experience is that the water table will be comâ€" ing back in a day or two," said Daniel. "We have a hydrologist checking that and monitoring that, and we have three flow monitors installed along the Environâ€" mental Sensitive Protected Area. Daniel said the city has had previous experience dealing with projects that are building close to the water table in areas like Eastbridge and Laurelwood. "The test pits did not have that much water," said Daniel. "That‘s why they decided to start the project without a permit from the MOE." "We don‘t have to pay any extra money for the dewatering at all." He said the contractor didn‘t originally apply for a permit to dewater from the ministry because initial drilling guggested it wasn‘t a problem. When the work advanced past the first 200 metres that‘s when it started to become an issue. "It is a common practice to do dewatering." said Damel. "There is a high water table there, and we had included those items in the contract and the conâ€" tractor quoted for that item. man Road extension for the city, said the potential for dewatering was always part of the proposal. The costs are in keeping with the origâ€" inal $1.4â€"million project that was tendered. he said. 4 Slice Toaster Brushed Stee! sy2" *§529"° 10â€"Pc. Cheese Fondue July 15 ONLY July 12 ONLY 24 Available 10 Available Cuisinart 24 Semiâ€"Annual 25% â€" 40% OFF REGINA â€"at ERB, WAITERL The Old Train Statior . en