Resolving a leak that occurred in the Glen Walter water system Christmas Day was a team effort.
At 4 a.m., the alarm went out that there was an issue. In attempts to locate and isolate the break, maintain pressure and stop the water storage level from dropping rapidly, the entire western part of the system was turned off.
And a boil water advisory was sent out through the Voyent Alerts to the community and posted on the South Glengarry Township’s website. The Voyent app is a communication service that provides rapid, targeted information in emergencies and for notifications. Residents can sign up for Voyent Alerts through their Township websites.
With it being a holiday, contractors weren’t answering any calls. However, South Glengarry’s Roads and Water Departments responded. They borrowed an excavator and water pumps, dug a hole, located the leak and made a temporary repair to get the system back running by the afternoon.
But, once a water advisory has been put in place, only the Medical Officer of Health can lift the notice after two clear samples have been tested within a 24-hour and 48-hour period. These clear results were not achieved until January 2, when the boil water advisory was finally lifted.
South Glengarry’s General Manager of Infrastructure, Sarah McDonald, acknowledged the assistance of both the Roads and Water Departments, along with help from North Glengarry Township, which had parts to lend in the repair, and advice from the City of Cornwall’s Department of Infrastructure and Municipal Works.