Lantzville has new water connections to hand out, but can’t do so just yet.
Fred Spears, the district’s director of public works, told councillors Monday night that Lantzville has the ability to provide 19.7 new water connections to residents or property owners due to recent well testing and rehabilitation.
Although Lantzville has water to hand out, Spears said he cannot award any new connections because the district does not have a bylaw in place authorizing them to charge for the new connections.
“We won’t be issuing any new connections until the water servicing bylaw is in place,” he said. “We can’t charge for water connections until we have that in place.”
Speaking to the News Bulletin afterwards, Spears said those connections could become available once a bylaw is in place, which is likely sometime after September. He said residents who don’t have municipal water but live near the district’s existing water pipeline would be eligible to receive water.
“For anybody that is near the system that is probably their only option,” he said. “Some folks are right along the pipe. The pipe runs right in front of their house where they don’t have a connection and they will be able to have a connection.”
However, Spears said the district has been receiving letters and requests over the years from residents who have expressed an interest in receiving municipal water should it become available. He said those residents would likely be the ones to receive water first, as water is given out on a first-come, first-serve basis in Lantzville.
“We have been keeping a list for quite some time of folks who want a water connection. It’s a long list,” he said. “Those folks will be contacted once the water becomes available.”
Spears said the 19 connections won’t be around for long and they are not limited to one per property. He said there are people who have expressed a desire for as many as three connections.
“Some people don’t have any water service so they want two so they can subdivide their property for their family or whoever,” he said.
nicholas.pescod@nanaimobulletin.com