Written By Olena Riznyk
NORTH MIDDLESEX – Rod Dupuis, Senior Operations Manager with the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), presented council with the municipality’s 2025 water and wastewater operations reports at March 4 council meeting.
Overall, the municipal drinking water system performed well during 2025 and remained in compliance with provincial regulations. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks conducted its annual inspection of the system on Aug. 7, 2025, and the inspection resulted in a perfect rating with no compliance issues or recommendations identified.
One adverse water quality incident was recorded during the year. The event occurred on Oct. 18 while the system was operating under temporary water hauling conditions due to a shutdown of the Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System. During that period, a sample collected from a water hauler tested positive for total coliform bacteria, which are used as indicators when monitoring drinking water quality.
The result was reported to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Middlesex-London Health Unit in accordance with regulatory requirements. Additional samples were collected from upstream, downstream and at the source. All follow-up tests confirmed zero E. coli and zero total coliforms, indicating the issue was isolated.
Operators responded to several water service-related issues reported by residents, including frozen water services and leaks located on the private side of service lines. Staff also monitored system performance during several planned shutdowns of the Lake Huron water supply system, adjusting pump operations and monitoring reservoir levels to maintain system pressure and ensure continued service to residents.
During the year, operators also oversaw the commissioning of new water mains and service connections, including projects in Ailsa Craig. Work included replacing distribution valves, supervising new service installations and assisting with emergency repairs in coordination with the municipal roads department.
Additional inspections and maintenance were completed at several infrastructure sites including the Parkhill Reservoir, the Ailsa Craig elevated water storage tower and the West Williams booster station to ensure pumps, electrical systems and monitoring equipment were operating properly.
During the discussion, council members also asked questions about the capacity of the Parkhill wastewater lagoon system. Staff explained that recent maintenance work had created additional treatment capacity, but the system will still face limits as the community continues to grow. The lagoon system is estimated to be able to accommodate approximately 350 additional homes before additional wastewater treatment solutions may be required.
