Dawn-Euphemia Clerk-Administrator Donna Clermont says testing on the community’s water will take place Thursday.
The four days of water pressure testing is needed to determine if there will be enough water should a new greenhouse be built in Edys Mills.
Earlier this month, Greenhill Produce was ready to start building the first phase of the 40-acre greenhouse project at the corner of Oil Heritage Road and Edys Mills Line. But engineers voiced concern there may not be enough water pressure to feed the new greenhouse and the rest of the municipality.
Greenhill chose the land because of easy access to natural gas and the availability of water.
While a water pipeline runs down Oil Heritage Road, right past the proposed operation, there have been questions recently whether the local municipalities will be able to supply enough water for the greenhouses.
Petrolia, which supplies water to Enniskillen which resells it to Dawn-Euphemia, could supply the 7.5 litres per second but its not clear whether the current water pressure levels could be maintained for the rest of the municipality.
Paul Dalton, Dawn-Euphemia’s public works manager, says the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change regulations say water pressure in a line must be 40 psi. Petrolia’s engineers aren’t sure if that will happen the greenhouse needs 7.5 litres per second.
Clermont says after consulting with Petrolia’s engineers, Enniskillen and the Ontario Clean Water Agency – which is contracting a company to do the work – the tests will take place Thursday. Clermont is hopeful the municipality will have a report on the issue by its next meeting at the beginning of September.
That may not be soon enough. Earlier this month, Rob Geertsma, one of the owners of Greenhill, told Dawn-Euphemia council he was ready to start preparing the ground and begin construction now.
“We’re running out of time. We have to decide if we’re going to move ahead or not.”
Geertsma added if he can’t get the water pressure he needs, he still has time to cancel the supplies to build the greenhouse this year.
He added “if we can’t get the water, we likely will find another site.”