Holyrood officials defend water system reliability

In Holyrood, Councillor Steve Winsor has defended the town’s water system as “safe and reliable” following social media concerns. The system currently relies on a 255,000-gallon tank at George Cove Mountain fed by eight local wells.

To address capacity and maintenance, the town is planning a new water tank with a 543,000-gallon capacity, which would more than double current storage. While the project has faced delays, civil work and geological studies are complete, and the project is described as “shovel ready” with an expected completion in 2027. The town has already paid $70,000 to Prime Drilling for foundation and piping work.

Despite the defense of the system, Winsor acknowledged that much of the town’s 32 kilometers of underground piping is old, leading to frequent leaks. The town reported ten leaks in a five-week period this summer, some of which occurred on residential properties.