“He said yes. It’s a big family out here,” Peltier says. “They took our garden hose, hooked it up to his house, ran it to our house so we would have water from his house via the garden house.”
The challenge amid the garden hose water connection is coordination between Peltier and her neighbour. She says they collaborate to ensure they’re not using water at the same time, otherwise there wouldn’t be enough water pressure to bathe, clean or do laundry.
Peltier claims TNRD staff told her they would complete permanent repairs for her property on Wednesday (April 8). However, when she called the district to confirm the scheduled repairs, she says staff told her they meant the following Wednesday (April 15).
“That’s not acceptable; it’s just not,” Peltier says. “Our water line is sitting on top of our driveway; it’s a huge mess out here. It’s an inconvenience for our neighbour. Out of the goodness of his heart, he’s doing this. It’s a great neighbourhood – we would do the same for them – but it’s asking a lot.
“I don’t want to be dependent on my neighbour for his water. I shouldn’t have to be.”
Peltier says her household includes her husband, granddaughter and great-grandson. Additionally, she takes care for two small children Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
“The kids play outside, they’re not clean all the time,” Peltier says. “I understand this was definitely not planned for. Short-term, we thought it was okay. We understand, it’s the long weekend… they assured us that next week they’ll be there.”
Jamie Vieira, TNRD general manager of operations, declined an interview with CFJC Today but provided a statement regarding the ongoing water main break repairs in Pritchard. Due to limited staff availability, Vieira says permanent repairs are scheduled for Wednesday, April 15.
“We understand the inconvenience caused by this unusual temporary arrangement to these two properties,” Vieira says. “The TNRD utility department is a small team, consisting of only four full-time field staff. Whenever possible, repairs and maintenance are handled internally to help contain costs for the system and its ratepayers.
“TNRD does not receive external funding for the operation and upkeep of its utility systems – all expenses are covered by the properties connected to the system. As such, we are committed to carefully managing costs, even during emergency repairs.”
Vieira says neither Peltier nor her neighbour will be charged water user fees during their shared service.
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