Preparing for a water emergency: Windsor, Essex County working together on 'forward thinking infrastructure'

The Windsor Utilities Commission (WUC) and Union Water Supply System (UWSS) are working on building an emergency reservoir in case of a water disaster.

“Water is one of those critical necessities of life,” Mayor Drew Dilkens told CTV News. “With the effects of flooding and tornadoes and now a pandemic, you start thinking more about emergency preparedness and emergency management and what do you do?”

According to Dilkens, the board of directors for both WUC and UWSS met this week, and unanimously agreed to move this idea to the next step.

“Lets spend $400,000 and start doing the design and the environmental assessment work that's going to be required to move this type of project forward,” said Dilkens.

The idea is to find a location between the City of Windsor and County of Essex to build a reservoir. Pipes would run from each municipal treatment plant to store a significant supply of safe drinking water, in case either system has to be shut down.

“This is forward thinking infrastructure,” added Dilkens.

Windsor’s intake is the Detroit River and Dilkens said the city’s concern is a chemical spill starting in Sarnia could drift downstream.

Similarly, a severe algae bloom could force the county to close their intakes.

“It would never be an issue until it becomes an issue until you don't have clean drinking water,” said Dilkens. “But by then, you can't be ready and move fast enough because it'll take you five or six years to get the money and to actually construct something of this magnitude.”

Dilkens said the city would struggle to provide safe drinking water after 24 hours with no intake options.

According to Dilkens, the project cost has been pegged at $130 million.

“It's an expensive project, but it's an important project and it's one that if you don't plan for in advance, and you end up having an issue you'll be sorry you didn’t,” said Dilkens.