The Dilution Pond That Used to be Our Land

Here is some video of what used to be our land and is now a dilution pond.  We know that it is about 3 ft at the edges and are planning on taking the canoe out as soon as my better half's back heals. 

The Fight Continues

So two weeks ago we got a call from the Village of Prud'homme informing us that we needed to register with the Watershed Authority to get assistance with the flooding situation.  Thankfully my better half was home that day so he called up the Watershed Authority and registered.  Great.  He then also talked to our RM Councilor Travis.  Travis came over to take a look around (Travis has already talked to our neighbors and at this point in time it was believed that they were getting a berm built around the end of their yard that would protect not only their bins, house, and yard but also our well from the poop water (yes, we are calling it the poop water now so we can distinguish it from the regular flood water)). 

The following actions were discussed:
- building a berm around the back of our yard to protect us from the poop water
- building a trench from where the fresh water flood is happening, through our field (pretty much right across the middle) over to where the poop water is to hopefully prevent flooding in our yard
- building a trench through an approach that goes into our field to allow our ditches to drain down to the poop water
- tear out our entire yard (not the house) and bring in 2 feet of top soil to raise the whole place to avoid further flooding (that would be done by the watershed, and sounds very scary)

Alrigthy, well at least ideas are being tossed around, that's better then nothing.  The same day a lady polling for Brad Trost calls and asks if we have any issues we would like to raise, well, you picked the right day to call for issues lady.  She gets the whole story.  At the end she says we have to talk to our MLA first and gives us the phone number.  Fine, we can do that (been meaning to anyway but we didn't know who she was). 

So, a week goes by and pretty much nothing happens.  We keep calling people for updates and nothing.  A guy from the Watershed Authority was at our house and Jaxie tried to bite him (not exactly helping our cause) so he had to take pictures from inside his truck.  But still no news.  Alright people, the ground is thawing and turning into mud, if we're going to do some of this stuff we had better get it done!

3 days ago we find out that our neighbors are not getting a berm.  The Watershed Authority decided that they would not build a berm to protect them (and our well) from the poop water.  What?!?  That sounds like total crap to me!  And if they aren't going to build them a berm are we going to get any help!  The poop water is practically in their yard (yes, our yard is under water but at least it's the clean water, not the poop water, for now anyway). 

So I guess the plan is now to get an email together with pictures and video to send to the MLA, call the Watershed Authority and the RM Councilor Travis to see where they are at, and start considering contacting local news crews.  And now you know what I know.

PS. The town of Prud'homme had a water main break on Saturday night and could not find it.  The town has not had water since!  They had to start trucking water in for the village people!  Karma, I think so!  To try to track it down they asked the villagers to report an "suspicious" puddles!  What the hell is a "suspicious" puddle?  And how can you tell it apart from all the regular puddles laying around since it is the middle of spring.

A Message from the Mayor

Prud'homme puts out a monthly newsletter.  This letter from Margret the Mayor was in our March issue (I am quoting this as it appeared in the newsletter, mistakes and all):

Flooding of Prud'homme Sewage Lagoon and Ducks Unlimited Wetland

As you may be aware the sewage lagoon and Duck Unlimited wetland located south of the Village of Prud'homme are flooded due to the high rainfall and run-off over the last two summers.  For all intents and purposes, the sewage lagoon no longer exists and the combined area now effectively functions as a dilution pond.  There are two main impacts of this situation:

First, because the sewage lagoon is no longer functional, Prud'homme's untreated sewage effluent is entering the entire flooded area.  The Village is not in the position to rebuild the lagoon in the short-term.  While we are eligible for $500,00 in disaster assistance, the full cost of rebuilding the lagoon is $1.5 million (based on an Engineering Assessment).  If we wish to rebuild in the short-term, our only option for financing is to borrow about $1 million, we are not in the position to do.  Giving our tax base, this loan would have to be repaid over 40-50 years, a move that would significantly impact our ability to undertake other projects, such as work on our water treatment plant.  However, we are exploring other avenues to allow us to rebuild in the medium or long-term.  In the meantime, we are looking at a number of temporary, shorter-term measures to reduce or eliminate the impact of the untreated sewage.  Both the Province and Ducks Unlimited are aware of the current situation and we will work closely with the Ministry of the Environment as we try to address this over both the short and long-term.

The second impact is the overall flooding of the area, something over which the Village does not have control.  The area is a catchment area and there is nowhere where this water can be drained.  Even rebuilding the lagoon will not eliminate the potential for flooding in this area if rain and runoff level continue as they have for the past few year.

Council is working hard to determine our options for dealing with this situation to reduce impacts on both landowners in the area and the wildlife in the wetland.  We will keep you posted.

On behalf of Council,
Margret

Guidelines for What Should (and Shouldn't) Go Down the Drain

Given that the Village's sewer lagoon is currently not working, Council suggests that you consider following these guidelines for what should, and should not, do down the drain.  These guidelines are good to follow at anytime, but are especially important now that the lagoon is not able to treat the effluent before it makes its way into the wetland.  Consider these recommendations a courtesy to our rural neighbors as well as to the wildlife that relies on our wetland.

• No Plastic of Latex Products
  Plastic and latex products should not be flushed or drained into our sewer system. Put them in the garbage. These products do not break down in nature. Because our lagoon is currently containing these products, many of them are washing up on the land of local landowners, which is very unpleasant. In addition, these products are hazard to wildlife. There are many documented cases of wildlife mistaking plastic for food and subsequently dying.
• No Hazardous Products
  Hazardous products such as ethanol, methanol, gasoline, automotive oil or solvents should not be dumped into the sewer or any bodies of water.
• Bio-degradable Cleaning Products
  Consider using cleaning products that are able to break down in nature more quickly. Detergents, soaps and cleaners may contain ingredients that do no break down easily and can impact wildlife and plant life. For instance, cleaners derived from vegetable-based fatty acids break down more easily that those derived from petrochemical-based fatty acids. Look for the "Eco-Logo" label -- these are cleaning products that have been tested by a third party to ensure that they break down quickly in nature. The Soap Factory is a local company that sells biodegradable cleaning products in bulk. It is located on 8th Street in the same mall as McNally Robinson. These products will be easier on our wetland while our lagoon is not able to do its job. An added benefit is that these products are also better for your family.
• Use bleach and chemical drain cleaners sparingly
  Products like bleach and drain cleaners are very useful when used appropriately. For instance, the Village treats its drinking water with chlorine. However, large quantities of substances such as bleach and drain cleaners can kill the naturally occurring micro-organisms that help to break down organic waste. Right, given that the lagoon is not functioning, we need all the micro-organisms that we can get. We need these products but sometimes it is good to remember that more is not necessarily better.

Really?  That's what we get?  Gee, thanks.  What a bunch of bullshit.  They ask people to think of us before flushing garbage and toxic waste down their toilet.  Yeah, right, more like think of us and laugh (an evil laugh of course)!  Oh, and don't forget the poor wildlife. You know, I never even thought of all the chemicals that are going down the drains of the townsfolk.  Gonna have to make sure to keep the dogs out of the water! 

So that's it.  Our land just becomes a dilution pond.  Well, that's just awesome.  Why did we just spend $10,000 of money out of our own pocket to put in a new septic tank when it turns out we have acres upon acres of our own dilution pond?  Maybe everyone in town should put up $10,000 of their own money to fix the lagoon.  Sounds fair to me.