Town of Lunenburg

Water Utility

Water Utility Rates and Regulations for the Town of Lunenburg are approved by the Nova Scotia Utilities Review Board (“NSURB�) and can be viewed at (Lunenburg Water Rates 2007 (50 kB).

Water accounts are billed quarterly in March, June, September and December and are due at the end of the next month. As with all Town bills, payment can be made by cash, debit, cheque, post-dated cheque, telephone/internet banking or payment at your branch of most Canadian financial institutions. The Town does not accept credit card payments.

Property owners requiring new or upgraded water services should contact the Town Engineer at 634-8992 ext. 246, or Public Works Superintendent at 634-8992, ext 245, to make arrangements and fee inquiries.

Existing customers seeking to turn off or on a water service should contact the Town’s Finance Officer at the Town Hall at 634-4410 ext. 227. Charges that may apply to these service changes are outlined in the above noted Water Utility Regulations.

Water Utility Supply

Dares Lake, 4 km from the Town of Lunenburg in the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, provides an abundant supply of fresh water, with a safe yield of approximately 3,000,000 gallons per day during a dry season.  Raw water flows from Dares Lake by gravity through two cast iron pipes, one 6" and one 24" to an intake chamber, screen house and pumping station located 62' above mean sea  level, 550' from the lake.  At the pumping station the water is treated with chlorine and lime to control bacteria and PH levels.  The treated water is pumped through cast iron pipes to an open reservoir on Northwest Road.  As required, water is distributed to customers through a treated transmission main with additional chlorination. A diagram of the water system follows:

Water Utility - Past and Present

The Lunenburg Water and Electric Light, Heating and Power Company Limited (“Company�) was incorporated under Chapter 117 of the Nova Scotia Acts of 1888. In 1895 it acquired lands and water rights to construct and operate a waterworks system in and adjacent to the Town of Lunenburg for the purpose of providing a good supply of water for domestic and other purposes. On August 22, 1896, the Lunenburg Board of Trade petitioned the Lunenburg Town Council to purchase the waterworks system from the Company. Council agreed and offered $65,000. on February 8, 1900, which was rejected. The Company finally agreed to sell on November 15, 1902 for $90,000. Council borrowed an additional $15,000. to extend and improve the system. A 700,000 gallon open reservoir was constructed near the Northwest Highway, 212' above sea level, to provide additional storage in the distribution system.

In 1941, the increasing water demands of commercial customers required a booster pump to be installed on the main supply line. This served to maintain pressure at higher elevations. It was built along the Northwest Road between the open reservoir and the Town boundary. It was later converted to a chlorination facility in 1958.

Chlorine and lime feed equipment were installed in the main pumping station in 1965 to disinfectant and increase the water alkalinity.

In 1968, a 750,000 gallon steel water tank was built on Hospital Hill Road in Garden Lots to provide additional storage in the distribution system and water required by High Liner Foods to meet their production requirements.

Flow proportional chlorine equipment was installed in 1990. It allows chlorine to be added to the distribution system based on the water volume pumped to the Town.

The Utility’s original water distribution system was predominantly cast iron pipe. Since the 1970's, the Utility has been replacing these older cast iron pipes with cement lined ductile iron (CLDI) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes to improve water quality and increase fire flows.

On June 10, 2009, the Lunenburg Town Council awarded a $6.8 Million contract to Mid Valley Construction for the construction of a new water treatment plant and system upgrades. The project is required to meet new Provincial Surface Water Treatment Standards. The new plant will be located near the existing reservoir along Northwest Road. For more information about this project or any other Water Utility matters, please contact the Town Engineer at 634-8992 (ext 246).

(Reference: Town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia 65th Annual Report for the Fiscal Year January 1st to December 31st, 1952.)

Dares Lake Watershed Protection

In March 1972, 518 acres of land surrounding the Town’s water supply at Dares Lake were designated a protected watershed area. Provincial Regulations were approved to protect the Town’s water supply from commercial, residential and recreational uses and activities that could have a negative impact on Dares Lake water quality.

There are approximately 283 acres of land within the natural drainage area of the Dares Lake watershed, but have not all have been included within the regulated watershed. A Source Water Protection Advisory Committee is in the process of preparing a draft Source Water Protection Management Plan to provide additional protection measures for the Dares Lake water supply.