The Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is defending its decision to close the Coatsworth bulk water station.
PUC Chair and Chatham-Kent (CK) Councillor Carmen McGregor told the commission on Thursday that the station is not very busy and the closure just came down to dollars and cents.
"I know it's difficult on the community, but it's not financially viable, which was what brought us to our decision in the first place," said McGregor.
PUC member and CK Councillor Lauren Anderson understands the frustrations from her constituents regarding the lost service, but said the commission couldn't justify spending money rehabilitating the station and not recouping the cost because of such low usage and revenues.
"It was just such an unknown if we were to move forward with it, that we couldn't definitively say that we would recoup the cost to rehabilitate it and that was part of the decision process," Anderson said.
McGregor said other bulk water stations are located nearby in Merlin, Tilbury, and Chatham if one is really needed.
She also said the station closure should not have come as a surprize because public notification was issued, even though no consultation was done.
Councillor Melissa Harrigan will be asking council on Monday night to have the PUC reconsider its decision to close the Coatsworth bulk water station and keep it operational because it's a valuable asset to the agricultural community.
A report by the PUC in March showed the bulk water station does not meet the current standards for backflow prevention and cross-contamination and it has become increasingly expensive over the last few years to upgrade bulk water stations in CK to bring them up to current standards and regulations.
The Coatsworth bulk water station is slated to close sometime in November, 2025.
