The City of Vaudreuil-Dorion is considering installing water meters at some 200 residences in the Como sector. At least, that's what we learned at the last council meeting, held on Monday, July 3.

The project will be presented to the municipal council during the budget process scheduled for this autumn.

"It would be the only district in the city. The advantage of having meters is that we'll be able to tax people and I guarantee you there will be a tax when people exceed a certain consumption level. What's more, we'll be able to know exactly who consumed too much," said Mayor Guy Pilon.

"I never wanted to put meters in the city. People said it could hurt people with large families, or that every other week, two families end up in the same house," Pilon said.

"We also think that people with money would be inclined to over-consume because they think they're paying for their consumption anyway," added Pilon.

Expanding reserves?

The mayor said the town's future plans include expanding the drinking water supply on its territory. "The plant can produce more water but that would require another raw water basin for the city's eventual expansion," said Pilon.

Asked whether the Como sector would be involved in an expansion, the city's Director General Olivier Van Neste suggested that if an expansion happened, it would be in other parts of the city before the Como sector.

"Theoretically, the capacity is there. We see it during the winter. There's no problem with the drinking water supply," said Van Neste.

Overconsumption of drinking water during the summer season is particularly problematic in the Como sector, according to the city.

"In this case, consumption should be 100 m3, but it can sometimes be as much as 300 m3. That's where we're talking about abuse," said Pilon.

Safety first

In addition to wasting resources, overusing drinking water comes with certain risks, especially regarding fire protection. 

"Right now, what really concerns council is the fact that the overuse of drinking water can jeopardize, in some cases, fire protection for homes. The way to solve the problem is to install water meters so that people can have proper fire protection," said Pilon.