As the camping season comes to a close it is time for the West Nipissing Ouest (WNO) Council\West Nipissing Ouest Water and Sewer Board members to revisit the FREE Water\Air\RV Dumping Waste Station at the corner of John Street and Coursol Road in Sturgeon Falls.
I have seen numerous caravans of Travel Trailers\RV\Fifth Wheel campers help themselves free of charge (Water capacity vary from 35 gallons to 100 gallons\160 liters to 455 litres) as well as trucks with Water Storage Tanks (up to 350 gallons\1600 litres) lined up, even up to the entrance of the Sports Complex and along the corner of John Street and Coursol Road.
Also, it is a dangerous location for local motor vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians as well as for school children who walk to and from nearby schools.
As a West Nipissing Ouest Water and Sewer taxpayer, I find it odd that campers help themselves ‘free of charge’ and zip away to wherever they live; either within the WNO boundary or other municipalities; such as North Bay, Sudbury, and others throughout Ontario and beyond, which have\probably have water consumption meters at their municipal residence.
It would be a great opportunity and beneficial for WNO to collect money by installing a pay per use water consumption\air\dumping meters\devices for such services and transfer the money made from the meters into the WNO coffers. It would probably be a minimal effort to do so; other than the initial startup cost for services payable at the station. It could pay itself within a few years.
If such is impossible or too costly, then WNO elected council ward members should vote in favour of having the free water consumption\air\dumping station removed completely.
Ivan Primeau
West Nipissing
