Water is critical to all aspects of our lives and it is important that we ensure there is a safe and reliable source of water for all our uses - now and in the future. Our Municipal drinking water comes from underground sources (aquifers). All of these sources of water are linked in a watershed through the water cycle. Drinking water sources can be easily contaminated. Long-term problems can develop that are costly or even impossible to correct.

Water and Wastewater Master Servicing Plan

The Municipality establishes a long term plan to service the Thorndale and Dorchester urban areas through the Water and Wastewater Master Plan. This plan was last updated for the Thames Centre water system in 2008,

Presentations

Reports

Water Treatment Facilities

The Municipality of Thames Centre owns and operates two municipal drinking water systems which are supplied by groundwater wells. Our systems produce safe, high quality drinking water for the communities of Dorchester and Thorndale. In 2008, the municipality delivered almost 550,000 cubic meters of water to over 4,800 customers.

Dorchester Water Treatment Facility		Thorndale Water Treatment Facility

Water and Wastewater Master Plan (2008)

The Municipality establishes a long term plan to service the Thorndale and Dorchester urban areas through the Water and Wastewater Master Plan. This plan was last updated for the Thames Centre water system in 2008, The following links document the completed Phase 1 and 2 Environmental Assessment process:

Presentations

Reports

Water and Wastewater Billing

Properties on the Dorchester and Thorndale Systems are billed based on the metered water consumption. Residential, Commercial and Industrial properties are billed bi-monthly. Water and Wastewater consumption rates are listed below. Please note that as consumption rises, the cost also increases moderately.

Dishonoured Payments
A service charge of $30.00 will be applied to an account for which any payment is dishonoured by a bank for any reason.
 
Default Of Payment
Upon default of payment, the entire amount of any balance owing becomes immediately due and payable and may be collected by any means permitted by legislation.

Collection Procedures

• Termination of Service
  If you are moving, or intend to demolish a residential/ commercial building, please contact the water billing department at 268-7334 ext. 224 to make arrangements for a final meter reading or removal of the meter. Please call 10 days in advance.
  
  Please note that a 1.25% per month late fee is applied to all bills paid after due date.
• Pay By Mail
  To facilitate payment and avoid penalties for late payment postdated cheques to the due dates are accepted. Cheques are made payable to Municipality of Thames Centre.
• Pay At Your Bank
  Payments can also be made via Telephone or Internet at most banking institutions. Please contact your bank for more information.
• Pay In Person
  Payments can be made at our cashier counter during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), located at 4305 Hamilton Road, Dorchester. We accept payment by cash, cheque, debit card, or money order. We do not accept credit cards.
• Drop Off Box
  An after hours drop-off box is provided for your convenience at the Municipal Office at 4305 Hamilton Road, Dorchester. Payments can be dropped in this box 24 hours a day.
• Pre-authorized Payments
  Pre-authorized payment form

FAQs

The Following are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from our water customers:

How do I get my Water Line Located?

If you require assistance locating the water lines or locates under the property, please let us know , provide a minimum of twenty-four hours notice, and we will be happy to assist you. In emergency situations, locates should be determined as soon as possible.

Will the Municipality work on my Plumbing?

Please be aware that no work will be performed by the Municipal staff on private property with the exception of repair and maintenance of the water meter and meter valves at your home.

What do I do if I have a Sand Point?

Please register your sand points with water services and adhere to the odd/even watering schedule.

What is the Odd-Even Water Restriction?

Non-essential water use is limited to the odd/even system during the months of May, June, July, August and September. Non-essential water use refers to lawn watering, filling pools, washing vehicles etc. If your street address is an even number, you may use non-essential water on calendar days that are even. If it's an odd number, odd number calendar days apply.
Please note that the odd/even watering schedule has been in use for several years and is a common method used by municipalities to better manage water resources. It should not be confused with the total ban on non-essential water usage that was imposed in 1998. By-Law 40-98

How is the Municipality and water use regulated?

We are regulated by the Ministry of Environment which sets the maximum volume we can pump each day. In fall, winter and early spring we do not have a problem with over pumping and rarely exceed half of the allowed volume. However, during periods of heavy non-essential water usage, the system must be monitored carefully to avoid exceeding the permissible volumes.

Why is non-essential water use important?

2007 was a very dry year. The volume of water pumped by the Dorchester well fields during the month of February 2007 was 31,664 cubic metres. The volume for June 2007 was dramatically higher at 69,992 cubic metres. The increased pumping was due to non-essential water usage, such as watering lawns and gardens, washing cars and filling pools.

Why manage supply and demand?

Under normal circumstances the municipal water supply is more than adequate for our needs. We can easily maintain a full reserve of water in the reservoirs and tower to ensure a proper amount of pressure in the system. During a drought, as was the case in 2005, the situation can change dramatically during the late spring, summer or early fall months when heavy non-essential water usage takes place. The demand on the system can quickly rise to an unsustainable level. Eventually, if the situation were allowed to continue the tower volume would decrease in equal proportion to the amount of water being used that exceeds the system's pumping capacity. This process would inevitably result in zero water reserve and poor line pressure. When that situation occurs a total ban on non-essential water use is implemented and strictly enforced. This is necessary to insure an adequate supply of water for essential use and emergency purposes.

Where Do We Get Our Water?

Dorchester's water supply comes from ground water wells located just south of town on the east side of Dorchester Rd. There are currently eight wells providing our water, with a combined total capacity of 6,912 cubic metres (1,825,943 gal) per day. The Dorchester water supply is treated with chlorine and disinfected with UV light.
Thorndale is supplied by two wells with a total capacity of 1,440 cubic metres (380,404 gal) per day. The water is treated with chlorine and sodium silicate.

How does the Municipality use and deliver water?

The chart below depicts water consumption by category for 2009. The percentage of customer use is the highest. Maintenance is water used through hydrant flushing, system maintenance, or new main construction.

Dorchester	Thorndale

Can I see the Dorchester and Thorndale Drinking Water System's Annual Reports?

Dorchester Annual Report 2009

Dorchester Annual Report 2008

Dorchester Annual Report 2007

Dorchester Annual Report 2006

Thorndale Annual Report 2009

Thorndale Annual Report 2008

Thorndale Annual Report 2007

Thorndale Annual Report 2006

Source Water Protection

Through the Clean Water Act, a local committee has been established to guide the process to develop a Source Protection Plan to protect municipal sources of drinking water. The Source Protection Plan will determine areas that are vulnerable, identify potential threats and develop plans to deal with the threats to our drinking water sources.

In this area, the Upper Thames River, Lower Thames Valley and St. Clair Region Conservation Authorities have partnered together to work with the Source Protection Committee to coordinate the development of Source Protection Plans for our watersheds. We are committed to work with our municipalities, other stakeholders and the public to develop Source Protection Plans that serve to protect our drinking water while taking into account the other needs of our communities.

Drinking Water Source Protection - Act for Clean Water

Source Water Protection Studies

• Dorchester Source Water Protection Peer Review
• Peer Review copleted by Dillon Consulting dated May 28, 2008
• Threat, Issues, and Preferential Pathways
• Part 1 - Acquifer Test
• Part 2 - Well-Head Protection Area Delineation and Vulnerability Assessment
• Source Water Protection Studies Q & A