During the public meeting of February 7, the City of Sainte-Thérèse made changes to the municipal regulations concerning the use of drinking water. These follow the 2020 report of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAMH) resulting from its Quebec Strategy for Drinking Water Conservation.
In doing so, Sainte-Thérèse’s by-laws now harmonize with the Model municipal by-law on the use of drinking water developed by the MAMH, in collaboration with the municipal, technical and ministerial partners concerned. The City regulations are adjusted as follows:
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Filling swimming pools and spas
Filling a swimming pool or spa is now prohibited from 6 am to 8 pm. However, it is permitted to use water from the distribution network when installing a new swimming pool to maintain the shape of the structure.
Air conditioning systems without a recirculation loop
It is prohibited to install any air conditioning or refrigeration system, as well as any compressor using drinking water. Any system or equipment installed before the entry into force of the by-law must be replaced before January 1, 2025 by a system that does not use drinking water. It is permitted to use systems or devices connected to a water recirculation loop on which regular maintenance is carried out.
Urinals with an automatic flushing tank
It is prohibited to install any automatic flushing urinal equipped with a flushing tank that uses drinking water. Any urinal of this type installed before the entry into force of the regulation must be replaced before January 1, 2025 by a urinal with manual flush or presence detection.
Time limit for repairing defective private supply pipes
Any occupant of a building must notify the City as soon as they hear an abnormal noise or notices any irregularity in the service connection. Municipal employees will then be able to locate the defect and repair it. If the defect is on the private piping, between the shut-off valve and the meter, or between the shut-off valve and the building’s interior shut-off valve, if there is no meter or if the meter is installed in a room near the street line, the City then advises the owner to make the repair within 20 days.
In 2020, the City of Sainte-Thérèse had already modified the watering schedule in collaboration with the cities of Blainville, Boisbriand and Mirabel in order to better distribute the consumption of drinking water necessary for watering lawns and landscaping.
“Drinking water is an invaluable asset that we must preserve. Individually, we can do many small things to avoid wasting it. But cities also have a role to play in this regard. The regulatory changes that we have made based on the new requirements of the MAMH demonstrate the will of the City of Sainte‑Thérèse to participate in the preservation of this precious resource,” said the mayor of Sainte-Thérèse, Mr. Christian Charron.
