Memories of 2016 drought linger as water shortages persist in southwest Nova Scotia
'With climate change and everything that's happening with extreme weather ... people have to be ready'
As wells run dry in southwest Nova Scotia, an official with the Municipality of the District of Argyle says about 40 residents have shown interest in a loan program through the municipality that allows families to upgrade their wells.
Under the loan program, families can get $15,000 from the municipality to be put toward drilling or digging a well, or a cistern to collect water, which they must repay later.
A dry summer has meant people's wells are running dry, much like during a 2016 drought that hit the area that forced some homeowners to excavate deeper wells and shower at public facilities. That year Yarmouth County reported the driest summer on record going back as far as 1880.
Jeannine Muise, the emergency measures co-ordinator for Argyle, said people now realize that water shortage problems aren't likely a short-term problem.
"Nobody can say what Mother Nature is going to do to us or give to us in terms of water, but with climate change and everything that's happening with extreme weather, it is a sure sign that things may repeat itself and people have to be ready," she said.
While the water shortage problem has gotten worse in recent weeks, some people say it's now approaching that of the 2016 drought.
"It's more or less the same," said Tony d'Entremont.
He has a pump attached to his pickup truck and has been delivering water to residents in need.
"I'm on vacation, so I've got to do something," he said.
Dennis d'Entremont installed a pump on his well so that people who need water could take some from him.
"We've lived here all our lives and that's what we do in a small village. We help when we're needed — simple as that," he said.
Other than the 2016 drought, he said he's never seen it so dry in southwest Nova Scotia.
"It's a beautiful summer if you like beaches, but not a good summer if you need water," he said.
Arthur Porter has been working seven days a week doing water deliveries, often working until as late as 8 p.m. each night.
"Everybody's waiting for this rain to come. It's supposed to rain Saturday, but it ain't enough. The ground's too hard."
With files from Radio-Canada's Stephanie Blanchet