A St. Albert resident will be going back to city council for a second time after the city threatened to shut off their water amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Nov. 16, Stewart Nelson spoke to council about letters sent to his home regarding an outstanding water meter installation. The Nelson household is one of 23 left outstanding since the city launched an alternate meter-reading program this year.
The program was developed for utility customers who did not want a smart water meter installed in their home, due to fears of electromagnetic radiation or city monitoring. The program allowed residents to opt-out of a transmitter that would be attached to their homes, but still required the installation of a new water meter.
In the letters, the city stated they had not received a response from the couple after multiple requests by mail, and threatened to shut off water entirely if an appointment wasn't set up before Dec. 1. Stewart and his wife Wendy both said they did not receive previous letters but communicated with the city through phone calls instead.
The Nelsons are both in their 60s, putting them in a higher risk category for COVID-19. While they did agree to participate in the alternate water meter program, having strangers in their home during a pandemic was not a risk they wanted to take, Wendy said.
"We want to work with the city when it's safe and sensible to do so. We're not being resistant. We're trying to be sensible and safe. And this is not an urgent matter, it's only urgent from their point of view," Wendy said. "We're not even supposed to have our own family members in our house, and we want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem."
After Stewart's first presentation, Coun. Sheena Hughes asked for confirmation from administration that the household wouldn't have their water shut off if they decided not to move forward by Nov. 30 – and if they did, they would be notified of the enhanced measures in place to alleviate their concerns.
"That's fair, and it's what everyone is comfortable with," said Kevin Scoble, chief administrative officer. "If you're comfortable with it, that's great, if you're not then you can wait."
Council unanimously passed a recommendation to extend the original deadline from Nov. 30 this year to November 2021.
The next day, director of finance Diane McMordie sent the Nelsons an email as an official notification.
"There will be no disruption to your water service in December as described on the most recent letter," the email reads. "Your most recent concerns around COVID are also valid and reasonable ... I fully accept your assertion that you did not receive (letters) as intended."
'They're pressuring us'
Despite assurances from the city that their water wouldn't be cut off if they decided not to move forward, Stewart and his wife Wendy received a letter from the city on Nov. 20 stating they had two options: either continue with the installation before Dec. 1, or agree to have it installed within one month after the city's provincial status is downgraded to a "watch."
If the couple didn't respond to the letter before Dec. 1, the city would still shut off their water.
"I'd suggest that they didn't listen to anything in council, because what they sent was basically the same letter as they sent prior," Stewart said.
"I don't think they should be threatening to cut the water off regardless. To come up with an ultimatum that says, 'We're coming into your home on this day, and if we don't get access, then we're going to cut your water off.' It's unreasonable."
The most recent letter also appears to contradict a suspension notice posted on the city's website. According to the website, the utility department suspended any household inspections, maintenance or response to reported back-ups, including any non-emergent water meter work within a home.
"So they've suspended the work, but then they're pressuring us. That's really the issue we're dealing with," Wendy said. "They're still holding the threat of water disruption over our heads."
The couple said Stewart is on Monday's agenda to speak to council again and appeal the city's letter. But city correspondence up until this point has felt like "bullying," Wendy said.
"We do have some other options, but we don't want to be going down that road. But we also have to protect our home and water service," she said. "This is something that needs to be resolved – it's not going to go away on its own."
After the Nov. 16 council meeting, the Gazette requested an interview with Scoble and received information contained in the most recent letter in lieu of an interview.
This isn't the first time the city has threatened to shut off water services around new water meter installations. Before the alternate program was launched, two St. Albert residents took the city to court in 2018 after city workers shut off their water because they refused to let contractors install a smart water meter in their home.
