Report of the meeting with La Peche on water quality - March 16th, 2009

Janet Bax, President of the Lac Bernard Association and Jane Barton, Chair of the Association's Environmental Committee met on Monday, March 16th, 2009, with Mayor of La Pêche, Robert Bussière, M. Marcel Marchildon, Director of Urbanism and Environment, and with Councillor Mme Jacqueline Lambert Madore, to review with the Municipality, the status of the undertakings given by the mayor to the Association's AGM on October 29 2008 concerning the municipality's plans to complete septic inspections for 2009.

The following points were made during the course of this meeting:

1.   The Municipality and the MRC (through the Programme d'aide à la prevention des algues bleues) are collaborating to create standard approaches to inspections of septic systems throughout the municipality.  The approach aims to classify all septic systems in one of three classifications - A, B or C.

A signifies that the system is in conformity with the required regulations; B signifies that there are issues with the system that require further investigation, and C signifies that the system is non compliant.

2)  All septic systems will eventually be classified in one of these three categories and a data base will be maintained to ensure information is updated.  La Pêche agreed to share with Low the protocol in an effort to ensure there is some standardization introduced in the way in which inspections are carried out by the two municipalities at Lac Bernard.

3)  A "protocole d'intervention" will be signed between MRC and the Municipality about how inspections will be carried out and how information will be kept in the data base.

4)  For 2009, out of the more than 300 septic systems at the Lake in La Pêche, the Municipality provided an undertaking to the Association that inspections at Lake Bernard for 145 septic systems, for which there is no information on file, would be completed.  Of this number, 79 were sent a notice of intent to inspect in 2008, and 47 inspections have already been carried out (in summer and fall of 2008).  Of the 47 completed, about 50% were non compliant and have been sent notices of what action is required.  The time provided to send the municipality a response with what the owner intends to do to take corrective action is 25 days (15 days from the date of sending, with another 10 days before another notice is sent).  We understood that those systems that were found to be non compliant have until June-July to complete work.

5) 80 of the 145 systems that are to be inspected this year are to be done by contract staff of the MRC.  Concerns were raised by both the Councillor and by the Association reps about guarantees that these inspection would be done, with stiff competition from other lakes and lake associations (eg. Val des Monts, Lac St. Pierre).

6) The mayor will provide M. Marchildon and his team a lap top and printer to speed up the process of inspections.  This way, once the inspection is completed on site and on the computer, a report can be printed off, along with a notice of compliance or non compliance, signed by the inspector, his assistant (who is also his witness) and the cottage owner so that follow-up can start immediately. The laptop and portable printer are part of new equipment proposed and adopted by Council in the 2009 budget.

7) Inspections at Lake Bernard will be scheduled to start for the beginning of May, 2009.  The Municipality will draw up a program and schedule of inspections and distribute it internally and to the Association.  The Association will check with the Municipality to ensure that things are kept on schedule.

8) The Association shared and reviewed with the Municipality the draft Lake Bernard Environment Plan 2009-2010.  During this discussion, under the item addressing Shoreline Protection and Regeneration, the Municipality informed the Association that the MRC had developed a new bylaw on the issue of shoreline protection.  The bylaw, except for an area 5 metres wide to gain access to the water, forbids the cutting of vegetation within 5 metres of the water and, if the shoreline is already cleared, requires the replanting or regeneration of the area along the lake.

9)  The Mayor and Councillor suggested that the President and Association should become familiar with the new requirements for clearances on private roads before the Spring Association meeting, so that road committees can be informed of the new regulations and standards.  Ensuring that these are met could have implications on insurance rates.  Follow up to be done through:

M. Jocelyn Lessard, directeur du service des incendies: (819) 456-2161, poste 2291
M. Jocelyn Nault, directeur des Travaux publics: (819) 456-2161, poste 2281