Our newsroom was pleased to see an update on Rocky View County's (RVC) website last week that a much-needed project to connect Conrich-area residents to the County's potable water system is on schedule, and slated to wrap up before the end of the year.
"The Conrich Water Line Extension Project will bring County potable water servicing through Conrich to primarily service the existing communities of Cambridge Estates and Prince of Peace," stated the County's update, which added the project will tie over 500 new customers onto RVC’s East Rocky View potable water system.
As long-time Rocky View Weekly readers will know and our archives show, water servicing has been a topic of local contention in the subdivisions of Prince of Peace and Cambridge Estates in the last few years. A connection to the County's water system has been in the works for years.
Until the $4.9-million Conrich Water Extension Project wraps up, water servicing will continue to fall under the jurisdiction of developers in these areas. Earlier this year, residents of Cambridge Estates expressed frustration when their water pressure dropped considerably on multiple occasions – the result of firefighters drawing on the local water source to fight grassfires in the area.
That wasn't the only water-related issue in Conrich. Cambridge Parks residents also spoke out after their water rates went up 20 per cent in May 2020 – the result of new licensing restrictions that forced the developer, Amar Developments, to truck water in from Calgary. Residents also complained about the murky quality of water at the time, and some claimed they had to replace their water tanks prematurely. Residents went as far as issuing a complaint with the Alberta Utilities Commission against Amar Developments.
The County has largely stayed out of the Conrich water debate in the last year, claiming until their system is hooked up, the issue lies between the developer and the homeowners.
Hopefully, connecting these communities to the County's water system will soon bring an end to the conflict.
