Jade Adams won't even let her animals drink the tap water. She and about 100 residents an area of Vaudreuil have been under a boil water advisory since 2010, when E. coli was found in their well.
“Before I started boiling the water for them, all my animals would have the runs at all times,” said the resident of a small trailer park called Domaine-en-Haut.
Adams said the water sometimes smells like it belongs in a turtle tank. To make anything, she has to boil the water for at least two minutes.
About six kilometres away, the community of Hudson Acres has been dealing with the same problem after their water source was also contaminated.
“It's been about a year and a half at least. They started saying that the water had to be boiled and then they were doing more tests,” said resident Paul Cloutier.
But people in Hudson Acres have it a little easier – the city delivers water to that neighbourhood, and it’s free.
The city doesn't have an answer as to why one area gets free water delivery but another doesn’t, saying the practice was in place from the previous administration.
“They told us at one point, bring your receipts and we'll reimburse you, one of my neighbours tried that they wouldn't reimburse them,” Adams said.
The only permanent solution is to connect both areas to the city's water supply, which would tack on an extra amount in taxes. Cloutier was told that amount could be as much as $400 a year.
Martin Houde, director general of Vaudreuil-Dorion, said in 2006, the city offered to connect residents in the Domaine-en-Haut area to the city’s aqueduct and they refused.
“[It was] more than what we could really afford. Like it would put our taxes up by an insane amount compared to what it was,” Adams said.
The city says it's made applications for grants to lower the costs, and until then, both communities will have to boil their water.
