Editorial
Piped water in King City is not the way to wash away concerns

York Region is now working on plans to service King City with surface water, piped right out of Lake Ontario, and treated through processes that a Regional consultant said were among the best in the world.

We’re not cheering about this news, and we’re not mourning either.

Water is water, after all, and the Region is charged with finding a way to provide people with drinking water that is safe, reliable, efficient and, if possible, economical. And they have the expertise to guide them. If they say lake water is the way to go, then we have to put certain amount of faith in them.

But we fear this is going to do very little to bring peace to a community that has been split for a number of years over things like sewers, potential development and, yes, water.

Councillor Jane Underhill has already voiced her displeasure, referring to the matter in her inaugural address last week, calling the move “insane.”

Underhill has spent years calling for the village to be serviced with ground water, and she has been maintaining that there have been assurances to that effect. Now it seems the plan has changed

And given the current situation, we’d have a hard time blaming Underhill for being displeased.

Underhill was at last Wednesday’s public session hosted by the Region, and in fairness, it should be stated that no one said there was not sufficient ground water under King City to meet anticipated needs. It’s just that lake water is seen to be better and easier to get at.

But the fact is that Underhill, and the people who have supported her politically for years, have apparently been led to believe that they would not see piped water.

How can this latest news be greeted in a positive way by many of these people?

The basic fear in this whole issue has been the potential for over development in King City. One the one hand is the fear that the village could look like something residents don’t

want. Maple is the example most frequently cited. The fact is very few, if any, people living in King City want their village to be another Maple. No one currently sitting on Township council wants it either. There are plans in place to prevent it, and the local politicians are committed to that. What is needed are better assurances from the other levels of government that they share the commitment. Piped water doesn’t necessarily

mean more development, but we can understand a certain amount of apprehension is likely, in light of the latest news.

A mayor and council who want to heal the wounds of past battles in the community may see that task become more difficult.

Black has indicated she doesn’t think it’s going to be a problem, and we hope she’s right. But we fear she might be a little overly optimistic.