With the percentage of completed water meter installations edging close to 70 per cent, the city is turning its attention to those properties where the meters have not been installed and Neptune Technologies, which is doing the installations, has left the neighbourhood.
Specifically, a new policy and procedure outlined by council will permit the city to disconnect water services from non-metered homes as a last resort.
"We are getting very close to being finished," said city manager Randy Patrick. "We also have a number of people who have not responded. We'd like to start on that list."
Currently, any Thompson residents whose meters do not get installed - either through resistance or through simply not being home - are contacted by Neptune three times. The city meets with Neptune every Wednesday to go over the progress made by installers over the past week, as well as any potential trouble spots.
However, Coun. Stella Locker revealed that her "three contacts" were delivered on a Friday, Saturday, and Monday - if she'd been away for that weekend, she wouldn't have seen any of them and would have been written off as no longer Neptune's concern.
This surprised Coun. Harold Smith. "That was not in the spirit of what they committed to," he said. It is estimated that somewhere around 300 homes have been skipped over.
Under the policy and procedure outlined at the Sept. 13 council meeting, the city will step in after Neptune has informed them that they have attempted to contact the resident at least three times and have not received a response.
The city's action will begin with a letter being sent out - in an addressed envelope - requesting that the recipient contact the city to set up an installation. The letter will also say that if no contact is made, the water to that property could be disconnected after two weeks.
If the resident has outright refused to have a meter installed, and Neptune has sent them three notices, the city will also step in, sending a letter providing two weeks' notice of disconnection.
In either case, before disconnecting the water, the public works department will once again verify that no agreement has been made between the resident and the city.
The policy falls under the water bylaw, which was amended earlier this year to state that all city water customers must have a water meter installed.
Patrick was quick to point out that shutting off water is only a last resort, and that the city's notices are to step in and make sure that Neptune didn't send all their notices over a vacation period. "We're going to make an honest effort to ensure they didn't miss it," he said.
"We do need to have a tool in the toolbox, prior to the completion of the Neptune contract, to encourage people to get their meters installed," added Smith.
"It is the intention of the City of Thompson to ensure that the installations that take place in the City of Thompson are done in a professional manner," said Mayor Tim Johnston. "It is our expectation and our obligation to our residents to ensure that the installations are done to the highest quality."
