A question of money

There are no subsidies for bringing private equipment up to standards required by law. "I don't know of any at the MDDEP (Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks)," admits Pierre Robert, regional director for the ministry.

"There are no specific programs for isolated residences," Pierre Verge, communications counselor at the MAMR (Ministry of Municipal and Regional affairs) also admits. "Nothing prevents the city from putting in place a program to respond to this need."

"It's up to us to manage the problem, but we have to have the money," Ville de Laval spokesperson Marc Laforge lets it be known.

"We don't have the subsidies required and not too many residents have the money to pay for a septic tank that meets the norms," adds Jacques Saint-Jean, city councilor for the district of Saint-François. I deplore the situation, but when you don't have credits, what do you do?"

Funds are available, for instance, from the Fonds sur l'infrastructure municipale rurale (rural municipal infrastructure fund) for the installation of municipal sewer systems. In the case of Saint-François east, remoteness and low population density leads the municipality to exclude the area from this option, an option which if implemented would be very expensive.

In conditions usually observed on the banks of the Rivière des Mille Îles in this sector (impermeable soil and narrow terrain), a treatment system could cost between $8,000 and $9,000, estimates Luc Meunier, owner of Luc Meunier excavation located in Saint-Francois. When things become more complicated and a pumping system is needed, the bill could rise to $12,000, he says.

For residents, there's no room for maneuvering if their present equipment is emitting pollutants into the environment. "The resident must fulfill his civic duty by respecting the Law and provincial regulations," reads an entry in the technical guide published by the MDDEP's Directorate of water policy. He also has to maintain the equipment (…) connected to his residence.