DEER LAKE Representatives of the august Lodge Humber are trying to figure out where all the water is coming from.
For nearly a year they’ve been experiencing flooding in the basement of the building, possibly caused by being built on wet, marshy ground almost 90 years ago.
But if it’s not the marshy ground, then it’s a mystery as to where all that water is coming from, said spokesman Robert Mercer, as there seems to be no mechanical failure in the pipe mechanisms.
“I’ve gone down there with hip waders on and the water has come up to my knees, so where that water is coming from is a good question,” he said. “There are no broken water mains that we are aware of.”
The building was originally constructed to provide lodgings for workers constructing Deer Lake’s power plant in the 1920s. It is currently home to the Lions Club. It received a heritage designation almost a decade ago and is the only heritage structure outside Corner Brook in the Humber Valley.
Mercer hopes Deer Lake council can help with the situation
The town’s public works department recently performed a chlorine test on the water to determine whether that water came out of the fresh water supply.
They found no chlorine and could find no structural damage to the surrounding infrastructure according to Deer Lake Mayor Dean Ball.
“We are trying to assist (the users of) the Lodge Humber in getting this issue fixed, but that is groundwater until we see something different,” said Ball. “It’s a vulnerable situation and we will continue to work with them to make it right.”
Ball said the town does have a stake in the overall health of the Lodge Humber, as it is the most historic structure in Deer Lake, and he praised the volunteer group trying to get it fixed.
“We’re trying to do our part to make it as easy as possible for them,” said Ball. “We’re not shying away from this.”
The Deer Lake Library, which is adjacent to the Lodge Humber, recently underwent a renovation in which they too had water issues, but those issues have been addressed.
