Moose Jaw City Manager Matt Noble

With the news that the Prairie South School Division is looking for exemption from cast iron water main costs, the City's Finance Director says that would cause a large rippled in their planning for the upgrades.

Brian Acker says the strategy was that everyone pays their fare share since everyone uses water.

"Obviously that's money, no different than us having to collect from single family residential properties. It's going to help fundraise the program and if that isn't available, the city would have to make up for that another way, likely through taxes."

Moose Jaw City Manager Matt Noble is trying to make sense of a claim by the Prairie South School Division that replacing cast iron water mains will threaten education in the region.

Noble says there were no concerns raised by the school board at the public meetings in the spring and was disappointed to learn about them, so close to work getting started.

"Approximately two months ago, they asked if they could be exempt and we advised them that the legislation wouldn't provide for that. They made none of the claims that they're making now."

Noble stressed that this is a 20 year program that all taxpayers are subject to and there are payment plans being offered.  He said it's not like the school board has to pay 1.35 million dollars in a lump sum, it's spread over 20 years... and no Prairie South properties are scheduled for work until year three... giving them time to prepare financially.