Yarmouth laundromat booming because of dry Nova Scotia weather

The dry weather in southwestern Nova Scotia is leading to a flood of new business for a laundromat in Yarmouth.

Kathy Lee Boudreau opened K.D. Wash and Dry Laundry last year and had a good year, but it's booming this year.

"Couldn't ask for better," she said.

She saidcustomers are coming from far away as Shelburne, Barrington, Clark's Harbour and Saulnierville because they don't have enough water at their homes to do their laundry.

Boudreau saidpeople are dropping by with big loads to minimize the amount of trips they need to make.

Expensive water bill

One of the downsides of the thriving business will be the laundromat's water bills.

"With the shortness of water, I bet you I'm going to have the biggest water bill in the neighbourhood by the time this drought is done, but that's fine," said Boudreau.

The southwestern part of Nova Scotia sawits driest June and July since 1880, CBC meteorologist Kalin Mitchell said in August.The region normally gets just shy of 200millimetresof rain during those two months.This year, Yarmouth Countyonly saw 67millimetres.

Guy Surette, a councillorin the Municipality of the District of Argyle,saidhe will propose at thecouncil meeting on Tuesday that a new community well be drilled in Tusket to help people facing water shortages.

Surette estimates that one in 20 households have had trouble getting water this summer. He said that's a huge number considering the whole municipality only has about 8,000 people.

He thinks the wellwill cost $4,000 to drill.

'We have to do something'

Aldric d'Entremont is the localwarden. He saidthat while the municipality has provided about 900 four-litre jugs of drinking water to residents as part of its measures to help residents, it recognizes that more has to be done.

"It's a serious problem for a lot of people," he said.

D'Entremont saidhespoke with some residents who've been in their homes for 45 years, but haven't run out of water until now.

"It's something we haven't seen, I guess, in about 135 years," he said.