The chargers for electric vehicles at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre (LCLC) will be removed this week.

Bridgewater Mayor David Mitchell who also serves as Chair of the LCLC Board says they’ve been having issues with water leaking in around the dedicated power conduit that services the EV chargers.

“With water and electricity coming in close contact it’s obviously a safety risk so we made the decision to remove them while we investigate the water,” said Mitchell.

At times in recent months, the chargers had been turned off temporarily due to concerns with the water, but with the situation worsening recently it was determined to remove them fully.

“The chargers were already 10 years old, and we have money in the capital plan for their replacement,” said Mitchell. “However, we were hoping to have it be a seamless transition which won’t be the case now as we want to solve the water issue first,”.

In a post on social media from the LCLC they indicated they did not know when replacement chargers would be in place. Mitchell confirmed that the uncertainty on timing is purely because of the water issues, and all municipal partners of the LCLC are committed to providing EV charging on-site.

When first installed the chargers were the only ones in the Bridgewater area. While they remain the only free EV chargers in town there are now more EV charging stations around the community at places like car dealerships, the Best Western Hotel and the MODL offices in Cookville.

The chargers will be removed on Thursday, May 9, and the dedicated parking spaces will be repurposed during their absence.