Stratford and Charlottetown consolidate sewage treatment

Stratford and Charlottetown are moving forward with a plan to consolidate wastewater treatment between the communities with funding from the federal and provincial governments.

The project also will includethe removal of the East Royalty lagoonand treating all the sewage at the Charlottetown Pollution Control Plant.

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The government of Canada is providing $9,587,500 for the project. P.E.I. will contribute $4,793,750.

Stratford will pay a 15 per cent surcharge to the City of Charlottetown which will go to operating the treatment facility.

Making a connection

A pipeline to deliver Stratford's wastewater to Charlottetown will be constructed as part of the project.

Mayor of Stratford David Dunphy said that the town has to pay for 25 per cent of the capital costs for the project, which he estimates to be about $2 million.

"I'm feeling very good," he said."It's been a lot of work over the last number of years for council and for our residents to get the point where we have a cost-effective, long-term solution for a wastewater treatment plant."

Mayor of Charlottetown Clifford Lee said the two communities have been trying to reach an agreement on bringing together theirwastewater treatment systems."I'm really pleased that this is finally done."

"I think it's going to show to other municipalities in the province that communities can come together and share their services, and the winner at the end of the day is the taxpayers of both communities."

Risk averted

Lee was also happy about the removal of the East Royalty lagoon system which he estimates will cost the city about $1 million.

It will be removed and replaced with a lift station and three-kilometresewer system directed to the Charlottetown Pollution Control Plant.

"It eliminates any possibility of an environmental contamination taking place from the lagoon system."

"Something could go wrong at any point in time."

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