By JARRETT ARSENAULT
The Pilot
LEWISPORTE – Town council plans to test for a sewage treatment plant with Cecon Engineering Firm to keep ahead of future federal changes to sewage disposal.
In a unanimous vote, Lewisporte Town Council passed a motion to begin testing areas for a sewage treatment plant just outside of town. The original site allotted for the plant, near the RCMP building, was scrapped due to possible foul odor issues inherent to the type of facility.
“We thought at one point we had one that would do the job, and that was up down at the RCMP station, but when we saw the proposed plans for it we realized that there were problems with it,” said Mayor Brian Sceviour.
Cecon Engineering Firm gave the town a choice between a site located on Crown land and a site on private property. The two plots of land were the only choices in the near vicinity that were appropriate for a large area sewage treatment plant.
“Once we get the finalization on the site, then we can go out to proposal calls,” said president and CEO of Cecon Engineering Firm Barry Thompson.
The proposal calls will include a request for the type of treatment facility to be built. The different sewage treatment technologies on the docket are the lagoon type, engineered wetland, rotating biological contactors, and half a dozen others. Once the proposals are sent in Cecon, the Department of Municipal Affairs, and the Ministry of Environment and Conservation will review the proposals and determine the most appropriate site for the area.
Construction for the site won’t begin until at least 2014, so the Town is starting to apply for government funding to pave the roads. The Town was waiting on the sewage treatment plant to be finished before applying for funds to pave Main Street and Premier Drive.
Given that the sewage treatment plant construction won’t be completed until the roads will likely need to be paved a second time, the Town will be looking to pave in the next couple of years.
“We’ve put in the request to mention it to our MHA, we’re meeting with the Minister of Transportation next month. Between it all, we’ll put the request, but then it’s up to the provincial government to decide to approve to pave it next year,” said Mayor Sceviour.
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