Wellington County’s only remaining community without a sewage treatment plant could hold the key to solving the county’s septage handling problems.
Erin is one of the largest communities in the province without a sewage treatment plant, but its council is studying the possibility of a disposal unit – maybe a really large one.
When county council learned its planning committee had received a report on biosolids and septage management this month, both Erin’s county councillors had comments on the issue.
Councillor Lou Maieron noted the provincial government has not yet set rules for the handling of human-generated waste. That was part of a report in September to the planning committee from Triton Engineering.
In 2003, the province stated it would be changing the rules for the handling of biosolids and septic tank wastes. But, as the latest report noted, it has not yet set down those regulations, for the simple reason there is no place available yet to dispose of the waste. Placing them on the land has been outlawed since 2003.
Maieron said there is nowhere in the county to place them except at the new Mount Forest plant. That council is accepting only locally-generated septage, and it is being mixed into the regular sewage at a careful rate.
Part of the problem, engineers told the county several years ago, is septage is four times the concentration of regular sewage handled at local plants, and thus it can wreck the sewage bacteria breakdown system unless it is diluted. The Mount Forest plant can treat only 10 cubic metres per day of septage, by slowly adding it to the regular sewage stream.
Erin has been taking septage to Hamilton, but the Triton report noted that city will no longer accept septage from outside its borders. Collingwood is expensive because of the distance.
The Triton report stated the county has talked to haulers who are reluctant to make changes to their operations until the province sets the laws, because they might be buying equipment that is useless if the rules suddenly change.
Maieron called the problem “a ticking time bomb,” and suggested the county get seriously involved.
“This is an opportune project for the upper tier,” he said. “Every municipality has septage.”
He said the county would be serving residents well by having something ready to deal with provincial regulations.
Maieron noted that not only are doors closing on the disposal of the material, every month the land division committee considers severances for properties that are going to need septage disposal.
He said there is no site in Ontario yet that is designed for major treatment of septage.
Planning committee chairman Walter Trachsel said there is no plan in place yet, but the committee is considering options.
Finnie then offered one.
He said Erin is doing a master plan study for sewage and how to deal with it, and also how to dispose of septage.
He then made his offer. “If other municipalities are interested in a joint facility to handle septage … it could be located in Erin.”
Finnie added, “Let us know sooner rather than later. It’s an opportunity for other municipalities to take part.”
But, he warned, those who want a solution will have to become a partner – and help pay their share of the costs.
Councillors made no further comments on Finnie’s invitation and simply accepted the report.
