Councillors here are hoping an expansion to Arthur’s effluent holding pond will allow the sewage treatment plant reach its full potential.
As councillors here discussed recent water and sewer committee minutes, councillor John Matusinec said the current problem in Arthur is why sewage capacity is down, and that it is not the plant itself. He said the plant can handle almost twice its current capacity.
“The problem is that the plant is only allowed to discharge effluent for a very restricted period. We can treat the water, but we have no place to put it.”
He said that is the reason behind the work on the Arthur effluent holding ponds, which could mean a new pond or an expansion to the existing ones.
“We’re still in the very early stages of that,” he said.
Councillor Dan Yake said there have been discussions with the Ministry of the Environment and the local MPP in regards to adjusting those discharge periods.
“We feel if the ministry would spend some time to work with us, that the extension of the discharge period would help alleviate the current need for a new lagoon or holding pond.”
He said, “We all know the costs involved with the construction of a new holding pond, and whatever else may go along with that, may be upwards of $2-million. We’ve met with the MOE and with our MPP and we’re trying to somehow prove to them, or get them to listen, to either extend the discharge period two weeks on each end for a total of one month, that this municipality could save a lot of money.”
Yake added, “We’re trying to get them to realize that if we need to do this [build a new lagoon] and we don’t have the money, ultimately we end up going to them asking for money anyway.”
He said he hopes the official will understand and “we can work things out … but its not looking real positive.”
