Bowden mayor Robb Stuart has some frustrations with the South Red Deer Regional Wastewater Commission.
Starting in 2005-06, the commission announced plans for a sweeping project under which all the sewage from a huge part of Central Alberta – including Bowden, Olds, Innisfail and Penhold – would all be funnelled into one facility.
The project, originally expected to be completed in 2009, is now expected to be completed next spring, with Bowden likely to send its effluent into the system in the first quarter of 2016.
During a Bowden council meeting, Stuart pointed out the original cost of the project was pegged at $107 million. Now its total cost is expected to be $140 million.
“We're two years overdue where we should be by now,” Stuart said.
Stuart said while the project has been delayed, not only has the cost gone up, but the population in the area has exploded.
“All the towns are expanding way faster than we thought they would,” he said.
The system is supposed to be able to handle the area's sewage for 25 years, but given the rapidly expanding population, “we'll be lucky if we get 15 out of it,” Stuart said.
Nonetheless, the project will be an impressive feat of engineering when it's completed, Stuart indicated.
“It'll be the largest sewage line in North America when it gets finished,” he said.
Unfortunately, the system will cost more than the current Bowden sewage treatment system.
The town has done its best to prepare taxpayers for what Bowden CAO Andy Weiss calls “that sticker shock” by raising fees a bit each year, rather than hitting them with one big increase when the town is hooked up to the new system.
“We're doing everything possible to keep costs down,” Stuart said.
“Is Alberta Environment going to allow us to keep dumping (in our lagoons) until 2016?” Coun. Earl Wilson asked.
“I'm not sure about that,” Stuart said.
“That's something we should get into right away,” Wilson said.
“It's something to think about – we've got to be prepared for all eventualities,” Stuart said.
