Staff in Prince Edward County are recommending council go ahead with a project in Wellington thanks to some provincial funding.
Late last year, the municipality received notice they qualified for the Wastewater and Stormwater Management Funding Program to improve wastewater and stormwater discharges into Lake Ontario.
According to staff, Prince Edward County is eligible to receive $518,145 over two years. The funds must be used to make improvements to municipal wastewater and stormwater systems through projects which would lower phosphorus discharges from municipal wastewater and stormwater, reduce the likelihood of sewage outflows and bypasses, and improve the quality of stormwater discharges.
Staff are recommending the funds go towards the Wellington Wastewater Equalization Tank project. This project is currently in the design stage.
Staff say this equalization tank will improve the treatment process and will allow for interim servicing until the new Wellington Wastewater Treatment Plant facility is constructed. The equalization tank will also become part of the new wastewater treatment plant and will extend the life of the facility.
This tank will also provide staff with options to address higher flows associated with the challenges climate change has triggered, allowing an option to buffer flows through the treatment plant so that large rain events do not wash out the contents of the facility’s treatment process that could result in phosphorus loadings reaching Lake Ontario.
This project has an overall budget of $4.4 million and is part of a multi-year project for the Wellington Wastewater Treatment Plant which has an overall budget of $25 million.
Council meets at 7 p.m. virtually.
