The City is pleased to announce its three phase plan to separate the remaining portion of its Spring Park combined storm and sanitary sewer system. When the project is complete in 2014, sanitary sewage will no longer enter Charlottetown Harbour from the city’s sanitary sewer system.
“I am pleased to be able to present such a solid plan to address this ongoing problem,” says Mayor Clifford Lee. “I want to acknowledge and thank the other members of City Council and the Province of P.E.I. for their ongoing support in the development of this plan, and I look forward to the complete separation of our storm sewer and sanitary systems here in the Birthplace of Confederation.”
The total cost of the project is estimated at $18.8 million. The first phase will begin in the next few days with a call for design engineering services and project management. Phase I construction is projected to begin in May.
“This investment shows the Province remains committed to protecting local eco-systems and the health of the environment,” says Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Robert Vessey. “The Province is pleased to partner with the City of Charlottetown to protect the harbour from sewage contamination, and to put an end to the closures of important shellfish harvesting areas.”
Residents in construction areas for each of the three phases of the project will have an opportunity to participate in annual public consultations. This will enable residents to hear the plans for the project first hand, and will allow them to provide input.
Phase I will address and prepare the new sanitary sewer system for the subsequent phases, and will divert sanitary sewer to the Waste Water Treatment Plant, thereby removing it from the combined system and greatly reducing the impact on the Harbour. The completion of this phase of the planned work combined with the completed work at UPEI undertaken in 2011 will address approximately 57 per cent of combined flow and divert it directly to the Waste Water Treatment Plant. The total estimated cost for Phase I is $5.6 million.
Phase II will address separation work in the north west section of the combined system which will mostly impact the west side of Spring Park Rd. The completion of this phase, in addition to the previously completed separation work, will address approximately 70 per cent of the combined flow and divert it directly to the Waste Water Treatment Plant. The total estimated cost for Phase II is $3.3 million.
Phase III will address the necessary separation work in the north east section of the combined system which will mostly impact the eastern side of Spring Park Rd to Mount Edward Rd. The completion of this phase will have addressed 100 per cent of the combined flow and divert it directly to the Waste Water Treatment Plant. The total estimated cost for Phase III is $9.8 million.
The province is providing one third of the cost of the project. The City will be funding its share from an increase in sewer rates of $30/year and a transfer of $1 million in Federal Gas Tax money for each year of the project. In Phase III, there are strong indications that a Federal infrastructure program will be in place and the project will become a three-way split with Federal infrastructure funding for one third the cost.
“The cooperation shown between City departments, and the Province of PEI has enabled the City to present a financial package that makes it possible to commence this separation project this year,” says the Chair of Finance Committee, Cecil Villard. “As a result of meetings and discussions with Ottawa, Mayor Lee and I were encouraged by the reception we received and the suggestion to use our Gas Tax Funds until such time as a new Federal Infrastructure Program is available.”
“I am pleased the Utility Department will now manage this important project to completion with the assistance of an engineering consultant,” says Chairman Edward Rice of the Water and Sewer Utility. “The benefits to the environment, to our resident community, and to shell fish operators using the Charlottetown Harbour are immeasurable.”
The City has met on several occasions and has listened to the concerns about the viability of the Charlottetown Harbour raised by the three major organizations: the PEI Shellfish Association, the PEI Aquaculture Alliance and the PEI Fisherman’s Association. The City has also heard from the fishers themselves. The City’s Sustainability Plan and its overall responsibility for environmental stewardship has helped guide the City as it moves forward with this project.
“The PEI Aquaculture Alliance, the PEI Shellfish Association and the PEI Fisherman’s Association have been champions in demonstrating leadership on the Charlottetown Harbour Pollution Problem,” says Ann Worth of the Aquaculture Alliance. “The potential negative impacts to our environment and the many stakeholders that have the potential to be affected by this problem are widespread. Support and cooperation between different levels of government to address this problem is essential. To that end, we support the city in their leadership and commitment today to deal with this challenge head on by making it a top priority for the municipality. We look forward to continuing to work with the City in this regard.”