Development halted in Baddeck after sewer, water infrastructure overwhelmed

New residential and commercial development is at a standstill in the Village of Baddeck, N.S., after the water utility was overwhelmed by demand last year and the sewage system regularly sent only partially treated wastewater into the Bras d'Or Lake.

The village commission recently asked Victoria County for a $225,000 grant to cover the cost of immediate upgrades and a study on future capacity, but councillors countered with a $50,000 grant and a low-interest loan to cover the rest.

"To be frank, we thought it was preposterous," commission chair Jennifer MacDonald said. "It's not a 'we think down the road we're at capacity,' we are overcapacity at this point and so we need the engineering study to identify ways we can mitigate those issues."

According to village data from last year, the water utility exceeded its regulated withdrawal limit from the well in seven of 12 months and the wastewater system discharged partially untreated sewage into the Bras d'Or Lake 15 times in nine months.

MacDonald said that cannot continue, but the village needs help and the county should pay.

Village sewer and water systems extend into the county, where customers pay water usage fees to the village, but property taxes go to the county.

Inside the village, users pay taxes and water consumption fees.

Infrastructure in dire need

MacDonald also said the county fully funds infrastructure in other communities, which Baddeck residents also pay for because they are also county residents.

She said village infrastructure is in dire need of upgrades and that has led the commission to suspend any new sewer and water connections.

"Our primary concern is preserving the systems for the current users ... so we can't approve new hook-ups if it puts our current users in jeopardy," MacDonald said.

"That's a municipal issue. That inhibits growth and we don't want to do that, but we also can't risk the current users of the system, so we're in a bit of a quagmire. A significant one, I would say."

Province OKs operations

Nova Scotia's Environment Department said in an email the village reported all of the sewer and water incidents last year and the province is satisfied Baddeck is operating as required.

The province said despite the demand for extra water, Baddeck continued to meet treatment standards and no health impacts were identified from sewage overflows.

The village has struggled financially for the last few years after the former chief administrator stole some money and left the books in a mess.

MacDonald said the village has got its finances back on track, but it's not out of the woods yet.

"Not too long ago, it looked like there was a possibility that the village would dissolve and that's not completely off the table and if the village were to dissolve, then these utilities would fall squarely on the municipality and they would be wholly responsible for these things," she said.

The village is able to collect taxes and pay for ongoing maintenance and operations, but an engineering study is needed to develop a capital plan for the future, MacDonald said.

And the county should help pay for capital costs like it does elsewhere and should not be charging residents interest on infrastructure financing, she said.

Last year, the county scrapped a proposed local improvement bylaw after hundreds of residents vociferously urged councillors to maintain the current practice of funding infrastructure from the county's general revenues.

"So at this point, our perspective is they're fortunate to have the village as a partner," MacDonald said.

Warden Bruce Morrison represents the Baddeck area on Victoria County council. He pays taxes to both the village and the county.

Morrison was in favour of providing the village with a grant to cover the entire cost of its request at Monday's council meeting, but other councillors voted for the small grant and loan.

In an interview, he said the village should be responsible for its own assets.

"I think that we were fairly generous in what we offered and it'll be up to them to decide whether or not they want to accept it."

MacDonald said the village commission intends to appeal the county's decision and Morrison said the county's door is always open.

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