Province offers municipalities money for wastewater, flood risk

The Nova Scotia government handed out close to $1 million on Monday to eight communities for water and wastewater projects — including Lunenburg, which hasn't had a functioning wastewater plant since it was flooded during Dorian.

The province has passed along $135,000 for the "pre-design phase of a wastewater treatment plant" in Lunenberg.

"Infrastructure projects, like the improvements needed at Lunenburg's wastewater treatment facility, are complex and expensive," Lunenburg Mayor Rachel Bailey said in a news release issued by the province.

"We simply cannot fund them on our own and are grateful for the province's partnership through the Provincial Capital Assistance Program."

The town's wastewater treatment plant had to be shut down after it was deluged by storm surge from Dorian, a Category 2 hurricane that was downgraded to a post-tropical storm when it crashed into Nova Scotia on Sept. 7.

Along with the money for Lunenburg, the province also announced:

• $54,891 for Mahone Bay to assess the condition of the water utility's transmission main and look at options for dechlorination at the wastewater treatment plant.
• $39,107 for the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg to study water and wastewater issues in the community of Garden Lots.
• $406,716 to the Municipality of the County of Inverness to improve municipal water supplies and conduct testing.
• $74,869 for the Municipality of East Hants to drill a new production well to replace two existing wells.
• $98,029 to New Minas for an asset management plan for water, sanitary waste and stormwater control.
• $39,107 for the Municipality of the District of Colchester to help reduce the amount of rainwater and groundwater entering the sewage collection system.
• $75,000 for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality to reduce inflow and infiltration in its sewer system.

The province also announced six projects under the Flood Risk Infrastructure Investment Program worth $210,000.

The municipalities must contribute matching funds in order to qualify for the provincial money.