Stratford to choose between 2 sewage options
Pump to Charlottetown or build its own plant? Either way, homeowners facing hike to sewer rate
The Town of Stratford has narrowed its sewage solution to two options.
Both will eventually turn the existing lagoons into green space, the town's mayor says, but also result in an increase in sewer rates.
One option would be to pump the sewage to the Charlottetown Pollution Control plant through a pipe beneath the Hillsborough Bridge, which the town said would increase sewer rates by $215 a year — to $544 from $329 — for a single-family home.
The other option is to build a new plant in Stratford, which would result in a sewer-rate increase of $143 a year, the town said.
Gathering feedback
Mayor David Dunphy says there are pros and cons to each option.
"We're going to listen to our residents and hear what they have to say," he said. "We'll take all that feedback and use that in our decision."
A public meeting is being held on Wednesday to gather feedback from residents.
It would cost $8.8 million to deliver the sewage to Charlottetown and an additional $7.5 million to upgrade the plant in Charlottetown.
A new plant in Stratford would be about $15.2 million, Dunphy said.
Cost shared with feds, province
The federal government is expected to pay 50 per cent of the cost through the Clean Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Fund. The remaining 50 per cent would be split between the province and the town, Dunphy said.
They would take about two years to complete, he said.
If Stratford decides to build its own station, Dunphy said it would blend into the existing landscape.
"It would be a much smaller footprint than the current lagoon system," he said. "It would be a smaller plant, it would be inconspicuous."
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With files from Stephanie Kelly