Why Charlottetown's sewage system needs almost $2M in upgrades

The City of Charlottetown is asking the provincial and federal governments to help pay for upgrades to its sewage system estimated at $1.9 million.

The city would also put up a portion of the funding for the project, which would improve the two sewage digesters at the city's Riverside Drive treatment plant.

They are roughly 40 years old and we've been holding off and holding off now's time to move forward. Charlottetown Coun. Eddie Rice

A digester takes solids out of waste, which are then changed into a liquid form and turned into heat and electricity.

"It's necessary in order to keep it up to standards ... They are roughly 40 years old and we've been holding off and holding off now's time to move forward," said Charlottetown Coun. Eddie Rice.

"If one shuts down then we have the other one to switch over to. And if we don't have those both working or one working, we are in deep trouble," said Rice.

Waiting for funding

He said the plan is to finish upgrading one digester this year and the next in 2017 if the funding comes through. The project is shovel-ready, according to the city, but pending an announcement from other levels of government.

The new equipment, Rice said, could allow Charlottetown to process Stratford's waste as well, but he said that's not on the agenda right now.

He said the city is also looking at replacing the lagoon system in East Royalty, agrowing area, to have waste processed at the Riverside Drive treatment plant instead.

"We have lagoons out there which are treated differently than being shipped in here, so we're getting that costed by engineers today," said Rice.

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