PIGEON LAKE REGIONAL WASTEWATER STEERING COMMITTEE UPDATE

BACKGROUND

The Wastewater Steering Committee was formed in 2006 by a group of municipalities having responsibility for governance of their lands bordering Pigeon Lake.  The Steering Committee was composed of the Counties of Leduc and Wetaskiwin, the Summer Villages of Sundance Beach, Ma-Me-O Beach, Norris Beach, Crystal Springs, Grandview Beach and Poplar Bay as well as Alberta Parks who have responsibility for the Provincial Park at Pigeon Lake.  Additional vital members of the Committee were representatives from Alberta Environment and Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation.  The Committee hired Associated Engineering to conduct a feasibility study to review regional wastewater solutions.  They were asked to provide a wastewater strategy and master plan to address the wastewater problems of Pigeon Lake communities not served by the North East Pigeon Lake Commission (NEPL) which manages the Mulhurst Lagoon and its accompanying pipeline collection system.  The study findings were presented at a meeting on Friday, September 21^st at the Leduc County office.

CHOSEN RECOMMENDATION

The Committee accepted the Associated Engineering recommendation to design a system eventually tying into the existing NEPL system.  A qualitative analysis of three identified options presented at community meetings recognized the NEPL system as the most feasible option.  This most feasible option was previously identified as option #1 at community information meetings.  The cost, implementation timing, operations, governance, regulatory, aesthetic and environmental advantages identified option #1 as the best overall future strategy.  A new Pigeon Lake Regional Planning Committee was formed on September 21^st from the same member municipalities.

THE PATH FORWARD

The (new) Pigeon Lake Regional Wastewater Planning Committee will meet in early October with NEPL when a lead municipality for the project is chosen.  Wetaskiwin County was the lead municipality for the previous Steering Committee and they are thanked for their leadership.  Funding applications will be submitted to Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation for the regional transmission systems.  Individual municipalities will be responsible for local community collection systems to connect to the regional system.  Property owners will be responsible for installing their individual systems to connect to the municipal collection system.  There is much work left to be done before the regional system is up and running, but for now it is full speed ahead!

PLEASE NOTE

The anticipated details and costs of the chosen option #1 are on this Google site as (3) files (originating with the community information meetings) identified as “P. Lk. WW July 29, 2007”.

ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY INFORMATION

WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT BY HOMEOWNERS

A neighboring municipality conducted a formal inspection of wastewater systems on private properties.  We are disappointed to note that one third of their properties showed deficiencies including no liners in privies; septic fields located between the cottages and the lake; inadequate fields; or discharging grey water (sink and shower water) onto the surface of the land rather than into a collection and storage system.  Stricter enforcement of the existing provincial plumbing standards is imminent.

TREE TRIMMING TO PROTECT POWER LINES

Our electrical power supplier (Fortis) will be trimming trees and branches during November and December in order to ensure the reliability of the power system.  If you receive a phone call from Len Macmillan (780-312-3236) it will be with regard to gaining access to your property for necessary tree trimming, perhaps up to the meter.

LEAVES

Our grass cutter (Al Fleck) will remove grass and leaves to a mulching site providing they are in clear plastic bags at a cost of $2.50 per bag (minimum of 5 bags). Contact Al at 780-586-3501.  We encourage you to mulch your leaves on site using your lawn mower to the degree possible.

FERTILIZERS

To protect the lake we discourage the use of fertilizers in the Village, particularly fertilizers containing phosphate (the middle number on the fertilizer container description).

SNOW CLEARING

Administration is in the process of issuing a renewed contract to our snow removal contractor, Brian Resta.  We are pleased with his work.

GRANTS

Administration and Council are actively pursuing grants being made available from the federal and provincial governments.

PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS

During the fall and winter drainage improvements will continue and fire hazards related to tree growth on municipal property will be reduced.  We encourage homeowners to reduce the potential fire hazards on their property, such as low hanging branches and under growth.

on behalf of Council, Bruce Fowlie, Deputy Mayor