North Battleford city council is not thrilled about it, but they’re going to go ahead with it.
It was revealed at Monday’s council meeting, the City of North Battleford will be doing a wastewater treatment plant environmental risk assessment, on orders from the Water Security Agency, who are responding to orders from the federal government.
The risk assessment is being required by the federal government for all Canadian municipalities that discharge waste effluent into fish bearing water bodies — in this case the North Saskatchewan River.
The study would include such things as reviewing all the literature related to wastewater treatment plant effluent, performing data gap analysis, summarizing data, developing an action plan on any deficiencies to be addressed and then prepare a report and submit findings to the Water Security Agency. A request for proposals was sent out and closed May 19 with nine consulting firms responding.
The reason city officials aren’t thrilled is because the study came as an unwelcome surprise. It was ordered by upper levels of government well after the City completed its budget process and set taxes for the year.
The City budget was adopted in December. The risk assessment was ordered in February, according to Director of Operations Stewart Schafer.
In a memo to council, City Manager Jim Puffalt voiced his disgust by stating, “this is another example of changing regulations without consultation that costs municipalities. However, we are left with no choice but to comply.”
Mayor Ian Hamilton concurred with that memo and pledged to “write some letters” to upper levels of government to voice the City’s concern about being given such short notice.
Members of council weren’t happy, either. Councillor Greg Lightfoot called it “another burden on the taxpayer,” while Councillor Cathy Richardson said it seemed as if the federal government did “not trust the work of the Water Security Agency.”
Nevertheless, the City has awarded the wastewater treatment plant environmental risk assessment study to ARCADIS Canada Inc./ILS Engineering and Land Services for $53,150 plus taxes.
