The future needs for wastewater treatment in North Battleford are clearer now with the presentation of the wastewater treatment master plan.
That plan was presented Monday to council by Kevin Ness of AECOM, the consultants who prepared the report.
The report was wide ranging and provided a short-term (five years), mid-term and longer-term roadmap for the plant.
Considerable work has already been done at the plant, with the Lystek system put in place recently to convert biosolids into fertilizer instead of sending it to the landfill.
That system won a national CAMA Municipal Environment Award at their conference in Jasper June 5.
The AECOM report mainly contemplated what would be needed at the plant to keep up with steady population growth in the city. The master plan contemplates one per cent a year increases.
Future work identified would include upgrades to the UV system, yard valves, control system upgrades, replacing bioreactor diffusers, increasing the size of influent pumps and variable frequency drives and other items over the span of several years.
In speaking to reporters after the meeting, City Manager Jim Puffalt noted the master plan is an important document for the City in planning for future.
“What it gave to us is the number of milestones population-wise as to the work that is required at the plant,” said Puffalt. “It’s a great planning document for us, it allows us to work on developing our long-term master plan capital wise.”
What it will allow the City to do, Puffalt indicated, is be able to put together a budget plan that the City can work from.
This master plan is among a number of studies commissioned by the City to “allow us to plan for the next 20 to 30 years. It’s pretty exciting to see and good to know that we know what issues are coming forward.”
