Arthur’s uncommitted sewage reserve capacity now sits even deeper in the red.
On May 16, council reviewed documents outlining the sewage reserve capacities of Arthur and Mount Forest. Based on a three-year average, a report by Triton Engineering has dropped the uncommitted reserves in Arthur from minus-33 units in 2010 to minus-89 units for 2011.
It does not mean the village is in dire straights. The actual reserve capacity for the village stands at 127 units, its just that committed development accounts for more than the reserve capacity. Some projects have yet to be initiated despite having the sewage allocations.
Councillor Andy Lennox said of the minus-89, “Though we still have a reserve capacity, if we want to do anything additional, we obviously have to do something to address the capacity of our wastewater treatment plant.”
Lennox agreed it is a fairly complex issue, “but we need to move ahead in a positive way.”
In Mount Forest, the three year averages showed uncommitted sewage capacities to have increased from 315 to 447 units. Public Works director Barry Trood said that the numbers have fluctuated considerably in the past three years.
Much of that can be attributed to the new sewage treatment plant coming online in Mount Forest, and work completed on the town’s main street to decrease the amount of stormwater runoff directed to the sewage treatment plant.
Mayor Ray Tout agreed that it makes a considerable difference not having rainwater go to the treatment plant.
