Dear Editor:
I have spent the past while on a mission trying to evaluate Ontario wastewater plants.
I have looked at failures and issues in a few communities. To name a few, Orangeville, Shelburne, Tottenham, Bradford and the list went on and on. I truly think it would have been an easier search to find a plant that had not failed or had issues.
Politicians, and people pushing their objectives and agendas like to use the term “state of the art technology” for their new proposals. I spent a career repairing and reinventing these so called technologies that looked good on the table but not in practice.
After being in construction for 50 years I feel that gives me the nod to give my opinion. I have worked on multi million dollar projects and my final work before I retired was a $1 billion federal project.
In my opinion, I feel the costs for our local abomination will be at least double, $240 million, and that is the minimum. (I will save this email for my Grandkids as proof). And it truly will be an engineering marvel as GPS shows a height of 401 metres at the proposed site and 386 metres at 9th line and Wellington Road 124.
We used to say it rolls down hill and payday is on Friday but this feat is truly going to be amazing in my opinion.
I was an electrician by trade, and cannot fathom the pumps that are going to perform this task of moving solids and waste of this proposed capacity up almost 50’.
Again, I say, if this totally unnecessary plant (in my opinion) must go in why not look at a more appropriate location between the two towns of Hillsburgh and Erin. 9th Line and 22nd Sideroad makes more sense to me.
We might even have gravity on our side!
Ken Cowling,
Erin