The City of Revelstoke may have a solution for the smell that has plagued the Southside (and surrounding areas) for many years. With a sewage lagoon that was built in the 1970’s, times have changed yet the lagoon has not had the upgrades other areas of Revelstoke has seen.
While the City has attempted minor upgrades along the way, they have proven unsuccessful and it comes at a cost to the enjoyment of the summer months for those in that neighborhood. The City is looking for Council to approve the notion of entering into a contract with TriplePoint Water Technologies to supply and install aeration equipment for the first pond at the Sewer Treatment Plant. This will come at a cost to the tune of $210,000.00.
An amendment to the 2018 annual budget will also have to happen as there was $200k allotted for the lagoon, however, an increase to $240K will be needed. There will likely be staff costs and other incidentals, of approximately $10,000. Additionally, it would be prudent to have a contingency of at least 10%.
Councillor Gary Sulz was rather pleased to see this as an option as he too can smell the odour from his home.
“We hope it is going to help. I understand how people feel, I truly do. It is not pleasant at all and nobody wants to smell that when they are enjoying the backyard. This is a step in the right direction.”
Triplepoint’s proprietary aeration upgrade technology will be a good design for the lagoon as it sits now and based on preliminary calculations this project may see a payback in roughly 7-8 years of reduced energy costs for operations as it will improve the efficiency of mixing and oxygenation for the first pond.
Director of Engineering, Mike Thomas wrote in a report to council, “While there is no guarantee that an aeration system upgrade will completely eliminate odour concerns or substantially diminish them industry and operations staff and science indicates there is a strong possibility that the current situation will be improved.”
When it comes to the sewage lagoon upgrade, it will most likely be further down the line and with a 20-year-old aeration system, something has to give. The City is listening to the community and while a full-blown replacement would be best, it would be costly and this is one option that would give more time to consider what is the best course of action moving forward, all the while allowing the Southside residents breath again.
The good news is while the City will be addressing the need for an updated DCC, they will be dedicating a larger consulting sewer upgrade project that will be out for RFP in the coming months.
