A project that has been 10 years in the making is set to break ground early next year.
Construction on a new wastewater treatment plant for White City and Emerald Park is set to begin in January. The area has enjoyed record growth in recent years but is now reaching capacity for current sewage treatment options. The brand new facility is needed to better meet the rising demand.
"The final design is for up to 15,000 people and so the community now is around 5,000. And so it's a long term plan,” said Cecil Synder, chair of the White City RM Wastewater Management Authority.
In a cooperative effort, the Government of Saskatchewan, the federal government, and the Waste Water Management Authority are all pitching in $7.3 million. The entire project will cost $21.9 million.
“The Government of Canada is investing in modern wastewater infrastructure that will help protect the environment, keep our communities healthy and create middle-class job opportunities across Saskatchewan for years to come,” Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in a news release.
"It's been a long time coming, and as everybody said before there's a lot of work went into this from both municipalities and all of the negotiations were not necessarily easy but in the end everybody's pretty happy," Snyder said.
With more capacity for wastewater treatment now on the horizon, communities are looking to proceed with growth and expansion.
"Both municipalities have a number of developments that have been sort of sitting on the sidelines waiting for this project to be announced and completed so we have a lot of interest in this area. Especially since the new highway project is nearly finished which makes it a lot safer for people to travel back and forth," Snyder said.
Though, if current growth rates in Regina’s bedroom communities continue, the new facility may itself need to be expanded or replaced in roughly 20 years.
