Staff at the St. Paul Pollution Control Centre, members of the Town of St. Paul council, and Westlock-St. Paul MP Brian Storseth met for a formal introduction of a new piece of equipment at the St. Paul wastewater treatment facility.
Using money from the federal Gas Tax Fund, a second screening unit has been installed, and is meant to update the facility’s waste filtering ability. The federal government contributed $180,000 through the Gas Tax Fund, to subsidize the new unit.
“This is an announcement with pollution control, it’s an opportunity for the federal government to work with municipalities,” said Storseth, at the gathering. “The Gas Tax Fund is long-term sustainable funding that municipalities know they have.”
Storseth and members of council were given a tour of the facility by Chief Plant Operator Bert Pruneau. Through the tour, they were able to see how the machinery worked, and how the new screening unit will help improve the water quality in Upper Thérien Lake, and build on the measures already in place.
According to a press release from the Government of Canada, the second screening unit is designed to remove large non-bio degradable solids from the water, including rags, plastic, and paper, which are often found in water treatment systems. The improved filtration would ensure that treated wastewater entering the lake would have a minimal environmental impact.
Storseth said the Gas Tax Funding is to be used by municipalities for “Whatever infrastructure project they want.” Between 2006 and 2012, the town has received a total of $1.9 million in funds from the Gas Tax Fund.
Mayor Glenn Andersen described funding as, “instrumental to communities in maintaining infrastructure. Without such funding, it would be difficult to upgrade and provide the quality of the infrastructure we have.”
Andersen added, “I look forward to seeing more funding available for future projects.”
