Council hoping for quick SSMP wrap-up

As published in The Erin Advocate

There are still many loose ends in the Servicing and Settlement Master Plan study, but council is hoping to tie them all up by the end of August.

Council received a letter at its June 3 meeting from Project Manager Christine Furlong of Triton Engineering listing the tasks that BM Ross still has to complete. Furlong said a public meeting should be held to discuss the technical aspects of the project.

CAO Kathryn Ironmonger said BM Ross has assured her that the process can be completed in August, which would include a decision by council on a wastewater strategy. Council asked for an updated schedule. They want to finish the study before the municipal election nomination day, September 12.

Currently, the Town is awaiting financial analysis of various options by Watson & Associates, but there has been a delay in getting technical information to them about the small bore sewage system. Council specifically requested analysis of this lower-cost option.
Furlong says BM Ross still has to provide the following:

• A complete list of water and waste water servicing options, transportation needs and storm water strategies, with documentation on the criteria used, and a review of sewage collection, treatment and effluent discharge alternatives.

• Updated drawings for proposed locations of new facilities, based on the new lower urban population cap of 6,000.

• Evaluation of servicing options in rural areas, and more work on review of existing private and municipal servicing systems.

• Evaluation of “staging scenarios” and of the advantages and disadvantages of joining the Hillsburgh and Erin systems.

• More discussion of continuing growth using private and communal septic systems.

• A new version of the SSMP report, including a summary of comments made by members of the public and approval agencies.