In order to become compliant with new federal wastewater regulations, the Town of Carbonear would need to make a substantial investment.
The town's CAO Cynthia Davis said a consulting engineer reported several years ago Carbonear would need $20 million for a facility to handle wastewater treatment. That's about the same amount of money needed to construct Harbour Grace's last stadium and the new school currently being built in Bay Roberts.
"The federal or the provincial government haven't come forward to say that they're going to even cost share this with municipalities," Davis said.
Bay Roberts and Carbonear were among many communities represented at an emergency meeting held in St. John's earlier this month. Both councils discussed the gathering at regular council meetings held Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador called for the meeting on Sept. 6 after some towns received visits from federal enforcement officers. Those visits alarmed the towns, who were reportedly told staff and councillors could be subjected to imprisonment if they didn't comply with the regulations, which apply to wastewater systems that handle a daily volume in excess of 100 cubic metres.
The issue has been as of much of an issue for much of Canada, but it's been a different story in Newfoundland and Labrador, where most communities are coastal. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), there are 197 municipal wastewater systems provincewide, and 79 of those handle a daily volume of influent below the threshold. The regulations came into effect in 2015, and right now there are only three municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador that have been granted formal extensions (also known as transitional authorizations) — Gander, Springdale and St. John's.
Bay Roberts Mayor Philip Wood, who attended the meeting in St. John's along with CAO Nigel Black, believes more transitional authorizations should be granted. Bay Roberts has taken some steps to address its wastewater issues, but it has not set up a treatment plant yet.
Wood does not believe there's any truth to the suggestion councillors or municipal staff could face the threat of arrest over the wastewater issue.
"There's no one going to go to jail," he said. "What are they going to do? Throw the seven of us along with Nigel and (the town clerk) in jail?"
For Carbonear, even a 20 per cent share of the cost would be considerable and force the municipality to increase taxes, Davis said. She also questioned whether the province can afford its share taking into account how many communities need help.
Coun. Ray Noel noted, too, the town has specifically set aside $100,000 annually for the last few years in order to have some money at hand to contribute to a wastewater treatment facility. He adds the issue needs to be front and centre during the federal election campaign.
All seven federal MPs were in attendance at the emergency meeting in St. John's.
Earlier this year, ECCC told The Compass there were a number of funding pools that could support construction of a wastewater treatment facility, including the green infrastructure stream ($9.2 billion) of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure program (cost-shared with the provinces) and the $2-billion Clean Water and Wastewater Fund.
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