Johnson’s Addition water/sewer option carries hefty price tag

The Municipal District of Taber is looking for options to handle water and sewage service in the hamlet of Johnson’s Addition after receiving a hefty estimate for hooking up to the Town of Taber system.

Council discussed the issue with Jack Dunsmore, director of planning and infrastructure, at their regular meeting on Feb. 25.

“We’ve looked in the past about the possibility of servicing water and sewer to Johnson’s Addition,” said Dunsmore. He said there have been a few different options looked at, from providing water via Barnwell to hooking in to the Taber system.

The capital cost estimate for Johnson’s Addition and Horseshoe Estates for a Taber tie-in included $4,963,000 for a water distribution system; $4,794,000 for a wastewater collection system; $3,107,000 for a storm water system; and $3,653,000 for road work. In all, the estimate total came to $16,517,000.

“Eliminating the storm water component at this point is still a $13.4 million project,” he said. “That would include their $30,000 a hectare tie-in connection fee.”

Dunsmore said the number one priority for the area was sewer, and they couldn’t service water without an option for sewer.

“You have to do something with the sewage before you even look at the water,” he said.

One option Dunsmore said they had looked at was a condominium-type septic system in Sherwood Park, Alta., which had been discussed by the previous council. The system involved solid waste remaining on-site with grey water being pumped to another treatment area with a trickle-through area to manage the water.

“It was almost a wetlands,” Dunsmore said. “It was just a nice little lake in the middle of a residential area.”

The solid waste would be monitored and pumped out as the need required.

In this system, residents would have septic tanks for solids and grey water would be collected and dealt with in one system. Dunsmore said the footprint for the process was small, and there was no issue with odours.

M.D. Reeve Brian Brewin said there was a desire to talk to the ratepayer’s in the area to gather their feelings on the subject.

“The first thing they’re going to ask is what it costs and where’s the money coming from,” he said. “We need to do some work in order to justify the meeting and have some answers for them.”

According to Wikipedia, the M.D. of Taber 2013 municipal census counted 115 people in the hamlet of Johnson’s Addition. Following discussion, Division 1 Coun. Merrill Harris made a motion to request staff to examine options for Johnson’s Addition wastewater disposal and report back to council, which was carried.