Town council considering borrowing bylaw to complete wastewater project

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By Trevor Busch

Taber Times

editor@tabertimes.com

The Town of Taber is preparing to borrow big to complete a Wastewater Secondary Clarifier Rehabilitation Project.

At the Oct. 24, 2022 meeting town council approved an infrastructure renewal fee of $6/month for residential accounts and $7.50/month for non-residential accounts, and directed administration to prepare a borrowing bylaw for a $3 million debenture to fund the secondary clarifier rehab project. 

At their March 13 meeting, town council voted unanimously to approve first reading of Long Term Borrowing Bylaw – Wastewater Secondary Clarifier Rehabilitation Project 4-2023.

Based on a $3 million debenture with the current interest rate of 5.27 per cent from Alberta Treasury and Finance, for a term of 20 years, payments would be $244,483.28 per year.

This loan would be serviced by the approved infrastructure renewal fee of $6/month per residential account and $7.50 per non-residential account (approximately 3000 residential accounts and 400 nonresidential accounts). This generates $252,000 per year.

Clarifiers are settling tanks built with mechanical means for continuous removal of solids being deposited by sedimentation. A clarifier is generally used to remove solid particulates or suspended solids from liquid for clarification and/or thickening. Inside the clarifier, solid contaminants will settle down to the bottom of the tank where it is collected by a scraper mechanism.

Secondary clarification is a vital component of most biological wastewater treatment systems. The fundamental objective of secondary clarifiers is to separate biological floc from the treated liquid waste stream.

Finance director John Orwa indicated the Town is awaiting approval on some potential grant funding from the provincial government that could fund up to 30 per cent of the project, which could reduce the overall cost.

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