Barnwell needs wastewater solution, Taber ready to help

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On Nov. 24, town council directed administration to make a 2025-26 Alberta Community Partnership grant application as the managing partner of a regional wastewater project between Barnwell, the MD of Taber and the Town of Taber.

 “This ACP grant is particular to an initiative (for) the Town of Taber receiving Barnwell’s wastewater and providing services to them,” CAO Derrin Thibault told council about the $200,000 grant. “I don’t know that we would need $200K, but that is the maximum that the grant allows. We would like to be the managing partner on this.”

 Taber would look at increasing its wastewater treatment capacity in order to receive and treat Barnwell’s wastewater. Thibault said that Barnwell currently uses lagoons, which are “a form of treatment, but it’s sort of the simplest form of treatment.”

 As a member of Taber’s joint economic committee, Coun. Sorensen said she supported inter-municipal relations and would support the project. Coun. Remfert asked if the project would still be a go if the grant funding didn’t come through; Thibault replied by saying that either way, Barnwell would be motivated to do something. Barnwell would drive the project and Taber would be the managing partner simply because Taber has the treatment plant.

 If granted, the project would inform decisions on the required infrastructure upgrades, expansion and planning requirements, priority of the required work, estimated future costs for implementation, and impact on economic growth.

 Coun. Firth moved that council direct administration to apply for the grant and council approved it unanimously. The initiative is 100 per cent funded by the ACP grant and requires no funding from the Town.