Town of Irishtown-Summerside Wastewater Treatment Feasibility Study

The Town of Irishtown-Summerside will study the feasibility of building a wastewater treatment system that will meet or exceed the new federal regulations for wastewater effluent to protect the Humber River, the Bay of Islands and its fisheries. Currently, the town’s sewage system collects wastewater from most residents and discharges it, untreated, into the Bay of Islands. The study will identify favorable locations for a new system and will recommend either a centralized system or several decentralized systems. The town will explore different types of treatment systems. One type of system included in the study is an engineered wetland system in which specialized plants stimulate bacterial growth around their roots. The bacteria consume the sewage contaminants and naturally clean the effluent, without the use of chemicals or electricity. There is no smell and operating costs are low. The study will determine whether this or the other systems being considered will achieve a tertiary level of treatment. Ways to divert as much material as possible and convert it into fertilizer that can be sold will also be included in the study. The town will consult and inform stakeholder groups and the public through its website and an outdoor bulletin board. Study recommendations will be based on treatment levels, impact on residents and operating costs. The new system will be innovative for this very small community because it will move the town from no sewage treatment to secondary or tertiary levels of treatment. This is the first such study to be done in the Bay of Islands area. Results will be shared with other municipalities through the Great Humber Joint Council. (Project description from original funding application)