Regional Aerated Lagoon Feasibility Study, Frenchman Butte

The Rural Municipality (R.M.) of Frenchman Butte No. 501 will partner with the Village of Paradise Hill and the Town of St. Walburg (combined population of 2,670) to study the feasibility of constructing an aerated lagoon with wastewater piped from the three communities to centralize treatment. They are aiming to meet tertiary standards for the wastewater, which is currently treated in separate lagoons which are at full capacity in the Village of Paradise Hill and the Town of St. Walburg, and in individual septic systems in the R.M. Frenchman Butte. The consolidated lagoon will be located in a non-populated rural area, and will involve multiple pumping stations and 32km of gravity sewers and force mains. As part of the feasibility study, consultants will conduct a topographic survey, analyze the sizing of piping, pumping, and the lagoon, conduct a stakeholder consultation and select the lagoon treatment method. The preliminary proposal suggests an aerated two-cell lagoon with floating surface aerators and positive displacement blowers to treat sludge. After running model simulations for the lagoon, consultants will prepare a report recommending a treatment model and design guidelines. The project is spurred by a directive from the Saskatchewan Ministry of the Environment phasing out land farming, the current practice of spreading treated waste on rural land. With their wastewater treatment systems at capacity, limited land, and an increase in population, project partners have halted all new subdivision applications under the new wastewater regulations. They anticipate that consolidating wastewater treatment with an improved system will reduce the likelihood of potential ground contamination and allow for expanded growth as well as reclaiming the former lagoon areas for community green space. The R.M. of Frenchman Butte also anticipates that it will spur tourism and encourage economic growth by providing sewage disposal for tourists who visit the numerous lakes in the area. The three participating communities have started organizing a joint utility board that will be responsible for the management of the shared lagoon, and students from the University of Saskatchewan College Of Engineering will be studying it as part of their coursework. The knowledge value of this initiative can be found in that the project will be the first of its kind to treat wastewater over such a dispersed area in Saskatchewan, and could offer lessons about consolidating regional services to improve the level of service and specialization for rural municipalities. (Project description from original funding application)