Sustainable Water Management Study for Isolated Homes - Écoprêt Program, Township of Gore

The Municipality of the Township of Gore will conduct a study to determine the best solution for replacing inefficient septic systems at isolated rural homes and to enable the municipality to take charge of and recycle septage to protect the quality of its lakes. A small rural municipality traversed by lakes and rivers, the Township of Gore attracts a large seasonal population who live in lakeside cottages. According to an inventory by the MRC of Argenteuil, the septic systems at half of Gore’s residences are outdated and 65 to 80% of these outdated systems are in homes valued at less than $90,000. The Township of Gore wants to remedy this situation by creating an Éco-Prêt environmental loan program. Based on an integrated approach, this turnkey program will offer residents a novel type of financial support to encourage them to replace old standalone septic systems with certified secondary or tertiary-level treatment systems, or long-lasting conventional systems. The study objective is to determine the necessary conditions for successful operation of the Éco-Prêt program. The municipality will take a three-step approach: it will assess the soil types in the Gore area to determine what kinds of systems are most suitable to replace inefficient septic systems and what environmental impacts will result, develop a financial structure and management framework for the Éco-Prêt program, and assess the costs and benefits of taking charge of collecting and recycling septage in its territory. The future project will enable residents to pay for a new septic system by reimbursing the municipality through their property taxes. With this project, the municipality will protect a driving force behind its economy and will also improve lakeside residents’ quality of life and the environmental quality of its territory. The tools that will result from this study are eagerly awaited by neighbouring municipalities, where at least 1,780 septic systems need to be replaced within the next five years. (Project description from original funding application)