When it comes to sewage, Bradford is about to have more room to breathe.
Members of council joined in a groundbreaking ceremony for the town’s new wastewater sludge thickener at the wastewater pollution control plant at 225 Dissette St. on April 10.
The new thickener is expected to handle 720 cubic metres of waste per day, and as a result, the existing wastewater facility should be able to handle the town’s expected growth for at least another decade, while plans for the plant’s eventual expansion are ongoing.
“It’s an important factor when it comes right down to it. The toilets need to flush and that’s what we can provide with this,” Mayor James Leduc said. “This buys us at least a 10-year window, but we hope to expand (the plant) sooner than that.”
In the meantime, the new thickener is expected to cost about $13 million and should be operational by the end of 2025, at which time the amount of solid material in the sludge is expected to increase to about six per cent, from about three per cent, increasing the capacity of the existing aerobic digesters, said wastewater manager Tony Desroches.
While he was excited to be on site for the groundbreaking, the mayor said this is just one of “many” projects council looks forward to announcing in the next few months.
“It shows the community exactly what we’re doing and where their money is going,” he said.
Among those present for the announcement was Ward 2 Coun. Jonathan Scott who also chairs the town’s green initiatives committee and was pleased to see the environmental benefits.
“It’s a real retrofit that’s going to facilitate the maximum output of the facility without actually increasing the net effect on the environment,” he said.
As an added bonus, the construction of the new thickener also includes a new odour control system, which will treat the air not just from the new thickener, but also from the existing aerobic digester, biosolid storage tanks No. 1-3 and the waste activated sludge (WAS) buffer tank, to reduce unpleasant smells.
That’s sure to be a relief to all of the nearby residents, who Scott represents, and while campaigning he promised to reduce those odours.
While the addition of domes over certain parts of the facility in January 2022 helped lead to zero odour complaints in the two years since, Scott is confident the new addition will provide additional relief.
The announcement comes just a few weeks after an annual report praised the town’s wastewater system and its performance.
