Big Valley village council heard there appears to be more trouble at the municipal lagoon. The report was made at the Dec. 16 regular meeting of council.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Colleen Mayne presented councillors with a request to formally apply for a massive provincial water/wastewater grant (2025/26), discussing a possible issue that’s cropped up at the lagoon.
The CAO stated that the Village of Big Valley’s application to the program for such a large amount of money has two components: the first revolves around a $200,000 price tag for completion of a sludge survey/testing, preliminary design engineering to identify cost efficiencies and a portion of detailed design.
The second part of the grant consisting of about $3.6 million would be earmarked for remaining detailed design, construction and contingency.
It was noted in the report that the grant in question is cost shared 75 per cent to 25 per cent provincial to municipality responsibility. Therefore, the Village of Big Valley would be responsible for 25 per cent of the cost of these projects.
Mayne pointed out though that Big Valley is able to use other grants to cover its share.
Mayne’s draft application letter to Alberta Infrastructure noted the lagoon’s various issues, including the relatively recent discovery of leakage problems. The grant application noted that obviously leakage needs to be repaired as the lagoon is surrounded by the village and other private property.
Additionally, during her presentation to council Mayne stated that more analysis of the lagoon has revealed substances that appear to have caused some alarm.
Mayne stated that copper has been detected and according to engineers it’s likely the material is foreign and may have been introduced into the lagoon in the form of a salt lick or car battery. In any event, if the copper is present it will require a substantial amount of money to remove.
If this is the case, noted the CAO, councillors could consider a debenture to cover whatever part of the project the Village of Big Valley is required to pay as its share.
Mayne noted that MPE Engineering, which recently prepared an infrastructure study that revealed some of the lagoon’s deficiencies, wrote the grant application for the village. The application noted that the first part of this project is proposed for 2025.
During discussion Coun. Dan Houle voiced concern that the Village of Big Valley appears to be only working with MPE on these projects. Mayne stated that if the water/waster grant is approved it will have to be tendered because of the project’s size and value.
The CAO further noted MPE has already applied for the grants in question but the councillors needed to pass a resolution authorizing the application and record it in their meeting minutes.
Coun. Houle, when examining the draft grant application, stated that $200,000 for a sludge survey seemed like a lot of money for a job like that. The CAO observed that if the grant is approved and the project moves ahead the project would be tendered and that would include the sludge survey so councillors would be able to see what other contractors are asking to do that work.
Councillors unanimously approved the water/wastewater grant application for the Big Valley lagoon project.
Stu Salkeld
Local Journalism Initiative reporter
ECA Review
