MONCTON, N.B. – The Greater Moncton Wastewater Commission is hoping federal and provincial support will help pay for a $72.6-million mandatory system upgrade that will improve the treatment of their water.
The current standards clean about 75 per cent of the treated water that gets released into the Petitcodiac River. But the new system would clean about 97 per cent, says the Commission’s chair, Winston Pearce.
The secondary treatment of the wastewater, includes ultraviolet treatment and disinfection of its effluent.
Those new standards must be in place by 2020. The Commission is in the process of applying for federal and provincial funding, but so far, there’s been no official response from either.
If neither governments step up, Pearce says it will have to be the local taxpayer who does.
“The rate payers would have to pay and each household in town would have to pay over $1,200 per household over the next five years,” Pearce said.
David Muir is the Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Riverview. He says the municipalities wants to know where they stand.
“This is a big project for the Commission and for the three municipalities as well,” Muir said. “The only problem is figuring out how it’s going to be funded.”
Pearce wants residents to put pressure on their elected representatives to give them answers.
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