The Town of Drayton Valley has been named as a funding recipient under the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership (AMWWP), along with multiple other communities.
The province announced $114.6 million in funding to support 86 road, bridge and water infrastructure projects across Alberta last Friday. The funding is being allocated through the AMWWP, Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) and Water for Life program.
The town has been awarded $5,808,000 for wastewater treatment plant upgrades, budgeted at a total project cost of $18 million.
Shelley Terry, general manager of municipal services, says the town would ideally like to see 75 per cent of the project funding covered, and as such, has also applied to the federal Canadian Housing Infrastructure Fund for support. The town expects to hear back on the results of this application in the coming months.
Terry explains, “In 2021, the Town of Drayton Valley received a new regulatory approval, which includes stricter requirements for wastewater effluent, specifically addressing high levels of ammonia and phosphorus.”
These new standards prompted the town to explore alternative treatment solutions to remain compliant. The initial deadline to do so was Dec. 31, 2026, but due to funding constraints, it’s been extended to Dec. 31, 2027.
In 2023, the town piloted a Submerged Aerated Gravel Reactor (SAGR), which Terry says successfully demonstrated its ability to meet the new regulatory limits. She adds that the design process for this approach has reached 90 per cent completion and the preliminary design has been approved by Alberta Environment and Protected Areas.
Until the town receives word on its federal funding application, Terry says the project is on hold. The town hopes to issue a construction tender by March 2026, with construction ideally beginning in May 2026.
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