(submitted photo/Boreal Area Regional Waste Authority Inc.)

By Mat Barrett

ICIP Funding

BARWA Landfill among local projects receiving ICIP funding

Jun 24, 2021 | 11:54 AM

The provincial and federal government’s announced on Wednesday that 23 projects in Saskatchewan would be the recipients of some more Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) funding.

One of the recipients of some funding was the Boreal Area Regional Waste Authority (BARWA) Landfill near Nipawin. The provincial government is contributing $1,421,742, while the federal government is contributing $1,184,666. BARWA will contribute the remainder which is said to be around $947,946.

The funds are to go towards decommissioning the old cells at the landfill that has been operating since 1973. BARWA chairperson and Nipawin Mayor Rennie Harper said it’s great to get the ICIP funding for the project.

“I’m not sure BARWA would ever have been able to manage or raise enough money to do this kind of decommissioning,” she said.

The decommissioning of the cells includes covering the cells themselves and installing piezometers and more equipment to help monitor the leachate in the cell.

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Harper added that while the provincial government does have a requirement to decommission old landfill cells, it’s also important to decommission these cells the right way— especially considering that the BARWA landfill is so close to the North Saskatchewan River.

“You want to be very careful that you’re not putting contaminated material into the river system,” Harper said. “But also into other people’s wells, and into the groundwater.”

Harper added that they will begin looking for a project manager but they are unsure of a specific timeline for the project to be completed.

Not much will change with the BARWA Landfill for the time being as Harper said there are still a few decades left on that area with some room for more cells in the future.

Meanwhile, BARWA was not the only recipient of some ICIP funding on Wednesday.

• The City of Humboldt is receiving a combined $24,971,065 for their Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades.
• The Town of St. Brieux is receiving $2,390,925 for its lagoon wastewater upgrades.
• The R.M. of Torch River is getting $324,423 for the installation of culverts throughout the R.M.

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mat.barrett@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @matbarrett6