(File photo/ larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

increased capacity

Lagoon upgrade project costs significantly increase after geotechnical study

Aug 1, 2024 | 4:36 PM

Preliminary work on a lagoon upgrade continues on Crown land near the tri-communities.

An email to larongeNOW from Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) director of public works and housing Tayven Roberts states the upgrade project will examine the current performance and condition of the existing wastewater treatment lagoon system, as well as provide recommendations for upgrades and improvements to ensure that the communities continue to have reliable wastewater treatment for a 20-year window.

The typical project cycle is feasibility study, pre-design, full design, tendering and then construction. Work completed so far includes a breeding bird survey and heritage referral by CanNorth, a geotechnical investigation by P. Machibroda Engineering Ltd., and a topographical survey, a downstream user impact study and draft feasibility study by AECOM.

“Feasibility has begun and pre-design and full design work will take place through 2024 and 2025,” Roberts explained in the email.

“The project management team hopes to tender the project during the winter of 2025, with earthwork following during the next construction season in 2026.”

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Preliminary estimates from 2023 (before geotechnical work was complete in 2024) showed the construction cost of a facultative lagoon to be between $16 million and $22 million for an aerated lagoon with a submerged attached growth reactor. The estimates noted above don’t include engineering and soft costs.

After completion of the geotechnical study, it was determined the cost of a facultative lagoon rose significantly and may not be feasible due to a high-water table that is above ground level. The feasibility study will now be reviewed and revised considering the updated geotechnical information.

“At this point, the primary stakeholders are the Northern Village of Air Ronge, the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District (NSAD) and the LLRIB as they are the primary users,” the email adds.

Cost sharing for the project is based on population with the LLRIB responsible for 59.5 per cent, Air Ronge for 25.5 per cent and NSAD for 15 per cent.

The original two-cell facultative lagoon was designed to service a 10-year max population of 3,400 people. The current population it serviced in 2023 was approximately 4,927. The design population (Year 2043) for the new system will be 8,353 people.

Starting in September 2024, an infrastructure levy in the amount of $26 will be added in Air Ronge to each utility account on each quarterly utility billing for the next five years to help cover the cost of the villages share in the project.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com