Morden decides on solution for wastewater woes — but funding still an issue

The City of Morden is moving toward a solution for its wastewater woes, as its current lagoon system nears capacity, significantly slowing construction of new homes — but funding is still an issue.

The southern Manitoba city has explored a number of options for a new wastewater treatment system in the last few years — including one that involved buying land in the nearby rural municipality of Roland, which wasn't popular among residents there — but Mayor Nancy Penner says she's relieved they've settled on a potential solution with a quicker timeline.

The city now wants to purchase 80 acres (about 32 hectares) of land east of its current lagoon site, it announced in a news release on Wednesday.

The expansion and upgrades would allow the city to double its population by 2047 to 20,300 people, Penner said in an interview with CBC News.

"We're just crossing our fingers that we can move forward," Penner said. "We'll go forward with the preliminary design work, and that can happen very quickly, so within the next year, we could be putting this project out to tender."

Penner has previously said, despite commitments of $11 million from Ottawa and $28 million from the province for the project, the city is about $30 million short.

The estimated price tag of $88 million to $108 million hasn't changed, she said Thursday.

"It's not a money-saving venture, but we also realize the longer we wait, the more this project is going to grow, and we have to stop kicking this can down the road, and this council is adamant that we have a clear path forward," Penner said.

"We will lobby governments, and we will look at other options of funding and see what we can come up with."

CBC has reached out to the federal and provincial governments to ask whether discussions about contributing more money are underway.

In an emailed statement, Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations Glen Simard said his "door is always open to talk with municipal partners about important infrastructure projects in their community."

The city also needs an environmental licence and for the Rural Municipality of Stanley to approve a conditional land use application.

Short-term solution

The new system would have three new lagoon cells on the 80 acres, which would be covered with floating insulation to minimize heat loss and odour emissions, Penner said. The old cells would be decommissioned and used to hold treated water over the winter.

Morden continues to work with neighbouring Winkler on a short-term solution that the mayors have previously said would allow Morden to pump excess sewage to a treatment facility in Winkler, possibly by fall 2026, pending a feasibility study.

"We've approved, in principle, the temporary connection," Winkler Mayor Henry Siemens said in a text message.

The twin cities continue to negotiate a municipal services agreement that will need final approval from both councils, he said.

Siemens expects the agreement and approvals to be finished by early 2026.

"They are as excited as we are [for the long-term solution], because they know when Morden grows, they grow, and what's good for Morden is good for them," Penner said.

In the meantime, sewer and water rates won't increase this year as the city had hoped, she said. The Public Utilities Board has asked them to resubmit their application once their wastewater treatment project is set in stone.

"It's frustrating. How do municipalities build a reserve to expand? But that's the way the system works, and we will comply with their rules," Penner said.

The rates would have more than doubled over three years under the initial application.

Penner said they will hold open houses to keep the community abreast of their plans as the project moves forward.