Meeting turns tense as residents question officials over new sewage system in Ingonish

Tempers flared Tuesday at a public meeting on a $15-million sewage collection and treatment system being built in the growing Cape Breton community of Ingonish, N.S.

Engineers and consultants on the project told the meeting any treated wastewater going into Ingonish harbour would be virtually free of bacteria and viruses, but some locals are worried about the cost and the effect wastewater outfall could have on the fishing industry.

Some residents bristled after being told at the start of the meeting that they would be allowed to ask one question and, time permitting, one more. County Warden Jackie Organ had to shout several times to maintain control of the discussion as residents spoke out of turn and two RCMP officers monitored the situation from the back of the room.

Despite the tension, Coun. Tim Donovan said he was pleased with the information provided to residents during the nearly three-hour meeting.

"The scientists are telling me, and with evidence and with backup, that the effluent that's coming out of that wastewater treatment plant is actually better and healthier than the water that's in the harbour right now," Donovan said in an interview after the meeting.

"I trust the people who are the experts, who have been doing this for decades in several locations, in several small towns, and they've had success doing what they do."

Darryl Myette, president of Strait Engineering, told the meeting his firm has been involved in sewage treatment systems since the 1980s and has done projects in Afton, Mulgrave, Mabou, Port Hood and St. Peters.

He said the system is being designed in phases, so that it could expand in the future as residential and commercial hookups increase.

'Pretty close' to drinking water

Brad MacLean, a hydrogeochemist with Dillon Consulting, said wastewater regulations are "pretty stringent" and the effluent has to be clear.

"It's not quite drinking water, but it's pretty close," he told the meeting.

MacLean said he would not drink it, but he also would not drink the water currently in Ingonish harbour.

Osborne Burke, a resident of Ingonish and general manager of Victoria Co-op Fisheries, one of the county's largest employers, said sewage systems have been known to fail, which could spill raw sewage and harm the fisheries.

"What happens with overflows if a system plugs up or a pump fails?" he said in an interview after the meeting. "We're not opposed to economic development, but it can't be done at the detriment of an existing industry."

Hookups not mandatory

Developers and Victoria County officials say the project will spur tourism and housing needed for workers.

County officials said Tuesday no one would be required to hook up to the new system, which is being built because of residential and commercial construction sparked by Cape Smokey Developments, which is building a resort at the foot of the ski hill.

Patrick Austin of Skye Glen Consulting, who has a contract as a strategic adviser doing government relations for the ski hill developer, said 100 residential units are expected to open at the foot of the hill this fall. Sometime this year, construction is expected to start on a micro-hotel, brewery and restaurant, he added.

He said future plans for what could be a billion-dollar development include installing a second lift on the next mountain over and adding 2,000 accommodation beds in Ingonish to the 5,000 existing on all of Cape Breton Island.

"The sooner the septic system [gets built] for our reasons, the better," he said. "We're excited to become the first customer, even though it wasn't being built for us."

Some residents were concerned about the cost of the sewer project ballooning, leading the county to make it mandatory for residents to connect, but county officials said tax rates will not change and increased development will pay for the system.

Eastern District Planning Commission director John Bain said provincial regulations require developments to have a minimum lot size that can accommodate a septic system for that lot, but with a central sewage treatment system, lot sizes can be smaller, making it more economical to develop smaller parcels.

One local resident told the meeting he has plans to build a residential subdivision with up to 50 new homes, but that would have to go to another community if a central sewer system was not available.

Cape Smokey Developments has donated land for the new sewage treatment plant and county officials said equipment is already on order.

Myette said designs for the entire system are being finalized and construction tenders are expected to go out later this year or early next year.

He said the system should be operational within three years.

County officials said they will be building a website to provide residents with more information as the project progresses.

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