PEI

Sewage fix will limit town's budget for years, says mayor

Fixing the sewage lagoon in O'Leary, in western P.E.I., will limit the town's capital spending for years to come, says Mayor Eric Gavin.

$530K set aside for repair

A close-up of a hand reaching into the water and holding a chunk of green-coloured algae.
Blue-green algae is toxic for people and animals. (Submitted by University of Alberta)

Fixing the sewage lagoon in O'Leary, in western P.E.I., will limit the town's capital spending for years to come, says Mayor Eric Gavin.

The town held a public meeting Thursday about the project. Blue-green algae was discovered in the lagoon last summer. The algae is toxic and can be deadly for animals. It's also corroding the ultraviolet system used to disinfect the sewage.

Gavin said $530,000 has been set aside for the repairs — that is most of the town's gas tax money for the next five years, and it means other town projects will have to wait.

"We've got sidewalk projects and we've got road projects and stuff going on but, yeah, it's going to limit us a little bit, what we can do, for sure," said Gavin.

Engineers will have a plan ready to repair the system in two to three weeks, he said.

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With files from Island Morning