A sod-turning ceremony took place last week to mark the start of Steinbach, Manitoba’s Lagoon Expansion project—the largest capital works project ever to take place in the fast-growing city. Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, and Ron Lemieux, Minister of Local Government, joined Mayor Chris Goertzen to mark the commencement of this $10.5-million project, jointly funded by three levels of government.
The existing lagoon went into service in 1992 with an estimated lifespan of 20 years. The scope of the project includes constructing three effluent storage cells with a combined size of approximately one million square metres, and adding a primary wastewater treatment cell of approximately 30,000 square metres.
The annual maintenance costs associated with the proposed expansion will be funded through the City’s annual utility operating budget. User fees charged to customers connected to the utility will continue to fund the operating costs of the facility.
The project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2010.