The Town of Altona is getting some help from the Manitoba Water Services Board (MWSB) to pay for a project that should help alleviate pressure on its wastewater system during high-volume situations, like heavy rains.
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"Early in the year, our manager at Public Works puts together a list of projects that, potentially, could fall under the (Manitoba) Water Services Board funding model," explained Mayor Harv Schroeder.
Included this time around, and approved, was a project to install a force main line at a second lift station in town and run it directly to the lagoon.
"Lift stations two and three both run into Lift Station One, which is in the northeast corner, and that lift station pumps directly into the lagoon. So, during heavy water tables and high-water volume coming in, there's an area where it bottlenecks in the system and forces the lift stations to work overtime," explained Schroeder, noting during those situations, those pumps could run about 16 hours in a day. "(This) potentially could cause back-up in homes."
By adding a second direct line to the lagoon, Schroeder says that should take the pressure off of Lift Station One during these situations and will also help the system accommodate future growth.
Details on how much the Town will receive from the MWSB aren't known at this time, but the project is estimated to cost about $2 million. Schroeder says the soonest the Town would budget for it is in 2026.