South Stormont water plant expansion moves a step closer

LONG SAULT – A plan to nearly double the water treatment plant output in South Stormont is one step closer as an environmental assessment winds up this month.nnA consultant for the Township of South Stormont, Jamie Witherspoon, told council in August that the expansion of the water treatment plant on Moulinette Island will cost about $5.5 million and should be completed by 2027.nnThe plant, which entered service in 2005, was designed to be expanded. Witherspoon told council that all the work to expand capacity is indoors and will include upgrades to intake pumps, screens, and electrical work.nnThe township has already applied for the Housing Enabling Water Systems fund from the province, which if approved may fund up to 73 per cent of the project, lowering the overall cost to the municipality to $1.5 million.nnGrowth in South Stormont on its municipal water system is limited due to the plant being near capacity. Witherspoon said that less than 50 new homes can be added at this point.nn“That is a concern to council and to the development community,” Witherspoon said. Providing service to the new Long Sault Logistics Park that is planned north of the village added to that concern.nnSouth Stormont has been the fastest growing municipality within SDG Counties. In the 20 years since the water plant entered service, the township has grown by nearly 2,500 residents.nnThe plant was originally designed to expand by 66 per cent, but with technology improvements that will increase to 95 per cent. He said the facility could be expanded further in the future.nnCurrent capacity of the plant is nearly 8,600 cubic metres per day, the expansion will increase that to 16,700 m3/day.nn“This capacity increase will meet the water demands requirements for residential and ICI (Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional) – including the Logistics Village for the next 20 years,” he told council.nnDue to the number of applications to the HEWS fund, it is expected to take up to a year to determine if the province will approve funding. The balance of the cost of the upgrade will be paid by existing and new water users.nnCouncillor Reid McIntyre asked if inflation costs were factored into the 25 per cent contingency built into the project price tag. Witherspoon responded that a majority of the items needed for the project have not been hit with the inflationary increases that has impacted other projects.nnSouth Stormont’s water system in Ingleside and Long Sault was unified by a transmission line between the two communities with the Long Sault plant serving the entire system.