The City of Abbotsford is asking senior levels of government to help fund a fix for an odorous issue caused by an eroding piece of infrastructure.
A siphon inlet that is part of a system that helps move wastewater to the JAMES Plant has been eroding due to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the sewage gases.
The result has been odour complaints near the intersection of Gladwin and Downes roads, along with above-average readings for H2s, a gas that smells like rotten eggs.
Fixing the problem requires designing new inlet and outlet chambers, the purchase of land, and tying it in with existing infrastructure, staff say. Doing so will cost about $2 million.
While the project is currently budgeted for 2022 in the city’s long-term plan for its sewers, council recently gave staff the go-ahead to apply for funding through a joint federal and provincial grant program for clean water and wastewater projects. The program offers up to 83 per cent of funding for approved projects, although land acquisition would not be an eligible cost.
The city also plans to apply for funding for its $8.4 million AC Watermain Replacement Program, which is budgeted to take place over the next two years.