I want to congratulate the Chamber of Commerce on their successful first meeting of the new Board of Directors held last night and am looking forward to working with you on future endeavours that benefit those who visit, work and play in Westport and Rideau Lakes.
Update on waste water treatment this winter
I have been asked by many people over the past couple of weeks what is happening with the Snowfluent system as they haven’t seen any evidence of snowmaking yet this year. Although yesterday and today are perfect snow making conditions, the plant has yet to process this year. Warm weather in December meant that the plant was not turned on. In order to operate the Snowfluent system, the temperature needs to be -5 C and wind at least 4 km/hr.
On December 31, when the system was being started up, a broken pipe in one of the effluent lines prevented its operation. The repairs to the pipe are expected to be made by the end of the day Tuesday. Adjustments were made to the plant today and I am hopeful that two towers will be operational tonight. The weather forecast indicates that the unseasonably warm weather returns on Wednesday.
The levels of the lagoons are monitored daily as well as the daily flows from the Village to the lagoons. The average flows in November were 220 m3, however alarmingly jumped to over 300 m3 in the latter part of December. Sump pumps that are connected to the waste water system are contributing to this increase. Please check to see where your sump pump dumps and ensure that it does not add to the lagoon levels. Council is introducing a water conservation programme this week in the Review Mirror by providing advice on how to reduce the amount of clean water flowing to the waste water system. Let’s work together to reduce the amount of unnecessary clean water being processed at the waste water plant by 10% this year.
Council met this afternoon to review the current situation. Our Councillors bring a wealth of experience to the discussions and each of them is committed to asking the right questions to ensure they get all of the information they need to make decisions. At the end of the meeting, Council is satisfied that monitoring the levels, flows and weather forecasts is sufficient at this point in time,. Just as a reminder, should it be necessary to haul effluent, there is a solid contingency plan that can be in place with 24 hours notice.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact a Councillor of your choice or me.
Join us NEW YEAR’S DAY – NOON – 2:00 p.m.
Please join Council and me at Town Hall on Friday, January 1st for our 2nd annual Mayor’s New Year’s Levee. Kick off 2016 by visiting with neighbours and friends between noon and 2:00 p.m. Hope to see you on January 1st!
Happy New Year
It is hard to believe that the first year as your Mayor ended on December 1st. For the Village of Westport , this past year has been one of many accomplishments. Our highest priority is our waste water treatment plant and we have spent the year studying the challenges and considering our options for its rehabilitation. At a Special Council meeting on December 11th, Council passed a resolution supporting the recommendation of the engineering consultant for the continued use of the 2 existing lagoon cells and a new large subsurface disposal system. This resolution is grant dependent from the Government of Ontario and we are optimistic that we will hear a positive response from them in February 2016. If all timelines are met, this should be our last winter relying on the Snowfluent system. In addition to the waste water, there have been many other events that have drawn our community together and we have accomplished more than ever before. The Village is an engaged, supportive community in which to live, work and play.
I hope you will spend time with family and friends this holiday season. Please remember your neighbours at this time of year, especially our seniors and the many residents who live alone. We have a few folks in hospital or convalescing away from the Village, and I wish you a speedy recovery.
From your members of Council, Town Hall staff and myself, we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and look forward with anticipation to another great year in 2016.
Mayor Robin Jones
UPDATE – FULL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BRIEFING TO COUNCIL
On Friday, December 11, AECOM provided a thorough briefing on what reports, studies and information were used by the Technical Support Team and itself to make the recommendation to Council for the rehabilitation of the Village of Westport’s wastewater treatment system. Councillors spent a couple of hours asking well thought out and probative questions of the AECOM representatives and by 4:30 p.m. were satisfied with the recommendation and passed a resolution supporting the continued use of the 2 existing lagoon cells and a new large subsurface disposal system.
All information and reports produced for the EA are on the Village website. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions at 613-273-9195.
Thanks to the many members of the public who were present at this meeting.
Special recognition and appreciation to all members of the Technical Support Team for their hard work, including Village residents Dr Nancy Martin, Scott Bryce and Chair Glenn Allen.
Robin, The Mayor 
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