The Town of Olds is among several communities across Canada vying for Community Sustainability Awards through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
There are 70 nominations in nine different categories for the awards, which were to be announced today in Victoria.
The town submitted a project that treats wastewater directly in the pipes as an entry in the water category. The same project won a provincial award.
As a result of implementing the project, the town has increased capacity to treat wastewater without dramatically increasing spending on failing infrastructure. The town is using the fix as a temporary measure until the regional wastewater system is ready to treat some of Olds' waste. That is expected in 2012, with full treatment by 2015, said Norm McInnis, the town's chief administrative officer.
ìThe capacity that we've got out of our collection and treatment system ó without putting a whole lot of capital dollars into it ó is amazing. The stuff works,î he said.
The town pays about $6,000 per month for the treatment. The temporary solution was made necessary when the town found out in 2005 that it wouldn't be able to upgrade its system and instead had to hook into a regional system.
ìIt was a really good interim solution for us,î McInnis said.
With the nomination of the project on the national stage, it further advances the town's objectives of moving towards sustainability, McInnis said.
"The capacity that we've got out of our collection and treatment system - without putting a whole lot of capital dollars into it - is amazing."Norm McInnis, CAO, Town of Olds
