Infrastructure Government money going toward work in several communities

A5

Cheryl Norrad
Telegraph-Journal

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BATHURST - Officials of two levels of government made infrastructure funding announcements across the northern region Thursday, hoping to enhance local services and create jobs.

In Edmundston, joint federal and provincial funding to upgrade water and wastewater treatment facilities was announced by Senator Percy Mockler of Saint-Leonard and Donald Arseneault, minister responsible for the Northern New Brunswick Initiative.

The aim of the Edmundston project is to improve the collection of heavy rainfall to reduce or eliminate sewer backup and overflow into nearby rivers, as well as to limit flooding at key intersections. Work will be included on the north side of the Trans-Canada Highway to channel surface run-off to the ditches instead of the combined sewer.

Clair will upgrade its sewer and wastewater treatment system, which sustained damage during the April 2008 flood. An obsolete aeration system will also be replaced, allowing more households and businesses to connect to the municipal system.

The federal and provincial governments will each invest more than $1.6 million in the Edmundston infrastructure project, with more than $640,000 going to nearby Clair for its treatment plant, totalling $2.3 million.

Overall project costs total more than $6.9 million, with the municipalities paying the estimated $4.6 million balance.

Three other Madawaska communities will also have their drinking water and wastewater collection systems upgraded with a federal/provincial partnership of $1.3 million.

Restigouche-la-Vallee MLA Burt Paulin and Mockler made the announcement in Saint-Leonard.

Saint-Leonard will use the funds to install a new filtration plant to remove iron, manganese and minerals from drinking water. The town will also repair its wastewater collection system.

Riviere-Verte will add a complete water treatment system to existing facilities, using new technology called membrane filtration, which eliminates the necessity for chemical products.

Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska plans to install a water filtration system that reduces elements of iron, manganese and arsenic to adequate levels. A remote control system to monitor equipment will also be installed.

The federal and provincial governments will cover costs for the three projects totalling $1.3 million. The municipalities will kick in $2.6 million for the balance of the projects, which cost $3.9 million overall.

Brian Kenny, MLA and minister of state for Seniors and Community Non-profit Organizations, announced in Bathurst on Thursday that the town will get new water equipment similar to its northern neighbors. A new low-lift pump will be installed, a water clarifier will be replaced and new filters will be constructed.

Kenny also announced that Tracadie-Sheila would receive funding to upgrade the town's wastewater lift station, allowing for a more reliable wastewater system, less discharge of untreated effluent and more households connected to the town's sewer system.

A project in Lameque will focus on much-needed improvements to the town's water system infrastructure, improving drinking water quality and a better water system, Kenny said.

Federal, provincial and the municipal governments will each invest one third of the total eligible costs of the projects. These costs include nearly $4 million for the project in Bathurst, $274,592 for the project in Tracadie-Sheila and $1.4 million for the Lameque project.

The projects are part of a joint federal-provincial investment of more than $48 million announced on July 24.