ANTIGONISH — Aldona Gerrior sent out an invitation over the weekend, one that Mayor Sean Cameron accepted. While at her family’s Adam St. home, where she also operates a small business, he experienced an odour – “prevalent at times” – that could “take your breath away.”
That stink – one that travels across town and the fringe area of the Municipality of the County of Antigonish, depending on the direction and strength of the wind – has been on the minds (and up the noses) of residents and visitors alike, along with municipal officials, since it began to waft from the sewage treatment plant at the start of an ongoing heat wave that began July 1.
In her offer – one made to “town communications” to come have tea on her deck, and then “say the smell isn’t as bad,” referencing a town Facebook post made in the early days of the stink’s return that indicated it was better than the one which surfaced late last summer that lingered into September.
“They are looking for action,” Cameron said of ever-increasing feedback – on social media and through other avenues – for the town to ramp up its effort to remedy the situation. He noted how residents have been incredibly patient throughout the situation.
One short-term remedy that many, including Cameron, have suggested – one offered by Gerrior in the same social media post – is a new well drilled to provide a higher volume of water to pump into and cool the waste management plant’s lagoon. That would lower the temperature – one of seven “main actions” recommended by an engineering report commissioned last fall.
“It is a quick, easy fix,” he suggested.
Gerrior agreed, stating in an email it “can be done ASAP,” and adding that more fans to circulate the oxygen, as she has been told, would also help with the required cooling down process.
“I did mention to some council members earlier in the spring that we were starting to get a smell and, at that time, town staff should have been on top of it, but it was left too long before they tried to do something about it, in my opinion,” she wrote.
Gerrior added that ridding the stink “needs to be a priority” – by both the Town and the Municipality of the County of Antigonish – which she feels hasn’t been happening.
She offered that people in both the town and county – like her – are “not feeling good about the return of the smell.”
One of them – Mount Cameron resident Donna Robertson – said the stench “seems to be worse” during the nighttime, noting that it gets into her home if she has windows open or the air conditioning turned on. She added that on one occasion she resorted to taking a wet cloth and placing it over her nose.
“I find that we didn’t have it this bad last year,” she added, noting it is also an issue while walking along the Antigonish Landing.
Robertson said, “We have such a great town – and county – [it’s a] shame that this problem cannot be solved.”
Council update
Drilling a well is one of the measures that Cameron – who turned over the chair to Deputy Mayor Diane Roberts – offered during a special council meeting on July 25, one in which town staff – specifically, Kyle Meisner, public works director – and CAO Randy Delorey provided in an update on not only the odour issue, but also medium and long-term work planned for the sewage treatment plant.
“It would help,” Meisner responded, while noting that there would be risk involved with such a measure.
Meisner explained that staff have pinpointed a “plug of material” that entered the plant a week or so before the smell returned as the likely culprit. Delorey noted that it would take three to four weeks after its entry to move through the system.
Along with cooling the lagoon, Meisner explained that deodorizer had been added and debris removed from its aeration system. The process to remove sludge – which was carried out in January – was also a key recommendation in the engineering report. In the spring, as part of an effort to increase airflow in the system, blowers were removed, cleaned and replaced.
Measures have also been taken to make temporary and permanent additions to the oxygenation equipment. In an effort to move more oxygenated water from the back to the front of the plant, where it is needed more, staff has installed a pipeline.
As for sludge removal, which the town carried out in January, earlier than scheduled as recommended, Meisner offered it “did have a good impact,” but maybe not as much of one as expected, adding that there is “no easy solution” to the smell problem.
When it comes to one of the report recommendations – bypassing the first cell of the plant – Meisner said, “It scares me a little bit,” when it comes to safety concerns. That is an option not being explored.
During his remarks, he also mentioned that users continue to flush items that are clogging the system, which should only be handling waste and toilet paper. Non-biodegradable products – such as wipes – accumulate on the surface of the lagoon and create bacteria that can cause unpleasant odours.
Delorey noted that more attention will be paid to getting this important message out; rather than using social media channels solely, for instance, they are exploring putting out the information in the traditional welcome packages that new StFX students receive when they arrive for the fall semester.
“We need action now,” Cameron offered during the council session, suggesting that more aeration needs to be added before planned upgrades are carried out on the frontend of the plant in the coming months, which includes those measures.
At that point in the discussion, Delorey stressed the importance of context, pushing back on the idea that town staff had been reactive rather than proactive. He noted that three of the engineering report’s recommendations have already been completed, and the remaining three are at various stages of implementation—along with additional measures not included in the report. “The steps taken have had an impact,” Delorey said.
Addressing the earlier social media post from the town that drew criticism from frustrated residents, Delorey said the comment—that the smell wasn’t as bad as last year—was meant to highlight the progress made, not to downplay what people were experiencing as the odour returned.
Noting it was an issue he heard a lot about on the campaign trail, Councillor Patrick McKenna wondered if it was time to replace the plant, which opened in 1974 and underwent an upgrade in 1996.
“At what point do we admit defeat?” he asked.
Councillor Leon MacLellan cautioned against equating the causes of the smell with the capability of the sewage treatment plant, describing it as needing to “replace a roof and we are talking about demolishing the building,” while offering that the existing facility has “good bones.”
Agreeing that the plant is “still performing well,” Delorey pointed out that this doesn’t mean that the smell is not “unacceptable.”
Design work is actively progressing in partnership with CBCL – the engineers – on critical upgrades to the front end of the wastewater treatment plant. These upgrades aim to improve the removal of floatable solids and enhance aeration capacity.
Along with the short-and medium-term measures geared towards eradicating the stink, Meisner provided an update on the $5.4 million project that will make upgrades to the front-end screening system and give more aeration – measures that will not only help deal with any recurring odours, but also extend the lifespan of the plant for an estimated 25 years.
After the contract is awarded – a call for tenders is expected in August – construction is expected to begin in the fall, continue through the winter and wrap up in the spring. The goal is to have the new screening system fully operational by next summer. Meisner noted that equipment purchases have already been made so, in the case of supply chain issues, the construction process will not be delayed.
Noting that the “plant has taken a hit,” when it comes to residents’ confidence in its performance, MacLellan pointed out to the need to deliver a positive message, while keeping everyone updated on the process. Along with ongoing measures, Delorey said – considering there are people not connected via social media – staff is considering providing an update to customers in their next bills.
When it comes to what has been perceived as an issue with a “lack of communication,” Cameron told The Journal / Antigonish This Week on Monday that he would be receiving weekly updates from staff on the situation, information that will be delivered in as many ways as possible.
“We have to inform our residents,” he said.
