Government of Canada encourages green water

The City of Cranbrook’s wastewater treatment upgrades earn grant money

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities presents a cheque to the City of Cranbrook as funding for the City's wastewater management facility. L to R: East Kootenay MLA Bill Bennett, councillor Angus Davis, Canadian minister of sport Gary Lunn, councillor Bob Whetham, Cranbrook mayor Scott Manak, councillor Liz Schatzschneider, councillor Denise Pallesen, Nelson mayor John Dooley. — Tanya Laing Gahr photo

While talking about wastewater management isn’t necessarily appropriate dinnertime conversation, it’s still an important discussion to have—particularly for growing municipalities such as Cranbrook, B.C. 

When the City of Cranbrook found it necessary to upgrade its wastewater system, the goal was to create a new system that met or exceeded all environmental standards. In fact, it was city engineer Jamie Hodge’s hope that the new spray irrigation system would set the standard for wastewater management, and that the entire facility would become a centre of excellence for reclaimed water.

That vision is now closer to reality, since the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) recently lent its support to the City’s wastewater treatment infrastructure upgrades to the tune of $4,048,800. MP Gary Lunn, the minister of state for sport, was in Cranbrook to present the funding to Mayor Scott Manjak.

“The Government of Canada is assisting municipalities across the country in achieving their goal of a cleaner and healthier environment for Canadians through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF),” said Lunn. “Today’s announcement is another example of how the government—in partnership with the FCM—is helping Cranbrook build a greener future for its citizens.”

Lunn has a history in Cranbrook; his father was a judge in the city and he was pleased to return to his old stomping grounds in order to congratulate Manjak and the City for its innovative approach to wastewater management.

The greener details

The upgrades include at-source treatment within the city’s limits, plus an additional storage pond at the spray irrigation site. A new pump station and coagulation injection facility, electrical system upgrades and a new outfall to the Kootenay River are part of the large-scale project. The water that is eventually released into the river surpasses federal environmental standards by a significant margin.

“The project demonstrates our commitment to keep our city green while offering significant (reductions in) facility operational costs and energy consumption,” said Manjak. “This will help us to develop as a centre of excellence in the use of reclaimed water by encouraging research agencies and universities to conduct research on more efficient ways to use reclaimed water as a resource.

"As a result of these socio-economic and environmental benefits, Cranbrook will become an even better place to live, work and play."