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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-10-28, Page 1uric SIG AL 133 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28,1981 , GODERICH, ONTARIO 50 CENTS PER COPY Expansion will double capacity of sewage treatment plant Sewage plant expansion will cost '1.4 million When the town of Goderich proceeded with the construction of the first pollution control plant in 1965, town fathers were surely confident it would serve the town's needs for several years. But just over ten years later the Ministry of the Environment instructed the town to plan for further expansion, that would nearly double the capacity of current sewage treatment facilities. Since 1977 the town has been setting aside funds for the inevitable expansion of the sewage treatment plant and by mid-November the $1.4 million project is expected to receive .approval from the Ontario Municipal Board and tenders will be let. Tenders for the expansion should be awarded by mid December and construction is scheduled to begin in January 1982 with the completion date set for December of next year. • While cost of the project is estimated at $1.4 million, the municipality's share is about 30 per cent or $412,420. Earlier this year the town received a grant of $784,000 on the original estimate of $1.2 - million but the ministry will add an additional $204,395 to cover increases in the revised estimate. The town has been preparing for the expansion since 1977 and from that time 50 per cent of the monthly sewage bills have been set aside in a reserve account. This year those investments will reach maturity. Chief administrator, Larry McCabe, indicates that the town Will have $388,000 in the reserve account while portions will be reinvested in short-term cer- tificates. By the beginning of Decemberjhe account will reach $414,000 and will grow to $435,000 by December 31. Prior to the construction of the pollution treatment plant in 1965, most of the municipality was serviced by a combined storm and sanitary sewer system and the contents were released into Lake Huron at the south side of the existing plant. Since 2958, town councils have commissioned reports on sewage disposal and action was finally taken in 1965 under Mayor Frank Walkom. With a loan from Central Mortgage and Housing and approval of the OMB, the town proceeded with construction' in November 1965 and the plant was in operation by April 1967. The pollution control plantprovides secondary treatment, using the activates sludge process. In 1965 the cost of the entire project, including extensive eroiiion control measures along the bank, amounted to almost$1 million. Since much of the town's sewer system was com- bined, flow was extremely heavy following rain storms. Coupled with growth in the town and a proposed subdivision for the southwest section, the Ministry advised the town to prepare for expansion of the treatment plant. However, since 1977, ahnost 70 per cent of the town's sewers have been separated and more work is scheduled to separate storm and`sanitary sewers. Plant superintendent, Gerry Fisher, says treat- ment plants are sized to handle 100 gallons per person per day and expansion will serve the needs of Goderich until the year 2000. The expansion will simply duplicate many of the existing facilities and capabilities of the plant. Two clarifiers will be built to augment the existing two, and in this initial process almost 65 per cent of the organics is removed from the waste water. The plant is presently equipped withltwo aeration cells that inject oxygen into the waste water and an additional aeration cell will be added. A final clarifier will be constructed to augment the existing two. The sewage treatment plant now contains a primary and final pump house and two more pump houses will be constructed as well as a building to house' a clarifier. The new treatment plant will contain a phosphorous removing stage which is a costly process in the treatment of waste water. While the treatment of waste water is certainly adequate at the existing plant, Fisher' explained that the system was overloaded. "The .expansion will double the capacity of the existing plant and system," he said. "At present we are hydraulically overloaded because of the com- bined sewers. Separation has helped.. that situation and with the new plant there will be no problems." The entire sewage treatment operation is handled by Fisher and three operators. Last year the volume at the plant reached 528,962,000 gallons and the ef- fluent readings were well within Ministry of the Environment guidelines. Twice each month samples are taken from five stages of the operation and sent to the Ministry for evaluation. The waste water is pumped into Lake Huron once it has been treated. The expansion means that the sewage treatment capabilities of the town should be set for many years. years. PLIC boosts water rates by 25 per cent November 1 After November 1, residents of Goderich will be paying more for water. At the last meeting of town council, the Public Utilities Commission informed council that effective November 1, flat rate water charges on households, apartments and business units would increase from $8 monthly to $10. The same 25 per cent increase was also to apply on metered water accounts, hydrant service charges, water meter services and swimming pools. PUC chairman, Dr. Jim Peters, told council in a letter the increase was necessary to enable the water department t;;Reet current increased operating expenses and "id 'assist the utility to deposit more monies in the system expansion-reservc fund. In relation to the reserve fund the commission has asked council to amend bylaw 46 of 1980, a bylaw to establish the fund, authorizing the PUC to deposit $1 per customer per mon `i in the fund rather than the existing 50 cents per customer. The fund was established last year to set aside funds for possible expansion of the water distribution system and namely the construction of a new water tower. Chief administrator, Larry McCabe, will prepare an amendment to the bylaw to permit the utility to allocate more funds to the reserve account. Council has also asked members of the commission to attend a council meeting in November to discuss the reserve account. The utility explained in a letter that reserve funds, set aside for ivater distribution, were used for materials in the Neighbourhood Improvement Program and the Community Services Contribution Program. In June of this year, the utility cashed a system expansion short-term certificate valued at $42,266 to purchase materials to complete work in the affected areas. In September the utility replaced $22,300 of the arormt and expect to replenish the reserve account l: 1 tleetiti'of'thE yeat -- The bylaw establishing the reserve account, stipulates that the money is specifically designated for system expansion. Watch out for witches and goblins On Saturday, `October 31 hundreds of young children will be' roaming the streets .as witches, goblins and other Hallowe'en favorites in search of tempting treats. Hallowe'en brings out a special eshuberanee in children and motorists are asked to take special caution as children dart from house to house for trick or treats. Parents can alsotake precautions and ensure that masks do not hinder vision in any way and costumes should be brightly colored to give motorists a better chance to spot them. If costumes are dark, add a bright patch or have the child carry a flashlight. The Ontario. Provincial Police warn that children should only visit houses with lights on inside and it is advisable for adults to accompany children on their rounds. There will he extra police on duty this weekend and it should be a safe Hallowe'en. Police to keep high profile Extra men employed for Hallowe'en to patrol town BIT JOANNE BUCHANAN Extra manpower keeping a high profile and a constant checking of verable areas will be the methods employed by local police this Halloween to keep law and order. At a Police Commission meeting last Wednesday, Chief Pat King listed .the extra precautions being taken by -police on the holiday which has given them some trouble in the past. He said the town would be divided into five zones this, year as opposed to four in the past. Two un- marked cars as well as the regular cruisers will be used for mobile patrol and there will also be two foot patrols of four men each policing The Square. Police will be posted at G.D.C.I. for the Halloween dance as well. From Thursday until Sunday, a total of 260 police hours will be put in. Police will be aided by the Circle City CB Club and 10 auxiliary policemen enlisted from the community. The fire department, works department and PUC will be standing by to help as well. All vulnerable places such as schools, car lots, lumber yards, parks, gas stations, etc. will be given patrol priority. Chief King told the commission that any youth gatherings will be dispersed quickly. He said photographs will be taken of those people involved in such gatherings. The curfew for 16 -year-olds and under will be strictly enforced and anyone,,arrested, will be kept until 7 a.m. the following morning under the Bail Reform Act. In other business, the commission heard a report from chairman, Judge F.G. Carter who recently attended the International Chief of police Associations conference in New Orleans. He said that President Ronald Reagan addressed the gathering on `Crime in the Streets'. He reconunended that Chief King and at least one other commission member attend next year's conference in Atlanta. Chief, King reported that three arrests had been made on South Street near the high school the previous Thursday as a result of a drug investigation. He said that one female and two males had been charged with drug possession. The commission complained about the Signal -Star's policy of not printing the names of such persons charged. Mayor Harry Worsen indicated his intention to speak to the editor of the newspaper about this. The commission approved the accounts for August and September in the amounts of $23,221.76 and $23,976.92. Mayor Worsen complained that police were buying too much gas at Kirkey's Texaco instead of evenly distributing their purchases. Chief King was given permission to attend an up- coming Crime Prevention seminar in Kitchener. Computers on agenda for teachers Friday BY STEPHANIE LEVESQUE Reading and computers dominate the professional development day agenda for the Huron County elementary, and secondary school teachers on Oc- tober 30. Superintendent of education R. J. McCall said ac- tivities are open to the public. He noted secondary school activities would take place at Goderich District Collegiate Institute and elementary ac- tivities will be divided into four areas. A highlight of the day will be a presentation by Don Holdaway of New Zealand, presently on the faculty of Althouse at Western University, London. Mr. Holdaway is a renowned authority in the area of reading and will be speaking at GDCI in the after- noon. • Morning topics at GDCI range from time manage- ment to building self-esteem in the classroom. Speakers range from faculty members of Western, to secondary school teachers, to representatives of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF). At the elementary level, the four areas are Brussels Public School in the north,, Brookside Public School in the west, Clinton Public School in the cen- tral area and Exeter Public School in the south. Besides reading and computers, topics include mathematics, teachers and the law, public relations, the gifted child and several similar topics as discuss- ed at the secondary level. This PD day is one of two during the school year in which teachers get together for activities out of their schools. Other PD day activities are usually confined to individual schools. Prior to planning PD days, teachers select topics they would like discussed. Orange and black are traditionally Hallowe'en col- ours, and youngsters Michelle Denomne,4, and Dan- ny Brindley,3 were intoo the finger paints up to their elbows at the Goderich Municipal Day Nursery this week as they attempted to paint pumpkins and bats for a Hallowe'en theme.Once the trick or treat day is past, the day nursery will move to its new location at 397 Cambridge St. Safe stolen from arena BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Six break-ins occurred in Goderich on the weekend and local police have laid ten criminal code charges against five males for two of these break-ins in conjunction with the O. P. P. A safe, which was later recovered, was stolen from the Goderich arena Approximately $780, which was also stolen from the arena, has not been recovered. Little Joe's Bluewater Coffee Shop on Bayfield Road was robbed of $142 worth of cigarettes. Pizza Train, also located on Bayfield Road, was robbed of $94 cash and Pepi's Pizza, located at the Five Points, had its cash register and $96 stolen. The cash register was later recovered but the money is still missing. Standard Auto Glass on Bayfield Road and the Goderich District Collegiate Institute on South Street were also broken into but nothing was taken from either of these places. Two other schools were also targets for break-ins on the weekend. Colborne Central School was robbed of $90 cash Saturday night and Brookside Public School received $1,000 damage during a break-in the same. night. Five people have been charged by the O.P.P. in connection with these two break-ins. Goderich police have seized certain tools used during the local break-ins and have sent them to the forensic lab in Toronto. Investigations are con- tinuing. There were four other minor thefts in Goderich over the weekend; three minor incidents of mischief; two disturbance calls and 12 calls from citizens needing police assistance. Police made a total of eight arrests on the weekend and laid one criminal driving charge, nine liquor charges, three Highway Traffic Act charges and seven town by-law charges. Besides the two school break-ins, the O.P.P. report a $400 boat theft in Stanley Township and the theft of an old school bell and some lawn chairs on Tile Street in Bayfield. They laid four liquor charges, two im- paired driving charges and made one narcotics seizure. They were also called out to nine minor motor vehicle accidents. O. P.P. Constable Eric Gosse reports that the five people arrested in connection with the two school break-ins have 18 charges outstanding against.them between the Exeter Police Department, the Goderich Police Department and the O.P.P. Firm awarded plan tender IW JOANNE BUCHANAN The firm of Greer Galloway and Associates Limited will be recommended to Goderich Town Cotuicii_13/..01P-114139:0 cotnmitte0 do_g„he:floderith, Municipal Airport Master Plan at the upset limit cost of $12,400 subject to Ministry of Transportation and Cornmunications a pprova 1. At an airport committee meeting last Wednesday evening, it was explained that Greer, Galloway and Associates also propose to prepare a model zoning by- law for the area surrounding the airport. This by-law may - e u ed ry Colbrrne "ownship to 'Rein corporated into- their proposed zoning by-law. Colborne Township Reeve Bill Bogie indicated to the Turn to pnge 2 INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR Nk GLT production The Goderich ' Little Theatreitast is preparing a melodrama to mark the first show of the season entitled Egad, The Woman in White. Stephen Norton is making his debut as director in the first regular season play. Joanne Buchanan has a story and pictures on pagelA. Hockey action Football season is corning to an end as playoffs begin this week but the arena is just trWirriTCRIteratitorm All the scores and pictures appear on the ° Y+ + "1 lin+'' isf,'d:L,"'.Ai�a"2.&2 ,XL: .L 15:A: i"`