Review-Mirror

The Village of Westport Council had their latest briefing Monday on the Environmental Assess- ment (EA) to upgrade the municipal wastewater treatment system and they didn't learn much, other than they fell further behind in the process. Cameron Smith of AECOM, the consulting engineers running the process, told council the speed with which other agencies have been pro- viding input has been slower than they would like, but they are still aim- ing for their first public consultation in August. At the last briefing in June, they process was two weeks behind sched- ule and now it is three weeks behind. The village is under a deadline of Dec. 31, 2016 to use a $1.98 million grant toward the upgrades to the existing Snowfluent treatment system that has some well documented woes. One thing Smith did tell council, was that the land Justin Martin President 613-530-0773 RR 2 Westport, ON K0G 1X0 jtmartin@kingston.net 4 Septic Systems 4 Excavating 4 Landscaping 4 Road Work 4 Rock Excavating 4 Trucking 4 Residential & Commercial Snow Plowing & Sanding 4 Damp Proofing LTD. 75 units from 6'x6' to 12'x36' Easy year round access right in Westport 75 units from 6'x6' to 12'x36' Easy year round access right in Westport 75 units from 6'x6' to 12'x36' Easy year round access right in Westport 75 units from 6'x6' to 12'x36' Easy year round access right in Westport Soho's Self Storage Soho's Self Storage Soho's Self Storage Soho's Self Storage Soho's Self Storage 75 units from 6'x6' to 12'x36' Easy year round access right in Westport 43 Bedford St., Westport 613-273-8848 soho@rideau.net Mirror The Review Thursday, July 16, 2015 Serving North Leeds and area since 1893 Vol. 123, No. 28 $1 incl. tax INSIDE THIS WEEK Westport considering mandatory septic inspections Page 3 Blue Green algae found in Upper Beverley Page 3 Delta Fair July 23-26 Page 2 and 7 Football is coming back to Rideau Page 9 Westport's CCHL2 schedule finally released Page 10 PAWS events raises over $2,000 Page 7 "In the depths of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." Albert Camus Overlooking Lake, Locks & Falls at Jones Falls, Elgin Exceptional Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner Snack Bar Now Open 613-359-5500 Reservations Recommended. HOTEL KENNEY Since 1877 •Continued on page 3 Elgin Days three day event last weekend featured a parade on Saturday where the Elgin's Wildcats took the road on Saturday. Continuing a 30 year tradition serving North Leeds - Delivery & Set Up Available Call 359-5660 53 Main St., Elgin duncan s TV & APPLIANCES Reg. $899.00 $ 699 00 By Margaret Brand The Review-Mirror This year's Upper Rideau Lake Association's Annual Meeting was with- out the sense of urgency which a spring discharge of wastewater effluent into the lake brought to last year's meeting. The group heard good news from Westport Mayor Robin Jones on progress towards a solu- tion towards a fully func- tioning climate-proof wastewater treatment plant. This spring the village received a $1.9 million grant which will be going towards an Environmental Assessment (EA) to find a design for a wastewater treatment plants which can meet the needs of the vil- lage today and into the future. The Upper Rideau Lake Association has its presi- dent Jayne MacDonald as a member of the project's steering committee. The public will have an opportunity to bring their input to the project with two open houses, includ- ing one in August and another fall. The EA is to be completed by January to allow for construction which will need to be completed by December 2016. Mayor Jones reported that a plan had been put in place to deal with a poten- tial rise in the levels of the lagoon if insufficient quantities of effluent were not processed this winter or if levels rose signifi- cantly in the spring. By Margaret Brand The Review-Mirror A long-awaited staff report on septic reinspec- tion has suggested Rideau Lakes Township imple- ment a hybrid system of voluntary and mandatory inspection where evi- dence-based conditions would warrant it. The report suggests the township should fund the program out of general revenues and have the pro- gram administered through a single contract- ed agency such as the Mis- sissippi Rideau Septic System Office. Last term's council delayed a decision on the future of the program and this term's council opted for another year of volun- tary inspection for 2015. The township has com- pleted eight years of vol- untary septic reinspection on all of the lakes across the township. The partici- pation rate of property owners willing to partici- pate in the voluntary pro- gram has been decreasing in relationship to the num- ber of letters sent inviting property owners to partici- pate. "Those with question- able systems may not be participating in the pro- gram,"wrote Development Services Manager Brittany Mulhern in her report. The new program could include inland properties as well as waterfront prop- erties. A number of lake asso- ciations within the town- ship have expressed their support for the township to implement a mandatory septic re-inspection pro- gram. At last Saturday's Upper Rideau Lake Asso- ciation AGM the group passed a resolution to be sent to Rideau Lakes expressing their support for a mandatory septic inspection program. A networking group of lakes within Rideau Lakes has not taken a formal position on the issue said spokesperson Karl Fiander who noted discussions would indicate support for Westport's environmental assessment falls further behind schedule Upper Rideau Lake among those given poor marks by RVCA •Continued on page 2 •Continued on page 3 Rideau Lakes at mandatory septic reinspections

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