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Red Deer’s sewage treatment plant getting $1M of improved security

There’s evidence of trespassing on the property
19463917_web1_Screen-Shot-2019-11-20-at-12.47.24-PM
(City of Red Deer aerial photo).

While breaking into the city’s sewage plant wouldn’t seem be at the top of a criminal’s to-do list, the City of Red Deer is spending $1 million to better secure the facility.

This money is needed to repair and raise security fencing around the city’s wastewater treatment plant — as well as to replace some gates and add some anti-scaling features, said Tim Ainscough, manager of the city’s environmental services department.

Evidence suggests some people have climbed the fence, or otherwise trespassed on the property, said Ainscough.

Although nothing of significance was stolen, he noted the plant is a half-billion-dollar asset for Red Deer citizens, “so we have to ensure its safety…

“Over time, we’ve had a few trespassers out there and we want to take preventative action to fix the fencing.”

The city’s wastewater treatment plant is located just north of the City of Red Deer’s civic yards.

Sewage, or wastewater, is piped into the plant, where natural biological processes and chemical treatments are used to remove undesirable solids and microorganisms from water that is eventually recycled back into the Red Deer River.

An on-site laboratory analyzes treated water samples to ensure the city is meeting government water quality regulations.

The $1 million in security repairs was approved over five years in the City of Red Deer’s 2020 capital budget this week.

Council also approved in principle about $118 million over 10 years to make multiple waste-water treatment plant improvements. Among them are roof repairs, pump replacement, a boiler retrofit and work-space improvements.