The "Save Gold Bar Park Alliance" is celebrating Friday, though the group says its work is not yet over.
EPCOR has presented its 40-year-plan for the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant to the city's utility committee, and promised to increase the facility's capacity to process water and solid wastes while keeping its current footprint.
According to EPCOR, annual sewage flow rates are forecast to increase over the next four decades, but the facility has the capacity to accommodate the volume increases until at least 2060. It also is committing to reducing flaring and greenhouse gas emissions, and managing odours at the site.
The plan means a section of Gold Bar Park will not be paved over for parking—a small victory for a local advocacy group.
However, members of the "Save Gold Bar Park Alliance" have taken issue with another plan to build a sewage trunk line that directs waste from Edmonton's south side to the Gold Bar plant.
The South Edmonton Sanitary Sewer line is already under construction, but some in the Gold Bar community want the waste to be sent to the Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Treatment Plant instead.
"You could not and would not build that facility in its current location today," said Jim Rickett, a member of the group.
"It doesn't make sense for any of the stakeholders we've spoken to to do a purposeful construction of a new sewage trunk line to that facility."
The capital region facility, located in northeast Edmonton, is much larger and more isolated than the one in Gold Bar.
The option will be discussed at City Hall on Monday.
The South Edmonton Sanitary Sewer trunk line is part of the City's 75-year plan to upgrade its sewer services, and one of five new major trunk systems.
With a report from CTV Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson
