January 10, 2008
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
PORT HAWKESBURY – Council has agreed to pay the town’s share of a wind energy study, as it explores the viability of a wind turbine to power a new waste water treatment plant.
Port Hawkesbury CAO Colin MacDonald said Wednesday council will contribute $26,485, applying to the Nova Scotia government, which has already indicated its support, and Federation of Canadian Municipalities, which has a fund for green projects, to cover the rest of the estimated $80,000 cost of the study.
During a study, a tower would be constructed to monitor wind levels at the chosen location, he said.
Energy costs for the waste water treatment plant are expected to be in the $80,000 a year range, MacDonald said.
“The energy costs associated with that operation are quite large and it got the minds to thinking that if perhaps we could get a windmill on site or in that vicinity, there would be enough energy to drive that plant.”
MacDonald said any excess energy could go to the nearby Nova Scotia Community College.
The $12.5-million waste water treatment plant could be on stream soon serving Port Hawkesbury and Port Hastings. MacDonald said there were some electrical requirements related to pumping stations that had to be completed, which should all be done in the next few days.
“It’s extremely close,” he said. “We are in hopes that before the end of the month, we will make an announcement that the plant is fully operational and online.”
Council will also make an application to the new Canada-Nova Scotia Building Canada Fund to cost share $3 million for street, sidewalk, curb and gutter improvements, although it realizes the priority for the fund is green infrastructure projects, said the CAO.
Hopefully, the fund will realize spending $12.5 million on a waste water treatment plant has compromised the town’s ability to do other improvements, he said.
“They may look at it. We have got nothing to lose and it’s an application that can be put together in an hour’s time.”
The waste water treatment plant has been designed to do secondary sewage treatment which could be a mandatory requirement with the next 10 years, he said.
By Chris Hayes
9 January 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/10/council-to-look-at-viability-of-wind-power-for-treatment-plant/