Paradise issues state of emergency over problematic sewage station

The Town of Paradise has issued a state of emergency for parts of the community as it works to keep asewage station pump online.

The town says there's no impact to residents under thestate of emergency, but putting one in place allows the town to secure the external resources it needs to make the necessary repairs to Lift Station 10, which handles sewage in parts of the town located near the border with Conception Bay South.

The areas under a state of emergency include west of Irving Drive, Paradise Road to St. Thomas Line, the St. Thomas Line area south of Plateau Park to Topsail Road, the Valley Ridge area,Bremigen'sand theKenmount Road Business Park, Fairview Estatesand Woodstock Garden.

Residents in the affected areas are asked to minimize their wastewater usage, like flushing toilets andusing washing machines and dishwashers. There is no effect on drinking water, according to a news release from the town.

The intersection at Topsail Road and St. Thomas Line is closed as a result of the work. Traffic from Topsail Road is being diverted through Stanhope Drive to Lanark Drive and traffic from St. Thomas Line is being diverted through Lanark Drive, near the Lakewynds Subdivision, to Topsail Road.

The town has dealt with sewage issues around the pump station before, when a failure in the system caused raw sewage to flood the lawn and driveway of a nearby resident in August 2019.

It became reoperational that November, costing the town over $1.5 million to fix.

Lift Station 10 first malfunctioned on Friday, according to the town. Construction of a new station to replace the lift station started in January 2023, and is expected to be completed next year.

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