Lunenburg's costly sewage-smell solution needs approval from next council

Lunenburg, N.S., won't be able to fix thelongstanding sewage-odour problem hanging over the historic town until at least after the next election.

Mayor Rachel Bailey said although the town council has agreed to pay $54,000for a bio-filter system designed to block the offending odours, the cost of installing the system could be more than $750,000.

"We don't have the money in this budget year," said Bailey. "So presumably in an upcoming year with a new council in place they will see the wisdom in moving forward."

The town ofLunenburgwill elect a new council this fall.

13-year-old sewage plant

The source of the smell isn't a mystery:the town's 13-year-old sewage treatment plant is to blame.

The plant doesn't contain any kind of odour suppression systemand, even though it isn't next door to any homes, its smelly contents still stink up many neighbourhoods.

"Lunenburgis a small community. We're four square kilometres, period. So anywhere in town is not going to be not too far from anywhere else," Bailey said.

"It's sewage, so it doesn't smell pleasant. I think anyone can relate to that if you pass over a grate sometimes in any community you sometimes get an unpleasant smell."

'It's sickening'

The new system would collect the stinky air from the sewage and direct it into an organic bed which would absorb the smells.

The town has been haunted by that sewage smell every summer over the last several years. When the weather heats up, the smell rises again.

"It's sickening actually, if you have a weak stomach you probably would not do well," said Tina Baker, who lives on Green Street.

This year's hot, dry weather hasn't helped.

"It's frustrating because you can't sit outside on your deck and enjoy the outdoors because it smells like sewage. It's embarrassing for anyone that comes to visit us because they don't know where the smell is coming from," said Baker.