No further discount for Stratford sewage: Charlottetown mayor

The mayor of Stratford, P.E.I., is looking for a better deal from the city of Charlottetown to treatthe town's sewage.

The city has agreed to acceptsewage from Stratford, but the town's mayorDavid Dunphy said no deal has beenbeen reached.

Dunphysaid Stratford should be treated as a municipal partner not a customer given that the town would be investingmoney to expand the Charlottetown treatment plant.

"If it was strictly a regional system,where we would pay our percentage of the cost, then the economics would change," said Dunphy.

"When we've become a customer,we pay their portion of costs plus a mark-up, you know, whatever that turns out to be."

Dunphy added that the discount Charlottetown is offering over the 20 years amounts to about 1.5 million dollars.

No more discounts

Charlottetownmayor Clifford Lee said the city has already given the town a break, by reducing the "out of town" surcharge to Stratford from 25 per cent down to 15 per cent, atthe request of the province.

Dunphyadded that the discount Charlottetown is offering over the 20 years amounts to about 1.5 million dollars.

Lee saidas far as he's concerned, Stratford's rate will not be discounted any further.

"The current facility was paid for by the taxpayers and ratepayers in the city of Charlottetown, and somebody can't come in after the facility has beenthere and built and operating all these years and just assume natural ownership of it," said Lee.

Mayors agree decision needed soon

"You know, it's not like we're building a separate plant. We're adding onto an existing plant, and without the existing plant then the addition doesn't work," he said.

Charlottetown already has 69 customers who are outside the city paying the 25 per cent surcharge, including homeowners and businesses in Brackley and Miltonvale Park.

Lee and Dunphy both agree a decision is needed soon.

Lee says if Stratford doesn't come on board the city will apply for federal fundingfor a smaller expansion of its plant to accommodate the closing of the sewage lagoon in East Royalty.

Dunphysaid he wants to close the gap on the costs of shipping the sewage to Charlottetown, bringing them closer to the $16 million he's estimated it would cost to build a waste treatment plant in Stratford.

'I don't believe that for a second'

Lee doesn't believe that is an accurate estimate.

"Stratford, in my view, if they honestly believe they can build and operate a waste treatment plant cheaper than what the dealis that they can get from the city of Charlottetown, then I don't believe that for a second," said Lee.

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