A temporary moratorium on new sewer connections in Wakefield, Que. is now in place. The moratorium is intended to prevent future infrastructure issues while municipal officials assess the community’s wastewater treatment capacity. The Municipality of La Pêche has adopted a bylaw temporarily halting new connections to the Wakefield sewer system for up to two years after preliminary assessments suggested the community is nearing the treatment capacity. Municipal officials say the move is precautionary and does not mean the system is currently failing. “We’re trying to maintain a healthy buffer of treatment capacity,” Guillaume Lamoureux, the mayor of La Pêche, said. “You don’t want to be operating right at the limit.” Lamoureux says earlier this year, preliminary results from an ongoing assessment of the sewer network showed that sediment has accumulated and dredging is required, and the treatment system may be approaching its capacity. Final assessment results are expected this fall. Until then, the municipality says pausing new sewer connections is the most responsible way to ensure the existing system continues operating safely while officials determine what upgrades or improvements may be needed. The moratorium could last two years. Despite recent residential growth in Wakefield, municipal officials say rapid development is not solely to blame. But Lamoureux says the system may be under greater pressure than previous estimates had suggested. Unlike infrastructure issues experienced in neighbouring Chelsea, officials say Wakefield residents should not notice any changes to sewer service. “There are no issues with the hydraulic capacity of the sewer system,” the municipal representative said. “This is really about the treatment capacity of the lagoons.” Because Wakefield does not operate a municipal drinking water system, residents are not expected to experience pressure problems or sewer backups because of the moratorium. “This is preventative,” Lamoureux says. “We’re trying to ensure we have enough treatment capacity before it becomes an issue.”
