A sh*tty situation just got worse for the people of Meadow Lake. This week, the City of Meadow Lake released a detailed update on its sewage lagoon action plan. Following the completion of a comprehensive lagoon survey, the planned dredging project council hoped would take place some time this summer has been postponed to the spring of 2026. The survey revealed the scale of sludge, grit, and contamination is far more significant than anticipated, making the project logistically and financially unfeasible to complete in 2025.
“We know this is not the news residents wanted to hear, and we share in the disappointment,” said mayor Merlin Seymour in a recent news release. “We committed to taking action, and the first step was the detailed survey. That survey has now given us an exceptionally clear picture of the problem, and it requires a more robust solution than what could be accomplished with the original budget and timeline. This difficult decision is necessary to ensure we invest in a solution that fixes the problem correctly.” The survey confirmed the lagoon is facing several critical challenges including severely reduced capacity, contamination, and grit and debris. “Sludge now occupies up to 56 per cent of the volume in some treatment cells, significantly reducing the lagoon’s ability to effectively treat wastewater and control odours,” the news release states. “The sludge contains elevated levels of copper, petroleum hydrocarbons, and pathogens that exceed provincial and federal environmental standards, meaning it cannot be reused and requires special disposal in a landfill. Approximately 967 metres cubed of dense grit deposited by vacuum trucks was found in one cell, which damages infrastructure and disrupts treatment.”
The full scope of work, including essential aeration system upgrades, carries a total estimated cost of $1.7 million. The city’s remaining 2025 budget of $80,910.77 is insufficient to proceed. Furthermore, the dredging work itself requires an estimated 100 days, making a late-season start too risky to guarantee completion before winter. “While the full dredging must wait, we are taking immediate action,” noted Hasan Akhtar, the city’s director of public works. “Based on the survey findings, the city will immediately cease the acceptance of vacuum truck loads at the lagoon. This practice has been a direct contributor to the grit and sludge buildup, and stopping it is a critical step to prevent the situation from worsening.” Residents may recall the city’s longterm plan to relocate the entire lagoon system. That multi-year project was halted after cost estimates increased substantially to more than $30 million. As an update to that plan, the city’s recent, detailed analysis confirmed a full rehabilitation of the current lagoon is the most immediate and financially responsible solution. At a total estimated cost of approximately $1.7 million, the dredging and aeration upgrade project is more than 95 per cent less expensive than relocation.
“This approach allows the city to resolve the pressing environmental and odour issues now, buying three to five years to build a financial reserve and/or find other financial support for a future mechanical plant within city limits,” the news release continues. Funding for the full dredging and lagoon rehabilitation project is now being secured in the 2026 budget. The city’s new timeline is to award the contract for this work in April 2026 and begin dredging in May 2026. “We have a clear, fully-costed, and responsible plan forward,” Seymour said. “We are committed to resolving this longstanding issue and will continue to keep the community informed every step of the way.” Updates on the project will be shared through the city’s official website at www. meadowlake.ca, on Facebook at @ cityofmeadowlake and via the VoyentAlert app