Waste will be treated in a new way in Rocky Mountain House as the town’s $30 million wastewater treatment plant is now fully online.
Dignitaries gathered out front Sept. 17 to cut the ribbon on a project that has been years in the making.
In his remarks, Mayor Shane Boniface said he simply had the honour of delivering a speech, crediting the hard work of past mayors, council members and others who he said did the legwork to see the plant come to fruition.
“Most people will never see what happens inside a wastewater treatment plant, but all of us will benefit from it every day,” said Boniface, adding it not only supports environmental protection, but also paves the way for much-needed growth in town.
On a typical day, the plant will receive about 3,200 cubic metres of wastewater, along with more than a tonne of solid biowaste, says Aqua Tech operations manager Scott Schlachter.
It also has the capacity to handle unusually high volumes, he adds, such as when the swimming pool gets drained and more than 100,000 litres of water flows down to the plant all at once.
Capital funding for the plant came from a partnership between the Town of Rocky Mountain House and Clearwater County, as well as the provincial and federal governments.
In 2025, the town was successful in its bid to receive a $2.6 million grant from the provincial Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership (AMWWP).
However, operating the plant is now handled by the town at an annual cost of around $1 million, with those costs set to be covered by residents’ utility bills and not property taxes, says Sean LaFrance, the town’s engineering technologist.
The plant runs nonstop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with peak flows coming early in the morning when people get out of bed, and in the evening when folks return from work.
Because the plant can never shut down, a large backup generator is included to keep it running during power outages.
As for the three large lagoon ponds that are visible from Hwy. 11, LaFrance says they will stay in place for now.
However, instead of being filled with raw wastewater, the ponds are now receiving clean, fully treated water flowing from the plant.
LaFrance adds, it will take some time for the existing untreated water still in the ponds to work its way through. In the meantime, he says the ponds have become a popular spot for bird watchers.
“It’s a huge step for the town of Rocky Mountain House,” says LaFrance. “For the next 50 to 60 years, we’re set up for success — this is going to be here for a while.”
It’s never a dull day, says Schlachter, as they’ve already seen some interesting things end up at the plant. In the last week, he says they’ve filtered out ripped-up jeans, a baseball and a Canadian $5 bill.
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