Aging Infrastructure Concerns Arise in Richmond County

ARICHAT – The latest regular monthly meeting of Richmond Municipal Council featured several concerns about aging water and sewer infrastructure throughout the county.

Richmond’s Director of Public Works, Chris Boudreau, pointed out that the Louisdale sewage treatment plant’s roof could require either repairs or an outright replacement.

“It was reported by staff that there were a number of leaks this winter, starting earlier in the winter, and upon closer inspection by our staff, they felt that there were issues with the membrane on the roof,” Boudreau told the council meeting at the Richmond Municipal Building in Arichat.

Following an assessment by a roofing company, it was determined that the roof’s membrane had detached from the building’s mainframe and “was waving in the wind,” Boudreau added. This resulted in significant leakage into the sewage treatment plant, which serves Louisdale and the surrounding Richmond County communities.

According to the Public Works Director, this left the county with two options: repair the roof or replace it outright.

Noting that this form of roof carries a 25-to-30-year guarantee, but confirming that “we’re only at the 25-year mark” with respect to the age of the sewage plant, Boudreau noted that either course of action could be considered but that the repair option “would be quite expensive,” to the tune of $25,000 to $30,000. Conversely, the outright replacement of the roof would carry a price tag of roughly $60,000, Boudreau added.

The Public Works Director also warned that certain repair options, including putting ballast on the roof to secure the current membrane, would prove “much more costly” in the long run.

“Given the age and the fact that we’re nearly at the end of life [with this plant], we’re recommending replacement,” Boudreau concluded.

At the request of municipal council, Boudreau will research the specific costs and funding opportunities available to the municipality for an outright replacement of the Louisdale sewage treatment plant.

In the meantime, Deputy Warden Alvin Martell is warning that other pieces of water and sewer infrastructure could face similar issues in the months to come, leading to more difficult budgetary decisions by Richmond officials.

“Tonight is an example of what we’ve been talking about around the council table for quite awhile, talking about the aging infrastructure in Richmond County,” said Martell.

“We’re going to have to start looking at budgeting monies for aging infrastructure, because this is only an example of what’s going to happen. The infrastructure here that’s already in the ground – it’s pretty old.”

Following the February 24 meeting, Richmond Warden Brian Marchand agreed with Martell that these issues stretch across the county.

“I know there’s some work to be done on the pumping stations and the system in Petit de Grat, and elsewhere on Isle Madame as well,” Marchand told reporters.

Marchand also expressed hope that Boudreau’s investigation on the Louisdale sewage plant’s roof issues will help council make a final decision in the coming days, as opposed to waiting until the end of the county’s typical budget preparation process in late May or early June.