As Gander nears completion of its new wastewater treatment facility, Mayor Percy Farwell says he doesn’t want the community to be penalized for having done “what was right.”
Farwell says his municipality was one of the few in this province that took action to meet new federal wastewater regulations that will come into play this year.
The town is currently covering 37 per cent of the total cost, but Mayor Farwell is hoping to reduce that number to 33 per cent by sharing more of the total cost with the provincial and federal governments.
The estimated cost of the project is $35-million, but as of now, the town is $4-million under budget.
Farwell hopes that the federal government will be able to contribute more to the total cost, as they had previously committed $11-million towards the project, which has yet to be spent.
He is optimistic that the feds can adjust the deal. He says other municipalities that didn’t start the process sooner may ultimately be able to reach a better agreement.
Farwell doesn’t want his community to be penalized for having done “what was right.”