Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely dropped by Ryley on Monday, July 13 where she announced the village would be receiving $113,250 in Water-Wastewater grant stimulus funding from the Province for Phase two of the wastewater upgrade project. Above, back row from left: Councillor Cyndy Heslin, Councillor Brian Ducherer, and CAO Glen Hamilton-Brown. Front row: Mayor Terry Magneson, Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely.

Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely was in Ryley on Monday, July 13 with some good news for the village.

Under stimulus funding announced June 19 by the Province, Ryley has been awarded grant funding for Phase 2 of their Wastewater Upgrade project, in the amount of $113,250.

Village CAO Glen Hamilton-Brown says over two phases the overall project is a complete rebuild and upgrade of the lift station.

“Phase one was done in 2017 and 2018, and involved two new very high-tech pumps and cleanup, repair, and structural reinforcement of the village’s sewer dry and wet wells.”

Hamilton-Brown says the work was absolutely necessary, as public works and council were spending time and money on numerous repair and maintenance jobs, requiring a significant capital outlay, and taking time away from other much-needed projects.

“Phase two involves technical warning and monitoring systems to protect the phase one investment.” He says phase two also includes a grinder to pre-process waste solids, to better facilitate environmental breakdown, as well as a receiving station to test and measure direct-deposit waste from vacuum trucks.

“This part is extremely important as we receive septic sewage from trucks that suck sewage around Ryley, and this is risky and clumsy to handle at the moment,” Hamilton-Brown says.