Once again we in Shelburne are learning through recent articles that we are having unsettling issues at our sewage treatment plant. This is not the first time this has been brought to the light, with known past hydraulic capacity issues. This time is different, this time our storm water lagoons overflowed the berms, pooling and depressions occurred on and around the sewage treatment facility. This facility is located not only close to homes, but also to a children's park with a soccer pitch and a baseball diamond.

The town has known for quite some time that our sewage treatment plant was having functional problems, and yet, the residential construction continued. The town also recently found out that the original number of residential units that our sewage treatment plant could accommodate has been decreased significantly, and yet, the residential construction continues.

The town continues to allow more residential construction, yet a continual lack of addressing the issues of our sewage treatment plant's function ability has occurred. This is a service we pay taxes to the town for! I would like to ask, when maintenance and upgrade work at the sewage plant was finally being conducted by the Ontario Clean Water Agency did no one checked the upcoming weather conditions? If they had they would have seen the amount of rain that was forecasted. Why did the Ministry of the Environment allow raw material to be placed in the storage lagoons when it is already typically the rainy season and especially with the amount of snow we have melting at this time of year? Who is going to take responsibility for this error? What is it going to take for the town to take our sewage treatment plant problems seriously? I am truly appalled by this recent event and suggest the town take a closer look at this issue that needs immediate attention! I ask, is Shelburne going to become the next Walkerton before anything is done?
Michelle Austen
        Shelburne