Rainy River gets funding for more major sewer repairs

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Rainy River received word on Friday that it has been approved for a $2 million project to fix a big problem with its sewer system.
Mayor Deb Ewald was excited about the announcement noting that the main trunks for water and sewer along Highway 11 from First St. to Tower Road will be replaced. “We discovered the problem when we sent cameras through the towns sewer system. We discovered that there were more than 50 outlets on that strip and not that many homes there.”
Mayor Ewald said that they feel that the aging lines along that stretch are a big part of the town’s infiltration problem. When the town received an order from the Ministry of Environment more than a decade ago prohibiting any new construction whether residential or commercial, they hired a firm to send cameras through the system to see where problems with infiltration from other sources, such as rain water, were getting into the system. The infiltration problem prompted major projects including the current one to build a third sewer lagoon north of town this spring, a new lift station at the corner of 6th and River.
A major chunk of the town’s sewer lines were replaced after flooding caused major pressure damage to them. Most of the middle blocks from First to Sixth St. were replaced a few years ago.
With this announcement the Mayor feels the town should be in good shape when it is completed. She had no idea when work on the strip would begin but noted that it will be 1/3 Federal money, 1/3 Provincial and 1/3 local money.
Town Clerk Veldron Vogan noted that the $2 million project does include resurfacing Hwy. 11 where it is going to be ripped up. The Connecting Link, or Hwy. 11, was completely redone within the last ten years. At that time the town had hoped to do the sewer/water line work but could not get any financial help from the province or feds.