Public Notice

Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation Water Treatment Plant and Upgraded Lagoon – Public Comments Invited

September 23, 2024 – Indigenous Services Canada must determine whether the proposed Water Treatment Plant and Upgraded Lagoon, located in Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, Indigenous Services Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.

Written comments must be submitted by October 23, 2024 to:

Tebesi Mosala
Indigenous Services Canada
Tebesi Mosala, Senior Environmental Specialist
200-365 Hargrave Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4H4
Telephone: 204-984-0711
Fax: 204-983-2936
Email: tebesi.mosala@canada.ca

The Proposed Project

The proposed new Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and water truck garage will be located west of Provincial Road (PR) 354, northwest of the Keeseekoowenin Gaming Center. The new WTP will connect raw water supply wells, potable water distribution, sewage collection and treatment systems. The proposed water truck garage will be located immediately east of the proposed WTP and connected to potable water supply and sewage collection and treatment systems. Regrading of the proposed construction site will be required to provide positive drainage around both buildings and will include a new parking area and access road(s). There is currently one groundwater well (Test Hole 1) which is 125 mm in diameter located at the site of the new WTP. Two additional groundwater wells will be constructed in order to supply the required flow at the WTP site. Once the new WTP is operational, the existing WTP will be decommissioned in Early 2025. A new potable water distribution system will be designed for Area 1 and Area 5. The water distribution system will also be deigned for the future construction of Area 2. The existing lagoon requires upgrading to meet the projected 20-year design wastewater loadings. The proposed upgrades include the installation of a two-cell SAGR® system with inter-cell and discharge piping connected to the existing aerated lagoon system; installation of a new chemical dosing system and connection to the existing aerated lagoon; and upgrading of the existing blowers and diffusers in the aerated lagoon. The existing lagoon discharges on a continuous basis into a natural pond located northeast of the existing lagoon via a 100 mm pressure pipe. The proposed new SAGR® cells will be discharged on a continuous basis by gravity therefore the existing pressure pipe cannot be reused as it does not meet the required hydraulic capacity and slope for a gravity flow system. A new 200 mm gravity discharge pipe flowing from the new SAGR® effluent manhole to the natural pond will be installed. The design of the future wastewater collection system includes the following: • Design of a future gravity piped sewer collection system for development Areas 1 and 2; • Design or replacement or repair of the existing sewage holding tanks for development Areas 3 to 6 and Areas 1 and 2 where the proposed gravity piped sewer collection system cannot be installed. • Decommissioning of any septic fields in Areas 1 to 6 and replacement with piped sewer or holding tanks as per above.