Notice of Intent to Make a Determination

Lac La Ronge Indian Band - Lac La Ronge 156 Lagoon Expansion - Public Comments invited

January 15, 2026 - Indigenous Services Canada must determine whether the proposed Lac La Ronge Indian Band - Lac La Ronge 156 Lagoon Expansion, to be located on Lac La Ronge 156 Reserve, 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.

Written comments must be submitted by February 16, 2026 to:

Indigenous Services Canada
2010 12th Avenue
Regina, SK  S4P 0M3

Telephone: 306-581-3134
Email: isc-skenv@sac-isc.gc.ca

Proposed Project

The Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) is proposing to upgrade and expand it's current lagoon system. The existing two-cell facultative / exfiltration lagoon, located on provincial Crown land approximately 0.85 km southwest of Lac La Ronge and 0.4 km east of Demchenko Lake, provides wastewater treatment for the LLRIB reserves 156 and 156B and surrounding rural areas that utilize septic hauling. The lagoon is directly connected to the gravity sewer systems, pumping stations and force mains to provide wastewater service for Air Ronge and the LLRIB reserves 156 and 156B. Construction of the lagoon and upgrades occurred in 1996 and 1997. Based on the UMA 1998 record drawings, the existing lagoon primary cell with a soil bentonite liner has an area of 8.76 ha and a secondary cell that acts as an exfiltration cell with a portion of the treated effluent discharging bi-annually from the northeast corner of the facility into a muskeg wetland the length of which is approximately 900 m and located south of Lac La Ronge. The secondary cell with an effective volume of 222,000 m^3 having a reduced storage volume and is  functioning as an exfiltration cell and lacks an engineered liner. The cells are divided by an earthen dyke. The primary cell has a liquid depth of 1.5 m, the secondary cell has a liquid depth of 2.1 m, both having a freeboard of 1.0 m. Upgrades to the existing lagoon system are necessary to provide adequate treatment and storage capacity for current and future needs up to the year 2046.

Of the three options considered an aerated lagoon with nitrification using submerged attached growth reactor (SAGR) cells for a 10-year operational life cycle and continuous discharge is proposed.  The proposed system consists of a lagoon wastewater building (blower building) with a coarse step-screening system, mechanical room, electrical room and blower room, connection to a new three-phase power line (undertaken by SaskPower), two partially mixed lagoon cells which are aerated with a positive displacement blower and oxygen diffusers which hang from floating laterals in the lagoon cell. The purpose of these cells is to provide oxygen and contact time for natural bacteria to convert contaminants (BOD5, ammonia, and TSS) to carbon dioxide, water, and inert ash and nitrates. Each of the two aeration cells are anticipated to be 16.245 hectares (ha) in size, occupying the existing primary and about half of the existing secondary cell. Each of the two SAGR cells will be 0.216 ha in size. The project will also include upgrades for sewage pumping system (SPS) #2 to manage septage receiving where the flow will pass through the coarse screen at the Lagoon Wastewater Building thereby eliminating a truck dump chute at the aerated cells.