PARADISE, N.L. — Emergency repairs ongoing since Aug. 12 on the sanitary sewer lift station at the corner of St. Thomas Line and Topsail Road in Paradise is costing the town about $50,000 per day.
And there’s no timeline yet as to when the station will be repaired and back in normal operation.
The cost to the owners of the home and property next to the lift station — as late as Wednesday evening sewage was being spewed all over the property — is likely unmeasurable in damage, loss of property value, loss of enjoyment of the property, and concern for the family’s health and safety.
The Telegram was unable to reach the homeowners Thursday. But Mayor Dan Bobbett addressed members of the media. He said he and the town’s deputy mayor visited the homeowner Thursday morning to discuss the situation.
“We want to get this resolved,” Bobbett said. “The resident has been very co-operative. We visited and offered the option for the homeowners to (leave their home).”
As noted by CBC News, the homeowner stated he would like the town to purchase the property so his family can move elsewhere and there would be room for the town to increase the lift station infrastructure.
The homeowners have had issues with sewage coming onto the property a number of times over the years, though the current situation is the most serious to date.
“He’s publicly stated that he wants the town to purchase the property,” Bobbett said. “We will have to evaluate that under the regulations and bring it to council. It’s a consideration that will have to go before council. There are certain protocols for a town to purchase a property and that will have to be decided by council.”
At approximately 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 12, the town learned that the lift station was not working properly and crews were called in. Crews have been working around the clock since to contain the situation.
The volume at the lift station at the corner of St. Thomas Line and Topsail Road is the largest in the town, and to keep the service operating while repair work is underway, pumper trucks and holding tanks have been on site.
Bobbett said when operating normally, the lift station meets current capacity with two pumps. The station was designed for three pumps, he noted, to be able to meet future needs. The third pump is used for backup while regular maintenance is performed at the lift station and when repairs are needed.
“The matter is complex as it involves both the pipes and the pumps at the lift station,” Bobbett has said. “There is an issue with the pipes which is impacting the work of the pumps, and with the pumps not able to work at capacity, it is presenting challenges to get the levels low enough to make the necessary repairs."
At this time we still don’t have a timeline for fixing the station.” — Dan Bobbett
Currently, due to the issues at the station, existing equipment cannot empty the lift station to enable crews to complete repairs. Equipment is being shipped to the town that will handle capacity enabling the lift station to be emptied and pumper trucks will no longer be required, Bobbett said.
Crews will then begin the required repair work to the facility.
“The immediate goal remains to get it operational,” Bobbett said. “With additional equipment in place, the station can be completely emptied and crews can assess the station to determine next steps. At this time we still don’t have a timeline for fixing the station.”
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