NEXT TVRSSC REGULAR BOARD MEETING
May 8, 2024 @ 7:00 p.m. in the Summer Village of Sunset Point Administration Building
Commission Overview
The Tri-Village Regional Sewer Services Commission (TVRSSC) was established in 1990 and its membership is made up of Alberta Beach and the Summer Villages of Val Quentin and Sunset Point. At the time of commencement, each municipality was financially responsible for the construction of its own collector system which was then sold to the commission for $1. Each member is responsible for maintaining a bylaw respecting the supply of sewer services in their community. This bylaw gives authority for providing sewer services to the TVRSSC, lays out rules for the use, administration, and protection of the system, and sets out offences and penalties for improper use of the system.
The TVRSSC is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of 2 Councillors from each of the municipalities who make up the Commission membership. The appointments are made by each Council at their annual organizational meeting. The Chair and Vice Chair are appointed at the Commission’s first meeting, in November, after a municipal election, for a 4-year term, subject to an annual review.
The function of the board is to make decisions and provide direction for the safe and efficient operations of the Commission through motions, bylaws, and policies. Like Council, the Board does not make day-to-day operating decisions nor does it participate in the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the system. This is left to Commission staff. The TVRSSC currently has an Administrator, Wendy Wildman, who is the CAO of the Commission, and a Manager/Operator, Jason Madge, who is responsible for the day-to-day operations and management of the Commission. Sewer permits are available at the Alberta Beach Administration office, the cost of a permit is $2,500.00.
Bylaws and policies are listed on our website but are also available from the CAO.
As a wastewater commission the TVRSSC is subject to various legislation, regulations, and codes of practice (as may be amended from time to time), including (but not limited to):
- The Municipal Government Act (MGA)
- The Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA)
- Water Act
- Activities Designation Regulation
- Wastewater and Storm Drainage Regulation
- Wastewater and Storm Drainage (Ministerial) Regulation
- Standards and Guidelines for Municipal Waterworks, Wastewater and Storm Drainage Systems, (Standards and Guidelines document) published by Alberta Environment
- Code of Practice for Wastewater Systems Using a Wastewater Lagoon
System Overview
The TVRSSC consists of 7 lift stations (3 in SSP, 2 in VQ, and 2 in Alberta Beach), a gravity collection system and sewer force main from the main lift station in Alberta Beach, and the effluent stabilization ponds (lagoon).
Each small lift station is fed via a gravity collection system and is then pumped down the line to the next point that allows the gravity system to take over again. In 2016 the Commission began an annual sewer flushing program, where the whole collection system is flushed with high-pressure water to clean the debris/ sediment out of the lines. Prior to this, flushing seemed to have been done on a case-by-case basis. An annual flushing program is a major component of a preventative maintenance (PM) program and is crucial to the optimal performance of a gravity system. Annually all the pumps within the system are checked to determine if or when repairs may be required. This is a second crucial component of the PM program, as it allows operations to better determine when a pump may need to be sent off for repairs. Although, sometimes there ends up being pump troubles due to unforeseen circumstances.
The force main was recently replaced, as a result of the original line encountering several costly breaks/ repairs. During the replacement, a new alignment was chosen to get as much of the force main off of the high-traffic roads as possible, for future repair considerations.
The lagoon is the single most important part of the system. This is where all of the treatment occurs. The effluent is deposited into the primary (anaerobic cells), and it moves from there to the secondary (facultative cells) where it will remain for approximately one year and receive UV treatment via the sun. The lagoon is discharged at a minimum once a year. The effluent is pumped from the lagoon to the Sturgeon River. The effluent is sampled prior to discharge to ensure it meets all applicable regulatory requirements. Results of the sampling along with an annual report are submitted to Alberta Environment Parks as well as Environment Canada.
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For any questions or problems regarding this website, please contact Alberta Beach administration at 780-924-3181