Stirling-Rawdon – Council will budget $200,000 to pay for sludge removal this summer in the north lagoon.

Council passed a motion at its Jan. 18 meeting of council to have Terretec Environmental complete the mixing, pumping, haulage and land application of biosolids from the north lagoon, making only a few changes to the company’s proposal.

Terretec will also carry out environmental testing and collect samples and provide a full report to council.

Mayor Peter Kooistra said he hopes to see the sludge removed in June or July.

“I want it out of there,” he told council.

Any solid matter in the lagoon will be piled against the lagoon berm, at a cost of $28 per wet tonne, but Kooistra said he doesn’t believe the lagoon will be dry enough to have a lot of solids.

Liquid sludge will be removed at a cost of $14.60 per cubic metre.

The municipality will be responsible for removing excess surface water prior to the sludge removal. Terretec estimated in a report to council that 15,000 cubic metres of sludge could be removed from the lagoon.

Once the project has started, liquid biosolids will be pumped into a tanker and be hauled to approved sites for land application.

Kooistra said if the company is able to remove the sludge in the summer, it potentially could spread the liquid on hay fields.