Phase 3 of WRC water project

By Sharon McLeay Times Contributor

Wheatland County council approved the development of a draft lending agreement for the third phase of Wheatland Regional Corporation’s regional water hub project on Aug. 20.
It involves a loan to the Village of Rockyford as the managing partner for the project that will extend a waterline and treated water to the village of Rosebud and Hussar.
“What they are requesting is similar to Phase 1 and 2. So this time, we will be entering into a lending bylaw with an agreement,” said Brian Henderson, Wheatland County interim CAO.
He said details such as the interest rate, terms of payment and repayment would be covered in the bylaw document. The agreement will cover 90 per cent of the eligible cost. The total cost will be approximately $6.2 million. The province is paying about $5.5 million, and the county will pay $620,120.
Residents in Rosebud have been lobbying council for water supply and sewer treatment; businesses have stated that it is essential to promote growth in the hamlet.
Rosebud is still waiting on a council decision about the hamlet’s sewer treatment. A symbiotic sewer treatment pilot project just concluded its study and presented its conclusions to council in July. Council took the findings as information.
Meanwhile, Phase 2 of the water project brought the water line to Rockyford in 2018. The third phase is expected to be completed by October 2020.