Residents in Saskatoon's northern neighbourhoods are raising concerns about persistent foul odours emanating from wastewater processing facilities, with city officials warning the problem could continue until 2028.
Councillor Voices Frustration Over Timeline
Councillor Randy Donauer expressed significant concern about the prolonged timeline for resolving the odour issues affecting communities like Silverwood Heights. "Three years seems like an awful long time for us to fix this," Donauer stated during recent city council discussions.
The councillor revealed he has received numerous complaints from residents about the smell coming from the liquid waste depot in the north industrial area. "We have a depot in the north industrial area now where liquid waste is brought and dropped, and I'm getting a lot of complaints about odour up there," Donauer explained.
Pipeline Project Sparks Debate
During Wednesday's city council meeting, administration presented a report requesting approval for a biosolids pipeline through Wanuskewin Heritage Park. The proposed pipeline would connect the city's wastewater treatment plant with the biosolids handling facility located north of Saskatoon in Corman Park.
City officials emphasized that replacing the two existing pipelines is necessary, but Donauer questioned whether the new infrastructure would worsen the existing odour problems. "If we can't deal with the odour, I'm going to have a difficult time supporting any of these future projects," he warned council members.
Costly Solution Already in Budget
The pipeline project carries substantial financial implications, with the specific stretch through Wanuskewin Heritage Park costing $400,000 and the entire project totaling $93.4 million. The massive undertaking has already secured federal funding support.
City administration attempted to reassure concerned councillors, noting that while waste flow will increase in the area, the odour shouldn't intensify. Project funding is already included in the preliminary budget to re-engineer portions of the Marquis waste hauler disposal station specifically to address smell concerns.
According to the city, the facility sits approximately 1,400 feet from the Silverwood Golf Course - equivalent to four football fields. The city's website, created in 2021, states that "there will be no evident smell outside the facility and no health risk to the public," and describes the station as connected to a multi-million-dollar facility specifically designed to contain odours.
Donauer reminded council that he had specifically inquired about potential smell issues before the Marquis waste hauler disposal station received approval. "It's an issue in the community and it's an issue we need to deal with, and I'm serious," he emphasized. "If we can't deal with our own problems, I don't want to exacerbate them."
