Photo: Screenshot An aerial photo of the Peace Regional Waste Management Company

Provincial funding will help two small towns test new ways to treat wastewater and convert waste into energy.

Alberta’s government is investing $10 million from the industry-funded Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program to pilot two new technologies that will help Cardston and Peace River treat wastewater more efficiently and turn waste into clean energy. These projects will help save taxpayers money, reduce waste and create jobs.

Across Alberta, growing populations, aging infrastructure and rapidly filling municipal landfills are driving up the costs of water and waste management, leaving municipalities looking for solutions. However, new technologies can be expensive or not readily available. That’s why Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) is helping to fund two promising innovation projects.

The Town of Cardston is receiving $5 million in provincial funding to help install a new wastewater system that uses helpful bacteria to eat sewage. The technology uses 50 per cent less electricity than the current system and produces cleaner, more reliable water at a lower cost. If successful, this project could offer a cheaper, more environmentally friendly way for many other communities to treat wastewater.

Peace River Waste Management Company is receiving $5 million to address overflowing municipal landfills in the Peace Region, expanding its technology that turns landfill garbage into carbon-negative power. This will cut waste by 85 per cent, reduce disposal costs by 25 per cent and lower landfill methane emissions by more than 22 million tonnes.

Turning this from a pilot project to a full capital project will create jobs, support 24-hour operations and ultimately enable the technology to be shared with other communities facing waste disposal challenges.