Public Notice
Notice of intent to make a determination
Muskowekwan First Nation Wastewater Infrastructure Upgrades – Public Comments Invited

November 4, 2024 – Indigenous Services Canada must determine whether the proposed Muskowekwan First Nation Wastewater Infrastructure Upgrades project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. To help inform this determination, Indigenous Services Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination.

Written comments must be submitted by December 4, 2024 to:
Indigenous Services Canada
Alvin Hamilton Building, 1783 Hamilton Street
Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 2B6
Email: isc-skenv@sac-isc.gc.ca

The Proposed Project

Muskowekwan First Nation is proposing construction of a new lagoon, access road, and associated force main installations to provide adequate wastewater infrastructure capacity to support the community's current and future needs. The proposed lagoon site is located approximately 800 metres northwest of the existing lagoon and 3.5 kilometres northwest of the community core area. A new facultative lagoon with a 3.09 hectare sized primary cell and a storage cell sized with a capacity of 117,115 cubic metres will be constructed, along with approximately 1 km of newly constructed roadway to provide access to the lagoon from Highway 15. The proposed project also includes replacement of an existing sewage pumping station (SPS No. 1) and construction of an additional pumping station (SPS No. 2). Approximately 5.3 kilometres of new sewage force main piping will be installed to convey wastewater from the sewage pumping stations to the proposed lagoon, and approximately 240 metres of existing sanitary sewer to tie-in the proposed sewage pumping stations to the existing gravity sewer system will be replaced. The existing lagoon and SPS No. 1 will be decommissioned upon commissioning of new infrastructure.

Site preparation activities will include stripping and stockpiling of topsoil from the proposed lagoon site, new sewage pumping station locations, and new utility right of ways. Construction of the lagoon will include excavation to cell floor elevations and placement of earthen fill to construct the perimeter berms and access road. Installation of new sewage force mains and sanitary sewer will include excavation to designated depths, installation of piping, backfill, and topsoil replacement.