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Armstrong officials are hoping millions of dollars in grants will provide cleaner water.

The community 15 minutes from Vernon is seeking $10 million from the federal and provincial governments to build a new facility that would turn waste water into clean H2O.

Armstrong would have to borrow an additional $3 million to complete the project.

Currently, Armstrong shares a lagoon with Spallumcheen, but if the grants come through they could get rid of the lagoons.

“It's a new system and we are very optimistic. We have met with various ministries over the last year,” said Mayor Chris Pieper, adding the city also applied for the grants last year but were unsuccessful.

“We've gone through it again and updated some of the criteria and are optimistic it will be approved this year.
The new facility would eliminate the lagoons and give the city the option of either discharging the treated water into Deep Creek or continue with the spray irrigation project."

Pieper said the water would be of high enough quality to allow for a direct discharge into the creek.

“It would be excellent quality,” said Pieper. “There are three plants in Saskatchewan and it works very well.”
Armstrong officials toured a similar plan near Regina.

But without grants from senior levels of government, the project will not go forward.