Rothsay station upgrade doubles to $1M amid delays

MOOREFIELD – The cost of upgrades to the Rothsay Transfer Station has doubled to almost $1,000,000 over the last three years. 

In a new report coming to the Solid Waste Services (SWS) Committee in January, staff said the project's cost has "increased dramatically" and is currently anticipated to cost $997,600, including detailed design fees. 

In 2021, $450,000 was initially allocated for the Rothsay waste facility upgrades, planned for 2022. 

Instead, the projects were delayed after "longer than anticipated wait times" to receive the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MCEP) approvals for the changes. 

This follows a request from the SWS Committee in January for a report to provide more information related to the Rothsay site and facility upgrade project including cost estimates for different elements of the upgrade, usage statistics for the facility and population forecasts for Mapleton- specifically Drayton. 

Located 12 kilometres from Drayton, the Rothsay site is further than most comparator sites from its primary population centre and tends to receive larger loads of waste or patrons dropping off items that cannot be disposed of through the curbside.

While the Rothsay site is the least busy of the County’s waste facilities, it serves as the primary waste facility for residents of Mapleton and Drayon, which is anticipated to increase 69 per cent, and staff said upgrades are necessary to accommodate both current and future needs. 

According to the report, staff and consultants will seek opportunities for cost savings within the scope of the project during the final design and tender preparations.

A tender is anticipated to be issued in May with a tender award in June and work to proceed and be completed in the summer. However, the schedule is dependent on approvals from the MECP.

An engineering consultant, Associated Engineering, has been hired to undertake the detailed design and contract administration of the project.

Information on the Elora Transfer Station was not included in the report. 

Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.