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HARRISTON – A popular local RV dumping station will soon be decommissioned despite public pushback.
Presented in a new report during a council meeting Tuesday afternoon, staff said an RV dumping station located on the land proposed for the Harriston Fairgrounds is not an MCEP-approved dumping location "nor does it meet the requirements for one," and would require significant upgrades and approvals to continue offering the service to residents.
This is in response to concerns raised about the decommissioning of the dump station during a public meeting about the Harriston Fairgrounds last month.
"It's been a controversial issue for a number of years and I know for a fact we will take some heat over this but...we don't make the rules," said Mayor Dave Turton, during the meeting. "We've looked into alternatives...(but) to upgrade and build another dump station somewhere else, we're talking quite a bit of money."
According to the report, roughly 100 keys for the station have been distributed between 2014 and 2023.
While the station is operational, the report said the underground infrastructure is in disrepair and emergency calls to repair backed-up sewage are frequent during events like baseball tournaments and camping.
The station is also considered a "considerable source" of infiltration to the sanitary sewage system in Harriston.
While supportive of the proposal, Deputy Mayor Jean Anderson asked staff to consider investing in options like signage or cameras to discourage illegal dumping after June 1, when the site will close.
Staff said signage will be placed on-site regarding the decommissioning and a letter will be mailed to any current keyholders on file with a $20 reimbursement.
For residents looking for a new local option, the report said McPhail's of Harriston has options for anyone camping locally.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
