POSTPONED: New date will be announced when it is scheduled.
The Cape Breton Regional Municipality will be carrying out commissioning work at the Braemar Lift Station on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 as part of the Sydney Harbour West Wastewater Collection and Treatment Project.
The Braemar Lift Station is located at the intersection of Braemar Drive and Westmount Road in Westmount.
The work on June 3 will require a temporary shutdown of the lift (pumping) station for up to 48 hours. During this period, untreated wastewater may be discharged to Sydney Harbour. Residents are advised to avoid activities involving direct contact with harbour water in the area during this time.
This work is being completed in coordination with Environment and Climate Change Canada to ensure all regulatory requirements are met.
The Sydney Harbour West Wastewater Collection and Treatment Project includes a new wastewater treatment plant, which has been completed, along with upgrades to wastewater collection and pumping infrastructure.
The Braemar Lift Station upgrade is one of the final remaining components required to place the system into full operation.
Residents with questions or concerns may contact CBRM by calling 311 or by email at 311cbrm@cbrm.ns.ca.
Additional information:
· Wastewater from approximately 1,988 buildings normally flows through this station and is pumped to the Sydney Harbour West Wastewater Treatment Plant. Of these, 1,791 are residential properties.
· The service area includes parts of Westmount, Sydney River, and Coxheath.
· The estimated overflow volume is approximately 9,000 m³ over a 48-hour period. The estimate is based on a large set of historical operational data from the station.
· The final overflow amount will not be confirmed after the interruption because there will be no power to the station during the shutdown. The shutdown is required for major electrical upgrades.
· Bacterial testing is not conducted as part of this occurrence. The priority during the shutdown is to reduce the duration of the overflow and provide public notification so residents can avoid the affected area.
· While this and other stations can overflow during wet weather, this event may occur during dry weather, which requires public notification under Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) requirements.