IKPIARJUK/ARCTIC BAY - The government of Nunavut is preparing to build a new sewage lagoon for the growing population of Arctic Bay.

"It's becoming too small for the size of the new houses being built each year," said hamlet administrator Joelie Qamanirq.

The tender is out on the new sewage lagoon and the road which will lead to it.

The location of the lagoon, above the community on the left side, will need a road to get there for its construction, maintenance, and to truck the sewage there.Roy Green director of community infrastructure for the Department of Community and Government Services, said the location of the lagoon was to take advantage of local wetlands without threatening runoff into the ocean.

Natural wetlands provide an excellent way to treat human sewage because the nutrients the sewage provide actually helps the local environment, provided it's not over-used.

Green explained the actual lagoon is made of walls 8 to10 metres deep and a solid granular base so there's no leakage into the natural environment around it.

When the weather is warm and the wetlands around it are active the sewage will be drained into them.

The microscopic wildlife of the wetlands will feed off the sewage and make it a natural part of the environment.

It's important this is only done in summer because if it happens when the land is cold, the sewage will only sit there, inert and frozen.

This year Green anticipates the construction of the road might be finished, and work digging the lagoon itself can start in 2010.

Once the lagoon is active, the old one - in current use - will be shut down and cleaned up.

The old lagoon was built in 1976 and has had problems of leakage in recent years. According to Green, the old lagoon does not meet the federal and territorial environmental regulations on sewage discharge.