Stormwater project approved in St. Albans to help keep Lake Champlain clean [Video]

On Tuesday, voters in St. Albans helped take a crucial step toward securing a greener future.”Water quality, especially as you get closer to the lake in St. Albans Bay, is a critical issue in the community,” said Chip Sawyer, the director of planning and development in the city.Sawyer spearheaded the Lemnah Drive Stormwater Project. Voters approved the measure, giving the city the green light to kickstart the project.”We found some grant funding that will cover half of the cost, but we needed the bond and the debt to fund the other half of the project that will be covered by our stormwater utility,” Sawyer said.That cost is $1.25 million.Half of it will be going toward the gravel wetland on Lemnah Drive, which will help slow stormwater down when it rains and will remove phosphorus, cyanobacteria and other nutrients that would harm the lake.The other $500,000 will pay for a new …