A provincial mandate is forcing the Town of High River to upgrade its wastewater treatment facilities.

The amount of phosphorus ammonia going to Frank Lake is too high.

Mayor Craig Snodgrass says they're still early in the process.

"The first step that we have to do and have this submitted by September is the design of the actual, what the upgrade will look like, we just approved another $125,000 to go toward that design process and get the design done."

The Town was originally planning to do a pilot project but has shifted the scope to a full wastewater treatment plant upgrade.

Snodgrass says they still need to meet with the ministers of environment and transportation to find out where funding for the actual project will come from.

He expects it'll be about $19 million.

"Our opinion is that this is a 'want' from Alberta Environment and we get it, we understand it, but it cannot be solely shoved down the throats of the taxpayers of High River," Snodgrass says.