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The roof of Edmonton’s once world-class composter is so rotten it will either have to be kept for short-term summer use only or demolished, according to a city update released Thursday.

Officials investigated running glycol lines in the roof and using waste heat from the composter to melt snow, or simply keeping extra staff on standby to shovel off the heavy load before it could cause a structural collapse. They even looked at building a new shelter around the old building, or simply adding extra steel supports.

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But it’s not worth it. The old system is finished, the update said.

Since the composter shut down last October, all of Edmonton’s household garbage has been heading to the landfill.

“There’s still a chance we can use (the composter) this summer,” said Ward 8 Coun. Ben Henderson, a member of council’s utility committee, which is scheduled to review the issue next Monday.

But this is the risk of being first, he said.