People in Regina will likely get a chance to have their say next month in a city-wide referendum on council's plan to build a new wastewater treatment facility.

City administration is recommending the poll date be set for September 25 between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. CST.

The city still has to approve how voting will take place and depending on what option they choose the cost will range between $300,000 to $500,000. Free transit is also being considered for people who participate.

Council voted unanimously to hold a referendum last month after a group called Regina Water Watch collected more than 24,000 signatures in a petition pushing for referendum on the city's plan for a $224-million wastewater treatment plant.

The petition suggested the city's plan to build and operate the facility using a private sector partner was ill-conceived and the sewage plant should instead be built and operated by the city.

Even though the petition was found to be invalid due to several thousand incomplete signatures, city officials decided to send people to the polls on the issue anyway.

Mayor Michael Fougere had previously said he wanted to hold the referendum as soon as possible.

Regina's city council will vote on the referendum date on Wednesday.

Council decided the wording of the referendum question will stay the same as the question asked on the Water Watch petition.

The wording for a Referendum:

"Be it resolved that the council of the City of Regina publicly finance, operate and maintain the new wastewater treatment plant for Regina through a traditional Design, Bid, Build (DBB) approach."