The regional district has again submitted a request for provincial/federal money to update the Columbia Pollution Control Centre (CPCC), but this time the ask is up to $63 million.
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After being denied funding last year through the cost-sharing ICIP (Investing in Infrastructure Canada) Environment Quality Program, costs have risen another $11 million for this job, which is to modernize the sewer treatment plant for Trail, Rossland and Warfield.
“Every year we wait, the cost increases,” says Robert Cacchioni, Trail Coun. and regional director.
With the application deadline nearing on Feb. 26, last week the board gave staff the go-ahead to submit the proposal to the province and to begin the bylaw process required to borrow the balance of $17 million.
“The bylaws have to be in place prior to the borrowing,” said Cacchioni. “The amount of money will impact taxes but we have to do more calculations … The taxes will not increase in 2020 and will be phased in from 2021 and onward.”
At best, as owner of the treatment system, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) is hoping a combination of federal and provincial grants will cover 73 per cent of the $63-million capital project.
Even if the project receives maximum funding nearing $46 million, Trail taxpayers will be impacted given the city comprises around 67 per cent of the flow fraction and is therefore responsible for 67 per cent of respective costs.
Based on flow volume, Rossland will pay roughly 20 per cent of the costs, and Warfield, 12 per cent.
Of note, is that Area B has a small number of properties in Rivervale and Oasis tied into the regional system, so they will be responsible for 0.7 per cent of costs.
Several years ago, the RDKB starting developing a Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP) to assess the best approach for long-term wastewater management for the community.
The central issue in the LWMP is the implementation of secondary treatment for the service area that incorporates Trail, Rossland, Warfield, Rivervale, and Oasis.
After extensive investigation of options and community consultation during the development of the Stage 1 and Stage 2 Liquid Waste Management Plan, the selected option is to upgrade the existing CPCC from primary to secondary treatment at the existing site.
The regional district has since applied for and received grant funding from the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund for design of the plant upgrade, and for completion of the Stage 3 LWMP.
The scope of service for the CPCC upgrade involves a detailed design and preparation of tender packages for the new facilities to produce a “shovel ready” project in anticipation second phase senior government funding.
The Columbia Pollution Control Centre is a primary treatment plant discharging disinfected effluent into the Columbia River.
Provincial and federal regulations now require a minimum of secondary treatment for wastewater treatment plants discharging to the environment.
Secondary treatment is an additional step, after the primary process, that removes about 95 per cent of organic waste materials in wastewater.
newsroom@trailtimes.ca
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