The District of Sechelt started off 2012 with some good fortune - $8 million worth of gas tax money for a new sewage treatment facility, effectively funding whatever wastewater treatment option the District decides to move ahead with this year.
The money comes from the federal government's gas tax fund, but it was the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) that was in charge of distributing the money to worthwhile projects.
"The funding from the federal government and UBCM ensures that we'll become a world leader in wastewater treatment. It will mean we can build the facilities that are noiseless, that are odourless and that are environmentally sensitive," said Sechelt Mayor John Henderson during an announcement on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at municipal hall.
Earlier this month Sechelt council sent out a request for expressions of interest from companies wanting to build such a system for Sechelt.
"We've already had responses from the industry saying 'we're working on it, we're ready and we want to get going for you.' So I think today's announcement will give them the added assurance that the money's in place, that whatever they want to propose, we will be able to fund, so it's a really great opportunity," Henderson said.
The $8 million will be added to the already approved biosolids facility funding for a total of about $12.8 million.
"In addition, the District has other reserves as well, so we're in very good shape to do everything we've talked about and probably more," Henderson said.
West Vancouver - Sunshine Coast - Sea to Sky Country member of Parliament John Weston was on hand for the announcement, saying he was pleased the money was going to a project that would be environmentally sustainable.
"The treatment process is going to be more efficient and, along with a new low energy use building, will greatly reduce the consumption of both electricity and fuel, which will save the environment some 24 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions," Weston said.
UBCM past president Barbara Steele was also at Tuesday's announcement. She said this is the first of many grants that will be needed for infrastructure improvements in the coming years throughout B.C.
"In 2009, which seems like ages ago now, the University of McGill did a study on the state of Canada's infrastructure and realized that 80 per cent of the infrastructure in Canada has now reached the end of its lifespan," Steele said. "The situation in B.C. reflects the national reality. In the coming years communities will be facing steep costs to replace all of our facilities that were built more than 50 years ago."
In Sechelt's case, that infrastructure solution may mean more than one plant being built to service the District.
"I can foresee that we'll end up with several plants, sort of a decentralized approach. Because of the geography of Sechelt, it probably doesn't make sense to have pipes running from one end of Sechelt to the other to treat our wastewater," Henderson noted.
Council expects to be in a position to start discussing possible solutions submitted to the District sometime in March.
