Mayor Bruce Milne had no comment this week on an internal document prematurely released that shows a waste-water treatment plant expansion won’t be needed in Sechelt any time soon.
The “Water Resource Centre Expansion – Capacity Analysis and Cost Estimate” final report was done by Urban Systems and sent to manager of engineering services Sanath Bandara on April 21.
The report shows a significant reduction in cost and an increase in the time it will take to trigger plant expansion.
A previous preliminary report from Urban Systems pegged the date for expansion of the plant to be within the next six years (when 2,258 more single family units are hooked up) at a cost of $19.4 million.
The final report shows a total cost of $13.2 million for the expansion and the construction of 2,477 more homes to come online to trigger it.
Using a projected population increase rate of 1.4 per cent (around 80 new single family homes a year) would put the need for a new plant well past 2035.
The report from Jeremy Clowes of Urban Systems pointed to aggressive population estimates by the district and overstated daily flows as reasons why the preliminary report was so different from the final report.
After looking at the monthly flows for 2015, the average daily flow (ADF) was set in the final report at 2,100 cubic metres while the previous report assumed an ADF of 2,450.
The report also noted that after completing a detailed review of the required upgrades with Maple Reinders Inc. (the company that helped build the treatment plant), the cost estimate was reduced significantly.
The report was used, along with others, to help set a timeline for major capital projects the district wants to see funded by development cost charges (DCCs) going forward, as Sechelt is currently undergoing a DCC review.
It was included in an online package posted to the district’s homepage that gave background to the DCC process, but it shouldn’t have been released because it hadn’t gone to council yet, according to communications manager Connie Jordison, who said she consulted with the district’s CAO to discuss how to rectify the error.
Jordison said it was decided that the report would remain online as part of the DCC package (although it was taken off the district’s homepage) and it would come to a future council meeting to be formally received by council.
When asked about the report this week, Milne said: “I can’t comment because I haven’t seen it.”
The full report is expected to come to a future council meeting for receipt and discussion.
