FAQs

The LWMP process will provide the City with clear guidance to address the long-term infrastructure needs to meet environmental regulations both Federally and Provincially, while supporting the community as it expands.

The City recently completed a population study for the OCP update, which considered a number of different sources of population. Also, major development master plans were included in the LWMP population data.

During the Stage 1 LWMP, seven options were considered such as relocating the whole treatment facility to a new location or adding a secondary treatment facility to supplement the existing WWTF. Option 1 of the seven options was to upgrade the existing lagoon system to a full mechanical treatment process. Following a public open house in 2008, Option 1 was selected for advancement to Stage 2 because it was the most practical. In 2008 this option considered either modifying the existing Illecillewaet River outfall or extending the outfall to the Columbia River. The 2008 option (discharging to the Illecillewaet) provides capacity for a population up to 17,700 for a cost of $23.8M.

In 2018, the City re-assessed the existing treatment facility and population growth, looking for a lower cost alternative that would serve the community for more than 20 years. As a result, there is another option included in the LWMP Stage 2 report which involves adding mechanical components to the existing treatment facility. This option provides capacity for a population up to 27,000 for a cost of $13.7M.

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV) has provided guidelines for the LWMP process that involve presenting options to the community for Council’s selection. Therefore, one single solution isn’t selected by the technical team.

It is understood odour is a major priority in the community. Over the past few years, significant improvements to the aeration have been made, targeting the odour issues. The LWMP is a high-level planning document, not a design of a specific system. However, all the options outlined in the LWMP Stage 2 will include odour reduction.

Currently, the City is collecting community input to integrate into the report before presenting to Council as a final draft for their consideration. Council will then select an option to move to Stage 3, the final stage of the LWMP. Stage 3 will refine the option, costs, and schedule for implementation.