The District of Sechelt is investigating partnering with the private sector to help cover the estimated $60 million needed to upgrade Sechelt's sewer system over the next 20 years.
The district is also applying for grants to help cover the cost of hooking up areas in West Sechelt and West Porpoise Bay to the sewer system.
"We will have to retrofit those areas to connect to the sewer system and the costs per home will vary," said Sechelt's administrator Bill Brown. He explained that burying pipe outside homes surrounded by rock will cost more to connect than those in sandy areas.
Rates for retrofits range from $5,000 per home to over $31,000 in the District of Sechelt. Brown said West Porpoise Bay is the district's number one priority.
The district will hold public meetings in the area before any retrofits take place.
Sechelt's sewer system has been in need of repair and replacement since 1994 when it became obvious the current lift stations and the Ebbtide sewage treatment plant would not be able to keep up with the growing community.
Brown has been working on the problem for the past three years. Reports estimate the upgrades needed will cost $60 million over the next 20 years, meaning user fees will have to increase to help cover some of the cost.
"However, we want to keep the increases to a minimum for the taxpayers. This is the devil we wrestle with," Brown said.He noted homes in the district currently pay $191 for the sewer service. Projected costs will increase the sewer user fee to $343 over the next 20 years.
"Our target is to stay under $300," said Brown, noting he recently met with Construction Aggregates (CAL) to discuss a private sector partnership to help keep the costs down.
The district is currently talking about possibly moving their Dusty Road treatment plant to a piece of property owned by CAL across the road. CAL would then mine for gravel at the current treatment plant site and the district would collect gravel royalties to go toward improving the sewer system.
Brown notes Sechelt's sewer system, while loaded to capacity, is still meeting environmental standards.
"The test we have to meet is that our sewage outfall does not kill trout. That's called an LT50 test. Basically 50 per cent of the trout have to survive in the treated sewage. In our tests, 100 per cent of the trout survived," said Brown.
He said the current sewage treatment plant uses large airplane propeller fans to move the sewage constantly and provide air to the "designer bugs," that eat the raw sewage and break it down.
What's left is basically water and fertilizer, which is now being sprayed on poplar trees at CAL at a cost of $70,000 a year to the district.
