The Town of Gibsons plans to apply for federal funding for ocean outfall replacement.
The application to Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF), a federal grant program that is to support new housing and utility infrastructure for the next 75 years, was approved at a March 25 special meeting of council. A staff report stated the program is “designed to accelerate new construction and rehabilitation of core utility infrastructure directly supporting the creation of new housing supply and improving densification.”
The grant funding would be used to cover the costs of replacing the sewer main that carries treated effluent from the wastewater treatment plant to the ocean outfall. The report says staff are working with Urban Systems on engineering analysis for the alignment and sizing of the new outfall and detailed design will advance once capacity requirements are confirmed.
The outfall replacement cost was initially budgeted at $6.45M and was included in the 2025-2029 Financial Plan, which would upsize the outfall to reflect a 20-year growth horizon, with capacity to provide service to approximately 15,000 people.
The material of the new ocean outfall is estimated last for 75 years, excluding the marine portion which would last a significantly shorter time.
Since the material will outlast the 20-year growth scenario, staff had directed Urban Systems to explore options for oversizing the outfall to provide greater capacity. Gibsons director of infrastructure services, Trevor Rutley, said this option “would provide growth for the full lifespan of the of the asset.”
Staff have found it would be feasible to increase capacity of the ocean outfall to support a population of roughly 26,000, stating that it is “likely to far exceed what the projected build-out population will be following the OCP update and sizing can be reassessed once the OCP is complete,” adding that excess capacity beyond the projected buildout would provide for the potential future extension of the town’s sanitary sewer service area beyond town boundaries.
Staff presented the 75-year growth option with a $7.86M price tag.
Council approved a revised cost of $8.4 million for the project, so that it may include a 50 per cent contingency and a 20 per cent allowance for engineering and permitting. The grant would cover 50 per cent of this cost, leaving the town to fund the remaining $4.2 million, which will be funded by the sanitary sewer utility.
Council unanimously approved the motion, directing staff to submit the grant application to the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund for the replacement of the ocean outfalls sized for the 75-year growth scenario, and that $4.2 million be committed from the sanitary sewer utility to fund the town's portion of the project.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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