City of Powell River council interrupted its summer break for a special meeting on August 27 to discuss the new wastewater treatment plant in Townsite.
Approval was given for city staff to apply for grant funding from the federal government’s $243-million Green Infrastructure - Environmental Quality program and continuing the project with the city committing $24 million in future five-year financial plans. The deadline for submission was August 29.
“We are definitely ready in conceptual and preliminary design and are continuing to move forward on final design,” said the city’s director of infrastructure Tor Birtig.
This is the first phase of a $900-million federal and provincial government program, according to the city’s chief administrative officer Mac Fraser.
The cost of the biggest infrastructure project in Powell River’s history has escalated again, from approximately $67 million to $70 million, which is an increase that worries councillor Rob Southcott.
“If it creeps upwards I expect it to have a really erosive effect on public confidence,” said Southcott.
Birtig said the $3-million increase is for decommissioning costs on the existing Westview and Townsite water facilities and Wildwood lagoon, as well as alleviating issues of capacity on the Cranberry conveyance line.
“Remember, this is a cost for an application for grant funding,” said Birtig. “At this time I'd rather make the estimate higher than lower.”
Birtig said the city received three separate warning letters on August 16 from Environment and Climate Change Canada about Powell River’s failure to comply with regulations. It is the first time the city has been notified by the federal government, according to Birtig.
“They outlined contraventions with the wastewater system effluent regulations,” said Birtig.
He added that the letters stated continued non-compliance could lead to fines between $5,000 to $6 million a day.
Fraser said compliance is the number one issue facing the city.
With the general election on October 20, the incoming council could revisit the entire project, including location and design.
However, “they would do so at their own peril,” said Fraser. He added, it has taken 20 years to reach this point in Powell River’s wastewater treatment saga and five years of focus to get ready for the application.
Being on the government’s “naughty list,” as Birtig described it, may be advantageous to Powell River’s application, according to councillor Jim Palm. “This should lend itself well to our application in terms of reinforcing the need,” he said. “We're in a serious situation here.”
