A wrench was thrown into the works for planning Powell River’s wastewater treatment plant at City of Powell River’s committee of the whole meeting on January 25.
As expected, and after considering three pre-design options put forward by the city’s consultants, Associated Engineering, the committee recommended that council approve the high-efficiency biological treatment facility, referred to as Option B.
What no one on council expected was mayor Dave Formosa raising the idea of studying a second location from the one council had already decided on. All work by staff and Associated Engineering has been on the site specific to the 10 acres of land below Larch and Laburnum avenues purchased one year ago for $575,000.
Formosa said he met with residents and the suggestion was made to look at moving the plant south of where it is currently planned.
“We cannot stop the process on the other one,” said Formosa. “They have to be able to carry on at the same time.”
Formosa admitted the chances of moving the plant are slim but, for the moment, residents are satisfied the second site will receive a preliminary look by the engineering department, according to Townsite Ratepayers Association wastewater treatment subcommittee co-chair Stephen Miller.
At the meeting with Formosa, Miller threw another curveball at the controversy, offering to buy the land purchased by the city for the plant.
“There has been an offer made to the city to purchase the land they bought to give them back the money they spent,” said Miller. “What I suggest is, not only would we pay the city for that 10-acre site, but they can use that money to move the location for the additional engineering that is required.”
Formosa said he did not get the impression Miller’s offer was a direct one.
“One could insinuate he or maybe a group may consider such a thing,” said Formosa, “and insinuate the same to the director of infrastructure, half seriously.”
Whether the offer was firm or not, such an undertaking would necessitate involving PRSC Limited Partnership, which owns the land where the second site is being evaluated. PRSC is a partnership between the city and Tees’kwat Land Holdings, which is a Tla’amin Nation-owned business.
Townsite Ratepayers Association is critical of the public-consultation process for the wastewater plant and has other concerns, including reduction in property values, potential health risks from airborne bacterial contamination, habitat loss for migratory birds, odour from the plant, loss of waterfront, and devaluation of the history and social nature of Townsite.
Once council gives final approval the city can move on with the design and engineering for the largest infrastructure investment in Powell River’s history. The approximately $30-million project will conclude an 18-year process to replace the existing sewage treatment plant and collection system in Westview and consolidate all wastewater from Tla’amin, Wildwood, Townsite, Cranberry and Westview at the new Townsite facility.
Plans will be sent to BC Ministry of Environment for endorsement and the city will have everything it needs to apply for federal infrastructure funding in the spring. To entertain the idea of a second or third possible location would delay the whole process and be a significant cost to the city, according to city councillor and finance committee chair Russell Brewer.
“We'd have to go to our contractor and get an estimate for designing two locations, which is probably going to be a significant estimate from the contractor, so I'd wait on commenting further on that,” said Brewer, “but I would expect it would be a huge amount.”
Expanding design parameters to move forward with Option B for two separate sites presents a host of problems, not the least of which is the city does not own the land the mayor has identified as a second location option, according to city director of infrastructure Tor Birtig.
On top of that, Birtig said extra pumping costs may be incurred at a new Townsite location, a different outfall might be required and a new environmental and archaeological impact study would necessary.
“We've looked at the location of the existing site as being the convergence of two significant sewage mains,” said Birtig. “We also have water and power to those points. We have access via a statutory right of way to the existing plant.”
Accessing funding to pay for the project cost is moving the city forward on a hastened pace.
“We could be missing our opportunity on grant funding,” said Birtig. “If we miss that opportunity there may or may not be further opportunities for large amounts of infrastructure funding.”
Formosa said a report on the second location would at least show residents the city tried everything it could.
“It'll be a long shot, but it's worthy of having a serious, qualified look,” said Formosa. “It’s a hail Mary.”
