A master plan for expanding ColwoodB次元官网网址檚 municipal sewer system is in the works.

As the City works with provincial officials to merge 56 local sewer service areas into six, the need for a long term plan became apparent.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e responding to a request from the province wanting to know, if we merge the service areas, what we plan to do next,B次元官网网址� City engineer Michael Baxter explained. B次元官网网址淲e would have needed to do this level of planning anyway, but this (request) accelerated the time line.B次元官网网址�

In July Colwood requested proposals from consultants interested in preparing a sewer master plan. Council is expected review the options at its Aug. 29 meeting and select the firm to hire so planning can get underway.

Thousands of properties in Colwood still rely on septic fields. More than 50 kilometres of sewer line B次元官网网址� or $40 million worth B次元官网网址� are needed to complete ColwoodB次元官网网址檚 sewer network. The City isnB次元官网网址檛 likely to have that kind of money anytime soon.

But the system is growing all the time. This year sewers were extended to service the Hatley Park Shopping Centre on Sooke Road.

A master plan will give order to what have been largely piecemeal expansions to ensure, for example, that pump stations are well placed and the appropriate size for future growth.

B次元官网网址淭he way we do it now, we wouldnB次元官网网址檛 know if weB次元官网网址檝e made a mistake until years down the road,B次元官网网址� Baxter said. B次元官网网址淭his (master plan) will give us a system to follow so we hopefully wonB次元官网网址檛 need to go back and change things later.B次元官网网址�

Baxter expects expanding sewers will be more desirable if the local service area mergers go ahead and the City is able to offer a standard fee structure across the municipality.

Currently, in some areas, homes across the street from each other pay substantially different amounts just because of what local area they are deemed a part of.

The City is also pushing to have sewage tax based on a parcel tax, rather than the more variable property tax, to give further stability to the fee structure.

B次元官网网址淓verything is to create the conditions to eventually have sewage across the municipality,B次元官网网址� Baxter said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 all part of a package to reform the system to something more fair and desirable for residents.B次元官网网址�

news@goldstreamgazette.com