Property Owners Vote on Phase 1 Scotch Creek Water System

By Jo Anne Malpass

With funding available to cover 73% of the costs of developing Phase 1 of the new Scotch Creek Water System, a public meeting was held August 17 to explain the plan and the costs of the system to owners of the 84 properties within the service area.

Representatives from Interior Health, Urban Systems and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District were on hand to answer questions leading up to the public assent process, which started immediately after the meeting with a deadline of September 29.

The CSRD is proposing the completion of Phase 1 of a community water system which will service 84 properties at Captain’s Village Marina, Anchor Bay, Peterson Court and Wharf Road up to Express Pt. Road, with potential for expansion in the future.

The project is estimated to cost $3.631 M. With a government grant of 2.345 M and $670,000 held from Captain’s Village Marina, a loan of $615,000 will be taken out over a 30-year period.

The CSRD is waiving the one-time $2,000 connection fee for the initial service area. Cost to each property will be Annual Parcel Tax: $301, Annual User Fee: $650 for a Total/Year: $951.

Costs escalated significantly during the “extraordinary inflation” period between the grant application in February 2020 and the announcement of being awarded it in October 2021. Using a new integrated project delivery approach, the CSRD, engineers, suppliers and contractors worked together to find savings and deliver the lowest cost possible, explained Terry Langlois, Team Leader CSRD Utilities.

The new water system will utilize some infrastructure from the existing Captain’s Village Marina system, which will be acquired by the CSRD as part of this service area establishment. The new system will build off this existing infrastructure, and will include a new pumphouse and treatment plant, and additional distribution piping servicing the users outside of Captain’s Village. The water intake, pumphouse and treatment plant will be located at Wharf Road Community Park. The system is sized for potential future development and expansion.

Answering questions from the property owners, Langlois explained this is a pressurized water system with no reservoir so there will be no fire hydrants at this time. The plan is for the eventual connection to the established Saratoga Water System, which has a new reservoir, to service all of Scotch Creek.

The water will be to the curb stop of each home and owners will have to pay to get water to each private residence. The bylaw states properties in the service area must hook up to the water system. Langlois said wells can be kept operational for watering the yard if they are separated from the potable drinking water.

The pump house at Wharf Rd. Park will be approximately 30 feet long and be as small and attractive as possible. The treatment will be Ultraviolet and chlorine and will be quiet unless there is a power outage when the generators will kick in.

In response to a question about the possibility of boil water notices, like recently in Sorrento, Langlois explained boil waters are going to happen, during freshette and sometimes because of equipment failure. Water systems are tested weekly at multiple points so that means someone is watching. He said Anglemont has not had a single boil water notice and can’t remember ever issuing one for the Saratoga system.

The petition process will be used to obtain public assent. People in favour fill out and send the form. People opposed do not send it in. At least 50% of the properties representing 50% of the net taxable value of properties in the service area must return the form to advance the project. Everyone on the title needs to sign the form. The forms will be mailed to each property owner, but can be requested by email at pturner@csrd.bc.ca

If the public assent process is successful, the design should be finalized by Jan. 2023, construction will be contracted and should start in March 2023. The completion date is estimated at late 2023 or early 2024 depending on weather and supply issues.

Map shared from Columbia Shuswap Regional District