Water and Wastewater Master Plans to look up to 20 years into the future

Municipal staff are in the initial stages of creating two plans to look at how to keep up water and waste systems with the growing community at a cost of $324,000.

Omar Butt, director of public works, says the Wastewater Master Plan and Water Master Plan will be the first for the municipality.

“We just took over the utilities in 2018, it was part of Sun Peaks Resort before. I don’t think they had a water or wastewater master plan before, but they had the resort master plan which coincides with it,” Butt said.

The Water Master Plan and the Wastewater Master Plan will cost $183,000 and $137,000 respectively, with 50 per cent of the costs being covered by Sun Peaks Resort LLP (SPR).

“Sun Peaks Resort, they’re in the process of redoing their master plan as well right now which kind of tells us, you know, the bed units and what development is going to look like over the next 20 years or so. So, our Water and Wastewater Master Plan will kind of go along with that,” Butt said.

The Water Master Plan will focus on providing for the population growth expected to come to Sun Peaks in the coming years, and Butt said he expects the plan will address the developments expected for the next 15 to 20 years.

“It kind of all ties into the development that they’re looking to do, so we have to provide the infrastructure for what they want to do,” Butt said. “We can’t work without working in the same direction.”

Butt said staff have begun the planning process within the past year, but are just now beginning to solidify the master plans. Although they are in the initial stages, Butt said there are a few key projects for both the wastewater and water plans.

“Part of the master plan is also a water source assessment, which includes exploring for more potential well spots and if there’s… another aquifer we can add to as well,” Butt said. “On the wastewater side, we’re thinking they’re gonna be trying to figure out where a potential second wastewater treatment plant could go.”

In addition to looking for well spots, the Water Master Plan will address the construction of a new surface water reservoir and aquifer.

While the WasteWater Master Plan will look at where to put a second treatment facility, it will also focus on how to better use new and existing wastewater treatment facility infrastructure. A few pilot project ideas have been introduced recently, including using reclaimed water for snowmaking purposes, as well as treating household compost within the existing water treatment facility. Butt said both of these pilots will be further detailed in the upcoming plans.

Butt said both plans will be made along the same schedule with hopes to have both finalized by March. In the meantime, residents can get more information about the public works budget and upcoming projects by watching the municipal budget presentation on the municipality’s Facebook page.