The long wait may soon be over for visitors to Beaver Lake, as work is starting on a project to bring year-round washroom facilities to the popular Saanich park.
The Capital Regional District is constructing a sewer line at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park and along Pipeline Road. This work will provide a future connection of the Beaver Beach and Filter Beds washroom facilities to the Saanich municipal sewer system.
With nearly 1.5 million visitors to the park annually, the need for improved washroom facilities continues to increase .Connecting to the municipal sewer will provide long-term, year-round service to the public, reduce annual operating costs and eliminate the need to truck waste from the park.
Park visitors can expect intermittent delays and closures at various areas along the route (see map, above), Monday to Friday during daytime hours, from August to October 2017. The washrooms remain open. The public is advised to use caution around crews and equipment.
Connecting to the municipal sewer system will enable these facilities to be open year-round to the public, reduce annual operating costs and eliminate the need to truck waste from these facilities. Appropriate measures are being taken to minimize impacts to park visitors and to the environment.
The CRD made an application to the District of Saanich to connect to the municipal sewer because the park is outside the municipal sewer service area. Following public consultation, Saanich council made an amendment to the Official Community Plan in August 2015 to extend the sewer service area to include the washroom facilities at Beaver Beach and the Filter Beds, as it represents a significant public benefit at no cost to the municipality.
Appropriate measures will be taken to minimize impacts to the environment, particularly along Colquitz River. Measures will also be taken to minimize impacts to park visitors during construction.
For more information and to subscribe for updates visit https://www.crd.bc.ca/project/capital-projects/elk-beaver-lake-sewer-connection.
