The Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) are abandoning plans for an $8.9 million water system expansion in favour of a scaled back project after it became clear residents would not support a necessary referendum.
The CSRD board voted to rescind motions made at their Oct. 21 meeting after Electoral Area F Director Jay Simpson had discussions with stakeholder groups in Scotch Creek and determined there wasn’t enough public support for the expansion of the Saratoga Water System.
In October, the CSRD decided to spend the $100,000 necessary to conduct a referendum determining community support for the project.
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The CSRD has identified an alternative scheme and plans to acquire and upgrade the smaller Captain’s Village Water System. The expanded system would accommodate 73 residences. The CSRD board supported the expenditure of up to $45,000 for an engineering assessment on system upgrades.
Simpson said expanding the Captain’s Village system would alleviate some of the water issues in the area and offers the potential for future growth.
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“At least this gets us started with an opportunity to build something with a smaller amount of money involved… I think it is a great alternative,” he says.
Urban Systems has been retained to conduct the engineering work in preparation for another grant application. They have already started work on new drawings, engineering specifications and cost estimates for the project.
“Proceeding with the project will be dependent on whether the CSRD is the successful in their application for the federal and provincial infrastructure grant funding,” states the CSRD. “Without grant funding, the project will not move forward.”
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