108 Mile Ranch residents will see an increase of close to $15 per month on their water bills should two new water infrastructure projects get the go-ahead, following an important joint funding announcement by regional, provincial and federal government representatives on July 25.
A handful of residents met with local politicians for the announcement at the Kyllo reservoir, where a proposed water treatment plant will be built, depending on the result of a referendum in the fall, at a cost of close to $2.5 million.
The government of Canada and the province of British Columbia will provide up to $981,118 each, while the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) is responsible for all remaining costs of the project.
The CRD is also looking at developing another water well in 108 Mile Ranch.
It is in the process of designing a referendum question about borrowing the money to develop the combined projects, at a cost of approximately $5 million in total, explains CRD chair Al Richmond.
With the recent funding guarantee for the water treatment plant, residents connected to the water system will pay a total $15.42 per month. Without the grant, that figure would have been $21.59.
The water treatment plant will remove a recurring build up of black manganese, a naturally occurring element prevalent in the B.C. Interior.
There is no safety concern with the drinking water at 108 Mile Ranch, but the manganese is a maintenance and aesthetic issue, Richmond says.
When completed, the new treatment system will provide residents with clean, reliable potable water for years to come.
“Receiving funding for this project will allow us to continue providing a quality water service to residents of the 108 Mile Ranch area,” Richmond says. “This is a great example of what can be accomplished for our residents when different levels of government work together in collaboration.”
Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett thanked local government leaders and the CRD for their commitment to getting the water treatment plant underway.
“The CRD has worked very hard to work with the residents to make sure they have good safe drinking water. As you know, we’ve had drought this year, so everyone has to be more conscious of utilizing water.”
The project funding announced on July 25 is among 55 municipal infrastructure projects recently approved in B.C., which will collectively receive more than $128 million in joint federal-provincial funding under the Small Communities Fund.
“We are proud to invest in projects like these water infrastructure upgrades in the CRD that will benefit our community by improving much needed local infrastructure,” says Cathy McLeod, MP for Kamloops-Thompson- Cariboo.
“Through the New Building Canada Plan’s Small Communities Fund, we are investing in priority infrastructure projects that have a positive and lasting impact on the quality of life of British Columbia’s residents, while helping create jobs and economic growth.”
