A trail on Mt. Boucherie in West Kelowna. ��� Image credit:contributed

A trail on Mt. Boucherie in West Kelowna. ��� Image credit:contributed

Wastewater facility improvement completed in West Kelowna

The facility is now operational due to funding from the provincial and federal government

  • Jul. 31, 2018 12:00 a.m.

A newly upgraded wastewater facility at the base of Mt. Boucherie is now fully operational thanks to funding assistance from the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.

The $1.27 million upgrade of East Boundary Lift Station was made possible with a grant through the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund. The federal and provincial governments provided $648,437, while the City of West Kelowna covered remaining costs through reserves and development cost charges.

Related: Work to join Kelowna water systems underway

“Our government is committed to making investments that support a cleaner and healthier environment for thriving communities like West Kelowna. This project was funded by partnerships with all levels of government through the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund. The newly upgraded wastewater facility means residents and businesses benefit from modern and efficient equipment, added emergency power generation, and other important upgrades.” Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing said in a press release.

Improvements included: Replacing three outdated pumps with modern, more efficient equipment; adding an emergency power generator; constructing a new wildfire resistant building to house controls and equipment; and perimeter fencing. Other costs included design and engineering, project management, testing and commissioning and site restoration.

Related: Kelowna’s integration of water systems cost millions more than planned

East Boundary Lift Station serves approximately 3,000 homes, 200 businesses including the West Kelowna Business Park, five schools, and a half dozen civic facilities including Jim Lind and Royal LePage Place Arenas.

“This is the kind of essential infrastructure that we tend to take for granted, but that we need to ensure a healthy and livable community. It quickly gets costly for a rapidly growing and urbanizing community like ours to operate, maintain and upgrade or replace all of these everyday amenities. We are very grateful to Canada and British Columbia for their support as we strive to provide the modern and reliable services which we need to ensure a strong community,” West Kelowna Mayor, Doug Findlater said in a press release.

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