The provincial government’s Municipal Wastewater Regulation requires all BC municipalities to have separate stormwater and sanitary sewer systems. Compliance with the provincial regulation is mandatory for the District of Oak Bay as it is for other jurisdictions in the province such as Burnaby, New Westminster and the City of Vancouver where single pipe infrastructure currently exists. Separation of the combined sewers is an integral part of the Capital Regional District’s Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan in compliance with the Municipal Wastewater Regulation.
The Uplands neighbourhood in Oak Bay currently has a single pipe system to accommodate both sanitary sewer and stormwater flows. During heavy rainfall, the storm water volume exceeds the capacity of the system and a combination of stormwater and raw sewage discharges into the shallow ocean waters at the Rutland and Humber pump stations.
Preliminary Project Approval
At the Special Committee of the Whole on October 5, 2016 (agenda and recordings available here), the following recommendation was made unanimously:
That it be recommended to Council that:
1. The District of Oak Bay approve the recommendations of the pre-design report namely:
- Option 4, a shallower gravity based storm system, including two isolated areas requiring municipal stormwater pumps;
- Design by catchment area and not by construction phase;
- Construction on a phased project basis, beginning with the Humber catchment, with contract packages at a minimum of $2 million each; and
- Development of a plan for rehabilitation of the existing pipes; and
2. The District of Oak Bay approve the submission to the Capital Regional District requesting an amendment to the Capital Regional District’s Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan.
The recommendation was then endorsed by Council on October 11, 2016.
Next Steps
The Capital Regional District endorsed the required amendment to the CRD’s Core Area Liquid Management Plan. This amendment was given conditional approval by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change on June 20, 2018. Conditional approval is contigent on the District submitting follow up deliverables through the CRD, including a cost/benefit analysis of various potential timelines for project implementation, as well as an outline of a plan related to the rehabilitation of the existing sewers in their new roles as sanitary sewers going forward. The District's response to the requests for further information related to condition approval can be found here; the District is awaiting the results of the process related to the Liquid Waste Management Plan.
In March of 2017, the District of Oak Bay was awarded a Clean Water Wastewater Fund grant of $324,958. The purpose of the grant was to help the District progress with the detailed design of the Humber Catchment. District staff worked with McElhanney Consulting Services Limited to complete this detailed design in spring 2018, providing the District with a shelf-ready project for implementation in the Humber Catchment. The District submitted a grant applicaiton for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program grant application (in summer 2018) but was not successful. The District submitted an application for the second intake of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program in February 2020.
Additional Information
Click here to access agendas, minutes and webcastings (where available) for the meetings listed below.
STATUS
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SUBJECT
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Council - June 13/22 |
Report - Director of Engineering and Public Works - Minister of Environment and Climate Change Direction on Project Timelines - discussion on this report resulted in the beginning of the project initiation phase, with governance review and decision making scheduled for early 2023. |
Council - January 10/22 |
Report - Director of Engineering and Public Works - Grant Opportunity - Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program - Green Infrastructure (2022 Intake) |
Council - February 10/20 |
Report - Director of Engineering Services - Grant Opportunity - Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (2020 Intake) |
Council - November 12/19 |
Report - Director of Engineering Services - Program Update: Combined Sewer Separation
Attachment 1 - Letter from CRD Board to Minister of Environment (Feb 15, 2017)
Attachment 2 - Letter from Minister of Environment and Climate Change to CRD, June 20, 2018
Attachmetn 3 - Program Update - Combined Sewer Separation in Oak Bay, November 2019
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Council - July 9/18 |
Report - Director of Engineering Services - Grant Opportunity - Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program - Green Infrastructure |
Council - July 17/17 |
Report - Director of Engineering Services - Contract Award - Detailed Design Services - Humber Catchment (Uplands) |
Council - May 23/17 |
Grant Opportunity - Strategic Priorities Fund (Federal Gas Tax Fund)
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Media Release - Mar. 17/17 |
British Columbia Clean Water Wastewater Fund Announcement |
Council - Nov. 14/16 |
Grant Opportunity - Clean Water and Wastewater Fund
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Council - Oct. 11/16 |
Option endorsement by Council |
Sp. Committee - Oct. 5/16 |
Presentation - Project Manager
Report - Project Manager
McElhanney Report - Project Recommendation
Final Report - Appendix A - Fig. A - 3A*
Final Report - Appendix A - Fig. 3B - 9*
Final Report - Appendix B
Final Report - Appendix C
Final Report - Appendix D
Final Report - Appendix E
(*large file size, slow download)
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Council - Sept. 19/16 |
Project Manager Report re: Uplands Project Update
Project Manager Report re: Geotechnical Investigation
WSP Geotechnical Investigation Report - 1 of 2*
WSP Geotechnical Investigation Report - 2 of 2*
(*large file size, slow download)
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Council - Jul. 18/16 |
Project Manager Memo re: Geotechnical Investigation Project Update |
Council - Jun. 13/16 |
Project Manager Memo re: Supplementary Information |
Media Release - Jun. 7/16 |
Geotechnical work to commence in Uplands Neighbourhood |
Council - May 24/16 |
Project Manager Memo re: Contract Award for Phase 1 Geotechnical Investigation |
COW - May 16/16 |
Memo - Assessing Service Installs and Tree Damage
Memo - Trenchless Technology
Presentation - Trenchless 101
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Council - Apr. 25/16
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Acting Dir. of Engineering Services Report - Small Communities Fund |
Council - Mar. 29/16 |
Project Manager Memo re: Phase 1 Geotechnical Investigation and RFP
Chief Administrative Officer's Report
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Council - Feb. 22/16 |
Project Manager's Report |
COW - Feb. 15/16 |
Project Manager's Report |
Sp. Committee - Feb. 2/16 |
CAO's Memo on Special Committee of the Whole Process
Project Manager's Report
Project Manager's Presentation
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Tech Memo
Posted Jan.28/16
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Options Development by McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. (Oct. 30/15)
(large file size, slow download)
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Tech Memo
Posted Jan. 28/16
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Pre-Design Phase - McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. (Nov. 18/15)
(large file size, slow to download)
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Media Release - Jan. 14/16 |
Special Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for Feb. 2/16 |
Media Release - Dec. 3/15 |
Deadline extended for survey to midnight December 11, 2015 |
Article - Nov. 27/15 |
Uplands Sewer Separation affects all residents - Oak Bay News |
Online Survey - Nov. 9/15 |
Project survey: What is important to you? (closed midnight Dec. 11/15)
Survey results available here.
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Tech. Report - Nov. 6/15 |
Archaeological Overview Assessment by Golder Associates Ltd. |
Tech. Memo - Nov. 6/15 |
Archaeological Guidelines by Golder Associates Ltd.
Please note: image rich document, may load slowly
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Nov. 6/15 |
Open House Presentation Materials |
FAQ - Oct. 27/15
Updated Nov. 6/15
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Frequently Asked Questions on the Uplands Sewer Separation Project
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Letter - Oct. 27/15 |
Letter to Residents Regarding Project |
Media Release - Oct. 27/15 |
Open House Events Schedule |
Council - Oct. 26/15 |
Summary of Six Options for Combined Sewer Separation |
Council - Oct. 26/15
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Powerpoint Presentation to Council by J.A. (Jack) Hull, Project Manager
Please note: image rich document, may load slowly
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Council - Jun. 22/15 |
Revised Grant Application - Design, Public Outreach & Construction |
Media Release - May 12/15 |
Council Awards Pre-Design Study Contract |
Council - May 11/15 |
RFP Evaluation and Contract Award |
Council - Mar. 23/15 |
Grant Application - Design |
Committee - Feb. 16/15 |
Pre-Design Study Parameters |
Uplands Survey Data - Sept. 2014 |
Survey Data (Excel, CSV file) |