Senior levels of government have stepped in with more than $7 million to help the Town of Lake Cowichan complete its $10.1-million wastewater infrastructure upgrades.
Ann Kang, the province’s minister of Municipal Affairs was in Lake Cowichan on Oct. 19 to announce that the federal government has committed more than $4 million and the province is investing approximately $3.4 million to add to the $2.7 million the town is contributing to the project.
The funding will support the long-anticipated second phase of the project, which includes the expansion of the town’s wastewater-treatment facility, enhancements in lagoon aeration and the implementation of phosphorus removal and disinfectant processes.
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All these upgrades, which are expected to be completed in 2028, are essential for ensuring strict compliance with water-quality standards in order to protect the environment and the well being of the community.
Kang said communities like Lake Cowichan exemplify the beauty of the province, making B.C. a special place to live.
“That’s why upgrades to improve water treatment in this growing community are more important than ever,” she said.
“I am pleased that all orders of government are investing in the Lake Cowichan wastewater-treatment plant to ensure community members stay healthy and safe, and that fragile ecosystems are maintained for generations to come.”
The town first began to look at upgrade requirements at the wastewater treatment plant in 2005.
The first phase of the upgrades, which included the construction of a third cell, was completed in 2015 at a cost of approximately $1.7 million, with the help of grants totalling $1.35 million from Gas Tax Fund transfers.
However, it was determined at the time that the completion of the first phase of the project would serve no useful purpose if the remaining upgrades were not completed.
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The town had been instructed by the Ministry of Environment at various times over the years since phase one was completed to promptly implement the necessary measures to correct the non-compliance issues in regards to the discharges from the treatment plant into the Cowichan River, one of just 44 rivers with a heritage designation in Canada, if it is to avoid penalties.
Several other grant applications were pursued for the upgrades in the years after the first phase was completed, with no success, until the latest successful application for funding that was made by the town in 2022.
Lake Cowichan Mayor Tim McGonigle said the upgrades will help the town and the neighbouring Ts’uubaa-asatx First Nation meet their water-treatment needs as they continue to grow for the next 30 years.
He said that, on behalf of council and the community, he is grateful to the senior levels of government for their financial contributions to the project.
“I would like to thank previous mayors and councillors for their previous efforts to secure this funding as well,” McGonigle said.
“The upgrading of our wastewater-treatment plant will resolve compliance issues mandated by provincial regulations required to meet provincial and federal water quality objectives for the Cowichan River, a Canadian designated heritage river.”
