The City of Enderby needs approval from residents in order to borrow $4.1 million to upgrade its water treatment plant.
The money would finance a portion of the costs for the upgrades and would be repaid over a period no longer than 30 years.
Because it's a significant chunk of change to be borrowed over a long period of time, Enderby is required by B.C. law to obtain voter assent.
The city has chosen to conduct an alternative approval process (AAP), which gauges how many residents are opposed to the borrowing. Only residents who are opposed participate in the AAP, and as long as less than 10 per cent of the population voices their opposition, the borrowing will be approved. If 10 per cent of the population (or 238 eligible residents) or more vote against it, the borrowing will fail. A failed AAP would require the city to hold a referendum in order to have a chance at proceeding with the borrowing.
The water treatment plant was built in the late 1990s and was originally designed for eventual expansion. The city says the upgrade project is "generally consistent" with the original planning, adding there will not be a change in water quality after the project's completion.
According to the city, the upgrades are necessary as the current system is insufficient to keep up with the needs of residents during periods of high use. Other measures such as water metering, conservation and drought management have only helped postpone the upgrades, and the time has come to take this major step to boost capacity, the city said.
"Water demand among existing customers currently exceeds the production capacity of the Water Treatment Plant at peak seasonal demand; in the event of a prolonged period of peak seasonal demand, such as during a heat dome, it is likely that strong emergency conservation measures will need to be imposed in order to ensure that there is sufficient water available for essential and emergency needs," the city said in a .
The project aims to increase the capacity, reliability and resiliency of the system through the following upgrades:
鈥� Add a second water filtration plant
鈥� Replace, upsize, and add resiliency to ultraviolet treatment system
鈥� Improve distribution pumps to increase flow of water to reservoirs
鈥� Replace river intake screen to accommodate more flow
鈥� Replace transfer well pumps to meet additional filtration plant capacity requirements and ensure fire protection requirements are maintained
鈥� Add a dedicated back-up power system
The city intends to apply for funds from the Canada Community-Building Fund, supplied jointly by the federal and provincial governments. The fund has announced a grant opportunity for this type of project that would provide up to $7 million. If the grant is successful, it would leave the city to come up with $4.1 million to complete the project.
"As with most communities, the city does not have funds reserved for a project of this magnitude and will need to borrow the remaining $4.1 million needed for the project," the city said.
If the full amount of borrowing is needed, residents would face a water frontage tax increase of $176 for the average home to fund annual borrowing costs, but the city notes this cost would not be implemented all in one year and would instead be gradually applied over several years.
The grant application deadline is Sept. 12, and the city says if the AAP does not approve the borrowing the project will have to be delayed, which will increase its cost and require a higher amount of borrowing and water frontage taxation in the future.
Those in favour of the borrowing don't need to do anything. Those opposed can fill out an and submit it to the city no later than 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2.
For more information, contact the city at info@cityofenderby.com or 250-838-7230.
