Liquid Waste Management Plan
The City of Castlegar is developing a Liquid Waste Management Plan to guide the City’s management of liquid waste over the next 20 years.
Civic Works
Liquid Waste
Liquid waste is also referred to as wastewater, sewage, and stormwater runoff. Anything that is flushed down a toilet, or poured down a sink or drain, or water that falls on roads, becomes liquid waste.
Liquid Waste Management Plan Survey
The Stage 1 survey is now closed. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
Open House Drop In – Liquid Waste Management Plan
Help us flush out solutions! Learn about Liquid Waste challenges and solutions, share feedback and speak with the project team.
What is a Liquid Waste Management Plan?
A Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP) is a legal document approved by the Minister of Environment and Parks (MOE). A LWMP enables municipalities to develop holistic plans for liquid waste management that consider the unique needs of the community, businesses, and geography, while meeting environmental regulations.
A LWMP requires community engagement and feedback and occurs over three distinct phases set out by the Ministry of Environment and Parks:
In Stage 1, the City will look at its sanitary sewage system and stormwater drainage question, and:
- Define the baseline and answer the question “where are we now?”
- Set the goals, using the Community Plan to answer “where do we want to end up?”
- Develop a list of options to determine “how do we want to get there?”
- Screen options to refine the list of options and identify what information we need to continue evaluating the list.
After the Stage 1 report has been finalized and approved by the MOE, the City will:
- Close the information gaps identified at the end of Stage 1 and evaluate how they impact the short list of options.
- Select one option to proceed to Stage 3.
After the Stage 2 report has been finalized and approved by the MOE, the City will:
- Complete a detailed study of the preferred option and steps for implementation. This will become the road map for the City and Council to follow.
- Develop a financing plan to determine how the City will fund the plan and the work involved to realize it.
- Council adopts and implements the plan, and it is approved by the MOE.
Once the Stage 3 report is adopted by Council and approved by the MOE, the City may begin enacting the plan.
Community Engagement & Consultation
A LWMP may have large, long-reaching impacts to the community. It requires significant community engagement to ensure that the plan to addresses community concerns and suits the priorities of the public, businesses, and Indigenous communities.
Indigenous Consultation
The City is reaching out to Indigenous communities separately through a government-to-government process. All Indigenous communities and organizations will be invited to participate in meetings, online surveys, and all other public processes.
Committees
An Advisory Committee made up of members of the public is being formed for the LWMP. This committee will be made up of members of the public who will be able to speak to a broad range of interests, including community groups, business interests, technical experts, and more. The Advisory Committee will help plan other consultation with the broader public and will be asked to speak to their expertise when evaluating options brought forward by the consultants hired by the City to develop options. The feedback from the Advisory Committee will be used by the Steering Committee and Council to determine best options and make decisions.
Surveys & Open Houses
The City will be reaching out to the public with surveys and open houses. The feedback from these will be used to inform the options presented to the Advisory and Steering Committees and Council.
Why Develop an LWMP Now?
The City has completed several studies on wastewater treatment in recent years which have outlined various challenges to liquid waste management in the City, including:
- Should the two wastewater treatment plants be combined into one plant? Where should that plant be situated?
- How should the City manage, mitigate, and/or eliminate the odour issues at the South Sewage Treatment Plant?
- The North Sewage Treatment plant may need upgrades in the near future. What considerations should be included in the design?
- How should the City manage unsewered areas like Blueberry? Or future unsewered areas not yet within City limits?
Rather than look at each challenge and solution individually, a LWMP looks at the entire City to create a single plan to address community challenges, as well as any others that come up during consultation and investigation.
Get Involved!
A key component across all stages of a LWMP is engagement with the public and consultation with Indigenous communities. Get involved by sharing your input.
1. Get Informed
Continue to check back on the project web page for additional project information and upcoming engagement opportunities.
2. Ask Questions
Want more details on the project process? Please contact Chris Hallam at civicworks@castlegar.ca.
3. Fill Out the Survey
Stage 1 Survey is closed. Check back for the next survey.
Project Timeline
- Gather Input: Early Winter 2025
- Council Feedback on Stage 1 Report: Early Spring 2025
- Submit Stage 1 Report to Ministry of Environment: Spring 2025
- Next Stage initiation: Fall 2025
- LWMP Completion Target: 2027
How Are Decisions Being Made?
As part of the LWMP process, there are two committees that will receive reports and options from the consultant team and use public feedback to provide comment and direction to the plan. It is the responsibility of council to approve the direction established at the end of each phase of the process.
Advisory Committee
- assist in developing guiding principles for the LWMP
- read background reports and contribute perspectives and general guidance
- assist in identifying and connecting the City with key interest groups
- provide input on the public participation and communications processes
Steering Committee
- read background reports and provide perspectives and guidance
- provide overall direction to the LWMP process
- represent the process to Council
Castlegar City Council
- receive reports for information from the Steering Committee
- review final reports and provide feedback or endorsement
- adopt the final report and empower staff to initiate the plan
LWMP Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know to get involved with the Liquid Waste Management Plan.