‘It’s a health risk’: TNRD applying for $7-million in grants for new Savona water treatment plant

According to a July 17 TNRD staff report, the proposed new water treatment plant will see the existing low-lift lake intake in Savona replaced with a full-scale membrane filtration facility.

“A membrane filtration plant, combined with the existing sodium hypochlorite disinfection, will meet Interior Health’s Drinking Water Objectives and provide both potable and palatable water, year-round, to the residents of Savona,” the TNRD report said.

“Additional benefits include significant asset renewals and replacements such as the intake pump house and associated electrical and mechanical components being replaced.”

Vieira said that since 2020, the Savona Community Water System – which was built in 1977 – has been under a water quality advisory for 896 days and a boil water notice for 260 days. The system has been subject to a water quality advisory since Feb. 21 this year.

“Over the last five years, residents have been on either a boil water notice or water quality advisory for 63 per cent of the time,” he added. “For these reasons, a water treatment facility is desperately needed for this community.”

While the TNRD has approximately $65 million in capital projects over the next five years that are eligible for funding under the SPF – $35 million of which is related to utility systems – Vieira said the Savona was prioritized because of the number of people who would benefit from the new water treatment plant.

“It aligns with the TNRD’s policy for utility systems that we focus funding and grant applications for infrastructure that creates the greatest benefit for the greatest number of people,” Vieira said.

If the Strategic Priorities Fund application is successful, the TNRD will use two other grants to cover the remainder of the costs. Approximately $3-million will come from the Growing Communities Fund and the other $1-million will come from the Canada Community Building Fund (CCBF), formerly known as the Gas Tax.

At Thursday’s (Aug. 14), the TNRD board voted to use $839,000 in CCBF funding from Electoral Area “J” which includes Savona as well as $67,000 each from Electoral Areas “L,” “P,” and “I.”

“This allocation will support the TNRD’s application to the Strategic Priorities Fund by demonstrating that the project will be fully funded if the grant is awarded,” a subsequent staff report said. “The CCBF allocation is contingent upon the successful award of the SPF grant and will be cancelled if the application is unsuccessful.”

Vieira did caution that UBCM staff have indicated that larger grant requests are “less likely to be successful” owing to the limited amount of funds available. If the TNRD was to get the maximum $7 million it can apply for, Vieira said it would account for almost six per cent of the $119 million available for capital infrastructure projects across the province.

If the grant application is unsuccessful, the TNRD will continue to look for other grant opportunities that might be available so construction on the Savona water treatment plant project can go ahead.

“Some of these capital projects on the utilities side require large scale grants or its the only opportunity for those projects to ever happen,” Vieira added. “In our other services that have a larger tax base, there are other funding opportunities or funding from reserves or borrowing for those projects.”

“We brought this project to the utility committee and their specific recommendation was for the Savona Water Treatment Plant.”

Construction is currently underway on a new water treatment plant for the Pritchard Community Water System, the second largest water system in the TNRD. According to the TNRD, provincial and federal grants funded 98 per cent of the $6.15 million cost of that new plant, which is expected to be operational by early next year.

by Victor Kaisar

‘It’s a health risk’: TNRD applying for $7-million in grants for new Savona water treatment plant

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