Protecting Cultus Lake has been 鈥渁 long time鈥� coming.
Cultus Lake Park is getting a new wastewater treatment plant to protect the lake.
鈥淲e are here this morning to celebrate an infrastructure announcement that will make a real difference for people in our community,鈥� said Kelli Paddon, MLA for Chilliwack-Kent, on behalf of federal Minister of International Development Harjit Sajjan who could not attend.
鈥淚鈥檓 please to share that the province and federal government have committed nearly $10 million to the construction of the new Cultus Lake North Wastewater Treatment Plant.鈥�
The innovative facility 鈥渨ill protect the water quality of Cultus Lake鈥� by removing excess nutrients such as nitrogen, nitrate and phosphorus.
鈥淛ust take a look around. It鈥檚 no surprise why people come to British Columbia, and it鈥檚 no surprise that they choose Cultus Lake, our Lake, as a place to live, work and play.
鈥淭his lake is a jewel of the province, and I鈥檓 glad to see all orders of government working together to protect it,鈥� Paddon added.
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The federal government is investing $5.45 million in the project through the green infrastructure stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The provincial government is contributing $4.54 million through the environmental quality program, a sub-stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, while the Fraser Valley Regional District is providing $3.63 million.
Taryn Dixon, FVRD electoral area H director, praised MLA Paddon鈥檚 role in helping to secure funding and for her advocacy on the project. She thanked FVRD staff for their dedication, planning and trouble-shooting.
鈥淚 am confident as the project unfolds that we will have a state-of-the-art facility,鈥� Dixon said.
The new plant will replace the existing end-stage sewer plant. The new infrastructure will help protect the aquatic environment, endangered fish, which include the Cultus Lake pygmy sculpin and Cultus Lake sockeye, as it will also protect the lake water quality well into the future.
鈥淭he innovative part of the Class A-Plus system is that the technology involved will remove up to 95 per cent of the nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen from the effluent,鈥� said Christina Toth, of the Fraser Basin Council, who spoke on behalf of the Cultus Lake Stewardship Society chair Dave Clyne.
A few years ago, the Fraser Basin Council obtained funding for a study by an SFU student, under the supervision of the researchers at the Department of Fisheries & Oceans lab, here at Cultus Lake.
鈥淭he study confirmed too much nitrogen and phosphorus was going into the lake. The main sources are from overland run-off, from the air, and from the treated septic wastewater effluent.
鈥淭his excess of nutrients is detrimental to the lake because it leads to toxic algae blooms, poor fish habitats, and to a generally degraded aquatic ecosystem.
鈥淭he Regional District and the Cultus Lake community embraced the science and chose the most effective wastewater treatment system,鈥� Toth said.
Funding will support the construction of a new facility to upgrade collection and provide secondary treatment of wastewater, manage sediment, and remove nutrients like nitrogen to control algae growth and protect aquatic habitats.
Related infrastructure installations will include piping and rapid infiltration basins, and will address odour control. Soowahlie First Nation will benefit from the installation of a pressurized sewer pipe.
Once installed, the facility will improve water quality for the local community, increase wastewater capacity, and protect residents鈥� health and the lake鈥檚 ecosystem for years to come. The federal/provincial grant is about $9.9 million, combined.
Cultus Lake Park Board chief administrative officer Joe Lamb sent the following statement by email:
鈥淐ultus Lake Park Board and staff are pleased and excited about the today鈥檚 announcement of a $10 million dollar grant related to the construction of the new Cultus Lake North sewer treatment facility.鈥�
He said all proceedings with respect to the legalities regarding the sewer treatment facility have now been resolved.
The park board is looking forward to working with partners, the Fraser Valley Regional District Board, and staff to complete 鈥渢his extremely important project鈥� over the next few months.
鈥淲e are confident that with the original assent vote for the borrowing of $6.5 million and the grant announcement made today that we will be able to complete this project and take great steps to preserving lake health over the long term,鈥� Lamb added.
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