news

Cranbrook, BC (February 7, 2022) – A virtual open house will be scheduled in the near future for property owners in the Shadow Mountain subdivision to discuss options and potential costs of a Local Area Service (LAS) for a sanitary sewer connection to the City of Cranbrook’s sewer collection system. 

The proposed LAS project is to construct a new sewer system that would connect the Shadow Mountain development sewer to Cranbrook’s existing sewer system at Mennie Road near Echo Field Road. There is currently no connecting sewer system from Shadow Mountain to Cranbrook. 

When the Shadow Mountain Development was created over 10 years ago, it was envisioned that one developer would initiate the construction of the sanitary sewer works to connect the Shadow Mountain development to the City of Cranbrook sewer system. The development lands have gone into receivership at least two times and the land has now been sold to multiple to developers and owners, meanwhile the necessary sewer system to connect Shadow Mountain to the City sewer was never completed as people have continued to buy lots and build houses over the years. This longstanding issue from the past needs to be addressed now. 

“We have been undertaking conversations and meeting with the developers and owners on this proposed project,” says Curtis Penson, Manager of Engineering and Field Services with the City of Cranbrook. “Holding an open house is important to inform owners of the latest cost estimate, design work and to get feedback of the local area service to potential incorporation in the Local Areas Service petition.”

A Local Area Service (LAS) is the installation of a utility service such as water, sewer, or road that benefits a certain area of residents, and those residents then pay for that service rather than all City taxpayers pay for the service installation.

The estimated cost of the project as of January 2022 is $8.7 million. The City holds from the original developer approximately $600K from development securities. A portion of these funds are currently being used to undertake a detailed design of the works. It is estimated that once the design and engineering are complete $200,000 to $300,000 security funds will remain to put towards the construction costs.

Shadow Mountain is currently serviced by a temporary onsite sewer holding tank system that requires storing and trucking sewage under a permit. If the LAS petition is not successful to fund the proposed sewer system project, the onsite sewer system permits will need to be renewed between Shadow Mountain and Interior Health and the Ministry of Environment. 

A portion of the project would be funded by the City due to oversizing and owning a portion of the works to accommodate Northern Area (properties between Shadow Mountain and pre 2007 City boundary extension) the extra pipe size to connect future development in those areas rather than having to upgrade the sewer pipe in the future. The cost of the oversizing is estimated at $1 million. Options for funding this are being explored by staff and brought to Council for consideration.

Some of the oversizing is for the provision of a water main/service needed at the city owned lift station for odor control, operational, maintenance and safety.