Sorrento Blind Bay Community Wastewater Study, Columbia-Shuswap Regional District

The Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) will study the feasibility of installing a wastewater treatment system to replace septic tanks in the communities of Sorrento and Blind Bay to reduce groundwater contamination, align with new federal and provincial environmental standards and encourage social and economic development. Sorrento and Blind Bay are located on scenic Shuswap Lake along the TransCanada Highway in the B.C. interior. With a combined population of less than 3,000, the two communities are served by private residential sewage systems and small combined sewage systems located at local resorts and businesses. Regular testing shows that groundwater quality in the area is rapidly deteriorating and that the shallow, rocky soils are unable to filter contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, and nutrients from the sewage effluent. The situation is projected to worsen in the coming years, with an increase in development and more frequent heavy rains and snowmelt. In line with the Liquid Waste Management Plan that was adopted by CSRD in 2009, the study will consider and evaluate options for the design, construction, financing and operation of a new wastewater treatment system for Sorrento and Blind Bay. Options to be explored include on-site effluent treatment systems where residents and businesses use individual septic tanks to store solids and liquid waste is piped to a treatment facility, secondary treatment with aerated lagoon technology, tertiary treatment plants with discharge into the lake, and separate stand-alone systems for Blind Bay and Sorrento. Solutions will meet at a minimum, federal and BC Ministry of Environment requirements, and be based on community input, the results of technical and financial assessment, and will be vetted by an advisory committee representing a cross-section of community stakeholders. The CSRD will also look at creating partnerships with the local farm community which has been supportive of using reclaimed water for innovative spray irrigation systems. Such partnerships may offer valuable knowledge-sharing opportunities in other agricultural parts of the province. (Project description from original funding application)