Last year – 2012 – ratepayers in Okanagan Falls paid for the use of a regional sewer system and on the tax bill – it cost 531 dollars.

In 2013 – that rate will go up $85 to $616 and future hikes will increase it even more.

Why?- the cost of construction and operations of a new sophisticated waste water treatment plant that is about to be commissioned 2 km downstream from the old plant – that cost almost 12 million dollars.

Picture above of a public meeting hosted by D RDOS Director Tom Siddon and District Engineering and Finance staff to explain the new costs and what has been built. The crowd was light and generally everyone seemed to say that they were getting quite a deal for the price.

It will take some time to fully commission the new plant, close the old one before all costs will shake down and RDOS officials says efforts will be made to dampen the blow but rates will rise in 2014 and 2015. The new plant is working now going through a test period.

The project received a lot of financing and would not have been economical without it. two thirds of the money comes in the form of grants so rate payers are financing only $4.9 million in loans.

The plant has been designed to handle double what the old system did. The old system at the foot of Cedar Street, near a neighbourhood, was installed in 1978.

The new plant has been built so that Skaha Estates and Kaleden can join in – if trunk lines could be built to transport sewage to the plant. This will be worked on but mostly likely will not happen for a number of years with the cost extremely high.

There are about 1200 residential connections at the moment with each new connection cost about $9500 in DCC fees to get service.