Regional District Director Allan Patton – says all the hurdles have been cleared at the RDOS and it should be smooth sailing on the Gallagher Lake Sewer Project.

Residents of Gallagher Lake will soon benefit from a new sanitary sewer system that will eliminate the community’s reliance on individual septic tanks. The Government of Canada, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) and the Province of British Columbia will fund this important infrastructure initiative.

Gallagher Lake has a residential population of 350, and is home to a number of recreational, commercial and industrial facilities. The project will design and construct a sewer system that will connect properties in the area to a treatment plant located on Osoyoos Indian Band lands.

The Regional District has been working in conjunction with the Osoyoos Indian Band for several years on a plan to improve the Gallagher Lake Sanitary Sewer, and this funding will prevent septic tank discharge to the underground aquifer, improving its water quality and allaying environmental concerns while offering much improved service to residents in the area.

The project will receive over $360,000 from Canada’s Gas Tax Fund, with additional funding of $200,000 provided through RDOS Area C reserve funds and through debt financing. A Liquid Waste Management Plan is underway to ensure public input has been considered.