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Sewer and Water LIC Projects
From time-to-time, Halifax Regional Municipality is requested to provide new water and sewer infrastructure to communities which currently do not have those services. The community may be as small as two properties on a single street, or it may be a much larger community comprised of hundreds of properties or more. If the community is close to existing water and sewer systems, it may be able to be serviced by extending those systems. In other circumstances, the community may require a new source of water supply and a new wastewater treatment plant.
The request for sewer and water is usually precipitated because some of the properties have malfunctioning onsite sewage disposal systems and/or contaminated wells. Sometimes the sewage problem is so severe that raw or undertreated sewage is found in ditches or elsewhere in the local environment. Water problems can also be related to malfunctioning onsite systems. Other times the water is of poor quality because of natural soil or rock conditions, or there is inadequate water supply during dry weather conditions.
Sometimes the community may feel that water and sewer services would be beneficial in promoting and facilitating growth and development in their community. Or in other situations, property owners simply want water and sewer for the convenience and for the perceived higher level of service.
The role of Environmental Engineering Services staff in Sewer and Water LIC Projects is to develop and implement such projects when directed to do so by Regional Council.
The resources required to develop a Sewer and Water LIC Project are considerable, even for communities as small as a single street. The following activities are required, regardless of the size of the community:
- Identify the problem: Is there an environmental or health problem? If so, how extensive? Or is the issue simply that the community is desirous of piped water and sewer for the sake of perceived higher level of service?
- Determine community interest: Do those who have requested sewer and water represent the majority of the property owners? If not, is it possible to provide sewer and water only to those who want it? What is the best way to determine the actual level of interest? This is typically done through community consultation, the most common being community meetings and surveys.
- Identify the best solution, and estimate costs: Is piped water and sewer the only solution, or even the best solution? Is there a simpler, more cost-effective solution, such as remediating existing wells and onsite wastewater disposal systems?
- Develop a funding plan: Typically the capital costs are borne by the property owners who will benefit from the new services. Sometimes, funding is provided by other levels of government, i.e. the federal or provincial government.
- LIC By-Law: In order to recover Local Improvement Charges from the property owners, a by-law must be put in place by Regional Council. Staff develop the by-law, provide a report to Council and support the public hearing process required to put the by-law in place.
Determining the answers to these questions and carrying out the various work activities is time-consuming and complex, plus it is often an iterative process, requiring considerable community consultation in order to reach the proper decision for the community and for HRM.
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