Kimberley’s mayor says this week’s evacuation of Merritt due to the community losing its waste water treatment plant serves as a cautionary tale for the flood plain along the St. Mary River.
The waste water treatment plant in Kimberley is located along the flood plain, and mayor Don McCormick says the facility has not experienced a flooding event in its history.
However, he says high freshet brings water levels close to the facility every year, and the situation in Merritt highlights the need for Kimberley’s plans to replace its waste water treatment plant to move forward with urgency.
“The water levels come perilously close [to the waste water treatment plant] every year, particularly in years of high freshet,” McCormick says. “The Merritt situation is certainly a cautionary tale for us, and one that is upping the sense of urgency that we have with the Province to get funding for our new plant.”
Plans for Kimberley’s new plant call for the facility to not be located near the St. Mary River.
“The new waste water treatment plant, the design that we have in place is designed not to be on the river,” says McCormick. “The reason these plants are on the river is that’s where the sewage used to go, even before the waste water treatment plants. Of course, we’ve got treated effluent that needs to go into the river.
Current plans call for the new plant to be operational by the end of 2026 if all funding for the facility is approved, view more information from the City here.
He’s wishing for a speedy recovery for all BC communities which have been impacted by this week’s flooding events.
View McCormick’s social media post on the situation below:
– Don McCormick – Mayor of Kimberley – Article includes files from City of Kimberley
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