Four sewer options studied

By Soren Velice

A feasibility study for a possible regional wastewater treatment plan has met further delays due to an additional study to examine costs of other options.

“We’re expecting the feasibility study to come out in mid-April,” said Roger Brown, Birch Bay Water and Sewer District’s (BBWS) general manager. The study was originally supposed to be finished by the end of March.

The other options under consideration include sending waste to the greater Vancouver system by way of Surrey, building a system off one of the creeks feeding into Drayton Harbor that uses manmade wetlands and ponds, similar to a system in Arcata, California or building a new plant on Semiahmoo hill and connecting it to the present outfall.

Blaine public works director Grant Stewart made a list of nine options gathered from city council meetings and study sessions, public works committee meetings, joint meetings with Blaine and BBWS, settlement negotiations with the Lummis and Drayton Harbor Shellfish Protection District meetings.

Using criteria such as impact on adjacent property values, amount of land and compatibility with adjoining land, proximity to service area, local control over facilities and costs, economics of consolidating with outside utilities and cost for service life, Stewart boiled it down to the four options listed above.
City manager Gary Tomsic said it was too early to guess which option, if any, is better than a regional system. “At the moment I don’t have an opinion until we see some further information,” he said.

Brown said he doesn’t have any preference for the plans not involving BBWS. “We see our role as the alternative that involves the district,” he said.

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