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Liquid Waste Management Plan

This page was last reviewed on October 3, 2024.

The Village of Cumberland is creating a long-term plan for managing its wastewater. This process began in 2016, and has led to the start of important upgrades to the wastewater treatment system. Stage 3 of the Liquid Waste Management Plan is now underway

Get the Latest Updates at Engage Comox Valley: Join us and follow along as the LWMP process moves forward at the online engagement hub at engagecomoxvalley.ca/cumberland-lwmp. The latest project updates will be posted there – along with opportunities to share comments and questions moving forward.

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Historical Updates

Scroll through the below sections to catch up on the LWMP process completed since 2016.

2024 Updates

  • Sept. 2024: Public Infosessions Hosted to invite feedback on planning process
  • Aug. 2024: Stage 3 of the LWMP is activated

2021 Updates

  • March 22, 2021: Council awarded contracts to contractor team (Colliers Project Leaders, Integrated Sustainability, Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd.)

2019 Updates

  • October 2019: An implementation plan for the Wastewater Upgrades Project was approved. Read the full implementation report dated October 7, 2019.
  • September 2019: A funding plan, including the Green Municipal Fund grant, was approved by council. View the September 9, 2019 staff report.
  • August 2019: The Village is awarded $7,113,010 from the Environmental Quality stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP-EQ)

2018 Updates:

  • October 2018: Referendum on borrowing for the Wastewater Upgrades Project passes. View the October assent vote and the proposed project and borrowing.
  • August 2018: An AAP to obtain elector approval for borrowing of $4.4 million receives sufficient response to prevent borrowing from being approved. Summary can be found here. Council elects to seek elector approval during local government election in the fall.
  • July 2018: Cumberland Council approved the Stage 2 Liquid Waste Management Plan, which has been submitted to the BC Ministry of Environment.
  • May 2018: The Wastewater Advisory Committee has reviewed the draft Stage 2 LWMP report and council directors borrowing approval to be pursued using an Alternate Approval Process. View the May 14, 2018 staff report to Council.
  • April 2018: Council decides that the preferred option of treating Cumberland’s liquid waste is through an upgraded lagoon to MEP quality, with discharge to the north wetland. This is option 1, Phase 2A. Council also determined that the preferred discharge option shall be to the Maple Creek watershed, with the exception of the future reuse applications. A second (indirect) discharge location to the Maple Lake Creek watershed via the north wetland will be established, and any future reuse applications must take into consideration maintaining minimum dry weather flows in Maple Lake Creek. Read the April 9, 2018 Treatment Options Report. View the presentation to Council on April 9, 2018.

2017 Updates

  • November 2017: Open houses are held to collect community input on options for wastewater treatment. View the information shared: November 23 Open House Powerpoint, November 23 Open House Posters
  • Summer 2017: Project team studies treatment and discharge options for a phased approach that will spread upgrade costs over time. View the Powerpoint for more details. September 7 WAC meeting Powerpoint
  • April 2017: The Village learns it was unsuccessful in receiving grant funding, applied for in 2016.

2016 Updates

  • November 2016: A public open house is held on grant funding opportunity for wastewater treatment upgrades. Open House Powerpoint
  • October 2016: The Wastewater Advisory Committee recommended a short-list of Options for the discharge, and reuse of treated waste water. The committee recommended a two-tiered grouping for further investigation, with the examination of a storage wetland option and a storage reservoir option the two preferred choices. The committee decided to remove the option of studying discharge to Maple Lake Creek as it cannot meet the stringent provincial phosphorous requirements. The committee also recommended that the Village move forward with an application to the Clean Water and Wastewater fund for a treatment option.
  • September 2016: A public open house is held on the Proposed Short-list of Options for Wastewater Management. Materials shared: Open House Posters, Open House Powerpoint
  • August 2016: Council endorsed the Wastewater Advisory Committee’s recommended goals and evaluation system for the Liquid Waste Management Plan. View the full report to Council which outlines the goals and evaluation system.
  • July 2016: A public open house is held on community goals for wastewater management. Materials shared: Open House Displays, Open House Presentation
  • May 2016: A public tour is held of the wastewater lagoon to kick of the LWMP. Find out more about the tour, LWMP project stages, and wastewater advisory committee.
  • March 2016: Council approved the Terms of Reference for the Wastewater Advisory Committee
  • March 2016 Update – A project road map is shared, outlining the LWMP process
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