City of Castlegar Presents Stage 1 Liquid Waste Management Plan to Council
By City of Castlegar
Council received the City’s Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP) Stage 1 Report for consideration at the December 1, 2025, meeting. With Council’s support to move the report forward, it will now proceed to the December 17, 2025, Regular Council Meeting for formal adoption before being submitted to the BC Ministry of Environment and Parks.
A LWMP is a multi-stage planning process overseen by the Province of BC to guide how communities manage wastewater and stormwater over the long term. The Stage 1 Report provides a comprehensive overview of Castlegar’s existing systems, identifies known challenges, and outlines potential options for improvement across the collection system, treatment facilities, biosolids management, stormwater, and treated effluent return.
A key outcome of Stage 1 is the recommendation to transition from the City’s two existing wastewater treatment facilities to a single, consolidated system at the North Sewage Treatment Plant. This reflects technical analysis and input from Advisory and Steering Committees, as well as feedback received through community engagement. Consolidating treatment at the North Sewage Treatment Plant will guide future decisions related to treatment technology, outfall siting, and routing flows across the community.
The report also acknowledges ongoing work at the South Sewage Treatment Plant. The City is actively exploring interim measures to reduce odours and stabilize biosolids handling in the near term, while ensuring that any actions taken are compatible with the long-term direction established through the LWMP. These interim solutions will be evaluated with consideration of future consolidation plans, ensuring that short-term investments consider the City’s long-term wastewater management strategy.
“Planning is one of the most important responsibilities we have as a local government,” says Mayor Maria McFaddin. “The Stage 1 Report provides a clear understanding of our current wastewater systems, the challenges we face, and where we need to focus our investments. This work strengthens our long-term asset management planning and ensures we are making informed, responsible decisions about critical infrastructure that serves our residents for decades to come.”
If adopted on December 17, the Stage 1 Report will be submitted to the BC Ministry of Environment and Parks for review. The Ministry may request clarification or refinements before granting approval to proceed to Stage 2. Following provincial approval, the City will advance to Stage 2 of the LWMP, which includes evaluating treatment technology options, undertaking an environmental impact study for a new outfall location, assessing biosolids and septage solutions, and refining stormwater strategies as part of developing a preferred long-term liquid waste management strategy.
Learn More
Visit castlegar.ca/lwmp for project updates.
Comments