The Capital Regional District has approved its 2026 budget, which includes moving ahead with the final design of the Maliview Wastewater Treatment Plant on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. The project aims to modernize the aging facility to ensure it meets environmental rules and protects the surrounding marine life.
Property owners who use the Maliview sewer system recently approved a borrowing plan to help pay for the work through a local petition process. This community funding will be combined with $1,989,000 in grant money provided by the provincial and federal governments.
The plant was originally built in the late 1970s and serves about 100 properties in a semi-rural neighbourhood. In 2019, Environment Canada issued warnings after the facility failed water quality tests designed to protect fish in the Trincomali Channel.
The project budget has grown to $3,986,000 because of the rising costs of construction materials and inflation. The new design for the Maliview Wastewater System will replace the old cleaning equipment with a more effective system to ensure treated water is safe.
According to Gary Holman, the local director for the area, the project is now in its third phase. This stage focuses on finishing the specific engineering plans before the final construction work begins on the facility.
