In Rayleigh and Karindale, a new report says it will cost an estimated $36.5 million to switch nearly 800 households from septic to municipal sewer service.

The report was done by McElhanney Consulting and was finished in June, and it uses construction cost estimates for 2021. The report cost just under $75,000 after being approved by council last year.

City of Kamloops engineering manager Devin Matkowski says each household would pay 80 per cent of costs, with the city paying the other 20 per cent out of its sewer fund. That means if the switch were approved and cost $45,000 for the average home in Rayleigh and Karindale, that property owner would pay $36,000.

Matkowski also says there could be added costs.

“For example, a lot of the septic fields are going to be in the backyard of a resident’s house in Rayleigh, so the sewer will leave their house going to the backyard. The service, if they connected to the city system, would probably be at the street in the front of the yard. So the cost to reroute the piping from the back of the house to the front would fall on the residents.”

He says the “worst case” scenario for homes would be $10,000-$15,000 extra, while homes that won’t need pipes rerouted would pay “close to zero” in those added costs.

Meanwhile, there are currently no grant opportunities that the project would be eligible for to offset some of the costs, Matkowski says.

A group of residents brought an expression of interest to the city in 2019, about switching from septic to sewer, and city staff say many septic fields in Rayleigh have exceeded their lifespan.

Matkowski says Rayleigh and Karindale are among the last areas of the city that are on septic. Heffley Creek, Noble Creek and the Tournament Capital Ranch would remain on septic if the new system goes ahead, but the city says there will be connection points if those neighbourhoods want to switch from septic in future years.

There will now be a public meeting held for residents, and Matkowksi asks people to keep an eye on the city’s communication channels for when that will be.

Afterwards, there will be a “preliminary petition” and then an official petition, where at least 50 per cent of landowners would need to vote in favour of the project. That would all need to happen before Kamloops council could approve the construction going ahead.