The District of Clearwater and Trans Mountain Corporation have signed a $3.1 million funding agreement that will benefit both parties, according to the mayor.
Merlin Blackwell says the money will be used to upgrade the drinking water, wastewater management, and sewer treatment systems, which he says is critically needed.
“One of them is a high volume water line that runs from our well system up to the new Trans Mountain work camp which will be a legacy area for an industrial park once the work camp is gone,” he told NL News. “It also improves fire flow protection for the whole west side of the Clearwater township.”
The expanded sewer capacity will be able handle raw sewage from the camp without interfering with the town’s sewer system, according to the company, meaning waste won’t have to be trucked to Kamloops. Blackwell estimates those improvements increase capacity to allow for at least 20 years of growth in the district.
At full capacity, the TMX camp is expected to house up to 550 workers while the pipeline expansion is being built.
“When we began planning the Expansion Project, we made a commitment to work with communities to minimize the impact of construction activity, and maximize the long-term benefits for local communities,” Ian Anderson, the President and CEO of Trans Mountain said in a statement.states in the release.
Blackwell adds this new money is in addition to the $390,000 community benefit agreement the district has with TMX, as well as the $900,000 in taxes that Clearwater the Thompson-Nicola Regional District will get each year.
“Trans Mountain looked at our business case and they said yes,” he noted. “Instead of shipping things to Heffley and hauling water by tanker truck to service this camp, it is much better to invest in infrastructure projects in Clearwater. It benefits everybody and it saves costs on the project, so it is a win-win for both of us, and a long term win for the community of Clearwater.”
The work to upgrade the water and sewage treatment systems began in July, and it is expected to be completed in about three months.
