Construction is underway on the City of Courtenay Greenwood Trunk Sanitary Sewer Project to increase capacity in the sewer system in East Courtenay. Once complete, the project will divert wastewater away from the Courtenay pump station, alleviating capacity and environmental concerns and helping accommodate future growth in the community. 

Courtenay’s portion of the Greenwood Trunk will redirect sewage to the Comox Valley Sewage Commission’s new Greenwood Trunk on Anderton Road completed in 2018. A new lift station along the City’s Greenwood Trunk will be designed with improved technology, including the ability to monitor the system remotely, which will decrease response times and make managing the system more efficient. The new lift station will allow the City to decommission three smaller temporary lift stations.

“This project is a major capital investment for the City of Courtenay. It’s the highest priority project in our Sewer Master Plan,” said Mayor Bob Wells. “It will provide much-needed capacity in the sewer system and ensure it can support anticipated future development in and around this part of the city. Reducing the amount of wastewater entering the Courtenay lift station also lowers the potential for overflow into the estuary during peak storm events.”

The new line will move wastewater from East Courtenay to the sewage treatment plant on Brent Road via the CFB Comox pump station.  

Leighton Contracting mobilized on site in June, with construction expected to continue until December.

Much of the project will occur on private property, with the main construction access to the site via a farm gate on Anderton Road. Construction along a section of Anderton Road north of Ryan Road is expected in mid-September.   

Due to the presence of fish-bearing waterways and amphibian habitats in and around the project area, the project team is following a number of measures to protect the environment. All necessary regulatory pemits have been obtained, and the work will be limited to a schedule approved by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to minimize the impact on aquatic life.

Active construction will also incorporate a fish and amphibian collection program, as well as active monitoring by registered environmental professionals.

Total 2020 project costs for tender, design, and construction are estimated at $4.1 million. The City is funding this project through $1.05 million in reserve funds, $50,000 from general sewer utility revenue, and the remaining $3 million from borrowing.

Schedules will be updated as work progresses. Visit www.courtenay.ca/greenwoodtrunk for up-to-date project information.