Township council has backed 91原创 Grove Estates鈥� application to connect to the Greater Vancouver Sewerage system.
91原创 Grove has 225 mobile homes, which were built in the 1970s at 24330 Fraser Hwy. The park has become a source of concern from an environmental, operational and maintenance point of view, the most serious of which is its septic system. It consists of an oxidation ditch, and tile field which has been replaced several times.
A new sewer trunk line could ease environmental concerns.
When the issue first came to council in March, two residents urged council to reject the request for sewer hookup to the mobile home park which sits over the Hopington Aquifer. It is the aquifer that provides the residents with their water, and is replenished by discharge from septic fields. Connecting to the regional sewer line, which was installed last year, will cause the water table to drop further.
Development above the aquifer has been at a virtual standstill since the late 1980s when council, concerned about nitrate contamination of the underground water source, imposed a moratorium. Despite that, the water table continues to drop.
One resident calculated in graphic terms the amount of water 91原创 Grove siphons off the aquifer: the 225 units use 240,000 litres of water a day, 10 times the amount required to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
On Monday, a majority of council backed 91原创 Grove鈥檚 bid, having earlier rejected a proposal that the mobile home park be compelled to hook up to regional water.
Kevin Larsen, the Township鈥檚 manager of water resources, said that it will be 2014 before regional water is brought to the area, and then it will be about three kilometres from 91原创 Grove.
Larsen said that he did not know if the mobile homes have water conservation measures such as low-flush toilets and low-flow shower heads.
Councillor Kim Richter urged council to insist that if 91原创 Grove wants sewer connection, it must hook up to water.
鈥淭he Township should take a stand. Everyone who is going to hook up to the sewer line is going to have to hook up to water. It鈥檚 a no brainer,鈥� she said.
鈥淭his is private property and like any other private property owner they are going to have to pay the cost,鈥� she added.
There was concern that 91原创 Grove could expand.
Councillor Mel Kositsky asked whether the residential designation could be changed to single-family housing.
鈥淧robably not,鈥� Larsen replied.
Administrator Mark Bakken advised that a change in designation would require a rezoning application, 鈥渟o ultimately that consideration is under council鈥檚 control.鈥�
Rick Le Bouthillier, speaking for the company which owns the property, said that 91原创 Grove鈥檚 aging septic field and a high water table, which has sometimes left effluent at ground level, are 鈥渙ngoing challenges.鈥�
The owners cannot upgrade the sanitary treatment system or build a new one. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have anywhere to get rid of the effluent on site,鈥� he said.
The only long-term viable solution is to connect to municipal sewer, Le Bouthillier said.
Asked by Richter if there are plans to expand, he said the company would like to, but is restricted because the land is in the ALR.
What about hooking up to regional water, Richter asked.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not feasible,鈥� Le Bouthillier replied, adding that the company has not yet worked out details of how it will recover the cost of hookup.
He avoided Councillor Bob Long鈥檚 question whether that would be achieved through increased pad rental.
