City doesn't want your crap

Photo: Kamloops Matters

It's a long way to go for a dump, but people are apparently driving hundreds of kilometres to dispose of wastewater in Kamloops.

In response, city council has voted to raise the cost for commercial liquid waste and wastewater sludge disposal at the Kamloops Sewage Treatment Centre and Mission Flats liquid waste sites – more than doubling fees from $20.21 per cubic metre of commercial liquid waste or $23.69 for wastewater, to a flat fee of $50 per cubic metre.

City utilities manager Greg Wightman says the rate jump will bring Kamloops into alignment with other facilities in the province.

"We felt we needed to really get this rate up to the $50 a cube that we're recommending to stop that practice of people driving long distances to bring their sewage to our facility just because we're so much cheaper," he told council. "At this point, the only recommendation we have is just to get the rate up to a competitive mark."

Rates range from $36 per cubic metre in Penticton to $61.30 per cubic metre in Metro Vancouver.

Wightman said the city knows of people driving from as far as Osoyoos or Abbotsford to dump waste in Kamloops.

He added the three main sources are septic fields, porta-potties and commercial grease interceptors.