A $39,000 tax bill is coming to households in Royston and Union Bay.
The Comox Valley Regional District is charging households for the Sewer Extension South Project, which will connect wastewater lines from Union Bay and Royston to the treatment plant in Comox.
Households in phase 1A of the Sewer Extension South Project will see an annual property tax of roughly $1,550 beginning in 2026 and ending in 2051. Alternatively, residents could skip the 25-year term and pay roughly $22,000 upfront.
These payments will account for an estimated $5.8 million of the $63 million costs to build sewer infrastructure to the affected areas of Royston and Union Bay. Households will then pay a one-time fee to decommission their septic systems and connect their homes to the sewer, estimated between $2,500 and $8,500.
The district project aims to stop pollution in select areas of Royston and Union Bay, which are known to have high rates of unregistered, illegal or outdated septic systems and to have environmental risks, such as by being near the ocean shore.
Malfunctioning systems are believed to be polluting Baynes Sound, a roughly $30 million-per-year shellfish area that was part of a contaminated oyster recall in 2022. At least 279 people fell ill during the incident.
“The important message here is that the status quo is not an option,” regional waste planner Darry Monteith told the Record. “There is long-standing concern about aging and leaking septic systems in these communities, threatening human health and the environment.”
At the same time, the Comox Valley Regional District is seeking to gain the authority to regulate septic systems.
If granted, the new authority would allow the district to enforce regular maintenance, pumping, replacement and inspections to septic system owners. Owners would bear most of the costs, estimated at $950 per year. Upgrading to a “Type 2” system, if necessary, would cost an estimated $25,000.
Monteith said hundreds of properties in the Union Bay and Royston areas are not included in the first sewer extension phase, and will continue to operate septic systems for years to come. The district wants the authority to ensure that these properties are not polluting while they await connection to later sewer phases.
Comox Valley Regional District hopes the regulatory bylaws will be introduced in 2026, alongside the beginning of the sewer extension project.
Residents and community members are invited to three open houses in June to engage about the Sewer Extension South Project. An open house is scheduled June 7 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Zoom, June 13 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fallen Alders Hall in Royston, and June 14 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Union Bay Community Hall.
For more information, visit bit.ly/3C8fURv
ALSO: Province committing $30 million for wastewater services to Royston, Union Bay
connor.mcdowell@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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