Landfill’s Life to be Extended with New Water Pond

More space is being created at the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) Sechelt landfill, extending the life of the landfill by four years. The project will see the relocation of the existing contact water pond, with that space then, being used as a waste disposal area.

Most of the work will take place from March 3 to March 31 and will result in minimal disruption to landfill customers. Starting March 1, landfill crews will not be accepting ammonia and propane fridges, and the Ocean Plastics Depot will be temporarily closed.

“The benefit of this project is that it will give the community more landfill space pushing the anticipated closure date of the site by at least four years,” says Marc Sole, SCRD Manager, Solid Waste Services. “By extending the life of the landfill, we are able to reduce long term costs associated with exporting waste and gain more time to determine a long-term disposal option for the Coast.”

In 2022, the SCRD studied the composition of waste going into the landfill and found that 46% of the waste taken to the landfill is either recyclable or compostable.

“To make the most of the space we have left we need community members to prioritize ways to reduce, reuse and repair before they recycle or throw away what they no longer need,” says Sole.

The new contact water pond will have improved filtration and a larger capacity to prevent overflowing during major storm events.  The ground water around the landfill is monitored regularly throughout the year through testing the water in observation wells located around the landfill.

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