The District of Sechelt (the “District”) is inviting proposals from consultants for the provision of services to develop a Septage Receiving Facility Long-Term Plan for Sechelt, BC.

Scope of work: The scope of work under this RFP includes:

General
The project scope for the Septage Receiving Facility Long-Term Plan is anticipated to be broken down into the following recommended phases:
1. Phase 1: Existing Information Review and Data Gap Analysis
2. Phase 2: 50-year Septage Demand Forecast
3. Phase 3: New Septage Receiving Facility Statement of Requirements
4. Phase 4: New Septage Receiving Facility Location Options
5. Phase 5: Stakeholder Engagement
6. Phase 6: Conceptual Plan for New Septage Receiving Facility
7. Phase 7: Septage Receiving Operational and Financial Plan
8. Phase 8: Dusty Road Septage Receiving Facility Decommissioning Plan

The completed project will give the District clear direction for decommissioning of the existing septage receiving facility and planning a new facility.

Phase 1: Existing Information Review and Data Gap Analysis
The beginning of the project should be focused on gathering and reviewing available information from past reports, record drawings, available mapping, District procedures and bylaws, and any other sources. The proponent should conduct field visits where necessary to verify documented information. It will be important to liaise with the District’s Engineering Department to ensure the required geospatial data from the District is received.

Below is a list of some key documents that will be required to be reviewed, and others might come to light during Phase 1:
• 1991 Stage 1 Secret Cove to Wilson Creek Wastewater Management Plan – Dayton & Knight
• 2000 Stage 2 Liquid Waste Management Plan – Associated Engineering
• 2005 Wastewater Strategy Report – Urban Systems
• 2010 Preliminary Report Biosolids Processing Options – Urban Systems
• 2010 District of Sechelt Final Biosolids Management Plan – Urban Systems
• 2011 District of Sechelt Official Community Plan
• 2012 Design Memorandum Septage Handling – Tetra Tech
• District of Sechelt’s Zoning Bylaw 580

• 2019 District of Sechelt, Dusty Road Septage Receiving Facility Site Operations Review and Medium-Term Planning – Alpine Water and Energy
• 2020 Testing Results
• Census Canada Data relating to regional growth

Given the significant contribution of septage material from outside of Sechelt. Planning document review and consultation will be required with outside agencies and jurisdictions to forecast long term demand. Upon completion of the review of existing information, the proponent is expected to outline gaps in existing data that would limit the next phases of the project. There should be a plan to address the data gaps through either incorporating assumptions, or by conducting additional information gathering. Required additional studies would be outside the scope of this project and would need to be procured separately. It would be the District’s preference to address data gaps through the incorporation of informed assumptions, rather than procuring additional studies. Assumptions could later be refined as more information becomes available.

Phase 2: 50-year Septage Demand Forecast
The future demand for a Sechelt septage receiving facility is important to determine for adequate sizing and phased upgrades. The District envisions this phase of the project will require engagement with many stakeholders, including but not limited to:

• Septage Hauling Companies
• District of Sechelt Engineering, Wastewater, and Planning Departments
• Sunshine Coast Regional District
• shíshálh Nation Government District
• Town of Gibsons
• BC Ferries
• Private Businesses that may generate significant biosolids (aquaculture farms, RV parks, breweries, etc.)
• Public

The proponent will gather information about future demand from various sources and input this information into a demand forecast model. Predicted septage volumes should be presented in graphical format out to 50 years. The proponent will provide specific predicted volumes for every five years of the modelling period.

Phase 3: New Septage Receiving Facility Statement of Requirements
Building on the information gathered in Phase 2 of the project, the proponent shall complete a concise, yet sufficiently detailed, technical memorandum containing the requirement for a new septage handling facility. Guidance will come from several sources, some of which might include:

• Labour-market constraints
• Provincial and Federal environmental quality regulations
• Wastewater legislation
• Septage receiving facility best practices
• Market demand and volume forecasting
• Spatial considerations and land acquisition
• Logistical constraints
• Mitigation of neighbourhood impacts
• Incorporation of emerging technologies
• Building code requirements

The intent of this phase of the project is to develop a specific set of requirements that set the parameters for future phases of the project, such as selection of a location and developing a conceptual plan.

Phase 4: New Septage Receiving Facility Location Options
Selection of a location for the new septage receiving facility is the most critical step in this process. Lot “L” is the current location of the Parks and Public Works Yard and was considered as a potential location for a new septage receiving facility. Although there is still space at the Lot “L” site, there could be better alternatives. The expectation is that the proponent will present five potential sites for a new septage receiving facility. Each site should be assessed in a numerical scoring matrix that assesses factors such as:

• Area available for buildings, operations, vehicle movements and biosolids storage
• Ease of regulatory permitting (including archaeological permitting)
• Site grading and preparation costs
• Proximity to the sanitary collection system
• Proximity to drinking water and power
• Proximity to residential areas
• Potential for odour impacts to nearby human receptors
• Accessibility/centrality of location for septage haulers
• Potential for traffic impacts

The above is not meant to be a comprehensive listing of important factors, and there might be others.
Each site option should be assessed in a numerical scoring matrix to support a recommendation of the preferred location. The proponent will work with District of Sechelt staff to prepare a Council “Request for Decision” report to obtain Council’s approval on a selected site for the conceptual plan.

Phase 5: Stakeholder Engagement
Some of the important stakeholders are listed in the description for Phase 2. Identifying a complete list of stakeholders and their magnitude of influence on the project and plan a strategy to keep those stakeholders informed, engaged, and satisfied is key to the success of the project. The Proponent shall coordinate with the District’s communications team for any stakeholder engagement activities and public notices.

The proponent shall maintain a stakeholder registry that identifies the key stakeholders, each stakeholder’s level of influence over the project, and their level of interest. The analysis should set the level of engagement required for District of Sechelt staff. Issues arising from engagement with specific stakeholders should be included in the stakeholder registry.

The proponent will prepare professional-quality panels and graphics for one stakeholder open house. The District will coordinate this engagement meeting. There will also be a total of three presentations either to Council or a Committee of Council.

The District’s septage receiving facility currently services other jurisdictions. The proponent will be required to participate in dialogue with other local governments on the cost-sharing arrangement and fee structure for the construction and maintenance of a new septage receiving facility. The discussions might lead to funding agreements with other partner governments.

Information collected during stakeholder engagement (Phase 5) should be incorporated into the conceptual plan (Phase 6).

Phase 6: Conceptual Plan for New Septage Receiving Facility
A 2012 concept for a septage receiving facility was planned for Lot “L” where the District of Sechelt’s Parks and Public Works Yard is currently located. At the time of writing this RFP, the new Parks and Public Works Operations Centre Building is under construction where the septage receiving facility was planned to be constructed. However, there is still space on the Lot “L” site for construction of 2012 concept.

Figure 1: Representation of 2012 Biosolids and Septage Receiving Facility Concept at Lot “L” on Dusty Road (please see page 21 of the RFP for Figure 1).

The conceptual layout for the new facility could be like the 2012 concept but located at a different site on the property. Alternatively, an entirely new concept could be recommended. A new concept for septage receiving should:

• Limit the footprint of the facility as much as possible (the 2012 concept was a feasible option for the District in terms of facility size);
• Not rely on high operational costs (even if this means higher upfront capital costs);
• Conserve water;
• Be constructed in a way to allow it to be scaled up or down depending on market demand;
• Include processes that result in the creation of beneficial byproducts (organic fertilizer, soil conditioner, etc); and,
• Limit rainwater inflow component as much as possible.

Phase 7: Septage Receiving Operational and Financial Plan
One of the major challenges to providing septage receiving services is adoption of an operating model that is self-sustaining from a financial perspective. The fee structure for septage receiving make it challenging to cover the costs of operating the current facility. The proponent will present a financial strategy that will move the septage receiving operations to financial sustainability. The financial strategy should account for expected operating costs, maintenance, and asset management.

Phase 8: Dusty Road Septage Receiving Facility Decommissioning Plan
The District understands that decommissioning of the existing DRSRF will be a significant project. The existing facility has a long history as a former wastewater treatment plant. An environmental site assessment may be required to determine if there is soil contamination that would require remediation. Additionally, the older buildings might require hazardous building material inventories. Components of the decommissioning plan would include the following and it is expected that the Proponent use their experience and expertise to develop a comprehensive plan:

• Phase 1 and 2 Environmental Site Assessments
• Assembled Floor Plans of Existing Facility
• Hazardous Building Material Inventory
• Salvageable Equipment Inventory
• Decommissioning of Existing Buried Infrastructure
• Recommendations for Tendering Strategies for the Decommissioning
• Untreated Wastewater and Residuals Removal and Disposal
• Biosolids Removal and Disposal
• Operations Transition Plan
• Class “C” Cost Estimates

The plan should detail all required components for a complete decommissioning with estimated task durations including any regulatory review and approval periods.

Timing of Deliverables
Deliverable must include the following
1. Technical Memorandum #1 – Summary of Available Information and Data Gaps - February 2023
2. Technical Memorandum #2 – Demand Forecast and Statement of Requirements - April 2023
3. Technical Memorandum #3 – Location Options - August 2023
4. Technical Memorandum #4 – Conceptual Plan - December 2023
5. Technical Memorandum #5 – Operational and Financial Plan - December 2023
6. Final Report - Septage Receiving Facility Long-Term Plan - February 2024
7. Upper Dusty Road Septage Receiving Facility Decommissioning Plan - February 2024