Uplands Sewer Separation Project - Humber Catchment

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Welcome to the project page for the Uplands Sewer Separation project in the Humber Catchment. This page provide project information and upcoming opportunities to share your feedback with the project team.

Were you unable to attend the June Open Houses? The project team is happy to connect with you at another time or you are welcome to share your feedback or questions with the team at humberproject@oakbay.ca.

This project is the first phase of a sewer separation project in the Uplands neighbourhood, the Humber Catchment. The existing, combined collection system is comprised of two main catchment areas – Humber and Rutland.

The system was constructed in the 1930’s using a single pipe to collect both sanitary sewage (toilets, showers, and sinks) and storm water (rainwater leaders, foundation drains and catch basins in the roads), discharging into the ocean at the ends of Humber Road and Rutland Road. In the early 1990’s, these combined systems were redirected into the newly constructed Capital Regional District pump stations at Humber and Rutland and pumped into a trunk sewer main on Beach Drive. However, during large storm events, which are becoming more frequent, the flow into the pump stations can at times exceed the capacity of the pumps and the excess effluent discharges through the old outfalls into the ocean. In 2016, six options were developed for separating the combined sewer system into separate sanitary sewer and storm sewer systems. The option selected by Council, after a public consultation process, was a new gravity storm sewer system. The existing combined sewer system will become the new separate sanitary sewer system.

The Uplands Sewer Separation project is one of Oak Bay’s major infrastructure commitments under the regional Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan (CALWMP). Once both phases are complete, the project will eliminate sanitary sewer overflows to the nearshore marine environment, thereby significantly improving health and environmental protection. It will also bring the municipality in compliance with provincial and federal wastewater and environmental protection legislation. Notably, the Province of BC has directed that construction of the Humber catchment area must be complete by 2025. To meet this deadline, the District anticipates that construction will begin in the fall/winter of 2023.

Physical works that will be undertaken as part of the first phase (Humber catchment construction) include:

  • construction of a new gravity stormwater system (approximately 3.5 km), including mains, manholes, catch basins and leads;
  • installation of new service connections to each house (approximately 120);
  • installation of new streetlights, and
  • construction of two new ocean outfalls.


Frequently Asked Questions

What does this mean for my property?

Older homes in the Uplands only have a single pipe leaving the home, which conveys both sewage and storm water to the combined sewer. Newer homes have two separate pipes, one for sewage and one for storm water, which merge at the property line into a single pipe connected to the combined sewer. After construction is complete, each property will have a lateral connection to the new storm sewer at their property line installed at no charge to the owner. Houses that already have two separate pipes will be connected to the new lateral, assuming that the house’s storm pipe is deep enough to connect. Houses with a single pipe system will be encouraged to connect to the new system.

What is the clean water sewer utility surcharge?

Residents in Oak Bay pay for their water and sewer usage on their utility bill three times per year. Water is measured at the property line in the water meter box, and sewer usage is estimated based on water usage. Houses in the Uplands also put clean water into the sewers and are not charged for the costs associated with conveying and treating this clean water. Once the storm sewers are completed, houses that are not connected to the storm sewers will pay a surcharge on their utility bills. The surcharge represents the average amount of water that each house puts into the sewer system and will be estimated by multiplying the house’s roof area by the average annual rainfall. This will come into effect one year after the new storm drain system is completed and will initially only apply to houses in the current project area.

Example calculation:

The average roof area in the Humber catchment is 337 m² (3600 square feet.) Average annual rainfall in Victoria is 851 mm per year.

337 m² * 851 mm = 286.8 m³ of clean water each year. 1 “unit” of water is 2.832 m³, so this house generates 101.3 units of clean water per year. At a combined sewer rate of $7.89 per unit ($2.80 per unit for Oak Bay and $5.09 per unit for CRD,) this home would owe an additional $799 per year or an additional $266.33 on each utility bill.

If a property chooses not to separate their systems and connect to the new storm sewer system, when will their surcharge come into effect?

There will be advance notice to properties who have not separated their systems, with a one-year grace period being given from the completion and acceptance of each catchment area.

Example: Property owners meet and consult with District Staff ahead of construction. Construction commences in their zone in November of 2023. That zone will likely not be built and accepted by the District until the following Fall, at which time the property owner’s one-year grace period would start.

Will the District of Oak Bay provide a list of contractors for residents to contact regarding work done on their private property?

The District will not be providing a list of local service providers for undertaking this work. The District suggests property owners obtain several quotes from contractors to ensure costs are reasonable.

Can you guarantee that costs for property owners will be consistent from the current Phase 1 to Phase 2 of the project?

Unfortunately, given market circumstances it’s possible that costs will differ for Phase 2, by the time it commences. This is generally true for any services that are procured.

Will staff visit my property prior to construction?

District of Oak Bay staff will be meeting with each property owner (Phase 1) to review their particular property characteristics. Phase 2 properties will not be reviewed at this time as detailed design for this phase has not commenced.

What if – on my property – stormwater is already separated from the sewer system? Will I be spared from connection or the surcharge?

It is possible that some properties may not have to connect to the new storm sewer system, due to onsite practices that keep that stormwater out of the sewer system. In these select cases, the surcharge will likely not apply, as their stormwater is not a burden on the sanitary system. These will be determined on a case-by-case basis, as each property will be reviewed by District of Oak Bay staff prior to construction.

How much will this cost property owners?

In District Staff’s May 29, 2023 PowerPoint presentation to Council, the average cost to separate and extend to the property line was estimated to be $12,400. This was a high-level cost estimate, with each property possibly having variables to be considered which will affect the estimate.

How can I share my feedback?

The project team is happy to connect with you at another time or you are welcome to share your feedback or questions with the team at humberproject@oakbay.ca.

Welcome to the project page for the Uplands Sewer Separation project in the Humber Catchment. This page provide project information and upcoming opportunities to share your feedback with the project team.

Were you unable to attend the June Open Houses? The project team is happy to connect with you at another time or you are welcome to share your feedback or questions with the team at humberproject@oakbay.ca.

This project is the first phase of a sewer separation project in the Uplands neighbourhood, the Humber Catchment. The existing, combined collection system is comprised of two main catchment areas – Humber and Rutland.

The system was constructed in the 1930’s using a single pipe to collect both sanitary sewage (toilets, showers, and sinks) and storm water (rainwater leaders, foundation drains and catch basins in the roads), discharging into the ocean at the ends of Humber Road and Rutland Road. In the early 1990’s, these combined systems were redirected into the newly constructed Capital Regional District pump stations at Humber and Rutland and pumped into a trunk sewer main on Beach Drive. However, during large storm events, which are becoming more frequent, the flow into the pump stations can at times exceed the capacity of the pumps and the excess effluent discharges through the old outfalls into the ocean. In 2016, six options were developed for separating the combined sewer system into separate sanitary sewer and storm sewer systems. The option selected by Council, after a public consultation process, was a new gravity storm sewer system. The existing combined sewer system will become the new separate sanitary sewer system.

The Uplands Sewer Separation project is one of Oak Bay’s major infrastructure commitments under the regional Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan (CALWMP). Once both phases are complete, the project will eliminate sanitary sewer overflows to the nearshore marine environment, thereby significantly improving health and environmental protection. It will also bring the municipality in compliance with provincial and federal wastewater and environmental protection legislation. Notably, the Province of BC has directed that construction of the Humber catchment area must be complete by 2025. To meet this deadline, the District anticipates that construction will begin in the fall/winter of 2023.

Physical works that will be undertaken as part of the first phase (Humber catchment construction) include:

  • construction of a new gravity stormwater system (approximately 3.5 km), including mains, manholes, catch basins and leads;
  • installation of new service connections to each house (approximately 120);
  • installation of new streetlights, and
  • construction of two new ocean outfalls.


Frequently Asked Questions

What does this mean for my property?

Older homes in the Uplands only have a single pipe leaving the home, which conveys both sewage and storm water to the combined sewer. Newer homes have two separate pipes, one for sewage and one for storm water, which merge at the property line into a single pipe connected to the combined sewer. After construction is complete, each property will have a lateral connection to the new storm sewer at their property line installed at no charge to the owner. Houses that already have two separate pipes will be connected to the new lateral, assuming that the house’s storm pipe is deep enough to connect. Houses with a single pipe system will be encouraged to connect to the new system.

What is the clean water sewer utility surcharge?

Residents in Oak Bay pay for their water and sewer usage on their utility bill three times per year. Water is measured at the property line in the water meter box, and sewer usage is estimated based on water usage. Houses in the Uplands also put clean water into the sewers and are not charged for the costs associated with conveying and treating this clean water. Once the storm sewers are completed, houses that are not connected to the storm sewers will pay a surcharge on their utility bills. The surcharge represents the average amount of water that each house puts into the sewer system and will be estimated by multiplying the house’s roof area by the average annual rainfall. This will come into effect one year after the new storm drain system is completed and will initially only apply to houses in the current project area.

Example calculation:

The average roof area in the Humber catchment is 337 m² (3600 square feet.) Average annual rainfall in Victoria is 851 mm per year.

337 m² * 851 mm = 286.8 m³ of clean water each year. 1 “unit” of water is 2.832 m³, so this house generates 101.3 units of clean water per year. At a combined sewer rate of $7.89 per unit ($2.80 per unit for Oak Bay and $5.09 per unit for CRD,) this home would owe an additional $799 per year or an additional $266.33 on each utility bill.

If a property chooses not to separate their systems and connect to the new storm sewer system, when will their surcharge come into effect?

There will be advance notice to properties who have not separated their systems, with a one-year grace period being given from the completion and acceptance of each catchment area.

Example: Property owners meet and consult with District Staff ahead of construction. Construction commences in their zone in November of 2023. That zone will likely not be built and accepted by the District until the following Fall, at which time the property owner’s one-year grace period would start.

Will the District of Oak Bay provide a list of contractors for residents to contact regarding work done on their private property?

The District will not be providing a list of local service providers for undertaking this work. The District suggests property owners obtain several quotes from contractors to ensure costs are reasonable.

Can you guarantee that costs for property owners will be consistent from the current Phase 1 to Phase 2 of the project?

Unfortunately, given market circumstances it’s possible that costs will differ for Phase 2, by the time it commences. This is generally true for any services that are procured.

Will staff visit my property prior to construction?

District of Oak Bay staff will be meeting with each property owner (Phase 1) to review their particular property characteristics. Phase 2 properties will not be reviewed at this time as detailed design for this phase has not commenced.

What if – on my property – stormwater is already separated from the sewer system? Will I be spared from connection or the surcharge?

It is possible that some properties may not have to connect to the new storm sewer system, due to onsite practices that keep that stormwater out of the sewer system. In these select cases, the surcharge will likely not apply, as their stormwater is not a burden on the sanitary system. These will be determined on a case-by-case basis, as each property will be reviewed by District of Oak Bay staff prior to construction.

How much will this cost property owners?

In District Staff’s May 29, 2023 PowerPoint presentation to Council, the average cost to separate and extend to the property line was estimated to be $12,400. This was a high-level cost estimate, with each property possibly having variables to be considered which will affect the estimate.

How can I share my feedback?

The project team is happy to connect with you at another time or you are welcome to share your feedback or questions with the team at humberproject@oakbay.ca.

Page last updated: 29 Aug 2023, 11:04 AM