Online Information Session - Tuesday, September 23, 7 pm
Bottled water delivery service to residents near the site will be discontinued on Oct 1, 2025.
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The Capital Regional District (CRD), in partnership with the Province of British Columbia, submitted a formal application to the Ministry of Environment and Parks (ENV) to obtain Certificates of Compliance for the Millstream Meadows site and areas adjacent affected properties in May 2025. The requested Certificates of Compliance were granted in July 2025. This signifies the conclusion of the site remediation and is the result of nearly two decades of investigation, monitoring, and remediation efforts.
A Certificate of Compliance, issued under the BC Contaminated Sites Regulation, provides confirmation that any remaining contamination at a site does not pose a risk to human health or the environment for the anticipated future land uses. Now that the Certificates of Compliance have been issued, monitoring infrastructure will be decommissioned, and the parcel can be returned to productive use.
Recent Work and Next Steps
Several significant steps were completed during the recent stages of the project in advance of the CRD applying for Certificates of Compliance with ENV. In 2020, the CRD applied for several required approvals from, which were granted in mid-2023. Following this, minor follow-up investigations were carried out and the Detailed Site Investigation, Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment, and application documents were finalized.
In July 2024, the CRD Board approved a capital plan amendment to increase the total Millstream Meadows project budget to $15.32 million from $14.3 million, the additional funding came from a combination of provincial contributions and capital funds on hand. This budget increase was required to reach project completion due to ongoing site carrying costs and final investigation expenses.
Beginning in 2007, as a precautionary measure until additional further investigation could be completed, the CRD carried out routine domestic well sampling and provided bottled drinking water to residents near the site. Since then, domestic well water quality results have consistently indicated it was not impacted by contaminants from the site. Based on these findings, and with receipt of the Certificates of Compliance, the CRD will discontinue the bottled water delivery service effective October 1, 2025.
Background
History - Millstream Meadows is a 12.8 hectare parcel located at 1965 Millstream Road in the District of Highlands. The site operated as an unregulated landfill receiving septage and other trucked liquid wastes from approximately 1941 until closure in 1985. The property was privately owned from early 1941 until 1972. The Province subsequently acquired, owned, and operated the site before transferring ownership to the CRD in 1984. Operations were permanently ceased in 1985.
In 2007-2008, the CRD and the provincial government initiated site remediation. This was in response to monitoring results that identified contamination downgradient of the former waste disposal lagoons. The remediation work involved excavation of most of the contaminated soils, disposal of the material at permitted offsite facilities, backfilling of the excavation with clean material, and installation of a groundwater recovery well.
In 2007, as a precautionary public safety measure, the CRD instituted routine domestic well sampling and bottled drinking water provision to residents near the site. Results have consistently shown that domestic well water quality was not impacted.
Provincial Partnership
Since 2005, the Province, the CRD, and the District of Highlands have worked cooperatively on this brownfield project to return the property to productive use. The CRD is leading the remediation program, with costs shared in a 61%/39% split with the provincial government.
Environmental Planning & Current Activities
The CRD recently received risk-based Certificates of Compliance from ENV for the Millstream Meadows site and the offsite management areas. These certificates confirm that human health and the environment are protected, in accordance with the BC Environmental Management Act and BC Contaminated Sites Regulation.
Future Land Use Planning
The CRD and the Province are determining next steps for the property.
