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Wastewater System

The Wastewater Treatment Plant services more than 23,000 people in Squamish every day and treats about 3.4 billion litres of wastewater (or sewage) every year.

Wastewater is treated using either primary or secondary treatment processes.

Primary treatment – removes materials that float or readily settle out by gravity as well as dissolved organic materials.
Secondary treatment – uses biological processes to remove more material, including small suspended solids and soluble organic materials.

During treatment, wastewater is tested to ensure that treatment plant processes are working effectively and meeting regulations. Treated wastewater (effluent) is then released into the Squamish River.

Upgrades to the Wastewater Treatment Plant are currently underway to help meet the demands of Squamish's growing community as well as maintain compliance with Federal and Provincial wastewater treatment regulations. Once construction is complete, the new plant should sustain population growth until approximately 2040 and will provide post-disaster operability and withstand seismic and flood events.

Upgrades to the WWTP were initiated following the 2015 Liquid Waste Management Plan and the 2018 Sewer Master Plan.

Flush Facts

There are more than 142 kilometres of sewer pipe in Squamish.
Wastewater can take up to 6 – 10 hours to flow through up to the nine kilometres of pipe from all neighbourhoods to the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
There are 26 lift stations around Squamish that pump wastewater to a higher level so gravity can take it the rest of the way to the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Sewer flow peaks at around 7:30 a.m. and again between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
80% of the water consumed in the District eventually goes to the Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment.