Construction of a new septage receiving facility is now done, District of Clearwater chief administrative officer Leslie Groulx reported to the joint services committee on Jan. 11.
An official grand opening for the facility will likely be held sometime mid-March to early April.
The facility is located next to District of Clearwater's sewage lagoon on the Flats in Clearwater.
Groulx said the hours of operation will be confirmed by the public works superintendent.
The public needs to be educated about the new facility, the chief administrative office said. To that end, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District will include information about hours of operation with its tax notices when they are sent out.
The septage receiving facility is a joint project of the TNRD and District of Clearwater.
Previously septage (material pumped from septic tanks) was disposed of in pits at the former TNRD landfill next to the road to Wells Gray Park north of Clearwater.
With the opening of the recycling depot in Clearwater, that landfill was closed, except that the septage disposal pits were kept open until the septage receiving facility could be constructed.
Disposal of septage is an important issue in this area because only a small percentage of homes and businesses are connected to sewer.
The joint services committee coordinates services, such as the septage receiving facility and the Sportsplex, that are funded by property tax payers in both the District of Clearwater and Wells Gray Country (TNRD Area A). It is made up of representatives from Clearwater town council and Wells Gray Country services committee.