City council is being asked to approve a budget amendment to provide for the expansion and upgrading of the composting facility at the Whitehorse landfill.

The original rough estimate after a preliminary assessment put the cost of expanding the operation and laying down concrete pads on which to place the organic material was $2.7 million, according to the administrative report to council Tuesday evening.

The report noted a geotechnical drilling program last summer determined there would need to be more excavation work than initially anticipated and a larger volume of gravel brought in to prepare the site.

“In light of the required changes, an updated cost estimate was sought from the engineering consultant that completed the geotechnical assessment, and the new estimated project cost increased significantly to $4,800,000, reflecting consulting, construction, and a contingency amount,” the report notes.

But council also heard the additional funding has already been secured through a $400,000 contribution from federal gasoline tax funding and $4.4 million through a federal infrastructure program.

The tender for construction of the new facility closed June 25, with Castle Rock Enterprises submitting the low bid of $2.99 million.

City council is scheduled to vote on the budget amendment next Monday, as well as the contract award to Castle Rock.

Geoff Quinsey, the city’s manager of waste and water, explained to council the composting facility currently places the organic material over aeration pipes on a gravel bed.

Turning over the material as required with heavy equipment for aeration is tricky because it’s sitting on gravel, Quinsey said.

Laying down the concrete pads with the aeration pipes would make it much more efficient, he said.

Quinsey told council the capital investment will result in substantial savings in operational costs.

Collection of commercial compost became mandatory last January, and 48 commercial customers have been added, the report notes.

It says another 18 in the downtown core will be added before the end of this month. That will complete the expansion of the food service sector five months ahead of schedule.

The collection of compost from January to now has risen by 16.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2018.

Once the expansion to the commercial collection is complete, collection from multi-family buildings will begin shortly afterward and be completed by the end of 2020, the report notes.

Quinsey explained in an interview after council’s meeting he’s been very impressed by the positive response from the business community.

Adding a single commercial customer may not sound like much, but when you’re talking about the large grocery stores, it becomes substantial, he said.

Once collection from the commercial and multi-family sectors is complete, the composting facility will handle and additional 1,000 tonnes of organic material per year. That will bring the total up to an estimated 3,300 tonnes, he explained.

“The most important environmental benefits are reducing groundwater contamination (leachate) and reducing methane emissions,” says the report.

The diversion of 3,330 tonnes of organics equates to taking approximately 400 vehicles off the roads, says the report.

The diversion also prolongs the existing life of the landfill while helping the city attain its goal of diverting 50 per cent of waste.

Sales of compost have also been strong, the report notes, with 1,115 yards of bulk compost and 2,429 bags sold to mid-June 2019.

It projects that revenues will surpass 2018’s record sales of $73,000.