Time to rethink entire sewage plan
Dr. Jack Littlepage, Professor Emeritus, University of Victoria
Jack L. Littlepage, Times Colonist, July 27, 2010
If anyone in Victoria doubts that the CRD is hopelessly mired in sewage they need only to read the report of last week’s CRD committee meeting.
View Royal Mayor Graham Hill summed it up by saying too many of the CRD’s decisions are being driven by funding, not poop.
It is time to look at what we are getting for our $780 million-plus: A liquids-only sewer plant on prime harbour waterfront, pipelines to Hartland, unspecified biosolids treatment (somewhere) and annual operating costs in the millions.
We are not getting improved health benefits, environmental enhancement or elimination of deepwater marine outfalls. This is confirmed by volumes of local, national and international reports.
The CRD sewer committee should revisit its goals and adopt a waste-water treatment system that emphasizes environmental protection.
Currently, they are focused on technical solutions without regard to environmental impacts.
With some improvements to our current treatment system and minor changes to proposed regulations that would recognize the concept of initial dilution-zone mixing we can easily meet or exceed the national standards for environmental protection as well as meet Environment Minister Barry Penner’s requirement for additional treatment.
And we would still have money left over to tackle real problems such as storm drain outfall systems, social housing and community health.
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