Sludge Watch ==> Victoria BC - More time needed on sewage options

[Maureen Reilly]

More time needed on sewage options
Times Colonist
Thursday, May 22, 2008

With deadlines looming for its decisions on sewage treatment, the Capital 
Regional District board has been handed a road map taking it in an entirely 
different direction.

The region should have 32 house-sized treatment plants, rather than four 
large ones, according to a report done for the province. These small plants, 
near large businesses, institutions and residential projects, could allow 
the recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars through the sale of heat, 
electricity and clean water. They would also allow the region to start 
treatment with a modest pilot program.

The 32-plant proposal would result in a massive redrafting of treatment 
plans. Given that we are on the brink of spending about $1.2 billion to 
treat the waste we generate, it makes sense to consider the new proposal.

It would be wrong, however, to accept it as the best answer, especially as 
peer reviews have raised serious concerns about its potential success.

Small-scale treatment plants can be made to work; Victoria's new Dockside 
Green has become a model for its on-site handling of sewage. More 
small-scale plants could make sense in parts of Greater Victoria. Building a 
sewage treatment plant as part of a new development -- residential, 
industrial or even at the University of Victoria -- could be viable. It 
would be more challenging to place a plant in developed areas, where 
neighbours might be less than enthusiastic.

The report does not pin down costs, saying a 32-plant system could cost 
between $594 million and $1 billion. The peer reviews questioned the cost 
numbers and the revenue estimates. It is at this point impossible to compare 
costs and benefits with the proposed $1.2-billion, four-plant solution.

Issues like maintenance costs and lost economies of scale are still 
uncertain. The report hints at this problem. It cites as a benefit the 
number of jobs that would be created, noting a Swedish city of 500,000 
people needs about 1,000 people on staff to run its waste system. That 
number should raise alarm bells about operating costs.

The report correctly argues that the capital region's sewage treatment plans 
should allow the maximum use of waste and the maximum potential for revenue. 
But that is not a new idea; it is one of the principles guiding CRD planners 
as they have struggled to meet the deadlines set by the provincial 
government.

The province wants a preliminary business plan from the CRD by the end of 
June and a completed document by the end of the year. That doesn't provide 
much time to consider the many options and the 32-plant idea adds yet 
another dimension to an already complicated debate.

Opinions on sewage treatment in the region have been sharply divided for 
years, with sound arguments on both sides. Given the amount of money 
involved, decisions cannot be taken lightly or without considering all of 
the options.

The provincial government is right to seek action. But the current deadlines 
are unreasonable. The CRD needs more time to ensure that the best solution 
is identified -- an idea local representatives might embrace, considering 
that this is a municipal election year.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/comment/story.html?id=7c171689-ace5-48f6-85cd-2fdd81ae25e7