The following comments were made by Dr Shaun Peck at a press briefing hosted by ARESST on Tuesday May 18th 2010.
The CRD is rethinking its sewage treatment plans.
There was some encouraging news at a recent CRD Liquid Waste Management Committee. In December a business case was submitted to the Minister of Community and Rural Development Bill Bennett. This plan called for the spending by the CRD of $961 Million – close to $1Billion - on Land Based Sewage Treatment.
In view of changes in some previous assumptions particularly about water conservation, the organic loading in the sewer system (possibly banning of garburetors and reduction of input from commercial establishments such as dairy plants) and newer population projections it now appears that the construction of a Westshore plant may be able to be delayed and the total number of plants and new outfalls will be reconsidered.
The Community and Rural Development Ministry has stated to the CRD that they will not support water reuse, that they have no expectations on the number of plants and they will not commit to funding future capacity. They do however expect there to be innovation in biosolids processing, and for the CRD to use current proven technology that is cost effective.
Minister Bennett has stated- “the province is committed to funding the best, lowest-cost solution” for the provision of sewage treatment for the CRD.
Up until now, in my view, there had been no attempt by the CRD and their consultants to design a much more economical, treatment system that would enable the CRD to meet the requirements of the Provincial and proposed Federal regulations. What was being proposed is a “Cadillac” system with a plethora of features that will not be needed.
The overall current preliminary cost estimate of $961 Million is still going to result in a huge burden on the local householder through the sewer charge or taxes on each house, as well as on Provincial and Federal taxpayers. It will affect more than householders. It will also affect everybody, including renters and businesses and especially the Tourist Industry.
To understand what the cost is locally consider that you could build 14 new Blue Bridges across Victoria harbor for the current proposed expenditure. The downtown Bay center has recently been sold for about $100 Million. The current proposed expenditure on the land based sewage treatment plans would build nine Bay centers!
I am concerned that the CRD has still been planning to commit taxpayers to resource recovery when two consultant reports have indicated that it is just an add-on cost and it is not cost effective? Hopefully in a revised plan this will be eliminated.
I am now going to comment on public health and environmental issues.
There is compelling science that indicates that Climate Change and Global Warming is occurring and all measures need to be taken to reduce the emission of Green House Gases to the atmosphere.
This has been examined by the CRD’s consultants. In spite of the fact that offsets are being claimed based on an accepted methodology, there will still be a significant carbon foot print produced by the current plan. The emissions will still occur even with claimed offsets. Estimated C02e emissions for the current plan are 40,000 Tonnes per year or 1.6 Million Tonnes over 40 years. These annual emissions, based on one set of calculations, are equivalent to the C02e put out by 7,736 automobiles per year.
When the marine, land and global environment is considered - building land based sewage treatment plants will have more of an adverse impact on the overall environment than the current natural treatment with the engineered deep sea outfalls.
A big concern about the sludge (known also as Biosolids) created by sewage treatment plants is that many chemicals (such as metals – Copper, Lead, Arsenic etc ) will be concentrated in the sludge and then a means has to be determined as to how this will be disposed of.
I am hopeful that with the rethinking of the proposed plan that we will see a much more economic plan. The most economic plan would be to modify the current deep sea outfalls – such design changes as 2 mm screens or extending the outfalls or planning to create dispersion of the effluent prior to discharge through the outfall diffusers. It might avoid having to build the proposed two additional outfalls. The need for a plant in the Saanich East location needs to be justified as to why it cannot be eliminated from the plan.
Originally Minister Penner (in July 2006) ordered the CRD to come up with a plan for treatment. He did not order secondary treatment. It was the CRD Board on November 8th 2006 who passed the following resolution:
5.2 CORE AREA LIQUID WASTE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE –October 11, 2006
1. Commitment to Sewage Treatment. MOVED by Director Brownoff, SECONDED by Director Clement, that the CRD:
1) commit to implement, as soon as possible, comprehensive sewage treatment (equivalent to secondary or better) designed to accomplish the best results possible from a triple bottom line perspective;
2) establish a public process, in collaboration with the provincial and federal ministries, to ensure the public is well informed of the social, environmental and financial cost/benefits of treating our local sewage.
The CRD’s report that was submitted to the Minister of CD states that the plan will protect public health and the environment. This latter statement is not true – there will be a negative impact on public health and the overall environment from building these land based sewage treatment plants.
Inspite of artificial deadlines that have been set there is no need for haste in this project because at the end of the day if and when something has been constructed there will be no measurable benefit to public health or the environment.
I am hopeful that you the media will keep a close critical brief on this project – it is by far the largest capital project ever undertaken in this Region.
There are many exemplary water and waste water initiatives being carried out by the CRD and member municipalities which are all helping protect public health and the environment. These include – safe drinking water, greatly improved water disinfection, water conservation measures, reserved watershed areas for the future, provision of an excellent sewer source control program, many initiatives to prevent inflow and infiltration to sewers, more attention to rain water runoff and storm water drains that discharge directly on to the beaches.
Thank you.
Dr Shaun Peck was the Medical Health Officer for the CRD 1989-1995
Dr Shaun Peck's original medical degree (MB BChir) was from the University of Cambridge. He obtained an MSc from the University of British Columbia in Health Services Planning and Administration and his specialty in Community Medicine (FRCPC). Studies at UBC included courses in Environmental Engineering. He spent 26 years as a public health physician (including six years as the Medical Health Officer for British Columbia’s Capital Regional District (the CRD) and eight years as Deputy Provincial Health Officer for the Province of British Columbia). During the last 18 years time he has observed and commented on the most appropriate sewage treatment for the CRD. His regular comments have been based on extensive discussions with and input from economists, other public health officials, marine scientists and civil (sewage system) engineers.