Putting too much money into a Capital Regional District sewage-treatment plan could take away funding from a range of future needs, says Saanich Coun. Vic Derman.
Derman, who is also a CRD director, presented his views to the recently formed Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project Board, telling members that the big issue is how to ensure taxpayers are getting value for the money that will be spent. The expert board was appointed in May, with B.C. Community Minister Peter Fassbender giving it control over sewage-treatment planning in region.
“Basically, I’m saying this is critical because you don’t want to empty the ‘regional wallet,’ ” Derman said. “Look at all the other things you’re going to have to respond to, especially climate change.”
Also on the list are transportation, replacement of aging infrastructure, health care, homelessness and affordable housing, he said.
Derman questioned the federal assessment of the sewage situation in the region, which he said rates it as “high risk” even though there is only limited damage to be seen in the ocean.
He called that “functionally absurd,” and said it brings with it a 2020 deadline for project completion. A medium assessment would move the deadline to 2030 and low would move it to 2040, he said.
“How do we make sure that we actually do something that minimizes the net cost to the taxpayer and accomplishes environmental gain?”
One important step will be to extract as many usable products from sewage as possible, Derman said, such as gas that can be turned into electricity.
He said the knowledge in extracting resources from sewage lies with small, innovative companies in the private sector.
“It’s not the traditional engineering firms, by and large, and it’s certainly not consultants or [CRD staff], it’s not their area of expertise.”
CRD directors had been trying for about a decade to establish a treatment plan, most recently with a proposal for an underground facility at Clover Point and a second one at either McLoughlin Point or Macaulay Plain. Estimated cost is $1.13 billion.
Among the reasons the wastewater board was put in place was that a slow pace was seen as risking the loss of $500 million in federal and provincial funding.
Following his appearance before the board, Derman said that he has been looking at a potential sewage-plant site in the Uptown area. “Right across the road [from Uptown], the province owns a large amount of land in what we call the Nigel Valley.”
He said the chance of climate-related sea-level rise could lead to consideration about whether sewage facilities should be near the coast.
The board has indicated it is interested in hearing from delegations and members of the community.
