A West Shore-specific wastewater treatment plant hasn’t been ruled out, even as an expert panel recommended a single tertiary treatment facility at McLoughlin Point.
Among its recommendations, the panel has called for more studies on a proposed plant in Colwood that would also serve Langford.
“There has been an interest in the region for decentralized wastewater treatment,” the report said. “This proposal is consistent with this interest and may work.”
A Colwood plant would not affect plans for a McLoughlin plant, the report said, and would potentially accommodate future growth.
The proposal by Aqua-Tex Scientific Consulting would see West Shore wastewater collected and treated, then pumped into the ground. It aims to avoid building an ocean outfall in Colwood.
The $2 million in studies would include technical studies and environmental impact assessments.
Colwood council has committed to hosting the plant and selecting a site for it, if it goes through.
There are still many outstanding issues with the proposal, including a need to evaluate impacts on the water supply and stream flows.
“There is considerable risk that the technology of ground disposal for reuse and recharge may not be approved by the Ministry of Environment,” the report said.
The studies could also push the project completion date beyond the federal regulatory deadline or reveal new significant costs.
“If, on the other hand, the risks do not materialize, and if the Colwood proposal is the lowest cost option for future regional growth, and it proceeds, then the plant at McLoughlin will have treatment capacity to allow for growth well into the future. This outcome is far preferable than building McLoughlin at lower capacity today and having to expand it at significantly higher cost in the future,” the report says.
The original cost estimate of $58 million for a Colwood plant was boosted to $65 million, plus $12 million in case on-site solids management is required, according to a peer review.
Langford Mayor Stew Young said he supports the idea of a plant for the West Shore, if it’s the cheapest option. “This is where the growth is.”
He said he was surprised to see the drop in annual cost estimates for Langford taxpayers to $239 under the McLoughlin estimate. Previous estimates pegged a single facility as costing $41 annually to Langford taxpayers, with grants. “I’m amazed that it’s gone down to $239. I'm skeptical of the price, but I have not been able to get the CRD to say how it's been dropped.”
He said he wants to see a more thorough financial accounting of how the overall budget dropped to $765 million and an explanation for what happens if costs rise beyond that. “If the number is incorrect, who actually pays for it?” Young said.
For other municipalities, the project board estimated annual taxes between $146 in Colwood and $344 in Oak Bay.
CRD spokesman Andy Orr said the $765 million includes money already spent.
Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton said she was happy to see a West Shore option is still on the table and funding for the study recommended as part of the budget. “I was concerned it might be totally excluded,” she said.
“If this gets passed, there’s lots of work that needs to be done to meet timelines. It’ll be fast and furious.”
