5667 replies to this topic

[shoeflack]

The outfall pipeline has arrived and is causing quite the visual out at Ogden Point today.

 

Webcam, Image 1, Image 2

 

 

[JohnN]

Excerpts:

...The largest pressure pipe ever used in North America will be connected to a new tertiary wastewater treatment plant in the town of Esquimalt on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

 

...The massive pipe, which is made of high density polyethylene and has an outer diameter of 7½ feet, will serve as the outfall for wastewater treated three times before it is discharged into Victoria Harbor. 

 

...The pipe sections were joined by butt fusion, which is another feat for the project. 

 

Giant HDPE pipe replaces steel for outfall project: 

 

https://www.plastics...outfall-project

[Victoria Watcher]

pretty sure no water is being discharged into the harbor/harbour.  it's being discharged via macauley no?

 

edit:  a new outfall pipe is being built from mcloughlin but it ends right about where the current macauley one does now.

 

map

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 August 2019 - 05:58 AM.

[Tom Braybrook]

Excerpts:

...The largest pressure pipe ever used in North America will be connected to a new tertiary wastewater treatment plant in the town of Esquimalt on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

 

...The massive pipe, which is made of high density polyethylene and has an outer diameter of 7½ feet, will serve as the outfall for wastewater treated three times before it is discharged into Victoria Harbor. 

 

...The pipe sections were joined by butt fusion, which is another feat for the project. 

 

Giant HDPE pipe replaces steel for outfall project: 

 

https://www.plastics...outfall-project

...a little more "butt fusion" amongst the citizenry and we wouldn't be needing the plant... ;-)

[Victoria Watcher]

anybody got recent clover point photos?

[Mike K.]

As a matter of fact yes! From Friday:

[Nparker]

Is this area still called Clover Point or the Wastewater Pump District?

[Victoria Watcher]

As a matter of fact yes! From Friday:

E5D39736-038E-47BD-9523-574A57592D1C.jpeg

ah yes very good.

[Rob Randall]

Seems like the Johnson Street Bridge planners created a new project.

The Portland [Oregon] City Council approved plans for a $500 million water filtration plant in 2017. But now, more than two years later, Water Bureau leaders say the plant likely will cost 70% more, or $850 million.

That's because the original cost estimate did not include any pipes to carry water to or from the treatment plant. Planners did not disclose that omission to the council in 2017 or during the intervening two years.

 

 

https://www.oregonli...ding-pipes.html

[Victoria Watcher]

hard to know how capital news continues to come up with silly story after silly story.


https://capnews.ca/c...age-wastewater/

[JohnN]

Macaulay and Clover Point Outfalls Wastewater and Marine Environment Program Comprehensive Review 2010-2018

 

Oct 3, 2019, 02:24 PM

 

Tender Type: Request for Proposal

 

 

The objective of this project is to undertake a statistical analysis, risk assessment and monitoring program design review using data collected from 2010-2018 as part of the Macaulay and Clover Points Wastewater and Marine Environment Program (WMEP).  This work must incorporate or compare to historical data and trends from the 1990 to 2009 time period using similar assessment methodologies and determine whether there have been any significant changes over time or space.  

 

The evaluation must include all components of the WMEP, any existing annual, summary or trend reports, additional data analyses as required, and comparison of CRD results to those of other jurisdictions.  The evaluation and results must be summarized in a comprehensive report that will be shared with the British Columbia Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy in fulfillment of the CRD’s commitments as part of the monitoring program.

 

https://www.crd.bc.c...eview-2010-2018

[Sparky]

^ John can you decode this for us?

Compare data from 1990 to 2009 to the 2010 to 2018 data?

Is this a justification exercise for a project that is well underway and probably well over budget?

[JohnN]

^ John can you decode this for us?

Compare data from 1990 to 2009 to the 2010 to 2018 data?

Is this a justification exercise for a project that is well underway and probably well over budget?

I'm not sure but looking at the RFP's Appendix A Scope of Services, what the CRD seems to want could be an environmental impact study  of the areas around the two sewage discharge pipes that uses CRD data collected from 1990-2009 and tries to make that biological/chemical data mesh with later data from 2010-2018, in order to provide an historical look at the environmental impacts starting 1990 and going up to 2018.

 

I've split the RFP to separate out Appendix A and uploaded it to a website from which you may be able to download it (265K pdf) if I've done it right.

[JohnN]

^ John can you decode this for us?

Compare data from 1990 to 2009 to the 2010 to 2018 data?

Is this a justification exercise for a project that is well underway and probably well over budget?

So my guess about why the CRD is doing this, is to have a comprehensive databank and analysis before and after the mcloughlin sewage plant is working.

 

Probably the CRD already thinks that there'll be an improvement but past comments by UVic marine scientists suggest there may not be a significant difference. 

[Tom Braybrook]

looks like they want to review existing data, update reports with current data, do a quality control look at existing reports and receive recommendations on ways to improve the current the current data collection and analysis (including location of collection points, current and future) and lastly what impacts the wastewater is having on the marine environment

 

why bother? the outfalls are working exactly as they were originally intended - just fine, i imagine.

 

i expect the review will show that the pcp is not needed and they are wasting millions of dollars to make people "feel good" by fixing a problem that does not exist.

[JohnN]

looks like they want to review existing data, update reports with current data, do a quality control look at existing reports and receive recommendations on ways to improve the current the current data collection and analysis (including location of collection points, current and future) and lastly what impacts the wastewater is having on the marine environment

 

why bother? the outfalls are working exactly as they were originally intended - just fine, i imagine.

 

i expect the review will show that the pcp is not needed and they are wasting millions of dollars to make people "feel good" by fixing a problem that does not exist.

Such a retrospective study may not be important environmentally but politically, I'll guess that the CRD directors might be interested (or just as likely, concerned/worried/apprehensive) that they'll need to justify possibly inflating costs from the sewage plant project (including sewage sludge plant and sludge disposal) so the study will confirm that clearly, for all the years of studies from 1990, the environmental impact studies have showed massive amounts of contaminants discharged in the areas around the two pipes.

 

Thats it, full stop - the effluent discharge has been spewing biological and chemical stew into the ocean. Look no further. Billion dollar sewage plant is justified so just pay up your higher taxes and move on. 

 

However, the marine science squad from UVic and IOS have also been saying that in spite of the decades-long spew, the actual environmental impact has been localized around the pipe discharge area, not critical. Knowing that fish die in lab tanks full of sewage isn't the same as fish in the ocean transiting effluent discharge zone. And (as I recall without names on hand) some scientists have ventured further to say that the environmental impacts of concentrating and disposing of the sewage sludge might have a worse impact. 

 

Yes, definitely feel good optics as our local/provincial/federal politicians say that we can't really do anything about climate change so lets throw lots of money at this to show we really do care about the environmental file - Surfriders and Tourism Victoria will be happy. 

[spanky123]

^ I think you are right John. It is about time for the board to tell us how much the price tag has increased again so having a report justifying it makes sense.

 

All you need to do is talk to anyone working at the various construction sites along the route and they will tell you that the project is going to take longer and cost more than expected.

[Tom Braybrook]

Such a retrospective study may not be important environmentally but politically, 

 

 And (as I recall without names on hand) some scientists have ventured further to say that the environmental impacts of concentrating and disposing of the sewage sludge might have a worse impact. 

 

 

agreed...it will serve as both a data update/review and political cover as the data will reveal a similar picture the decision to treat will be the same

 

in addition to the sewage sludge issue, there is clear science that many contaminants remain present in sewage effluents after tertiary treatment...pharmaceutical residues, hormones, etc......and don't get me started on the possible combinations of organics treated with chlorine...  

 

sometimes the cure is worse than the disease

[Victoria Watcher]

The Capital Regional District is planning to ship 7,000 tonnes of dried biosolids out of Hartland landfill annually via bulk trailers to the Lower Mainland, where it will be used as fuel by a cement plant near Richmond.

 

Shipping is expected to start mid-year.

 

https://www.timescol...land-1.24045645

[Nparker]

Saving the environment by increasing the CRD's carbon footprint.

The Capital Regional District is planning to ship 7,000 tonnes of dried biosolids out of Hartland landfill annually via bulk trailers to the Lower Mainland...Shipping is expected to start mid-year...the CRD plans to send its biosolids to cement plants near Richmond, where they will be used with coal in cement kilns, a 2019 CRD staff report said...

https://www.timescol...land-1.24045645

So instead of letting nature take care of wastewater naturally, now we will be burning additional fossil fuel and coal in order to be kinder to the environment. Well done CRD.