5673 replies to this topic

[Tom Braybrook]

Or there was money on the table for the taking and they could then brag about job creation.

Consulting engineers love that 15% !  The bigger the project the better...for them at least!

[Mike K.]

It’s operating!

From the CRD: https://youtu.be/w8_U5-Ofq44

“The $775-million Wastewater Treatment Project is now treating wastewater. Thank you to our residents for their patience during construction, and to our funding partners for their valued contribution. Together we are doing our part to protect our ocean.”

[Nparker]

Have they found a home for the biosolids yet?

[Mike K.]

The ocean!

[On the Level]

Have they found a home for the biosolids yet?

 

BHP

[Nparker]

Hasn't BHP already maxed out its biohazard quota?

[North Shore]

I wonder if anyone has or is going to take samples of the effluent from the new plant, and compare it to what came out of Clover Point to see if there is any substantial differences between the two?

[johnk2]

Mr. Floatie unemployed now.

[Dexter]

Replaced by MR Sludgy

[JohnN]

I wonder if anyone has or is going to take samples of the effluent from the new plant, and compare it to what came out of Clover Point to see if there is any substantial differences between the two?

No doubt that CRD will have lots of end-of-pipe measurements to be able to boast how much cleaner the discharged effluent is with tertiary treatment instead of just preliminary treatment (the 6 mm screens only).

 

However, as several marine scientists have emphasized for more than a decade, the proof of improvement isn't at the end-of-pipe, but rather out in the ocean further away: any differences in the health, variety and population size of benthic animal colonies. They were pretty sure there wouldn't be a measurable improvement in those factors. 

 

New concerns over the micro-bead plastics getting out might suggest that there could be an additional benefit of further treatment, while new awareness of significant ocean acidification due to climate change could counter that the impact of Victoria's effluent discharge - treated or not - might not be as big a factor for ocean health as previously thought (The Race for Adaptation in an Increasingly Acidic Salish Sea)

 

[Nparker]

...the impact of Victoria's effluent discharge - treated or not - might not be as big a factor for ocean health as previously thought...

Well it was only a billion dollars. Pocket change really. 

[Jackerbie]

Have they found a home for the biosolids yet?

 

Long term, no.

 

Short term, they'll be trucked to the tallest building in Richmond! aka the Lafarge concrete plant.

[Nparker]

...Short term, they'll be trucked to the tallest building in Richmond! aka the Lafarge concrete plant.

I am glad there's zero environmental impact from trucking biosolids from the CRD to the lower mainland.

[JohnN]

Well it was only a billion dollars. Pocket change really. 

The initial capital estimate for the plant was $1.2 billion but was reduced when CRD engineers decided that a branch-plant wasn't needed in Haro Woods (just a big buried tank to hold storm water+sewage) - saving about $200 million or more.

Most-often repeated estimate has been about $750-800 million for the plant, although when there was talk of 2-4 smaller distributed plants, I think the total was climbing to about $900 mllion.

But thats not including a large annual sum for operations/maintenance, nor some potential cost issues with sewage sludge disposal. 

[sebberry]

Long term, no.

 

Short term, they'll be trucked to the tallest building in Richmond! aka the Lafarge concrete plant.

 

Oh that explains the extra ferry sailings

[Tom Braybrook]

The initial capital estimate for the plant was $1.2 billion but was reduced when CRD engineers decided that a branch-plant wasn't needed in Haro Woods (just a big buried tank to hold storm water+sewage) - saving about $200 million or more.

Most-often repeated estimate has been about $750-800 million for the plant, although when there was talk of 2-4 smaller distributed plants, I think the total was climbing to about $900 mllion.

But thats not including a large annual sum for operations/maintenance, nor some potential cost issues with sewage sludge disposal. 

that's a lot of dough for something that was completely unnecessary...makes for a good photo-op and pr bumpf though!

[spanky123]

The initial capital estimate for the plant was $1.2 billion but was reduced when CRD engineers decided that a branch-plant wasn't needed in Haro Woods (just a big buried tank to hold storm water+sewage) - saving about $200 million or more.

Most-often repeated estimate has been about $750-800 million for the plant, although when there was talk of 2-4 smaller distributed plants, I think the total was climbing to about $900 mllion.

But thats not including a large annual sum for operations/maintenance, nor some potential cost issues with sewage sludge disposal. 

 

If I recall, the CRD is paying a FN group $400K a year just to truck the sludge to Vancouver. On top of that will be the costs of handling the sludge when the Vancouver plant shuts down 6-8 weeks a year.

[spanky123]

 

No doubt that CRD will have lots of end-of-pipe measurements to be able to boast how much cleaner the discharged effluent is with tertiary treatment instead of just preliminary treatment (the 6 mm screens only).

 

However, as several marine scientists have emphasized for more than a decade, the proof of improvement isn't at the end-of-pipe, but rather out in the ocean further away: any differences in the health, variety and population size of benthic animal colonies. They were pretty sure there wouldn't be a measurable improvement in those factors. 

 

New concerns over the micro-bead plastics getting out might suggest that there could be an additional benefit of further treatment, while new awareness of significant ocean acidification due to climate change could counter that the impact of Victoria's effluent discharge - treated or not - might not be as big a factor for ocean health as previously thought (The Race for Adaptation in an Increasingly Acidic Salish Sea)

 

 

 

I think the issue is that few of the harmful chemicals which get peed out or dumped down the toilet will be filtered out. 

[Nparker]

I think the issue is that few of the harmful chemicals which get peed out or dumped down the toilet will be filtered out. 

The harmful chemicals should have got themselves some cute dancing mascots if they had wanted to be taken seriously in the treatment plant debate.

[JohnN]

News story in yesterday's Times Colonist is an attempt to erase the massive amount of community and expert opinion against another (the biggest) CRD sewage plant. No mention of years of effort by many local marine scientists and advocates for marine sewage treatment. CRD has already been posting its history of the development of the sewage plant (crammed into a  27-page pdf)- without mention opposition by scientists, community, advocates (only the "pro-side" mascot Mr. Floatie). CRD couldn't avoid opposition by municipal politicians of Esquimalt especially, with some from Colwood - but no mention of long-standing opposition by federal Minister of Environment David Anderson. 

 

No mention of the hundreds of Esquimaltonians and others at rallies against a risky sewage sludge plant that would have been plunked into an Esquimalt-Vic West neighbourhood. 

 

"History is written by the victors"?? But the history of this sewage plant's operations is just beginning. No doubt governments will now attempt to downplay information that might show this sewage plant+sludge plant in a bad light.