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Sewage-site survey for Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay closes Monday

The opportunity to weigh in on potential wastewater-treatment sites in Victoria, Oak Bay and Saanich is coming to a close Monday, bringing the region closer to identifying where sewage might be treated.
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A sewage outfall

The opportunity to weigh in on potential wastewater-treatment sites in Victoria, Oak Bay and Saanich is coming to a close Monday, bringing the region closer to identifying where sewage might be treated.

After public consultation wraps up, a report is expected Wednesday, narrowing the choices to two “option sets.”

Six option sets have already been identified. They include both centralized facilities and treatment across up to as many as five plants.

“We’re gettin’ ’er done,” said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, who chairs the eastside wastewater and resource recovery select committee.

In the spring, participating municipalities put forward a list of technically feasible sites that could host a plant. The committee collected public comment on the sites through surveys, workshops and other events.

An estimated 3,000 people have had a say, said Amanda Gibbs, a public engagement specialist at Public Assembly. The option sets are based on arrangements of sites with the most public support.

Westside Solutions — which is working to identify potential treatment sites for Esquimalt, Langford, Colwood, View Royal and the Songhees Nation — will consider an interim report Wednesday that’s based on public feedback, said Kristin Quayle, CRD communications co-ordinator.

The westside group is accepting letters of interest from private landowners interested in providing land for the project, until Monday. The group’s public survey is open online until July 22.

The eastside and westside committees will come together to present about two option sets each to the core area liquid waste management committee on July 29.

Detailed cost estimates will be released on those options in October.

“We’ll ask the public one again. Here’s apples-to-apples comparisons, here’s a range of options, now give us input one more time,” Helps said.

asmart@timescolonist.com

Have your say

For information about potential sewage-treatment sites, go to:

• Eastside — crd.bc.ca/project/eastside-community-dialogue

• Westside — crd.bc.ca/westside-solutions

To comment on site selection:

• Eastside, until Monday — eastside.ethelodecisions.com

• Westside, until July 22 — fluidsurveys.com/s/westsidesitespeak