The west-side and east-side committees are trying to come up with alternatives over the coming months to replace the stalled Capital Regional District sewage-treatment plan.
On the west side, the five-month public process that started in November 2014 will continue with roundtables up to April 2015. The west-side March 10 meeting indicates that the aim is now limited to providing a short-list of potential west-side treatment site locations without technology recommendations or cost assessments.
Discussion at the east-side committee meeting on March 4 indicated that the City of Victoria has identified a preliminary set of local treatment sites of varying sizes. Victoria is waiting for Oak Bay to consider four or five possible public park or golf-course treatment sites and for Saanich to re-examine sites such as university lands, Haro Woods and Gyro Park before comparisons of east-side treatment sites can begin. No schedule has been set for east-side public consultation or for information-gathering and technology assessment.
Mayor Lisa Helps of Victoria says that to preserve federal funding, treatment sites need to be identified by June 2015. An agreed short-list of treatment sites across the region by that date is an impossible dream.
Chaos on sewage treatment will continue until, unfortunately, the province decides to take over the whole miserable project.
David Langley
Victoria
