Re: “B.C. minister gets tough on sewage,” July 5.
Environment Minister Mary Polak sounds tough when threatening to withdraw funding for Capital Regional District sewage treatment if the approved plan is changed. We should not take such threats seriously. If the B.C. government will not fund a better plan, it will endure scorn and ridicule from the federal government, from people throughout the province and from people bordering the Salish Sea.
Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard hinders progress by his sarcastic slap-down of a design with “20 plants.” Nobody is proposing “20 plants,” but his mention of it will mislead many people. He should not squander his credibility on sarcasm.
Basic engineering demands redundancy in any complex sewage system. We need at least two plants and collector pipes that are located with due regard for the many geological faults in the CRD. Such a system of redundant plants and pipelines might look more expensive if we assume flawless operation. Unfortunately for the CRD planners, we have heard of treatment plant failures and pipeline leaks.
The CRD has wasted our money on detailed engineering of an unwise design. This is like the approaches taken by Enbridge and Kinder Morgan for their pipelines. All three proponents have designed complex systems with an attitude of “we know best, so you should agree with our design.” All three proponents deserve the resistance that they are encountering.
David Stocks
Colwood
