Letter – Sewage Circus

I start with three quotes from my book, Victoria's Sewage Circus, (www.members.shaw.ca/sewagecircus/ ) which are as relevant today as when I wrote it over twenty years ago. "With well-designed sewage outfalls we believe that discharge to the sea is not only acceptable but in many cases environmentally preferable." UK Royal Commission, 1984.

"Provided they are well designed, sewage outfalls generally present fewer environmental problems than land based treatment plants, and this is obvious when the complete environmental picture is studied for both types of facility." Canadian Institute of Civil Engineering, 1987.

"We should be promoting our system as one of the most efficient and environmentally sound systems in North America." From the chapter of my book written by UVic.Biological Oceanography Professor Jack Littlepage.

Accordingly, it is not just a matter of not needing a land based plant but of finishing in a worse position after it is built than we were before. We know this to be so beyond reasonable doubt and yet the CRD have never even examined the complete environmental picture. They are not just on track to make a mistake but to instigate an environmental and financial scandal and a monumental disaster. Just one item is the benefit a billion dollars could bring to our health or education plans; another is saving the 40 or so injuries, maybe a tenth of the total injuries, causing 'permanent impairment.' There would be huge environmental costs in the manufacture transport and installation of the contract materials and significant health risks.

By Ted Dew-Jones, P.Eng