Victoria communities call for publicly-owned sewage treatment centre
By Rebecca Aldous
Victoria News, May 22/09, used with permission

Greater Victoria residents want the future sewage treatment system to be built locally and owned and operated publicly, according to a new Capital Regional District report.
After a series of open houses, the CRD compiled a report on key themes the public wants incorporated in the region's provincially-mandated $2-billion sewage treatment system.

Residents said the new system must be publicly operated, not a public-private-partnership (also known as a P3), the CRD report stated in a list of nine key components.
Also on the list was weighing the economic, social and environmental aspects to make a balance decision, balancing the project's cost and magnitude, honest community consultation, being on the cutting edge of sewage treatment, pre-planning to allow for future technology, source control programs, resource recovery and approaching the project in phases.

It comes as no surprise that the community wants a publicly-owned facility rather than a P3, said Esquimalt Mayor Barbara Desjardins, who sits on the CRD's core area liquid waste management committee.

But despite the public's wishes, the project will be considered for a public-private partnership. In B.C., any government project worth more than $50 million must go through Partnership(s) B.C., a Crown corporation that brings together ministries, agencies and the private sector to examine the P3 option. The same occurs on the federal level – infrastructure funding program Building Canada includes a mandatory P3 review for any projects receiving more than $50 million in federal funds.

"So at the end of the process (a publicly operated system) may not be able to happen because of those triggers," Desjardins said.
"But I believe we should engage the public further in that dialogue to get the sense of their concerns."

The sewage committee should order a peer review on cases for and against a publicly-owned sewage treatment system, which could follow the CRD's business case, said Judy Brownoff, the sewage committee chair.

"From these messaging from these dialogues it behooves us to look at a peer review on (public verses public-private-partnership)," she said.
The district plans to complete its business case in September.

To review the report on community principles, please visit www.wastewatermadeclear.ca

GVWWC Editor's Note: Follow this direct link to the CRD report:
Community Principles Developed Through Public Participation– Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project