After decades of debate and millions of dollars down the drain, it appears Victoria’s long-awaited sewage treatment plant will be built in Esquimalt after all.
McLoughlin Point was recommended as the ideal site for the facility in the latest report from the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project Board, after the Capital Regional District failed to come up with a solution.
The board recommended the CRD build a single 108-megalitre per day plant for tertiary treatment of wastewater at the Esquimalt site.
It had previously narrowed down the possible sites to McLoughlin Point and Rock Bay in Victoria, and said plants could be built at both sites.
But in the end, a McLoughlin plant was the cheapest option at an estimated $765-million versus a plant at Rock Bay ($920-million) or plants at both (more than $1-billion).
The site was in play years ago as a potential host for a sewage plant, but Esquimalt residents shot down the idea, something mentioned in the latest report.
“A review of the public commentary, media reports and discussions with staff at the Township of Esquimalt confirmed that Esquimalt did not support the McLoughlin site,” the report said. “Moreover, they did not like the proposed design of the facility. They thought it was the ‘wrong plan’ for the site, and that due consideration had not been given to the impact of the facility on the Township.”
The facility has since been redesigned with a smaller footprint, and has been further set back from the shore. It would include a multi-level “green roof” and landscaping, according to the board.
The CRD will be tapped to pay $311-million for the project, while the provincial and federal governments will kick in the rest.
The deadline to finalize the plan and still qualify for federal and provincial funding is Sept. 30, and the CRD still needs to sign off on McLoughlin Point before then.
Annual estimated taxpayer costs for the project break down as follows:
- Oak Bay $344
- Saanich $208
- Victoria $296
- Esquimalt $258
- View Royal $248
- Colwood $146
- Langford $239
- Average Annual Cost Per Household $245
Read the full report below.
Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project Board - Final Report - Sept. 7, 2016 by CTV Vancouver Island on Scribd
