Greater Victoria homeowners are bracing to see an extra $200 to $500 on their annual property tax bills, now that the federal and provincial governments have committed their share of the $782-million cost of building sewage treatment infrastructure.
Residents in the seven invested municipalities of Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Langford, View Royal and Colwood will have to absorb the tax hikes until the project is completed in 2018, said Denise Blackwell, chair of the Capital Regional DistrictB次元官网网址檚 liquid waste management committee.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of people know that this is something thatB次元官网网址檚 been a long time coming and is probably overdue,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淲e still have some people who think dilution is the solution, but weB次元官网网址檝e been ordered by the provincial government to do it. I believe later this week, the federal government is announcing the new regulations that will mean we have to do it anyway.B次元官网网址�
The CRD needs to contribute $281 million B次元官网网址� approximately one-third of the total cost B次元官网网址� of the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Program, which includes construction of a treatment plant at McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt, upgrades to the conveyance system and a biosolids energy centre.
B次元官网网址淔undamentally, itB次元官网网址檚 time for us to treat our sewage,B次元官网网址� said Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin. B次元官网网址淲e just cannot continue to dump our sewage into the ocean.B次元官网网址�
James Moore, federal minister responsible for British Columbia, was on hand Monday to announce the federal funding portion.
He said the project is long overdue.
B次元官网网址淭his is a quarter of a billion dollars to end dumping of sewage into the waters around Victoria,B次元官网网址� he said, adding he expects to see work to begin B次元官网网址渓ater this year.B次元官网网址�
The next step for the CRD will be hiring a project manager to oversee the work and to create a bylaw to establish a management committee.
The CRD will then receive requests for proposal from various contractors before breaking ground on the project, which is expected to create 10,000 person-years of labour.
B次元官网网址淚 think shovels in the ground at the end of this year is probably a bit optimistic, but beginning of next year for sure,B次元官网网址� Blackwell said.
The ins and outs of sewage treatment
A wastewater treatment plant at McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt would extract biosolids, which would then be pumped 18 kilometres to Hartland Landfill in Saanich. There, a biosolids energy centre would dry the material and deposit it in cement kilns, to be housed at Cadboro Bay.
Some fast facts about the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Program:
B次元官网网址� Total project cost: $782.7 million
B次元官网网址� Start date: late 2012 or early 2013
B次元官网网址� Projected completion date: 2018
B次元官网网址� Annual operating costs to Capital Regional District: $14 million to $15 million
B次元官网网址� Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Colwood, Langford are involved in the project
B次元官网网址� The federal government initiated funding talks with the CRD in 2006
dpalmer@vicnews.com
