A presentation meant to encapsulate the Capital Regional DistrictB次元官网网址檚 core area liquid waste managementB次元官网网址檚 committee research left Langford council members voicing concerns over the veracity of the numbers.

Les Bjola, chair of a special sewer oversight committee tasked with finding the best treatment options for the City B次元官网网址� even those separate from the current sewage treatment discussions B次元官网网址� was forced to intervene at MondayB次元官网网址檚 council meeting when the Powerpoint presentation showed the cost breakdown per household.

Councillors had a hard time letting the presenter finish and not voicing their concerns, while Mayor Stew Young compared the project to VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 notorious blue bridge replacement.

B次元官网网址淭his whole process has been like herding cats and every meeting goes exactly like this,B次元官网网址� Bjola said to council as he tried to restore order to the proceedings.

B次元官网网址淲e need you to understand that the decision around (sewage treatment) is by far and away B次元官网网址� the largest tax implication you will ever deal with in the City of Langford B次元官网网址� ever. And the problem is, everyone is now at the point of total frustration and everyone is so fed up and no one is listening anymore.B次元官网网址�

Bjola pointed out that the figures attached to the various plant proposals are generous amounts that have been rounded up, with the intention of having them refined, and are based on population estimates for 2030.

When he opened the discussion to councilB次元官网网址檚 questions, concerns were voiced about existing infrastructure not being utilized, while some questioned the routes of some of the treatment and outflow options.

B次元官网网址淭hey were pushed to put a package together very quickly, and unfortunately when youB次元官网网址檙e pushed to do things quickly, what you get is a quick number,B次元官网网址� Bjola said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 easy to throw stones and be a couch quarterback.B次元官网网址�

The oversight committee believes there are a number of ways to help reduce costs, he added, with local knowledge being the key.

B次元官网网址淲hat weB次元官网网址檙e doing in our study so far, is weB次元官网网址檙e doing the meat and potatoes. WeB次元官网网址檙e (saying) B次元官网网址榯hereB次元官网网址檚 the location, thereB次元官网网址檚 the pipes to get it to the location.B次元官网网址� Then we would go to private contractors and say, B次元官网网址榟ereB次元官网网址檚 what we need, what have you got?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Young warned that the overall numbers could go up, not down. He was careful to point out that grants and government payments were based on the previous projectB次元官网网址檚 roughly $780-million budget. Anything over that amount would be put on the taxpayersB次元官网网址� bill. B次元官网网址淲e need to be very careful with these numbers B次元官网网址� anything over $780 million is in the danger red zone for all of the taxpayers,B次元官网网址� he said.

Young and council are not taking the potential for cost overruns lightly. B次元官网网址淲hen we add $500 a year on your taxes, taxes would go up 50 per cent in Langford to the average household just because of sewer,B次元官网网址� he said. The municipal tax portion for the average household in Langford is $1,007.

A member of the public attending the meeting asked for clarification on which households would foot that bill. While the oversight committee would not ultimately make that decision, Bjola said, they looked at everyone who could be connected to sewer, now and in the future, and excluded those areas that, under LangfordB次元官网网址檚 official community plan, will remain on septic. That household estimate is based on population estimates for 2030.

Bjola said the committee has had some discussion about an independent treatment system for Langford, but that would require a services review with the CRD. The time factor involved to do so, and resolve any environmental issues, would be significant, he added.

For the past few years the City of Colwood has been pursuing, at their own expense, the option of a tertiary treatment plant. Requirements for this plant would however include additional emergency and overflow connections to a treatment plant and outfall, which would double the costs of the plant, according to the oversight committeeB次元官网网址檚 presentation. That expense would be imposed completely on the City of Colwood because it would be the only municipality served by the plant.

In relation to that, the CRDB次元官网网址檚 core area committee has put forward an option that includes a combined Colwood/Langford plant with at least a secondary treatment level, with an outfall at Royal Bay. This is one of seven options the CRD is currently considering.

B次元官网网址淲e believe that the Westside group are like-minded individuals and weB次元官网网址檙e going to come up with a solution that is very beneficial to the Langford taxpayer,B次元官网网址� Bjola said. He asked council to grant the oversight committee permission to begin opening avenues of discussion with other West Shore municipalities and possibly Esquimalt, with the intention of forming partnerships beneficial to the City.

Council asked the committee to bring a budget for the further technical analysis to an upcoming council meeting.

katie@goldstreamgazette.com