Canada, British Columbia Fund Wastewater Treatment Study
The Honorable Gary Lunn, minister of State (Sport), and Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Ida Chong announced on April 9 that the Capital Regional District (CRD) will receive federal and provincial financial support to plan wastewater treatment for its core area municipalities.
The governments of Canada and British Columbia will each contribute up to $3.33 million to eligible costs of a wastewater treatment study. The CRD will contribute the remaining third, for a total of $10 million.
The CRD is planning secondary sewage treatment for the seven core area municipalities of Colwood, Esquimalt, Langford, Oak Bay, Saanich, Victoria, and View Royal with a population of approximately 330,000 people.
"This funding will bring the CRD one step closer to identifying and developing the best possible way to treat wastewater on a sustainable basis," said Chong, on behalf of B.C. Minister of Community Development Kevin Krueger. "It's important for all levels of government to work together in finding cost-effective, innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and ensure a healthy future for British Columbia and its residents."
The federal and provincial support will go toward the Development Phase of the wastewater management program. During this Phase, the CRD will refine its design and the project elements, including resource recovery options, site identification, and procurement analysis, which includes a detailed analysis of the project and its costs.