Greater Victoria’s wastewater treatment system up and running

Victoria first began pumping raw sewage into the Strait of Juan de Fuca way back in 1894.

But as of today, that era is now over.

The Capital Regional District’s $775-million McLoughlin Point Wastewater Treatment plant is officially online and servicing the region’s municipalities — Colwood, Esquimalt, Langford, Saanich, Oak Bay, Victoria as well as the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations.

“We’re now in position to say that we will be treating our wastewater permanently from now on as of today,” Capital Regional District board chair, Colin Plant.

It means the region is no longer dumping raw sewage into the ocean and but treating the wastewater before it enters the ocean.

According to Plant, waste from more than 300,000 people passes through these pipes, 108 megalitres of wastewater daily, at a tertiary level — meaning nitrogen and phosphorus are removed.

“We are treating the water as it goes out of our homes and out of our businesses, and facilities in the region. To a tertiary level. We are not just having that water screened. And going into the ocean,” said Plant.

With the wastewater treated at McLoughlin Point, the leftover biosolids, or sewage sludge, is then pumped 19-kilometres to the massive residual treatment facility at the Hartland Landfill.

It’s converted into fertilizer or an alternative fuel source. Now the system is exceeding federal standards.

WATCH: From sewage to a pellet: A look at the CRD’s new residual treatment facility

It took years of planning — and debate — to get to this point.

“Other than the E&N Railway, I can’t think of a topic that’s probably had this much energy directed at it,” said Plant.

Long a sore point for the residents of Washington State that Victoria’s sewage made its way to Puget Sound, B.C. Premier John Horgan was only too happy to delivery the news to Governor Jay Inslee.

“I’m happy to tell you a billion dollars later, 40 billion litres, or 10.5 billion gallons of sewage is no longer going into the Strait of Juan de Fuca as of the middle of last month,” Horgan said in a Zoom call to Inslee.

There is still work to be completed at Clover Point pumping station, and the Hartland facility, but should be complete by April 2021.

Editorial Policies Report an Error