Dear Editor: A recent letter from Couns. Guy Heywood (city) and Alan Nixon (district) in your May 1 issue reinforces the importance of Metro Vancouver's need to construct a new advanced wastewater treatment facility on the North Shore, and the support required from senior levels of government to do so. The new plant is necessary to meet commitments in Metro Vancouver's Integrated Liquid Waste and Resource Management Plan as well as to meet new regulatory requirements set by the federal and provincial governments.
A new site has been obtained by Metro Vancouver at the southern foot of Pemberton Avenue on the old BC Rail lands, and we are currently in the process of completing the "project definition" stage. In this stage, we are exploring the most responsible means of designing, building and financing the new secondary treatment plant which includes comparing traditional procurement approaches to alternatives, such as public private partnerships (P3s). Some elements of funding from other levels of government are contingent on consideration of P3 as a procurement model. No decisions have been made as yet, however, we hope to be able to make significant decisions by the end of this year to meet our 2020 completion date.
It must be noted that public consultation is critical, including local community and First Nations involvement. We have taken the approach of "everyone engaging everything early" and have had very positive results so far.
A public advisory committee made up of the local community association, environmental interests, business interests and non-affiliated citizens from the North Shore has been working hard and engaging local residents to ensure we have a plan that fits well with the local community. More opportunities for public input will be provided as we move forward.
While the cost allocation formula related to capital spending in liquid waste services is complex, it is important to note that the region as a whole does in fact contribute to the costs associated with secondary treatment. The current formula allocates 70 per cent of the capital costs for secondary treatment to the region, with 30 per cent remaining the responsibility of the benefitting sewerage area (unlike the regional water utility, sewerage is split into four separate sewerage areas).
The cost allocation formula is currently under review by municipal representatives of a regional advisory committee, and that review may impact the funding formula. In any case, it is correct to say that sewerage utility rates for North Shore residents will rise as a result of this necessary construction, but certainly not in the order of 500 per cent as Heywood and Nixon suggested.
All three local municipal councils understand the need to keep our costs as low as possible, and the urgent need to have a wastewater treatment facility that meets national guidelines by 2020. With the support of senior levels of government we can make this a reality.
Mayor Darrell Mussatto City of North Vancouver Mayor Richard Walton District of North Vancouver
