Sewage Named #1 Urban Centre Contaminant by Canadian Press
Analysis by The Canadian Press has shown that far more sewage has been spilled in Canadian urban centres over the last six years than any other harmful contaminant. CP obtained the newly released figures after a two-year battle and a complaint to the information commissioner to pry the data from Environment Canada under the Access to Information Act.
This never-before-released information has been kept in a classified government database called NEMISIS. The acronym stands for National Enforcement Management Information System and Intelligence System.
Read more from The Canadian Press on the story.
The data and analysis raise concerning questions about the resilience of Canada’s infrastructure. A forecast for more frequent and severe extreme weather events as a result of climate change, could mean big and costly impacts for aging infrastructure unable to cope with climactic extremes coupled with the pressure of growing urban centres.
Sewage spills could also mean problems with contaminated ground water, and health impacts. To find out more about the work ACT is doing on adapting to the impacts of climate change, take a look at our program sessions here.
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Such sewage spills are far more of a problem than Victoria’s marine sewage treatment system that uses two long screened ocean outfalls.
These outfalls work well to carry the effluent away from the coastline, into deep, well-oxygenated water where the sewage breaks down into stable components.
Rather than spending a billion dollars to build an unnecessary, environmentally-damaging sewage plant project in Victoria, put the funds into repairing sewage systems in other parts of Canada. For more information, see:
aresst.ca
rstv.ca
victoriasewagetreatment.ca/ccost/
sites.google.com/site/sewageplantsvictoria/
I have read an article about a sewage-powered energy centre serving athletes and residents during the Olympics.
@kitchenaid k45ss,
Is this the article you read?
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Vancouver+sewage+heat+neighbourhood+energy+centre+goes+live/2442089/story.html
It’s an exciting feature of the Olympic Village (or now called Millenium Water). It’d be great to know more about how well this NEU (Neighbourhood Energy Utility) is serving the village now that the Olympics are over.
More info on the False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility here:
http://canmetenergy-canmetenergie.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/eng/buildings_communities/communities/publications/false_creek.html