The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD) says there is no expected public health impact after untreated sewage was dumped into the ocean from the Iona Wastewater Treatment Plant yesterday.
However, the impact on aquatic life is still being assessed.
An MVRD communications specialist told Daily Hive that the discharge was due to a blockage caused by rocky debris that jammed screening equipment at the start of the treatment process.
“Operations and maintenance crews were immediately deployed to clear the blockage and restore normal operations as safely and quickly as possible,” the MVRD comms person told Daily Hive.
They also said that significant progress has been made and three of the plant’s six screens have been fully repaired, adding that it’s what is “needed for normal operations.”
“As a result of these repairs, the diversion of wastewater through the Iona deep-sea outfall ended shortly after 6:00 p.m. last night and normal treatment operations resumed at that time,” MVRD said.
For folks who live nearby who might be concerned about Iona Beach, MVRD says that the deep-sea outfall is located around 7 km offshore, not at Iona Beach or Musqueam.
MVRD’s analysis on potential impacts to public health is based on “early modelling,” so things could change from the initial assessment of it having no impact.
The cause of the disruption remains under investigation and will be reviewed further once all restoration work is complete.
“Regular summer beach monitoring is continuing,” MVRD adds.
According to the MVRD website, the wastewater plant is located in one of Metro Vancouver’s most ecologically sensitive areas. Daily Hive Urbanized inquired about the impact on ocean life.
In response, MVRD said, “It is too early to know for certain, but environmental modeling shows that an incident of this short duration is not expected to significantly affect aquatic life in the Straight of Georgia.”
The MVRD is currently planning upgrades to the treatment plant, which serves Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and UBC, that’ll cost around $6 billion, with an estimated completion date of 2039. The upgrades would rehabilitate aging infrastructure.
By 2051, the MVRD anticipates nearly 1 million people will be served by the plant. The current plant was commissioned back in 1963.