Minister Urges Participation--Op-Ed Piece

When it comes right down to it, sewage isn’t the kind of thing many of us like to talk about. And if we don’t want to talk about it, there is a good chance we don’t want to think about it much either.

But the fact is many people and many places in Nova Scotia have septic systems that aren’t working right. Others live in places where their sewage is going straight into the ocean or where their treatment plants need to be brought up to today’s standards.

It’s a big problem and if we don’t start doing something about it now, it’s not going to get any better. It’s the kind of problem that we need to start solving for ourselves, but maybe just as importantly for our children and our grandchildren.

The Nova Scotian Department of Environment and Labour has just released a discussion paper on this very important topic.

Basically, there are three parts to this problem. The first one is septic systems. It is a fact that properly designed, installed and maintained on-site sewage disposal systems (septic systems) protect groundwater and surface water from contamination.

Today, 45 per cent of Nova Scotians have their sewage treated and disposed of with individual, private, on-site sewage disposal systems. That means there are thousands of septic systems throughout the province. And even if a fraction of them aren’t working properly, they might be contaminating water, including your own drinking water.

Those septic systems are a homeowner’s responsibility. It is up to you to make sure the home sewage disposal system you are using is in good working order.

Frank Potter, engineer for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, says today the public wants to feel comfortable that what they are doing in their day-to-day activities does not create an adverse effect on their environment. I agree, and I think getting some good discussion going on this and coming up with some viable options is the first step in developing a workable strategy.

But septic systems are only part of it, 25 per cent of Nova Scotians have their sewage collected and treated at a central treatment facility.

The history of many of these facilities dates back to the mid 1960s when the province prohibited the construction of new outfall pipes discharging raw sewage. By the early 1970s, 55 municipal treatment plants were constructed. Today, there are 290 sewage treatment plants in the province, about one-third of those municipally owned. The others are owned by places like schools, trailer parks and commercial developments.

Now these plants are aging and today’s standards are more taxing.

New standards have been adopted for new sewage treatment facilities, and regulations requiring certification of sewage- treatment plant operators, have improved environmental protection. But there must be further improvement.

Finally, 30 per cent of our sewage is discharged untreated. This situation has the potential to impact public health and contaminate the water resources. It also limits recreational use of water and detracts from the attractiveness of a community, which can impact on the tourism industry.

The province has prohibited the construction of new outfalls discharging raw sewage but we still have to deal with existing outfalls. New developments have been allowed to connect to existing outfalls, increasing the quantity of sewage being discharged raw.

It is a huge challenge. But so was being the first -- and only -- province in Canada, to reach the goal of reducing our solid waste by 50 per cent last year. It is up to all of us to make this happen.

So I encourage all Nova Scotians to participate. We all have a part to play.

David Morse Minister of Environment and Labour Province of Nova Scotia