Thanks to a very effective public campaign by those who have been horrified that Victoria does not treat its sewage before discharging to the ocean, the Capital Regional District, and the City of Victoria in particular, are now in the midst of a major construction project.
Scheduled for completion in 2020 the project will result in sewage being piped from where it is presently discharged into the ocean, along Dallas Road, to a forcemain at Clover Point, thence undersea to a new treatment plant being built in Esquimalt for tertiary treatment. Part of the plan also involves the creation of biosolids from the treatment which will be available for re-use.
The construction is evident all along Dallas Road and some of the adjacent intersecting roads.
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| Dallas Road construction, February 2019 |
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| Ken checking out the pipe stacked along Menzies Street |
More information about the details of the whole project are available at https://www.crd.bc.ca/project/wastewater-treatment-project
One of the reasons the campaign for treatment was effective was Mr. Floatie, seen here at City Hall:
I have been aware of Mr. Floatie for many years, and used him as an example of effective public marketing in a number of presentations I did over a decade ago. His "Coming Out" party at Earth Day in 2004 was launched with a press release with some memorable scatological humour, and catchy phrases. He represented the group P.O.O.P. (People Opposed to Outfall Pollution) as their official "spokesturd".
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| Extract from P.O.O.P. Press Release, April 24, 2004 |
Mr. Floatie's slogan "Dilution is not the
Solution to Victoria's Pollution" rang strongly with Victoria's citizens.
My interest has been piqued recently because there were many scientists who argued that the project was not necessary, and that resources would be more effectively spent in other ways.
See the website http://www.rstv.ca/ which argues that "there will be no significant benefit to the marine environment for this vast expenditure of public funds".
Two conflicting messages. One, much catchier than the other, and that was the one that captured public opinion.
In the case of Victoria's sewage, it is likely that no matter what scientists said, the optics of Victoria discharging raw sewage into the ocean would lead to pressure for treatment.
The scientists who banded together to argue that sewage treatment was unnecessary lost their battle. Perhaps their website is too wordy, reading too much like research papers. How can words argue with Mr. Floatie?
My interest has been piqued recently because there were many scientists who argued that the project was not necessary, and that resources would be more effectively spent in other ways.
See the website http://www.rstv.ca/ which argues that "there will be no significant benefit to the marine environment for this vast expenditure of public funds".
Two conflicting messages. One, much catchier than the other, and that was the one that captured public opinion.
In the case of Victoria's sewage, it is likely that no matter what scientists said, the optics of Victoria discharging raw sewage into the ocean would lead to pressure for treatment.
The scientists who banded together to argue that sewage treatment was unnecessary lost their battle. Perhaps their website is too wordy, reading too much like research papers. How can words argue with Mr. Floatie?
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| Mr. Floatie was an effective image in the campaign for sewage treatment. Here he is on his way to his "retirement" party. (Source: CBC) |
At the global environmental scale we need more Mr. Floaties. We need advocates to be clear about the urgency for action, and we need decision-makers to take tough actions on climate change.
We need to market action on climate change, just the way Mr. Floatie marketed action on sewage treatment for Victoria.
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