In early January 2021, effluent from the five core municipalities started making its way through the $775-million sewage-treatment plant at McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt, ending the dumping of raw waste that had been blighting Victoria's waters — and reputation — since 1894.
The waste water that is discharged flows out into Juan de Fuca strait, and this brings in an international stakeholder. The local waters off Victoria connect down the coast to the Juan de Fuca Islands in Washington State.
With Greater Victoria's new $775 million sewage plant officially coming online last month, Tofino now carries the unfortunate distinction of being the only community on Vancouver Island to discharge raw sewage into the ocean. Tofino hopes that can change soon.
How often is sewage released? Data shows the use of overflows is not occasional, as it is meant to be. In 2022, raw sewage was pumped into rivers and seas for 1.75 million hours last year - on average 825 times per day.
Melbourne Water treats and disposes of approximately 90 per cent of the sewage generated in greater Melbourne at their two treatment sites, the Western Treatment Plant (WTP) at Werribee and the Eastern Treatment Plant (ETP) at Bangholme.
The outfall releases about 499 megalitres (ML) per day of treated sewage, called “effluent”. That's about eight Olympic-sized swimming pools of effluent an hour. It is discharged to the Pacific Ocean 3.6 kilometres from the shoreline at a depth of 82 metres.
But what many people don't realise is that we already rely on recycled sewage in many Australian water supplies. Even in Australia's biggest city, Sydney, it is an important part of the water supply. This is because many large towns discharge their treated sewage into the catchment rivers that supply the city.
England and Wales are the only countries in the world to have a fully-privatised water and sewage system.
Wastewater is transported from domestic or industrial sites through a system of sewers and pump stations, known as sewerage reticulation, to a sewage treatment plant. Local governments build, maintain and operate most sewage treatment plants.
Where does the water go after you flush the toilet or drain the sinks in your home? When the wastewater flushed from your toilet or drained from your household sinks, washing machine, or dishwasher leaves your home, it flows through your community's sanitary sewer system to a wastewater treatment facility.
Several countries already allow treated wastewater reuse for drinking water. According to the 2017 WHO and US EPA census, the states reusing treated wastewater for drinking water production and distribution are Australia, California, Texas, Singapore, Namibia, South Africa, Kuwait, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
They estimate vessels collectively release 147 billion litres of harmful waste every year into Canada's three oceans. Cruise ships generate the majority of this waste, their report reads.
Tsunami waves
Although Vancouver is sheltered from Pacific Ocean tsunamis by Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula, we may be impacted by local tsunamis caused by earthquakes in the Strait of Georgia or by underwater landslides in the Fraser River delta. Vancouver is located in Tsunami Notification Zone E.
Our water resource recovery facilities (previously known as wastewater treatment plants, water recycling plants and sewage treatment plants) treat wastewater before it's reused or discharged to rivers or oceans.
Taking the wastewater away
Whenever you flush the toilet or empty the sink, the wastewater goes down the drain and into a pipe, which takes it to a larger sewer pipe under the road. The sewer then joins our network of other sewers and takes the wastewater to a sewage treatment works.
Melbourne has two big treatment plants: the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee and the Eastern Treatment Plant in Carrum.
The water that falls over from the shower goes down the drain into a sewer system. At the same time, the drain is designed in such a way that it prevents the back up of sewer gases into the bathroom.
Sewage – all the waste water that goes down our sinks, out of the shower, from our washing machines and even from our toilets.
The general answer is that the showers and toilets can use the same drain, but they should not be sharing the same waste trap arm. There are other factors to consider as well, such as whether your drains lead to the main sewer line, or if there are septic tanks that are used in your city or town.
1 Phu Quoc, Vietnam
This country rounds up the list of Southeast Asian countries with at least one dirty beach. Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Vietnam is a country located between Thailand and Malaysia. It is surrounded by the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.
Sweden has one of the world's most robust water quality standards and has been at the forefront of technological innovation for wastewater treatment.
The Seine was a sewer and still is; a regal drain of much of the north of France. A large area of the country; nearly 80,000 hectares the inhabitants of the communities along its banks let their effluents drain via its streams and tributaries to the sea.
Highly treated wastewater is recycled for a range of non-drinking uses, helping to save water in an uncertain climate. The highest grade of recycled water in Victoria is Class A, which can be used for non-drinking purposes. Melbourne Water is able to produce the largest amount of Class A in Australia.
The big sewer pipes take all the sewage to a place where it is treated. This place is called a sewage treatment plant. All towns and cities have these. They are like a big factory where any harmful materials are removed.
Melbourne Water produces the largest amount of Class A, or high-quality, recycled water in Australia, following strict regulatory guidelines. Recycled water is supplied to our water retailers then used for a range of non-drinking purposes, including: firefighting.