More sewage treatment troubles in Halifax

Halifax Water has met another problem with its new sewage treatment plants and has refused to take ownership of a new plant in Dartmouth until it meets effluent regulations.

The plant has been operating since last year but is only meeting discharge criteria for fecal coliform samples 72% of the time. Nova Scotia environmental requirements stipulate that it must meet targets 80% of the time.

The Dartmouth plant is one of three constructed under design-build contracts to treat sewage in the Halifax Regional Municipality before it enters Halifax Harbour.

Another of the three plants, a $54 million plant in Halifax, was flooded in January after an electrical problem and is not expected to be working again for a year. CBC reports that since then 80 million litres of raw sewage has been flowing into the harbour every day.