Bayshore Village Sewage Works

2017. C. Tatham & Associates Ltd. (CCTA) completed a Schedule B Class Environmental Assessment (EA) related to the Bayshore Village Sewage Works. The notice of the completion of the EA was issued on October 11, 2017.

The EA study has a two phase “preferred” solution:

Short-term:         Establish an additional spray irrigation field to provide spare capacity to allow a reduction in spray irrigation rate and frequency.

Long-term:          Discontinue spray irrigation and upgrade the sewage works with a tertiary treatment facility to reduce phosphorus and disinfect the effluent and discharge to Wainman Creek.

The report is 336 pages in total and can be found on the Ramara website.

But what does it mean?

               It means that Ramara may proceed with developing another spray field once it gets an approval from the MOECC.

What it doesn’t mean!

               Ramara cannot, at present, proceed with a tertiary treatment plant that will ultimately send the effluent to Lake Simcoe.

What’s required to proceed to the “long term” solution?

               It will require completion of Phases 3 and 4 of the Class EA. (Phase 3 will consider alternative design concepts for the tertiary facility and Phase 4 is the Environmental Study Report).

How does the Lake Simcoe Protection Act (LSPA) view this?

The LSPA does not allow new sewage plant discharges to our lake. The Bayshore Sewage Works do not have an approval to discharge directly to the lake. If the long-term solution is to go forward, some accommodation within the LSPA will be required.

What’s NMBRA’s position?

Do we have to respond to the November 20, 2017 deadline in the “official notice”?  As this only covers an additional spray field (which we support), no further response on NMBRA’s part is necessary.

NMBRA’s position is that “In the absence of very persuasive environmental evidence, your Board is opposed to ANY effluent being discharged directly to our LAKE!”

NMBRA came into existence because of the Bayshore development and its proposed method of dealing with sewage.                More than 33 years later we’re still here!

NMBRA will expend as much of its resources and volunteer director/member time  as we are able to ensure, that on this signature issue, we follow the high standards set by the founding members