The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

-.Sewage overflow flot issue lien, says Murphy By JASON MISNER The Champion A cnitical report by Ontario's Environment Commissioner Gord Miller about sewage treatment planta polluting waterways doesn't reflect regional operations, says Halton's cominissioner of plan- ning and public works. Patrick Murphy said the report takes aim at older waatewater treatment plants that have combined stonn/sewer pipes, like in Hamilton and Toronto. The concemn, he said, is Usat kind of set up makes it possible for untreated sewage to overflow into waterways during storma. In Halton, sanitary and storm water pipes are separated, which bas been the design principle for a number of years, Mr. Murphy said. A sewage overflow isn's an issue, he said. "(Mr. iler's) concem, is certainly well jusfified and we have to do a better job in those areas," he said. "Ail of our plants have had to be upgraded from the '70s onward, and ail of thse plants we have flot only meet but exceed considerably Use standard thse Mmnist-y of Use Environent bas set." Mr. Miller's report, released T1hursday, lamcnted that Ontario's sewage treatmnent systemn was once thse envy of Use world. He said in the report that many waterways connected to thse Great Lakes receive significant volumes of municipal sewage treatment plant effluents. About 38 per cent of Ontario's effluent goes into Lake Ontario. Ponds take storm water Mr. Murphy said Use way it works in Halton ia storm water is carried away through ita own piping systemi and flushed into storm water management ponds, to, avoid flooding and erosion. They're huge bodies of water constructed near subdivisions. Tbrough Use design of Use ponds, Use water is cleaned of con- taminants, like ail run-off, by interacting with naturaily-growing plants. As for Use sewage systemn, Use piping system is unique to itself, and each plant treata and disinfecta wastewater Urough effective measures Usat are constantly under review, Mr. Murphy said. Part of that process includes what's cailed an optirnization review. It started a decade ago. It reviews how a plant operates, from Use ârne raw sewage entera; Use plant to, when treated sewage, or effluent, is discharged into a body of water. "I'm, not sure exactly how much of Use budget is devoted to, sewage treatmnent plants specifscaily, but it's safe to say we have hundreds of millions of dollars on Use books over Use next few years to improve sewage treatment systerus." For example, at Burlington's Skyway, Use Region bas already maxùmized Use existing plant capabilities by reducing Use amnounit of phosphonts and ammonia outfall. And in Milton, Use sewage treatmnent plant will be undergoiag $1 .4 mnillion in upgrades next year to, better handle increased sludge - as well as a proposed wastewater disinfection upgrade from chlorine to ultraviolet, which doesn't use chemnicals. - withfilesfrom Torstar Jason Misner can be reached at jmisner@miltoncanadian- champion.com. Thr~so much tore to laZ -&y!l from Il 199 " LA-Z-B3OY FURNITURE® ,ALL EPES oLW&SMW *(9E.05331-7600 Sig 9 M-4 MSid5.n -5 P The Canadiani Champion, Tuesday, December 2, 2003-7 North Malien Aton luet Team Saturday, Dec 6th 10OAM -1 PM Georgetown, Acton and Milton Sonry If we mlssed youl .905-97-2201 shn Vo foeVu contnn sot