PUMPING STATION UPGRADES COSTLY

This is the title of an article in today's K-W Record (pg. B2) by Terry Pender. Furthermore he also wrote a similar article last Saturday titled "Sewage pumping station upgrade to cost $8.3 million". Kudos to the Record and to Kitchener Councillors for properly prioritizing their expenditures. Last August 13 here in the Elmira Advocate I wrote an article in regards to the wastewater treatment upgrades planned for Elmira and St. Jacobs. I have also written here of the environmental degradation caused by repeated raw sewage spills and discharges locally (Saturday, May 29, 2010). This is where our tax dollars should be going ie. towards necessities which will improve the lives and health of our citizens. Apparently new Provincial standards are insisting on underground storage facilities for raw sewage during for example power outages or other emergencies which would otherwise force the discharge of raw sewage. This is a long overdue requirement and my only concern is why underground storage. History has taught us that storing gasoline or diesel fuel underground is the best way NOT to know when these tanks start to leak. Regardless, as stated it appears that the cost of new facilities to handle residential development will be charged appropiately to the developers and the cost of upgrades to old facilities will be shared amongst the taxpayers. No one likes paying taxes but for proper sewage treatment it is worthwhile.