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sewage stinks

When someone complained about the smell emitted by a pulp mill, former premier W.A.C. Bennett used to say it was "the smell of success." Well, success still stinks, at least in Function Junction.

When someone complained about the smell emitted by a pulp mill, former premier W.A.C. Bennett used to say it was "the smell of success." Well, success still stinks, at least in Function Junction. That’s the short answer to the odour emanating from the sewage treatment plant which has cast a pall over Function Junction for the last couple of months. Sewage flows are heavier than anticipated this year, because there are more visitors than anticipated, and an older filter in the sewage treatment plant’s tertiary tank can’t keep up with volume, Public Works Director John Nelson told council Monday. Nelson stressed that the plant is treating all sewage and the Cheakamus River is in no danger. However, the odour problems "deal with one of the oldest components, a filter, which wasn’t part of the improvements done two years ago," Nelson said. "In this part of the system, the air doesn’t go through the scrubbers," Nelson added. Last summer’s odour problems at the sewage treatment plant were coming from a different source. At that time it was the turning over of the treated bio-solids which was causing the problem. "These odours are new, they weren’t there six months ago," Nelson said of the current stench. Minutes of a report to the Advisory Design Panel last month show that sewage flows during December were up approximately 14 per cent over last year, and last year’s flows were up 12 per cent over the previous year. An upgrade of the odour control system at the plant’s tertiary tank is planned for 2004 but staff are looking at doing the upgrade sooner.