Cumberland RV Sani-Dump To Close

We have more on the Village of Cumberland’s decision to close the RV Sani-dump station on Dunsmuir Avenue.

“Treatment products and the concentration of septic waste from RV offloads are impacting the wastewater treatment process.", says Rob Crisfield, Village of Cumberland Operations Manager.

"While we would typically see exceedances in the summer months, they were not at the levels that we are now experiencing, and in fact, we are struggling to maintain effluent compliance in the winter months as well,”.

Cumberland Council made the decision last week.

The Village says the impact the station is having on the wastewater treatment plant has left it with no choice. Mayor Vickey Brown says the decision was tough considering it is one of the only facilities on the North Island.

For the past two years the Village has seen a significant increase in the use of the facility, likely caused by the closure of other facilities in the region, leaving the Village facility as the only publicly accessible Sani-dump station between Miracle Beach Provincial Park and Parksville.

Over that time, testing at the Cumberland wastewater treatment plant has seen a substantial rise in both biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids which results in a negative effect of effluent quality.

Village Operations Manager Rob Crisfield says treatment products and the concentration of septic waste from RV offloads are impacting the wastewater treatment process, even in the winter months.

The Cumberland wastewater plant is being upgraded to meet provincial and federal standards and expected community growth.

The system is not currently up to provincial requirements - and the Village has received a warning letter from Environment Canada and Climate Change about significant fines if corrections aren’t made to comply with both the Fisheries Act and the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

To keep informed of the Wastewater Upgrades project progress, visit Village of Cumberland, or email wwt-upgrades@cumberland.ca.