Members of Ottawa city council’s Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee heard about the Munster wastewater pipeline project from a Richmond perspective at its meeting in West Carleton last Thursday.
Robert McKinley, a lawyer who was speaking for the Richmond Village Association at the meeting, pointed out that Richmond residents today are legitimately fearful about the risk that is coming with the proposed installation of a sewer forcemain through the village. Mr. McKinley said that the result would be “catastrophic” if city council ends up making the wrong decision in this matter and a pipeline is installed.
He said that, in his view, city council has not seen all of the information that it should have seen before reaching its decision to proceed with a sewer pipeline rather than a stand-alone, on-site sewage treatment facility.
He pointed out that two consulting engineer reports have not recommended a pipeline. He also noted that an existing sewer forcemain in Richmond has suffered five documented cases of failure, including failing twice within seven months of being installed.
Mr. McKinley pointed out that if the new pipeline, which will be within 15 metres of shallow wells in Richmond, were to leak as has happened in the past, then there would be incredible danger to the health of the residents.
He pointed out that the technology now exists for a stand-alone facility, noting that

there is one in Manotick that is just about ready to become functional. He said that within weeks, the city will be in a position to know if the discharge from such an on-site facility can meet the water quality requirements for discharge into the Rideau River and its tributaries, including the Jock River.
One concern regarding the on-site proposal for Munster is that the discharged water would not meet stringent water quality requirements necessary for outletting into the Jock River.
Mr. McKinley told the committee that people have become so polarized and embittered in this issue that they have “lost track of good sense”.
“The last thing we need in Ottawa is another Walkerton”, Mr. McKinley said, commenting that a safe water supply in rural areas should be important to everyone.
Mr. McKinley also brought the city’s current budget crisis into his argument, wondering about city council's wisdom in spending the funds for the sewer pipeline from Munster to Richmond this year when there are other options that are less expensive.
He said that there are millions of dollars in spending at stake in this Munster pipeline decision.
Mr. McKinley urged a dialogue between Richmond residents and the city in which Richmond residents could express their concerns.