A note to all residents of the capital region: Sewage treatment will be back in the centre of your screen over the next few months, and promises to be a fast-moving drama. Please get involved and pay attention!

To help people understand what's at stake, there will be a public forum in Esquimalt tomorrow to provide information on some of the new options for sewage treatment potential within the Capital Regional District.

It will also give people the chance to ask questions and get answers. It's clear that the public doesn't fully understand or support the track the CRD's been on, and this meeting will be a chance to start to fix that situation.

Why does this matter -- and why should people pay attention now? There are five reasons.

Financial impact: The financial impact to all residents of decisions on sewage treatment is significant. Annual costs upward of $400 to $700 per household have been quoted. Add this to the costs municipalities and taxpayers are facing for transportation, housing and aging infrastructure, and everyone should be concerned.

A looming deadline: The CRD is under a provincial deadline to provide a plan by December or potentially face reduced funding.

New concepts: Since the CRD was directed to introduce sewage treatment there has been a plethora of studies, but all have been based on the same basic concept of "putting plants at the end of the existing pipes" and treating liquid waste.

The new concept which is emerging is called "integrated resource recovery." Which means: Don't look at just liquid waste, but plan together for solid (garbage), organics (compost) and liquid (sewage) wastes. And don't just look at conventional treatment, look at all the ways we can cut costs or turn a profit: Water recovery, heat recovery, recycling, energy savings, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, innovative technologies and so on.

These new concepts came out in the provincial report on integrated resource management. Some are already in use in Europe and are proven technologies. Some are already being demonstrated at Dockside Green, which has become a worldwide showpiece of best practices in environmental management.

Changing political landscape: There has been ongoing pressure to shift CRD positions about sewage treatment away from the "plant at the end of the pipe" concept, especially from the geographically grouped western communities of Esquimalt, View Royal, Colwood and Langford.

These shifts are due to new players elected in the last election, concerns over financial costs, awareness of other costs and risks relating to specific treatment-site options and reports showing that there are other, better options.

As a result, the West Shore communities of Colwood and Langford have begun the process of opting out of CRD liquid waste management and other services. Esquimalt has sent a clear statement to the CRD that it is not committed to the old approach and will also seek other solutions for our community.

Newer Options: With the new concepts for waste management, and the political pressure to look for better ways, new options are starting to take shape and new players are moving on-stage.

Two examples give me a sense of optimism that we can move ahead to better, less costly solutions.

First, Victoria Harbour, a longtime industrial area with large users of energy and fuel, is being looked at for biosolid, potentially liquid waste management and resource recovery. Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin has stated his enthusiasm for the potential benefits to the area.

Second, the University of Victoria is being engaged directly as to whether it would participate and gain from joining in resource recovery programs and projects.

The changes in concepts and the new options coming forward make it possible for more collaboration amongst CRD members, for the public to get engaged and for their input to make a difference.

It may be a hard job, especially with the deadline. But I hope it will be possible for us to meet the December deadline with a plan that is more fiscally, environmentally and socially responsible.

Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins, who was elected last year, is vice-chairman of the Capital Regional District's core liquid waste committee. The public forum on the implications and opportunities for sewage treatment in Esquimalt will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Esquimalt city hall, 1229 Esquimalt Rd.