Sewage dumped by live-aboard boaters blamed for bacteria contaminating Central Saanich waters

The District of Central Saanich has closed two swimming beaches after tests revealed high counts of enterococci bacteria.

“It’s bacteria that can apparently lives in our guts and can get out in the water when there’s contamination,” said Mayor Ryan Windsor.

“But it’s also a sign of fecal coliforms that can be hazardous to our health.”

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The growing number of live-aboard vessels in the area is being blamed for the problem.

Michael Simmons, vice-president of the Saanich Inlet Protection Society, said the number of boats has quadrupled in the 18 years he’s lived there.

“The number of people who dump their sewage into the bay — we’re pretty sure has increased quite dramatically,” Simmons said.

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District officials said several factors can influence bacteria levels, including animal feces, tides, even the hot summer weather.

But if you ask Nathaniel Poole with the Brentwood Bay Community Society, “this is just a case of live-aboards being unfairly targeted.”

While a sewage leak has been ruled out, Mariners have said the likely cause of the bacteria is a sewage leak — even after officials have ruled that out and said the pipes are structurally sound.

“We see this repeated over and over again, where the whole idea of pollution is used to get people to be moved out and then afterwards you find out we still have the problem,” Poole said.

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The district has applied to the province for a “licence of application” in the bay.

If approved, it would allow officials to manage the number of boats mooring there, while monitoring the live-aboard wastewater management.

Windsor said, “We are always striving to make the bay better, help to stabilize and make the number of boats out there sustainable as well.”

Island Health will continue to test the waters. The swimming advisories will remain in effect until the levels normalize.