|
9.
Ottawa river water quality assessment ÉVALUATION DE LA QUALITÉ DE L’EAU
DE LA RIVIÈRE DES OUTAOUAIS |
Committee recommendations
That Council:
1.
Receive this report for
information;
2.
Direct that the draft
Short-Term Integrated Protection Plan to be tabled for public consultation and
that staff report back to Council this fall for budget deliberations; and
3. Direct
that a Long-Term Integrated Protection Plan be developed thereafter.
Recommandations DU Comité
Que le Conseil :
1.
prenne
connaissance du présent rapport;
2.
enjoigne
le personnel de déposer le Plan intégré provisoire de protection à court terme
aux fins des consultations publiques et de faire rapport au Conseil cet automne
en vue des délibérations budgétaires; et
3. demande qu’un Plan intégré de
protection à long terme soit élaboré par la suite.
Documentation
1.
Deputy
City Manager’s report, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability
dated 23 June 2009 (ACS2009-ICS-WWS-0003).
2. Extract
of Draft Minute, 23 June 2009.
Report
to / Rapport au:
Planning
and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
23 June 2009 / le 23 juin 2009
Submitted
by / Soumis par: Nancy Schepers, Deputy
City Manager/Directrice municipale adjointe
Infrastructure Services and Community
Sustainability/Services
d’infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités
Contact Person / Personne
ressource: Dixon Weir, General Manager / Directeur général
Environmental Services / Services environnementaux
613-580-2424, x22002,
Dixon.Weir@ottawa.ca
|
City-Wide / À l’échelle de la Ville |
|
Ref N°: ACS2009-ICS-WWS-0003 |
SUBJECT: Ottawa
river water quality assessment
OBJET : ÉVALUATION DE LA QUALITÉ DE L’EAU DE LA
RIVIÈRE DES OUTAOUAIS
REPORT
RECOMMENDATIONS
That Planning and
Environment Committee recommend Council:
1. Receive this report
for information;
2. Direct that the draft Short-Term Integrated Protection Plan
to be tabled for public consultation and that staff report back to Council this
fall for budget deliberations; and
3. Direct that a
Long-Term Integrated Protection Plan be developed thereafter.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l’urbanisme et de
l’environnement recommande au Conseil :
1. de
prendre connaissance du présent rapport;
2. d’enjoindre le personnel
de déposer le Plan intégré provisoire de protection à court terme aux fins des
consultations publiques et de faire rapport au Conseil cet automne en vue des
délibérations budgétaires; et
3. de
demander qu’un Plan intégré de protection à long terme soit élaboré par la
suite.
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
A healthy environment is vital for quality of life and the longer-term sustainability of communities. A number of strategies and initiatives to reduce pollution, fulfill objectives established to achieve environmental and public health benefits, and provide a long-term plan to guide the management of the health of urban streams and rivers are currently in various stages of implementation.
An Integrated Protection Plan for the Ottawa River is
proposed to address the impacts of discharges flowing into the river. The objectives of this plan would be as
follows: achieve and sustain compliance
with regulatory requirements; optimize recreational use and economic
development of the River; and maintain a healthy aquatic ecosystem. In support of these objectives, a water
quality model of the Ottawa River has been developed and calibrated with data
from both sides of the river, including: twenty-nine Combined Sewer Overflows
(CSOs), twenty-eight storm outfalls, twenty-two tributaries, and two Wastewater
Treatment Plants (WWTP). Forty sources
were defined along the Ottawa River and thirty-one in Gatineau. The river model will serve as a decision
support tool to meet the plan objectives.
The main sources of discharges to the Ottawa River from the City are CSOs, stormwater run-off entering directly from storm sewers or indirectly through tributary creeks and rivers, and treated final effluent discharged from the Robert O. Pickard Environmental Centre (Pickard Centre). CSOs contribute the largest loadings of bacteria to the river from these sources; stormwater is the largest source of other contaminants, including metals. A number of initiatives to: reduce pollution, achieve environmental and public health benefits, and provide a long-term plan to guide the management of the health of urban streams and rivers are currently underway in various stages of implementation. Coordination of these initiatives is recommended so that effective use of funds is realized.
Preliminary model runs indicate that Ottawa and Gatineau
CSOs, and the Gatineau WWTP currently contribute 85% of the loading of E.coli
beyond natural occurring levels to the Ottawa River during storm events. Outside of the discharge of CSOs, the
largest impact to Petrie Island water quality during regular storm events
result from the discharges from Green Creek, Voyageur Creek and Bilberry Creek,
due in large part, to their proximity and the inherent nature of urban
tributaries. The River Model predicted implementation
of Real Time Control will reduce the volume of CSOs to such a level that
stormwater will become the dominant source of bacterial loading at Petrie
Island. The modelling exercise also
demonstrates that localized storage and discharge to the sewer system is a more
effective (and less costly) tool to deal with CSOs than sewer separation. At the Pickard Centre, recommendations
regarding enhanced ammonia removal are pending the assessment of additional monitoring
information expected to be obtained as part of the 2009 Environmental Effects
Monitoring Program.
Use of the model has helped clarify the most significant impacts on the Ottawa River, and assisted in the initial identification of remedial priorities. Although some findings were different than expected, (namely the comparative impact of different inputs) the good news is that many existing initiatives to deal with these issues are currently in place. In some cases, the completion of the current strategy may be sufficient; in others, increased resources or improved implementation mechanisms may be required. While sources of bacterial pollution are now better understood, both the modeling exercise and investigation into existing water protection initiatives bring forward the larger questions of what constitutes a “healthy” water-body, and how best to balance the investments in the protection of the Ottawa River with the protection of the 4,500 km of streams and rivers in the rest of the City.
The Draft Integrated Protection Plan for the Ottawa River recommends a staged approach to maintaining and protecting the Ottawa River. The first stage consists of the implementation of the final steps required to address the discharge of CSOs to the Ottawa River and to improve water quality in the river for body contact recreation. The second stage recognizes that once public health and regulatory requirements are met, there is no clear-cut solution on how best to proceed with the protection of the Ottawa River, given the sometimes conflicting ecological, economic and social priorities of stakeholders. There may be a public desire to go beyond the achievement of regulatory compliance with respect to the protection of the Ottawa River. The long-term consequences of the resolution of these issues impact community sustainability and require that any decisions in this regard be informed by public consultation. These solutions will be developed as part of the second stage of the longer term Integrated Protection Plan. A summary of the projects proposed in the first stage of the plan is as follows:
Table 1. Draft Short-Term
Integrated Protection Plan for the Ottawa River
|
Preferred
Alternatives for the |
Estimated Cost |
Estimated Completion |
|
CSO Reduction |
|
|
|
Implementation of Real Time Controls |
$30M |
Spring 2010 |
|
CSO Storage for Ultimate Combined Sewer Area |
$45M |
Fall 2013 |
|
Sewer Separation outside Ultimate Combined Sewer Area * |
$37.5M |
Fall 2011 |
|
Critical CSO and Storm Outfall Monitoring |
$5M |
Summer 2010 |
|
Development of the Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan |
$0.14M |
December 2009 |
|
Implementation of the Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan |
$2M |
January 2012 |
|
Installation of Floatable Traps in Combined Sewer Area Catch Basins |
$1.8M |
December 2009 |
|
Review of Sewer Interconnections |
$0.75M |
Fall 2010 |
|
Stormwater Management * |
|
|
|
Pinecrest Creek/Westboro SWM Retrofit Plan |
$0.25M |
Fall of 2010 |
|
Eastern Subwatersheds SWM Retrofit Plan |
$0.75M |
Spring 2012 |
|
Implementation of SWM
retrofit projects on a priority basis for Pinecrest Creek and Eastern
Subwatersheds |
$72M |
Spring 2023 |
|
Wastewater Treatment Plant Enhancements |
|
|
|
De-chlorination
of Pickard Centre Effluent |
$7M |
December
2010 |
|
Environmental
Management |
|
|
|
Development
of Water Environment Strategy |
$1M |
Summer
2011 |
|
Develop
and Implement an Environmental Management System |
$0.15M |
2010 |
|
Continued
updating of computer model to assist with prioritization |
$0.20M |
Ongoing |
|
Continued
monitoring and source control programs and activities |
$0.26M |
Ongoing |
|
TOTAL COST for SHORT-TERM PLAN |
$203.8M |
|
* Pertains only to projects identified for the
Short-Term Integrated Protection Plan.
It is important to note that the Draft Short-Term Integrated Protection Plan does not include the complete elimination of CSOs. It is estimated that complete elimination of CSOs through sewer separation alone, would involve construction of up to almost 300 kilometres of sewers and removal of foundation drain connections from up to 80,000 private homes and buildings by replacement of service laterals or installation of sump pumps. It would take over 50 years of highly disruptive work, and would cost in excess of $2 billion, with minimal resulting environmental benefit. The complete elimination of CSOs is not supported by the river model analysis.
The Draft Short-Term Integrated Protection Plan, and
evaluation criteria for future initiatives will be brought forward for public
consultation over the fall months of 2009.
The goals of this consultation are to:
engage the public; obtain feedback on the proposed strategy and
evaluation criteria for future works and establish environmental protection
goals for the second stage of the Integrated Protection Plan’s implementation.
The second stage of the plan proposes a systematic and
comprehensive evaluation of future projects based on criteria supported by
public consultation, a public education and outreach campaign; monitoring and
reporting to assess the success of the plan; and continuous improvement, with
revisions as necessary, based on observed results. The public input on the recommended approach and evaluation
criteria for the second stage of the plan, will be summarized and brought
forward to Council at a later date.
RÉSUMÉ
Un environnement
sain est vital pour la qualité de vie et la viabilité à plus long terme des
communautés. Un certain nombre de
stratégies et d’initiatives visant à réduire la pollution, satisfaire aux
objectifs en vue d’obtenir des bienfaits pour l’environnement et la santé
publique et prévoir un plan à long terme en vue de guider la gestion de la
santé des ruisseaux rivières et cours d’eau urbains sont actuellement à
diverses étapes de mise en œuvre.
Afin de faire
face aux conséquences des déversements dans la rivière, il est nécessaire de
mettre en œuvre un plan de protection intégré de la rivière des Outaouais, dont
les objectifs seraient les suivants :
assurer et maintenir la conformité avec les exigences réglementaires,
optimiser l’utilisation récréative et le développement économique de la rivière
et maintenir un écosystème aquatique sain.
À l’appui de ces objectifs, un modèle de qualité de l’eau de la rivière
des Outaouais a été élaboré et étalonné au moyen de données provenant des deux
berges de la rivière, y compris 29 déversoirs d’eau excédentaire (DEE), 28
exutoires d’eau pluviale, 22 affluents et deux usines de traitement des eaux
usées (UTEU). Quarante sources ont été
désignées le long de la rivière des Outaouais et 31 à Gatineau. Le modèle de la rivière servira d’outil
d’appui à la prise de décision afin de répondre aux objectifs du plan.
Les
principales sources de déversement des eaux usées dans la rivière des Outaouais
provenant de la ville sont les DEE, le déversement direct des eaux pluviales
provenant des égouts ou indirect par le biais des affluents et la décharge des
effluents terminaux du Centre environnemental Robert O. Pickard (Centre
Pickard). De toutes ces sources, ce
sont les DEE qui déversent les plus importantes charges de bactéries dans la
rivière; les eaux pluviales constituent la plus importante source d’autres
contaminants, y compris le métal. Un
certain nombre d’initiatives visant à réduire la pollution, obtenir des
bienfaits pour l’environnement et la santé publique et prévoir un plan à long
terme en vue de guider la gestion de la santé des rivières et cours d’eau
urbains sont actuellement à diverses étapes de mise en œuvre. Il est recommandé de coordonner ces
initiatives afin d’obtenir une utilisation efficace des fonds.
Selon les résultats
préliminaires du modèle, on peut dire qu’en général, les DEE d’Ottawa et de
Gatineau et l’UTEU de Gatineau déversent actuellement 85 % de la charge
supplémentaire d’E.coli supérieure au niveau naturel dans la rivière des
Outaouais pendant les orages. En dehors
des décharges de DEE, les pires effets sur la qualité de l’eau de l’île Petrie
pendant les orages réguliers proviennent des écoulements du ruisseau Green, du
ruisseau Voyageur et du ruisseau Bilberry, ce qui est dû en grande partie à
leur proximité et à la nature inhérente des affluents urbains. Ainsi, la mise en œuvre prévue du contrôle
en temps réel du modèle de la rivière permettra la réduction des DEE à un
niveau tel que les eaux pluviales deviendront la source dominante de charges
bactériennes à l’île Petrie. L’exercice
de modélisation démontre également que le stockage localisé avec déversement
dans le réseau d’égout est un outil plus efficace (et moins cher) pour faire
face aux DEE que la séparation des égouts.
Au Centre Pickard, les recommandations quant à l’amélioration du retrait
de l’ammoniac sont en attente de l’évaluation de l’information de contrôle
supplémentaire qui devrait être obtenue dans le cadre de l’étude de suivi des
effets sur l’environnement de 2009.
L’utilisation du modèle a aidé à reconnaître
les pires conséquences pour la rivière des Outaouais et a permis, dans un
premier temps, de désigner les priorités d’assainissement. Bien que certaines conclusions aient été
différentes de ce à quoi on s’attendait (à savoir les répercussions
comparatives des différents afflux), on est heureux de se rendre compte que bon
nombre des initiatives visant à régler ces problèmes sont actuellement en
vigueur. Dans certains cas, le
déploiement de la stratégie actuelle peut suffire, dans d’autres, il faudra
sans doute faire appel à des ressources supplémentaires ou à des mécanismes de
mise en œuvre améliorés. S’il est vrai
que les sources de pollution bactérienne sont mieux comprises, l’exercice de
modélisation et l’examen des initiatives actuelles de protection des eaux
soulèvent les questions plus vastes relativement à ce que constitue un cours
d’eau « sain » et à la manière de mieux équilibrer les
investissements dans la protection de la rivière des Outaouais et dans la
protection des 4 500 km de cours d’eau et rivières du reste de la ville.
Dans le plan provisoire de protection intégrée
de la rivière des Outaouais, on recommande une approche échelonnée afin de
préserver et de protéger la rivière des Outaouais. La première phase porte sur la mise en œuvre des étapes finales
nécessaires pour régler le problème des décharges des DEE dans la rivière des
Outaouais et améliorer la qualité de l’eau pour les activités récréatives de
contact corporel. La deuxième étape
reconnaît qu’une fois que l’on a respecté les exigences de santé publique et de
réglementation, il n’y a pas de solution précise quant à la meilleure façon de
protéger la rivière des Outaouais, étant donné les priorités quelquefois
conflictuelles des intervenants en matière d’écologie, d’économie et de
société. Le public pourrait souhaiter
de faire plus que de satisfaire aux exigences réglementaires en ce qui a trait
à la protection de la rivière des Outaouais.
Les conséquences à long terme de la solution des problèmes ont des
répercussions sur la viabilité de la communauté et nécessitent que toute
décision prise à cet effet s’appuie sur les résultats des consultations du
public. Les solutions envisagées seront
élaborées dans le cadre de la deuxième phase du plan intégré de protection à plus
long terme. Le tableau suivant donne un
sommaire des projets proposés au cours de la première phase du plan :
Tableau 1. Plan intégré
provisoire de protection à court terme pour la rivière des Outaouais
|
Solutions de rechange privilégiées pour |
Coût estimatif |
Date d’achèvement prévue |
|
Réduction
des décharges des DEE |
|
|
|
Mise
en oeuvre des contrôles en temps réel |
30M$ |
Printemps 2010 |
|
Stockage
dans les DEE |
45M$ |
Automne 2012 |
|
Séparation
des égouts à l’extérieur de UCSA* |
37,5M$ |
Automne 2011 |
|
Surveillance
des émissaires cruciaux de DEE et d’orages |
5M$ |
Été 2010 |
|
Élaboration
du plan de gestion de l’infrastructure en période de précipitation |
0,14M$ |
Décembre 2009 |
|
Mise
en oeuvre du plan de gestion des infrastructures en période de précipitation |
2M$ |
Janvier 2012 |
|
Installation
de capteurs flottants dans les puisards de zones de collecte combinées |
1,8M$ |
Décembre 2009 |
|
Examen
des interconnexions d’égouts |
0,75M$ |
Automne 2009 |
|
Gestion des eaux pluviales * |
|
|
|
Plan de rattrapage GEP du ruisseau Pinecrest/Westboro |
0,25M$ |
Automne 2010 |
|
Plan
de rattrapage GEP des sous-bassins hydrographiques de l’est |
0,75M$ |
Printemps 2012 |
|
Mise
en oeuvre des projets de rattrapage de GEP selon un plan prioritaire dans le
ruisseau Pinecrest et les sous-bassins hydrographiques |
72M$ |
Printemps 2023 |
|
Amélioration des
usines de traitement des eaux usées |
|
|
|
Déchloration
de l’effluent du Centre Pickard |
7M$ |
Décembre 2010 |
|
Gestion de
l’environnement |
|
|
|
Achèvement
de la stratégie du milieu aquatique |
1M$ |
Été 2011 |
|
Élaboration
et mise en oeuvre d’un système de gestion de l’environnement |
0,15M$ |
2010 |
|
Mise
à jour en cours du modèle informatisé afin d’aider à établir les priorités |
0,20M$ |
En cours |
|
Programmes
et activités en cours de surveillance et de contrôle des sources |
0,26M$ |
En cours |
|
COÛT TOTAL À COURT
TERME |
203,8M$ |
|
*
Vise seulement les projets désignés dans le cadre du Plan intégré de protection
à court terme.
Il est
important de noter que le plan intégré provisoire de protection à court terme
ne comprend pas l’élimination des DEE.
On estime que l’élimination complète des DEE par seulement la séparation
des égouts nécessite l’aménagement de presque 300 km d’égouts et
l’enlèvement de raccordements de drains de fondation de près de 80 000
résidences privées et immeubles au moyen du remplacement de conduites
secondaires ou de l’installation de pompes de puisards. Il faudrait plus de 50 ans de travaux
très perturbateurs et cela coûterait plus de 2 milliards de dollars et
donnerait des bienfaits plutôt minimes pour l’environnement. L’élimination complète des DEE n’est pas non
plus soutenue par l’analyse du modèle de rivière.
Le plan intégré
provisoire de protection à court terme et les critères d’évaluation pour les
futures initiatives seront soumis à la consultation du public pendant les mois
de l’automne 2009. Cette
consultation a pour objet d’engager le public, obtenir une rétroaction sur la
stratégie et les critères d’évaluation proposés pour les travaux subséquents et
établir des objectifs de protection de l’environnement pour la deuxième phase
de la mise en œuvre du plan intégré de protection.
La deuxième phase du plan
porte sur une évaluation systématique et globale des futurs projets en fonction
de critères appuyés sur les résultats de la consultation du public, une campagne
de renseignements et de sensibilisation du public, la surveillance et la
rédaction de rapports afin d’évaluer le succès du plan, et l’amélioration
constante, ainsi que les révisions nécessaires, en fonction des résultats
observés. Les commentaires du public au
sujet de l’approche recommandée et des critères d’évaluation, pour les besoins
de la deuxième phase du plan, seront résumés et présentés au conseil à titre de
renseignements pour le budget 2010.
BACKGROUND
This
report serves to update Council on the finalization of the Ottawa River Water
Quality Model and the assessments used to date in the identification of
protection strategies. It also provides
information on initiatives currently underway, describes evaluation criteria
for future works and proposes a consultation strategy to obtain input from the
residents of the City of Ottawa and other stakeholders, prior to the
finalization of a comprehensive
Integrated Protection Plan for the Ottawa River.
A previous report ACS2008-PWS-WWS-0017 – Water Quality
Modelling of the Ottawa River, which outlined the lack of a strong
understanding of the inputs to the Ottawa River and difficulties involved in
evaluating the fate and potential downstream impacts was brought forward to
Planning and Environment Committee on 24 June 2008. The report summarized the potential uses of hydrological
modelling as a tool to evaluate and assess the environmental benefits of water
quality initiatives currently underway in the City; and to support the
decision-making process to ensure that funds are spent in a manner to achieve
the greatest benefit with respect to the alleviation of river pollution. In December 2008, staff returned to
Committee with report, ACS2008-ICS-WWS-0021 – Ottawa River Water Quality
Assessment Interim Report. It
provided an update on the progress of the Ottawa River water quality
initiatives and provided preliminary information on the costs and processes
associated with the elimination of all overflow to water bodies from the
combined sewer area.
Since that time, the water quality
model has been finalized and the relative impacts of the Combined Sewer
Overflows (CSOs) and effects of Real Time Control (RTC) modeled. Creeks, facilities, and stormwater inputs
from both sides of the river have also been added to the model, and their
relative impacts quantified and assessed.
Staff have continued to meet with the National Capital Commission and la
Ville de Gatineau, both individually and through the Tripartite Committee.
DISCUSSION
A healthy environment is vital for quality of life and the longer-term sustainability of communities. The City of Ottawa Growth Management Plan (Ottawa 20/20) recognizes and endorses this idea. One of Ottawa 20/20’s seven guiding principles is “A Green and Environmentally Sensitive City”, and one of the goals under this principle is that of clean water. In support of this, the Environmental Strategy establishes the City’s commitments to demonstrate and promote leadership in environmental stewardship and to take an ecosystem approach to the protection of aquatic systems. It also addresses the need to reduce the City’s global environmental impact.
The main sources of water environment impact to the
Ottawa River from the City are CSOs, stormwater run-off entering directly from
storm sewers or indirectly through tributary creeks and rivers, and treated
final effluent discharged from the Pickard Centre. A number of strategies and initiatives to reduce pollution,
fulfill objectives established to achieve environmental and public health
benefits, and provide a long-term plan to guide the management of the health of
urban streams and rivers are currently in various stages of
implementation. Existing strategies and
initiatives that support this are described below in more detail. It should also be noted that these
activities are in line with the strategic priorities and opportunities of the
Planning and Environment Committee’s for 2009-2010; namely, building community
trust and confidence, and recognizing the importance of the Ottawa River and
the need to provide long-term protection of the City’s watersheds.
EXISTING STRATEGIES AND PLANS
Combined Sewer Area Pollution Prevention and Control
Plan (PPCP)
The
City of Ottawa’s PPCP is required to meet the conditions of the Ministry of the
Environment (MOE) Procedure F-5-5 (MOE, undated). It outlines the nature, cause and extent of pollution problems;
examines alternatives; recommends remedial measures to the problems and
presents an implementation plan for the recommended measures. In short, it provides recommendations and
makes commitments to reduce pollution caused by the Combined Sewer Area to
fulfill the reduction objectives outlined in Procedure F-5-5, thereby achieving
environmental and public health benefits.
One of the options identified in the plan and currently under implementation is Real Time Control (RTC) of combined sewers flow and overflows. RTC will monitor capacity in the sewer system to ensure the maximum capture of combined sewer flows before any overflows occur. It is anticipated that new facilities commissioned in 2009 will dramatically decrease the volume of CSOs discharged to the Ottawa River and be sufficient to significantly exceed the 90% of wet weather capture criterion stipulated in F-5-5. This is believed to be a first for municipalities in Ontario with CSOs.
Stormwater Management (SWM) Strategy
Treating stormwater presents a significant challenge to the City, in particular in existing urbanized subwatersheds. Stormwater does not have the same elevated bacterial levels as CSOs, however, there are hundreds of untreated stormwater outfalls to receiving waters and other contaminants that require treatment. The City of Ottawa has initiated the preparation of a SWM Strategy to address this challenge. Its intent is to provide a long-term plan to guide the safe and effective management of stormwater runoff from urban and urbanizing areas while sustaining the health of urban streams and rivers. The first stage of work to develop the SWM Strategy was completed in the fall of 2006, providing an assessment of existing conditions. Stage 2 is underway; SWM goals, objectives and policies have been developed with the assistance of public consultation and were brought forward to City Council in Report ACS2007-PTE-POL-37 – Stormwater Management Strategy Stage 2: Policies, in September 2007. The Stormwater Management Planning Guideline is scheduled for completion by the end of 2009.
To address the anticipated impacts of intensification, the Official Plan (OP) and Infrastructure Master Plan (IMP) identify the need to develop a City-Wide SWM Retrofit Master Plan for areas that developed with little or no SWM controls. Specifically, SWM retrofit refers to inserting a range of measures into established urban areas with the aim of reducing wet weather pollutant loads, lessening accelerated erosion rates, reducing flood risk, and promoting conditions for improved aquatic habitat and recreational uses. This is the last and final stage of the Strategy, which will prioritize a list of retrofit projects to address both existing problems and mitigate the impacts of infill / redevelopment. Items considered in this plan include water quality, quantity, stream rehabilitation and the effects of erosion.
Wet Weather Infrastructure Management
Plan (WWIMP)
The WWIMP is focused on the development of
strategic priorities for managing wet weather flows within the wastewater and
stormwater collection systems. Its
development is a result of the 2006 Audit Report for the Wastewater and Drainage
Services Division, which noted that an overall “wet weather” management
strategy is required to address overall impacts on the City’s stormwater
infrastructure and their receiving streams as well as address the management of
the sanitary sewer system, and specifically infiltration and inflow into this
system. The goal of the plan is to
reduce, and cost-effectively mitigate the adverse effects of wet weather flow
on City infrastructure and private property, as well as protect public health
and the environment in a timely and sustainable manner.
The specific objectives of the WWIMP are
to: reduce threats to human health and
property damage from flooding; provide capacity for growth and intensification
for areas with infrastructure capacity restrictions and minimize adverse
impacts on water quality in watercourses.
As such, the plan encompasses wet weather flow issues at various levels,
therefore balancing both local and system-wide issues.
Water Environment Protection Program
Surface water quality monitoring, and source control through the application of the Sewer Use By-law, are both identified as water protection initiatives in the City’s Environmental Strategy and the Corporate Environmental Action Plan. Both of these initiatives fall under the umbrella of the Water Environment Protection Program (WEPP). WEPP is committed to the protection and enhancement of Ottawa’s natural environment, public health and safety and the City infrastructure through the comprehensive monitoring, assessment and reporting of the aquatic environment and regulation of discharges.
Key initiatives related to the Ottawa River’s health are the Environmental Effects Monitoring Program, the Priority Outfall Monitoring Program (“Search and Destroy”), and the Baseline Monitoring Program. The Sewer Use By-law also provides the legal framework by which source control or remedial activities may be required to prevent pollutants from entering local waterbodies, either directly, or through the wastewater treatment plant which is not designed to treat certain types of waste.
Lower Rideau Watershed Strategy
The Lower Rideau Watershed Strategy was developed by
a multi-agency task group to guide the planning and delivery of watershed
management by the City and partner agencies.
It encourages an “environment first” approach to the watershed and
supports regular monitoring and reporting.
The strategy’s main objectives include:
·
Protection of stream
function and habitats in small tributaries; and
·
Reduction of the
amount of nutrients, such as phosphorous, in the water, as nutrients contribute
to excessive weeds in the streams.
Water Environment Strategy
The City’s Environmental Strategy identifies the
need to develop an overarching Water Environment Strategy to provide a
comprehensive view of how the City will maintain and enhance its healthy water
environment for today and future generations.
The Water Environment Strategy will provide an integrated framework for
the various programs and initiatives being undertaken across the city, both
within the rural and urban areas, to maintain and enhance the water
environment. The strategy will build
upon the water protection policies within the Groundwater Management Strategy,
Official Plan, IMP, and Lower Rideau Watershed strategy including the draft Integrated
Protection Plan for the Ottawa River as outlined later in this report.
A report to will be brought forward to PEC in July
2009 regarding the refresh of the Environmental Strategy and will include
additional detail on the Water Environment Strategy.
Ottawa River Water Quality Model
The Ottawa River Water Quality Model was developed
and calibrated with data from both sides of the river, including: twenty nine CSOs, twenty-eight storm
outfalls, twenty-two tributaries and two Wastewater Treatment Plants
(WWTP). Forty sources were defined
along the river on the Ottawa side and thirty-one in Gatineau. It is an important, valuable and flexible
decision support tool that will enable the assessment of initiatives to improve
water quality and assist in the establishment of effective priorities and
integrated improvement strategies.
In preparation of the development of the Draft
Integrated Protection Plan, model runs have been used to evaluate impacts or
relative benefits of a number of scenarios.
Preliminary results of the estimation of bacterial loadings for those
defined point sources are summarized in Tables 2 and 3, respectively.
Table 2. Summary of Relative E.coli Loading Contributions to the Ottawa River (Sum of Four Reference Storm Events)
|
Source of E.coli |
Current
Conditions |
2010-Post RTC |
2035-Post
Separation (Gatineau Disinfection) |
|
Ottawa CSOs |
51.8% |
22.0% |
25.1% |
|
Gatineau CSOs |
15.9% |
25.8% |
38.5% |
|
Gatineau WWTP |
17.9% |
28.9% |
0.2% |
|
Ottawa Tributaries |
10.3% |
16.7% |
25.3% |
|
Gatineau Tributaries |
2.0% |
3.2% |
4.8% |
|
Ottawa Stormwater |
0.5% |
0.8% |
2.0% |
|
Gatineau Stormwater |
1.4% |
2.2% |
3.5% |
|
Ottawa WWTP |
0.2% |
0.4% |
0.5% |
|
Total Load to Ottawa River |
8.53E+14 |
5.27E+14 |
3.47E+14 |
Table 3.
Summary of Average Relative Contribution from Sources at Petrie Island at Peak
Concentration (Average of Four Reference Storm Events from 1980)
|
Source of E.coli |
Current
Conditions |
2010-Post RTC |
2035-Post
Separation (Gatineau Disinfection) |
|
Ottawa CSOs |
69.7% |
14.8% |
13.5% |
|
Gatineau CSOs |
4.6% |
4.4% |
5.5% |
|
Gatineau WWTP |
4.6% |
12.7% |
0.0% |
|
Ottawa Tributaries |
19.0% |
64.3% |
76.3% |
|
Gatineau Tributaries |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
|
Ottawa Stormwater |
0.4% |
1.2% |
1.6% |
|
Gatineau Stormwater |
0.8% |
0.6% |
0.6% |
|
Ottawa WWTP |
0.9% |
2.0% |
2.4% |
Prior
to the development of the model, a number of assumptions were held regarding the
fate and potential downstream impacts of discharges to the river, potential
mitigative strategies, and their relative priorities for remediation. Model runs have served to verify some of
these assumptions, and have also provided some unexpected information, which
may serve to reshape City directives.
These items are summarized in Table 4.
The results that were somewhat unexpected are bolded and italicized.
Table 4. Comparison of Expected Results and Model Findings
|
Expected Result |
Model Findings |
|
CSOs and the Gatineau WWTP are the highest
individual contributors of the E.coli loading to the Ottawa River. |
|
|
CSOs and the Gatineau WWTP have the most impact on
water quality at the Petrie Island Beach. |
·
Outside
of the discharge of CSOs, the largest impacts to Petrie Island during regular
storm events result from the discharges from Green Creek, Voyageur Creek, and
Bilberry Creek. ·
Concentrated
plumes from the Gatineau WWTP remain near shore and have relatively little
impact at Petrie Island. |
|
The implementation of RTC will remove a significant
volume of Ottawa CSO discharges and result in an associated decrease of the
E.coli loading. |
·
The
implementation of RTC will result in: o
a 38%
reduction in E.coli loading to the river; and o
a 32%
reduction in E.coli concentrations at Petrie Island. |
|
·
After
the implementation of RTC, Bilberry Creek, Green Creek and Voyageur Creek
will contribute more than 60% of the remaining loading of E.coli at Petrie
Island, due in large part to their proximity to Petrie Island. |
|
|
·
After the
implementation of RTC, additional storage, at a cost of ~$45M, will reduce
the E.coli concentration at Petrie Island by an additional 8% for the four
reference events; or ·
Completion
of the planned Sewer Separation Program, at an additional cost of ~$250M,
will reduce the E.coli concentration at Petrie Island by an additional 5% for
the four reference events; or ·
Stormwater
management initiatives, at a total cost of ~$73M over a 10-year period, could
potentially reduce the E.coli concentration at Petrie Island by an additional
26%. |
|
|
·
Until the
current planned Sewer Separation Program is completed, CSOs will continue to
occur Post RTC during rain events.
There will be, on average, just over one event per week during the
swimming season. ·
Additional
monitoring is required to determine whether or not Petrie Island is impacted
by CSOs after implementation of RTC, prior to determining whether or not
compliance with F-5-5 can be obtained without continuation and completion of
the current Planned Sewer Separation Program. |
The model can eventually be linked to the other
segments previously developed upstream of the Chaudiere Falls. This will assess the effect of stormwater
retrofits and other remedial measures that will result in the most improvement
to the overall health of the entire river.
It is expected that this review will draw stormwater impacts on Westboro
Beach into the overall consideration.
The completion of the Pinecrest Creek/Westboro SWM Retrofit Pilot Study
will also provide an indication of the degree of improvement to which SWM
retrofit efforts can effect water quality improvements in other areas of the
City.
Additional river water quality monitoring is
required to fill existing data gaps and refine the calibration of the
model. This work will take place over
the coming year(s). Ongoing data review
and maintenance of the model will also be required in the years to come to fine
tune its operation and ensure that any changes to the inputs are adequately
updated to reflect actual conditions during its use. If this does not occur, the use of the model as a decision making
tool will be greatly diminished.
Draft Integrated Protection Plan
Use of the model has helped clarify the most significant impacts on the Ottawa River, and assisted in the initial identification of remedial priorities. Although some findings were different than expected, the good news is that many existing strategies and programs to deal with these issues are currently in place, in various stages of implementation. In some cases, the completion of the current strategy may be sufficient; in others, increased resources or improved implementation mechanisms may be required. While sources of bacterial pollution are now better understood, both the modelling exercise and investigation into existing water protection initiatives bring forward the larger questions of what constitutes a “healthy” water-body, and how best to balance the investments in the protection of the Ottawa River with the protection of the 4,500 km of streams and rivers in the rest of the City.
The Draft Integrated Protection Plan for the Ottawa River proposes a staged approach to maintaining and protecting the water environment. The first stage consists of the implementation of the final steps required to address the discharge of CSOs to the Ottawa River and to improve water quality in the river for body contact recreation. Details in the following paragraphs refer to this Short-Term Integrated Protection Plan. Additional details are contained in Appendix 2.
The second stage of the approach recognizes that once public health and regulatory requirements are met, there is no clear-cut solution on how best to proceed with the protection of the Ottawa River as a whole, given the sometimes conflicting ecological, economic and social priorities of stakeholders. The long-term consequences of the resolution of these issues impact community sustainability and require that any decisions in this regard be informed by public consultation. These solutions will be developed as part of the second stage of the Longer-Term Integrated Protection Plan. The specific issues of concern and a proposal for their resolution and integration into the Integrated Protection Plan are detailed further in the report.
Combined Sewer System Strategy
The aggressive separation completed to date as a result of the ongoing Sewer Separation Program in which $750M has been invested, and the expansion of the Pickard Centre in the 1990s, have dramatically reduced the volume of CSOs discharged to the Ottawa River. As a result, the City of Ottawa is currently in compliance with the 90% wet weather flow capture criterion of F-5-5. These requirements will be exceeded upon completion of current RTC Program in 2010, which is believed to be a first for municipalities in Ontario with combined sewers. In support of the Ottawa River Water Quality Assessment, an investigation was also undertaken to determine requirements to further increase the level of service in terms of CSO reduction, up to and including complete elimination.
Storage and Separation
The analysis of CSO service level considered several combinations of new storage, treatment capacity and conveyance capacity. High-level findings are summarized in Appendix 1. Generally speaking:
- After implementation of RTC, storage is the most cost-effective means of reducing the environmental impact of CSOs on the Ottawa River. Construction of local, distributed storage serving combined collection systems within the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area (UCSA) will cost-effectively minimize sewage impacts on the Ottawa River;
- Sewer separation creates much more frequent and voluminous stormwater discharges into the river, which would otherwise go to the Pickard Centre for full treatment and seasonal disinfection;
- Continued Sewer Separation outside the UCSA reduces the number of (low volume) CSO events, but does not dramatically decrease the overall volume of CSO discharged;
- Storage (for the UCSA) dramatically reduces the volume of CSOs discharged from the UCSA, but does not affect the number of (low volume) CSOs occurring outside the UCSA; and
- The cost per cubic metre of CSO removed for sewer separation is $7,000 versus $1,100 for storage.
Due to the water quality concerns associated with untreated stormwater discharges, the option of combined sewers with storage, rather than sewer separation, is considered to be the one that is most beneficial to the environment. It is also significantly less costly and provides good value. This has been further substantiated by the modelling results, as can be seen in Table 5, which indicate that storage serving the remaining combined sewer area within the UCSA results in a much lower loading of E.coli to the Ottawa River than does separation of that same area. The conclusion of the optimization process is that storage within the UCSA is the preferred option of enhancing combined sewage collection systems beyond regulatory compliance. It is estimated that this will cost in the area of $45M and be completed over the next three years.
The City has also committed to a program of separating the combined sewers outside the UCSA as part of its Wastewater Masterplan. The current strategy is to continue this plan in the interim, and projects in this regard have been identified as part of the Short-Term Integrated Protection Plan. It is estimated that these works will cost in the amount of $37.5M and will be complete by the Fall of 2011. The long-term budget for this separation program, which is scheduled to take place over the next twenty-five years, is $250M. At this time, it is recommended that we continue on our current path of reducing/eliminating combined sewer discharges from outside the UCSA. It would be prudent to review and verify this approach as part of the Long-Term Integrated Protection Plan.
Table
5: Total E.coli Load to Ottawa River -
Ottawa Sources Considered
· 2035 Post
Separation: Refers to completion of
separation program outside the UCSA.
· 2010 RTC Max
2: Refers to RTC + storage.
· 2035 PS Max
2: Refers to RTC + completion of
separation program outside the UCSA + storage.
· 2010 RTC with
SWMP: Refers to RTC + Stormwater
Management initiative.
Additional monitoring and modelling will be carried out post RTC in order to allow optimization of the capacity of the existing infrastructure, minimize CSO volume, measure performance, and provide a better understanding of the potential impacts of the remaining CSOs on body contact recreation (at Petrie Island Beach). Should this work demonstrate with reasonable confidence that the beach will be affected by CSOs after implementation of RTC and other measures currently planned and recommended, Section 9(b) of F-5-5 will trigger the need for additional measures to control the number of CSOs to no more than two events per swimming season during the average year. This objective can only be accomplished with the implementation of: RTC, storage within the UCSA and the completion of the separation program underway.
As a result, it is recommended that separation projects currently underway to eliminate key bottlenecks within the collection system that result in frequent CSOs be completed, and that the overall Sewer Separation Program be tabled for review and consultation in the second phase of the Draft Integrated Protection Plan. Data obtained after the implementation of RTC will be used to size storage facilities and estimate effective locations in which they can or should be built.
It is important to highlight that sewer separation of all the remaining combined sewers does not equate to elimination of CSOs. It is estimated that complete elimination of CSOs would involve construction of up to almost 300 kilometres of sewers and removal of foundation drain connections from up to 80,000 private homes and buildings by replacement of service laterals or installation of sump pumps. It would take over 50 years of highly disruptive work, and would cost in excess of $2 billion. The environmental and public health benefits would be minimal.
Extraneous Flow Removal
Extraneous flows refer to such things as the draining of generally uncontaminated water from foundation drains, downspouts, to the sewer, as well as groundwater entering through leaking sewers. Also known as inflow and infiltration (I/I), these discharges can be a significant source of wet weather flow, and contribute to CSOs and/or cause basement flooding. The IWWMP is being developed to minimize the adverse impacts of these discharges. Reduction of I/I in combined sewer areas serves to reduce CSOs. As a result, special consideration will be given to I/I entering sewer sheds that produce CSOs in the development of the WWIMP. To this end, a consultant is being retained to develop the Plan, including the formation of a Technical Advisory Committee, consolidation of information, setting objectives and evaluation of potential remedial strategies. The WWIMP is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2009, with full implementation scheduled for 2012, at a cost of approximately $2 million.
Source Control
Source control measures refer to activities that prevent pollution from entering the sewage system in order to minimize the environmental impacts of discharges. Initiatives include the installation of floatables traps to reduce the mass of floatable material reaching the Ottawa River from the drainage within the Combined Sewer Area, and a review of older sewer interconnections, which may no longer be necessary, and result in untreated overflows. Many other existing City programs, practices and by-laws reduce pollution at source, consistent with Section 6 (b) of F-5-5. Their effectiveness will be assessed during the second phase of the Integrated Protection Plan, with public input, and recommendations regarding continuance or enhancements will be made at that time.
Summary of Short-Term Recommended Measures for CSO Reduction:
· Finalize implementation of RTC;
· Invest in storage as a preferred measure in dealing with CSOs from the UCSA;
· Complete sewer separation projects currently underway to deal with bottlenecks in the system and review the effectiveness of this program in the second phase of the protection program;
· Continue monitoring for system optimization and determination of compliance with F5-5 beach criteria;
· Develop and implement the WWIMP;
· Install floatable traps in combined sewer area catch basins and review sewer interconnections; and
· Review the effectiveness of other source control initiatives in the second phase of the Protection Program.
Stormwater Management Strategy
Unlike master
planning for centralized water and wastewater systems, stormwater management
infrastructure is necessarily planned on a more local basis, at the catchment
or subwatershed level. Given the results of the modelling exercise, the approach
to the SWM Strategy is in need of review.
In addition to the requirement that it be accelerated, a focused
implementation to the completion of the City-Wide SWM Retrofit Master Plan has
been determined to best suit the needs of the Short-Term Draft Integrated
Protection Plan. To date this is in
contrast to the current initiative of a City-Wide approach, as previously
recommended. The first phase includes
SWM Retrofit Plans in areas directly impacting beaches on the Ottawa
River. These projects will also be used
to test the feasibility and public acceptance of their broad scale
implementation of various source control measures in the last phase of the
Plan, when it is expanded to encompass the remainder of the urban area.
The Pinecrest Creek SWM Retrofit
Plan pilot study, which is currently underway, is defined by the Pinecrest
Creek subwatershed and adjacent storm outfalls upstream of Westboro Beach. These areas have little or no SWM controls
in place, resulting in poor water quality, frequent beach closures and problems
such as erosion. This study is
anticipated to be complete by the fall of 2010. It is
recommended that a similar approach be used to focus on the SWM retrofit plan to
cover the Bilberry, Voyageur and Green Creek subwatersheds, which impact the
beach at Petrie Island. It is
anticipated that these will commence in the spring of 2010. The final phase will expand the SWM retrofit
plan to cover the remainder of the urban area.
In the absence of the completed SWM
Retrofit Master Plan, it is difficult to estimate the total cost of
implementing SWM Retrofit Citywide.
However, a review of costs from other municipalities (Toronto, Hamilton)
indicates an average per-hectare capital cost in the order of $13,000. With an existing urban area (net of the
Greenbelt) of approximately 33,000 hectares, of which about 30% already has or
will be built with stormwater management, the total cost of implementing SWM
Retrofit for a net area of about 23,000 hectares is estimated to be in the
order of $300 million.
Further details of required studies, phasing and a
preliminary estimate of implementation costs are provided in Table 6.
Table 6. SWM Retrofit Master Plan and Preliminary Implementation
Costs
|
Phase |
Estimated Cost |
Estimated Timing |
|
1. Pinecrest Creek/Westboro SWM Retrofit
Plan |
$0.25M |
Fall 2010 completion |
|
2. Eastern Subwatersheds SWM Retrofit
Plan (Bilberry, Voyageur, Green) |
$0.75M |
Spring 2010 - Spring 2012 |
|
3. Implement SWM retrofit projects on a
priority basis: Pinecrest and Eastern Subwatersheds |
$72M |
Commence Spring 2013 |
|
4. Remainder of SWM Retrofit Master Plan |
$2M |
Fall 2012 – Fall 2014 |
|
5. Implement SWM retrofit projects on a
priority basis for remainder of SWM retrofit area |
$228M |
Commence Spring 2015 |
|
6. Periodic 5-year review of SWM
Retrofit Master Plan |
$0.40M |
2017 |
Notes:
1.
Estimated SWM retrofit capital cost/hectare = $13,000
(excludes staff costs for implementation and monitoring which would be
additional).
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Enhancements
The Ministry of the Environment establishes the effluent criteria for wastewater treatment facilities through Certificates of Approval (C of A). It is important to note that the Pickard Centre is currently operated in full compliance with its C of A, which identifies only four compliance limits: carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, total phosphorous, and E.coli. It does not address parameters that are known to be toxic to fish, such as un-ionized ammonia and chlorine.
Details
regarding effluent from the Pickard Centre are summarized in Table 7.
Table 7.
Pickard Centre Treated Effluent
|
Parameter |
Measured Effluent |
Certificate of Approval |
Provincial Water Quality Objective |
Upcoming Regulations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Limit |
Timing |
|
8 mg/l |
25 mg/l |
|
NA |
NA |
|
|
Total Suspended
Solids |
13 mg/l |
25 mg/l |
|
|
|
|
Phosphorous |
0.85 |
<1.0 mg/l |
0.03 mg/l |
|
|
|
E. Coli |
80 cfu/ 100ml |
<200cfu/
100ml |
|
|
|
|
Total Residual
Chlorine |
0.45 mg/l |
N/A |
0.002 mg/l |
0.02 mg/l |
15 Dec 2010 |
|
Ammonia |
0.19 mg/l |
N/A |
0.02 mg/l |
Based on acute
toxicity tests |
2020-2030 |
Upcoming regulations with a requirement to achieve and maintain a concentration of total residual chlorine in the effluent of less than or equal to 0.02mg/l are expected by the end of 2010. Given that the Pickard Centre does not currently meet this objective, works pertaining to the dechlorination of the effluent are underway, at a cost of $7M. If other proposed performance standards are prescribed under new regulations, processes at the Pickard Centre may have to be modified to change the quality of effluent.
Although
concentrations of total phosphorous
in Pickard Centre final effluent exceed Provincial Water Quality Objectives
(PWQO) in the near field, full incorporation of the effluent in the river
results in compliance with the PWQO within 1.8 kilometres. It should be noted that the intent of this
guideline was established to prevent excessive plant growth in water bodies. Underwater observations in the Ottawa River
within the area of exceedance have shown little plant growth on the river
bottom in the vicinity of the Pickard Centre discharge, indicating that the
elevated total phosphorous concentrations are not having a detectable impact on
the immediate receiving environment. As
a result, enhanced phosphorous removal is not recommended at this time, but
will be included as a potential enhancement to be reviewed as part of the
second phase of the Integrated Protection Plan. Recommendations regarding enhanced ammonia removal are pending
the assessment of additional monitoring information expected to be obtained as
part of the 2009 Environmental Effects Monitoring Program.
There may be a public desire to go beyond the
achievement of regulatory compliance with respect to the protection of the
Ottawa River. Details with respect to
potential operational changes to the wastewater treatment process have been
documented in the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Report for the Robert O. Pickard
Environmental Centre (Stantec 2009), and will be brought forward for review as
part of the public consultation process for the implementation of the second
phase of the Draft Integrated Protection Plan.
Environmental Management
The City is currently developing an Environmental Management System for all Wastewater and Drainage Services, modeled on the ISO14000 standard, which could lead to changes in operations and maintenance practices. This commitment to demonstrate environmental management involves four separate areas: risk based impact assessment, preparation of strategies for risk avoidance, auditing and reporting, and continuous improvement based on given results. The development of the City’s water environment strategy, and ongoing monitoring and reporting, are closely linked to this activity and considered priorities for the Short-Term Integrated Protection Plan. Enhancements will be considered in the second phase of the Integrated Protection Plan.
In light of the above, a summary of the first stage of the Integrated Protection Plan is as follows:
Table 8. Draft
Short-Term Integrated Protection Plan for the Ottawa River
|
Preferred
Alternatives for the |
Estimated
Cost |
Estimated
Completion |
|
CSO Reduction |
|
|
|
Implementation of Real Time Controls |
$30M |
Spring
2010 |
|
CSO
Storage Ultimate Combined Sewer Area |
$45M |
Fall
2013 |
|
Sewer
Separation outside Ultimate Combined Sewer Area * |
$37.5M |
Fall
2011 |
|
Critical
CSO and Storm Outfall Monitoring |
$5M |
Summer
2010 |
|
Development
of the Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan |
$0.14M |
December
2009 |
|
Implementation
of the Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan |
$2M |
January
2012 |
|
Installation
of Floatable Traps in Combined Sewer Area Catch Basins |
$1.8M |
December
2009 |
|
Review
of Sewer Interconnections |
$0.75M |
Fall 2010 |
|
Stormwater Management * |
|
|
|
Pinecrest Creek/Westboro SWM Retrofit Plan |
$0.25M |
Fall of 2010 |
|
Eastern
Subwatersheds SWM Retrofit Plan |
$0.75M |
Spring
2012 |
|
Implementation
of SWM retrofit projects on a priority basis for Pinecrest Creek and Eastern
Subwatersheds |
$72M |
Spring
2023 |
|
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Enhancements |
|
|
|
De-chlorination
of Pickard Centre Effluent |
$7M |
December
2010 |
|
Environmental Management |
|
|
|
Development
of Water Environment Strategy |
$1M |
Summer
2011 |
|
Development
and Implement an Environmental Management System |
$0.15M |
2010 |
|
Continued
updating of computer model to assist with prioritization |
$0.20M |
Ongoing |
|
Continued
monitoring and source control programs and activities |
$0.26M |
Ongoing |
|
TOTAL COST for SHORT-TERM
PLAN |
$203.8M |
|
* Pertains only to projects
identified for the Short-Term Integrated Protection Plan.
Long-Term Integrated Protection Plan
The priorities, or criteria for the protection of the Ottawa River, range from the relatively straightforward achievement of regulatory compliance and recreational use of the waterway, to exceeding regulatory compliance and the holistic protection of the aquatic environment. Each comes with an increasing cost and benefit to the environment. The resolution of these issues, which will be addressed as part of the Long-Term Strategy, is not straightforward. They will also have long lasting repercussions. The questions to be posed as part of the public consultation process can be found in Appendix 3.
Evaluation Criteria
Once public health and regulatory requirements are met, there is currently no clear-cut solution on how best to proceed with the protection of the Ottawa River, given the sometimes conflicting ecological, economic and social priorities of stakeholders. In consideration of the magnitude of the funding required, there is an appropriate need to develop a decision-making template to assist guiding staff towards the development of a publicly acceptable Integrated Protection Plan for the Ottawa River. In this interest, draft evaluation criteria have been developed to ensure that all potential remediation strategies are consistently evaluated, and that the decision-making process is transparent, and takes into account the costs and benefits of the various protection strategies. A description of the draft evaluation criteria is contained in Appendix 4 of this document.
The long-term consequences of the resolution of
these issues, requires that any decisions in this regard need to be informed by
public consultation. The intent is to consult
with the public over the fall months to:
·
Inform them of the
results of the water quality model and initiatives identified in the Draft
Integrated Protection Plan to improve water quality;
·
Identify the costs and
relative benefits of each initiative, cumulatively;
·
Determine local water
quality issues and willingness to implement options, where feasible;
·
Obtain feedback
on: the Draft Integrated Protection
Plan and evaluation criteria; and
·
Provide details as to
the process and timing for approval of the Draft Integrated Protection Plan,
and how they can participate and influence its outcome.
Based on this, the City will then be able to gauge:
·
The level of support
for the new and existing initiatives set out in the Draft Integrated Protection
Plan;
·
The degree to which
the Plan addresses localized water quality issues of importance to specific
communities within the City; and
·
The need to modify the
plan to obtain public support.
It is estimated that the public consultation process
will cost in the order of $100,000.
The second stage of the Draft Integrated Protection
Plan proposes to continue systematic and comprehensive evaluation of future
projects based on criteria established by Council through public consultation,
a public education and outreach campaign; monitoring and reporting to assess
the success of the Plan; and continuous improvement, with revisions as
necessary, based on observed results.
The public input on the recommended approach and evaluation criteria for
the second stage of the Plan, will be summarized and brought forward to Council
at a later date.
Other Agencies
The City remains committed to participating on the
Tripartite Committee for the Ottawa River, with its partners, the National
Capital Commission and la Ville de Gatineau.
Staff have also developed a working relationship with their counterparts
in la Ville de Gatineau to share information and continuously update the
model. Gatineau will also be provided
with the opportunity to be involved in the public consultation initiatives,
given that they are part of the solution.
For example, they currently have a study underway to assess disinfection
options for their wastewater treatment plant effluent, with plans for its
implementation over the next few years.
This will impact the water quality in the Ottawa River and may serve to
change the focus of remedial efforts on the Ottawa side of the River, if other
impacts become more pronounced.
SUMMARY
The main sources of wastewater discharges to the Ottawa River from Ottawa are CSOs, stormwater run-off entering directly from storm sewers or indirectly through tributary creeks and rivers, and treated final effluent discharged from the Pickard Centre. CSOs contribute the largest loadings of bacteria to the river from these sources; stormwater is the largest source of other contaminants, including metals. A number of initiatives to: reduce pollution, achieve environmental and public health benefits, and provide a long-term plan to guide the management of the health of urban streams and rivers are currently underway in various stages of implementation. Several elements in many of these initiatives overlap.
The computer modelling of the Ottawa River helped confirm the most significant impacts on the Ottawa River, and assisted in the initial identification of remedial priorities. Prior to the development of the model, a number of assumptions were held regarding the fate and potential downstream impacts of discharges to the river, potential mitigative strategies, and their relative priorities for remediation. Model runs have served to verify some of these assumptions, and have also provided some unexpected information, which have served to reshape City directives.
Table 9. Change in Strategy Direction Based on Model Results
|
Strategy |
Previous Direction |
Current Direction |
|
CSO Reduction |
·
Implementation
of RTC ·
Accelerated
Sewer Separation ·
Consideration
for storage in upcoming infrastructure renewal ·
Implementation
of the WWIMP |
·
Implementation
of RTC ·
Storage ·
Completion
of current sewer separation projects, and a review of the Program as part
of second phase of the Draft Protection Program ·
Projects
prioritized as part of over-all Integrated Protection Plan ·
Public
consultation on other source control initiatives to determine where
enhancements may be required ·
Implementation
of the WWIMP |
|
Stormwater Management |
·
City-Wide
plan for SWM Retrofit |
·
Acceleration
of SWM Strategy ·
SWM
retrofit plans to initially focus on watersheds impacting beaches ·
Implementation
of City-Wide plan to be staggered |
|
Wastewater Treatment Plant |
·
Dechlorination
of Pickard Centre effluent for compliance with upcoming regulations |
·
Dechlorination
of Pickard Centre effluent ·
Public
consultation on desire for enhanced phosphorous and/or ammonia removal |
|
Water Environment Strategy |
·
No action |
·
Implementation
by 2011 |
|
Ongoing monitoring and reporting |
·
Sporadic
and program based |
·
To be
implemented as part of Long-Term
Integrated Protection Plan in 2011 |
|
Public Outreach |
·
N/A |
·
To be
implemented by 2012 |
In order to build on the significant level of effort already ongoing in support of the City’s various water protection initiatives, it is recommended that their relevant components be integrated to allow for the prioritization of future works pertaining to the protection of the Ottawa River. In some cases, the completion of the current strategy may be sufficient; in other, increased resources or improved implementation mechanisms may be required.
The Draft Integrated Protection Plan for the Ottawa
River recommends a staged approach to dealing with water pollution. The first stage consists of the
implementation of the final steps required to address the discharge of combined
sewer overflows to the Ottawa River and to improve water quality in the river
for body-contact recreation. The second
stage recognizes that once public health and regulatory requirements are met,
there is no clear-cut solution on how best to proceed with the protection of
the Ottawa River as a whole, given the sometimes conflicting ecological,
economic, and social priorities of stakeholders. The long-term consequences of the resolution of these issues
impact community sustainability and require that any decisions in this regard
be informed by public consultation.
These solutions will be developed as part of the second stage of the
longer term Integrated Protection Plan.
Details can be found in Appendix 2.
The Draft Short-Term Integrated Protection Plan, and
evaluation criteria will be brought forward for public consultation over the
fall months of 2009. The goals of this
consultation are to: engage the public;
obtain feedback on the proposed strategy and evaluation criteria for future
works; and establish environmental protection goals for the second stage of the
Integrated Protection Plan’s implementation.
The second stage of the plan proposes systematic and
comprehensive evaluation of future projects based on criteria established by
Council through public consultation, a public education and outreach campaign;
monitoring and reporting to assess the success of the plan; and continuous
improvement, with revisions as necessary, based on observed results. The public input on the recommended approach
and evaluation criteria for the second stage of the plan, will be summarized
and brought forward to Council at a later date.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
The reduction of discharges to the Ottawa River will
assist in fulfilling the goals of the Ottawa 20/20 and the City’s Environmental
Strategy. It also serves to demonstrate
the City’s leadership in water environment protection and fulfills the
strategic direction provided by the Planning and Environment Committee.
CONSULTATION
Consultation amongst City Departments has also
occurred in order to coordinate water quality improvement initiatives and
meetings with the National Capital Commission and la Ville de Gatineau have
been initiated. City staff also plan to
bring the Draft Integrated Protection Plan and evaluation criteria forward for
public consultation over the fall of 2009 to inform the 2010 Budget. The consultation will be coordinated with
other environmental consultation activities whenever possible. The National Capital Commission, la Ville de
Gatineau and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment will also be included in
this exercise. Public consultation has
also been ongoing in the development of the Stormwater Management Strategy and
the RTC projects. City staff have also
consulted extensively with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment on these
initiatives.
LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT
IMPLICATIONS
The successful implementation of the RTC project is expected to bring the City further into compliance with the Ministry of the Environment’s Procedure F-5-5. Post RTC, implementation of Ottawa River water quality monitoring will determine if this is adequate for compliance with all aspects of the Procedure.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
Initiatives
to reduce the City’s impact on the Ottawa River will impact the Long Range
Financial Plan and Corporate Departmental Plans. Many of these initiatives will incur capital cost well above or
accelerated from those anticipated in LRFP III and in the 2009-2018 capital
budget. Pre-commitments to future
years’ budgets may also be required.
Additional opportunities for cost sharing with other government bodies
may also require exploration.
Council
has approved Ottawa River Funding (ORF) of $139 million over five years,
including $19.75 million in 2009. Once
this Plan undergoes the public consultation process, proposed adjustments to
the ORF requirements will be included and identified in the 2010 Draft Rate
Budget.
It
is estimated that the public consultation assignment will cost $100,000 and
funding is available in the 2009 Approved Capital Budget in Capital Internal
Order 905053 ORF-Critical Outfall Monitoring.
SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Analysis of CSO Control Options
Document 2 Proposed Draft Integrated Strategy for the Protection of the Ottawa River
Document 3 Questions to be Considered as Part of the Public Consultation Process
Document 4 Draft Evaluation Criteria for Establishment of Priorities for Improvements of Ottawa River Water Quality
DISPOSITION
Environmental Services will continue to work in cooperation with
City Departments including: Infrastructure Services, Public Health, Community
Sustainability and Planning and Growth Management in the implementation of the
Hydrologic Model of the Ottawa River and associated initiatives undertaken to
reduce water pollution. External
agencies such as la Ville de Gatineau, Conservation Authority Source Protection
Committees and provincial and federal environment ministries will be contacted
throughout the process when warranted.
Staff will conduct public consultation through the fall of 2009 and
report back on the results of the public consultation to inform/adjust the 2010
Rate Budget.
