2.            Ottawa River Action Plan – Year One Update

 

                Le plan d’action de la rivière des Outaouis - Mise à jour de la première               année

 

 

 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

 

That Council receive this report for information.

 

 

Recommandation du comitÉ

 

Que le Conseil prennent connaissance de ce rapport présent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOCUMENTATION

 

1.                  Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability report dated 13 September 2011 (ACS2011-ICS-ESD-0032);

 

2.                  Extract of Draft Minutes, 20 September 2011

 


Report to/Rapport au :

 

Environment Committee /

Comité de l’environnement

 

and Council / et au Conseil

 

September 13, 2011 / le 13 septembre 2011

 

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°: ACS2010-ICS-ESD-0032  

 

 

SUBJECT:

 

Ottawa River Action Plan – Year One Update

 

OBJET :

 

Le plan d’action de la rivière des Outaouis - Mise à jour de la première année

 

 

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

 

That the Environment Committee and Council receive this report for information.

 

 

Recommandation du rapport

 

Que le Comité de l’environnement et le Conseil municipal prennent connaissance de ce rapport présent.

 

 

Background

 

The Ottawa River Action Plan (ORAP) consists of 17 individual projects aimed at improving the health of the Ottawa River and protecting the health of Ottawa’s water environment for future generations.  Implementation of the Plan is progressing into its second year and the purpose of this report is to provide an update on the status of all ORAP projects as committed by ESD in the ORAP Report, ACS2010-ICS-ESD-0007, approved by Council on February 24, 2010.

 

Council approved a five-year $251.64 million Ottawa River Action Plan that takes a watershed-based approach to protect and improve the quality of the Ottawa River.  Council deemed ORAP to be the most effective course of action to improve the river quality, meet the public’s expectations and provides the best return on investment that exceeds provincial requirements.  The Plan considers all municipal impacts on the Ottawa River and addresses the impacts using a cost-effective approach. 

 

The objectives of ORAP are the following:

   Achieve and sustain compliance with provincial requirements, with a focus on combined sewer overflow (CSO) control;

   Optimize recreational use and economic development of the river, with a focus on reducing beach closures;

   Maintain a healthy aquatic ecosystem, with a focus on addressing challenges presented by existing infrastructure; and,

   Develop a long-term Water Environment Strategy.

 

To achieve the objectives, ORAP focuses on the following major elements:

   Reducing combined sewage overflows;

   Reducing stormwater impacts;

   Improving wastewater treatment; and,

   Measuring and monitoring our performance.

 

 

DISCUSSION

 

All projects are moving forward and the majority are on-schedule.  This report presents the status of each project in accordance with the major elements of ORAP’s focus.  In addition to the detailed project summaries described in the following paragraphs, a “Quick Indication of each project status is provided in Table A, attached. 

 

Reducing Combined Sewage Overflows

 

The first element of the plan is reducing combined sewer overflows and consists of projects in three phases. Projects 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 make up the first two phases. Project 3 is the third and final phase.  Projects 1 through 8 are focused on providing a service level for combined sewer overflows of zero overflows during the swimming season in an average year.[1]  These projects are:

 

Project 1:  Implementation of Real Time Controls

Project 2:  Critical CSO and Storm Outfall Monitoring

Project 3:  CSO Storage in the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area

Project 4:  Review and Implement Sewer Interconnection Program

Project 5:  Sewer Separation Outside the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area

Project 6:  Development of a Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan

Project 7:  Implementation of the Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan

Project 8:  Installation of Floatable Traps in Combined Sewer Area Catchbasins

 

Project 1:  Implementation of Real Time Control (RTC) was the first ORAP project completed, and has already improved the River noticeably by reducing CSOs.  The RTC project consisted of major upgrades to five CSO regulators including new gates, electrical and instrumentation controls, and flow monitoring and measurement equipment.  Continuous, real-time adjustment of gate positions at three of these regulators maximizes the amount of CSO captured by the existing sewer system.

 

The total CSO volume for the 2010 control period is estimated to be 443,000 cubic metres.  In order to compare the effect of real time control on CSO volumes a performance measurement of CSO volume to precipitation was used.  Using this performance measurement 2010 saw 30% less CSO volume per millimetre of rain than 2009, and 50% less CSO volume per millimetre of rain than 2006 when CSO volumes were initially reported.[2] 

 

Project 3:  CSO Storage for the Ultimate Combined Sewage Area will bring the City beyond all Ministry of the Environment requirements for the capture and treatment of combined sewer overflows.  This project is currently within the environmental assessment and functional design phase, and the developed design solution consists of the following major components: 

  1. A storage tunnel running west-to-east from Lebreton Flats, under the downtown core, and then to the Keefer CSO Regulator in New Edinburgh.
  2. A storage tunnel running north-south along Kent Street and connected to the west-to-east tunnel.
  3. A storage tunnel starting from the Keefer CSO Regulator in New Edinburgh and ending at the R.O. Pickard Environmental Centre (for future consideration and subject to funding approval).

 

Together, the first two components will provide sufficient storage to achieve CSO control of zero overflows in an average year.  The third component will provide even more CSO storage and will greatly enhance system redundancy and operational flexibility.  It is proposed as a subsequent phase and is contingent on obtaining funding; it is not included in the ORAP budget of $251.64 million.  As this project moved forward, a significant opportunity was realized and potential barriers developed. 

 

The scope of service for this project increased by seizing an opportunity to integrate the proposed flood control strategy for the combined sewer area (CSA) with CSO storage.  As a result, during extreme weather events the north-south tunnel along Kent Street can also be used as a major flood relief pipe to channel excessive stormwater from areas within the downtown core that are at risk of flooding. 

 

A major constraint of this project is securing land for the proposed tunnel alignments, as most of the land is federally owned.  To date, Senior City Management continues to meet with the National Capital Commission (NCC) to attempt to secure land and easement agreements.  This has caused delays to the project, and as a result completion of the Environmental Study Report and Functional Design are approximately eight months behind schedule. Construction funding is another project constraint, which is discussed in more detail in the Financial Status section of this report.

 

The following projects are also focused on reducing combined sewer overflows and/or the amount of pollutants contained in CSOs:

 

Project 2:  Critical CSO and Storm Outfall Monitoring;

Project 4: Review and Implement Sewer Interconnection Program;

Project 5:  Sewer Separation Outside the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area; and,

Project 8:  Installation of Floatable Traps in Combined Sewer Area Catchbasins.

 

These projects are progressing well and are not experiencing “barriers” to their success.  Note that Project 5 will be on-going for the next 20 to 30 years.  

 

Projects 6 and 7:  Development and Implementation of a Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan (WWIMP) are behind schedule due to the lack of staffing resources available to manage these projects.  Engineering staff originally dedicated to the WWIMP are currently committed to the West End Flooding investigation.  The original completion date for development of the WWIMP was end of year 2010, but it is anticipated that development will extend into 2012.

 

Reducing Stormwater Impacts

 

The second major element of ORAP is reducing stormwater impacts in order to reduce beach closures and maintain healthy acquatic ecosystems.  Projects 9, 10 and 11 are focused on stormwater management:

 

Project 9:  Pinecrest Creek / Westboro Stormwater Management Retrofit Plan

Project 10:  Eastern Subwatersheds Stormwater Management Retrofit Plan

Project 11:  Implementation of Stormwater Management Retrofit Plans

 

The Pinecrest Creek / Westboro Stormwater Management Retrofit Plan will mitigate the impacts of uncontrolled stormwater runoff on Pinecrest Creek and the Ottawa River, and this project also serves as a pilot to develop a methodology to be applied to future stormwater management retrofit plans within the urban area.  The Retrofit Study was recently completed and is scheduled to be presented to Committee/Council in Q3-Q4 2011. 

 


Key recommendations from the study include:

·          Implementing stormwater management retrofits to improve water quality and reduce beach closures, creek flooding and erosion.

·          Retrofit measures include new stormwater facilities; retrofitting some roads into “green streets” (e.g., pavement narrowing, tree planting, pervious sidewalks, etc.); promoting measures for homeowners to contribute to the solution (rain barrels, rain gardens, pervious driveways, etc.); and providing public education and programs/incentives to get homeowners and businesses involved in the solution.

·          Implementing various measures over a period of time based on financial resources on both public and private properties.

 

The knowledge and lessons learned from the Pinecrest Creek / Westboro Retrofit Project will be conveyed to Project 10: Eastern Subwatersheds Stormwater Retrofit Plans.  The Eastern Subwatersheds include Billberry, Voyageur, Taylor, and Green’s Creeks and water quality computer modelling of the Ottawa River identified these creeks as contributing factors to beach closures at Petrie Island.  Preliminary work has begun on the Eastern Subwatershed studies, and this project is on-track to meet its planned completion date of year end 2012.  Implementation of the Stormwater Management Retrofit Plans will be subject to future budgetary approvals.

 

Improving Wastewater Treatment

 

Wastewater Treatment Plant enhancements is the third component to achieve ORAP’s objectives. Project 12:  R.O. Pickard Environmental Centre Effluent Dechlorination is focused on improving treated wastewater discharged to the Ottawa River.  Currently, chlorine is used as a final disinfectant of treated wastewater during the summer season.  The new dechlorination facility will reduce chlorine levels within the treated wastewater effluent below pending federal regulation limits. 

                                                                                                   

Design of the dechlorination facility is complete, and construction commenced in April of this year.  Construction and final commissioning of the new facility is planned for December 2011.  This project was originally scheduled for completion by the end of 2010 in order to comply with the pending federal regulations, but the regulations have not yet been finalized, or registered.  This delay allowed the project stakeholders to incorporate design modifications to the existing chlorination facility into the contract, thereby achieving construction efficiencies.  The revised project completion date of December 2011 will provide ample time for the City to meet this regulatory obligation.

 

Measuring and Monitoring Our Performance

 

The last component of ORAP is measuring and monitoring the City’s performance and developing a long term water environment strategy.  The following projects are focused on these initiatives:

 

Project 13:  Develop and Implement a Water Environment Strategy

Project 14:  Monitoring and Source Control Programs

Project 15:  Wastewater and Drainage Environmental Quality Management System

Project 16:  Updates to the Bacterial Water Quality Computer Model

Project 17:  Public Outreach and Education

 

The objectives of Projects 13, 15, and 17 are to develop long-term water environment strategies, improve the way we do business, and continue to engage and educate the public on the water environment in order to protect and preserve the City’s water resources. 

 

Project 13:  Develop and Implement a Water Environment Strategy is progressing well and the strategy objectives, program areas, prioritized actions, and top line budget are on track to be delivered by the end of 2011.  The Strategy will be brought before Committee/Council to be endorsed, and the Implementation plan is scheduled to commence in 2012. 

 

Project 15:  Wastewater & Drainage Environmental Quality Management System (EQMS) will allow the City to manage its wastewater and drainage business activities in a transparent and accountable manner.  The EQMS is aligning itself with the Corporate Service Excellence Program and Corporate Risk Management Program, but competing department priorities have resulted in project delays.  Originally scheduled to be completed by year-end 2010, the core EQMS system is approximately 75% complete and the revised completion date is year-end 2011.  Implementation is scheduled to begin in 2012.

 

Project 17:  Public Outreach and Education is progressing well and a Water Environment “road-show” was carried out in 2010 to understand the public’s general knowledge of the water environment in order to gauge future outreach and education programs.  This project is on-track and the range and priority of communication needs are currently being developed. 

 

Project 14: Monitoring and Source Control Programs and Project 16: Updates to the Bacterial Water Quality Computer Model are both ongoing initiatives that will continue over the duration of ORAP and beyond.  The continued implementation of the City’s Water Environment Protection Program will allow the City to assess trends in the water environment.  The continued implementation of the Sewer Use Program will proactively seek out contamination at its source and prevent it from entering the water environment.  Updates to the Ottawa River Model will enhance model calibration as well as using the model for parameters other than E. coli.  This tool is imperative to assess CSO and stormwater inputs, as well as to identify priorities and evaluate improvement strategies.

 

 

Financial Status

 

The funding status of all ORAP projects, including a summary of the five-year spending plan is provided in Table A below.  Of the 17 projects, five are shown in Table A with either approved and/or forecasted funding commitments that exceed ORAP’s five-year spending plan (2009 to 2013). These projects are:

 

Project 3:  CSO Storage in the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area

Project 5:  Sewer Separation Outside the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area

Project 7:  Implementation of the Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan

Project 14:  Monitoring and Source Control Programs

Project 16:  Updates to the Ottawa River Bacterial Water Quality Computer Model.

 

Project 3: CSO Storage in the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area is anticipated to exceed its original budget.  Integrating CSA flood relief with the CSO storage project partially contributed to the project budget increasing from $140 million to $150 million, but the expected long term cost savings as a result of integrating these two initiatives is estimated at $40 million.  The cost of this project will become more precise as the project moves into the preliminary design phase and the land acquisition costs become clear.  As mentioned previously, construction funding is a project constraint at this time.  The City is seeking one-third funding contributions from both the Federal and Provincial governments for the cost of construction, with the City providing the final third.  The City continues to pursue commitments from these two upper levels of government. 

 

Project 5:  Sewer Separation Outside the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area is on target to achieve the originally forecasted sewer separation spending plan, and is currently expected to slightly surpass the original budget by $0.9 million.  Sewer separation costs will continue to be tracked within the overall integrated replacement program.   

 

Project 7:  Implementation of the Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan includes previously approved funding for other wet weather related initiatives that were combined into this project for overall coordination.

 

Project 14:  Monitoring and Source Control Programs and Project 16:  Updates to the Ottawa River Bacterial Water Quality Computer Model were increased to initiate additional water quality modelling in the Eastern Subwatershed studies and to anticipate an increase in monitoring and source control within the Eastern Subwatersheds and in the balance of the community.  

 

Four of the 17 ORAP projects will continue beyond 2013 and will subsequently require capital funding beyond this date.  These projects are:

 

Project 3:  CSO Storage in the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area

Project 5:  Sewer Separation Outside the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area

Project 7:  Implementation of the Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan

Project 11:  Implementation of Stormwater Management Retrofit Plans

 

The full extent of future funding commitments for Project 11 is unknown at this time because the works that define these implementation projects are still on-going.  As a result, funding commitments required beyond 2013 will be detailed in a subsequent report to Committee and Council.

 

Both the Federal and Provincial governments have collectively provided $66 million of funding to support various ORAP projects.   The following projects received partial funding through provincial and/or federal contributions:

 

1.     Implementation of Real Time Controls

2.     Critical CSO and Storm Outfall Monitoring

3.     CSO Storage in the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area

4.     Review and Implement Sewer Interconnection Program

5.     Sewer Separation Outside the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area

7.     Implementation of the Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan

8.     Installation of Floatable Traps in Combined Sewer Area Catchbasins

10.   Eastern Subwatersheds Stormwater Management Retrofit Plan

16.   Updates to the Bacterial Water Quality Computer Model

 

 

RURAL IMPLICATIONS
 

There are no rural implications associated with any of the recommendations in this report.

 

 
CONSULTATION

 

Public consultation is not required.

 

Comments by the Ward Councillor(s)

 

This is a City-wide report.

 

 

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no legal impediments to receiving this report.   

 

 

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no risk management impediments to receiving this report.

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

This report has no 2011 financial implications. Budget requirements for 2012 and beyond will be identified and included in the 2012 Draft Rate Operating and Capital Budgets.

 

 

Technology Implications

 

There are no Technical Implications associated with this report.   

 

 


City Strategic Plan

 

Both the Ottawa River Action Plan and the longer-term Water Environmental Strategy will reduce the impact of discharges to the Ottawa River, and will assist in fulfilling the goals of Ottawa 20/20 and the City’s Environmental Strategy for protection of the water environment.  Combined, Projects 1, 3, and 5 will allow the City to achieve full compliance with MOE Procedure F-5-5, and significantly reduce the City’s discharge of E coli to the Ottawa River.

 

 
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

 

Table A:  ORAP Project and Financial Status

 

 
DISPOSITION

 

That Committee and Council receive this report for information.

 


Table A:  ORAP Project and Financial Status

 



[1] The Ontario Ministry of the Environment has accepted 1980 as having “average year” wet weather patterns for engineering design purposes.  Overflows will continue to occur in years with more severe wet weather than what occurred in 1980.  For example, in recent years, a system designed to the proposed service level would have experienced on average two (2) overflows per year.  The existing system averages over thirty (30) overflows/year.

[2] Annual CSO Reporting – 2010 Control Period.  Letter from City of Ottawa to MOE dated April 13, 2011