Report to / Rapport au:

 

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

 

and Council / et au Conseil

 

27 July 2007 / 27 juillet 2007

 

Submitted by/Soumis par:  R.G. Hewitt,

Deputy City Manager / Directeur municipal adjoint

Public Works and Services / Services et Travaux publics

 

Contact Person/Personne ressource: Ken Brothers, Director/Directeur
Utility Services/Services publics

613-580-2424, Ken.Brothers@ottawa.ca

 

City-Wide / Ŕ l'échelle de la Ville

 

Ref N°:  ACS2007-PWS-UTL-0014

 

SUBJECT:     water environment Protection Program

 

OBJET:          PROGRAMME DE PROTECTION DU MILIEU AQUATIQUE

 

 

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

 

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

 

 

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

 

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

 

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

The Water Environment Protection Program was established in 1990 to monitor and make recommendations regarding the management of surface waters within the Ottawa area.  The Program has since developed to support the ecosystem management approach in the protection of our natural resource features and is a key component in support of the City of Ottawa’s Corporate Plan, the 20/20 Principle of “A green and environmentally sensitive city”, and the Environmental Strategy which also addresses the need to reduce the City’s global environmental impact.  The collection of data from aquatic systems throughout the City of Ottawa Rivers is an important element in this endeavor.


Aquatic systems are important because they transport and store surface water and provide habitat for fish and aquatic organisms.  A healthy aquatic ecosystem sustains biodiversity, maintains ecological stability, and maximizes social benefits such as vibrant recreational areas and aesthetic appreciation of the natural environment.  Many human activities often have the effect of altering the natural processes that sustain the existences of watercourses and the environments within.  Reversing damage once it has occurred is usually difficult and costly and may take decades before improvements are noted.

 

Detailed, ongoing monitoring of our watershed areas provides information on existing pollution sources and assesses the health of the aquatic environment and its capacity to adapt to changing conditions.  This kind of understanding is the first step in improving and protecting the health of our waterways by providing the information required to make timely, well-informed, effective decisions.  It also enables the initiation of corrective actions and the assessment of the effectiveness of restorative measures.

 

Baseline Water Quality Monitoring is a major component of the Program.  It was designed to provide the information necessary to report on long term water quality trends in the City’s major surface waters and act as a screening tool for detailed investigations.  Since its inception in 1998, staff have collected over 6,000 samples from 91 locations along six rivers, 29 creeks, and three lakes.  Each sample is analyzed for 43 different parameters.  Results to date indicated that for the most part, larger rivers have good to excellent water quality, but that it degrades significantly as tributaries get smaller.  This reflects the lesser ability of small streams to tolerate pollution and reinforces the importance of protecting water quality in the smaller of streams if we want to continue to enjoy good water quality in our rivers. 

 

The Baseline Monitoring Program, on its own, provides long term trends in water quality, i.e., “Is the water quality getting better or worse?”  In order to determine why water quality may be improving or deteriorating and monitor the impact of poor water quality, a number of key supporting components have been developed to complement the Baseline Program.  For example,  biological assessments evaluate the health of the living organisms making up the aquatic system and the nature of their interactions.  This includes the enumerations of the fisheries and benthic invertebrates present in the watercourse and the collection of morphological, vegetative and thermal characteristics, all of which helps provide an overall picture of a waterbody’s health.

 

The water quality data and information collected by the Water Environment Protection Program is one of the key inputs to the proactive management of the aquatic environment in the City of Ottawa.  It is used by internal City departments to focus investigations into sources of pollution, assess the affect of municipal discharges on the receiving water environment and evaluate restoration and remediation efforts. The information is also used as part of the Watershed/Subwatershed Planning process undertaken by the Conservation Authorities and the Environmental Sustainability Division.  External government and non-government agencies make use of the data as well.

 

 


 

RÉSUMÉ

 

Le Programme de protection du milieu aquatique a été établi en 1990 en vue de surveiller la gestion des eaux de surface dans la région d’Ottawa et de formuler des recommandations ŕ cet égard. Le Programme a depuis évolué pour appuyer la gestion des écosystčmes en vue de protéger nos ressources naturelles et représente un élément clé ŕ l’appui du Plan directeur de la Ville d’Ottawa, du Principe 20/20 : une « Ville verte et sensible ŕ l’environnement » et de la Stratégie environnementale, qui aborde également le besoin de réduire les incidences environnementales globales de la ville. La collecte de données sur les systčmes aquatiques dans l’ensemble des cours d’eau de la Ville d’Ottawa représente un élément important de cette entreprise.

Les systčmes aquatiques sont importants parce qu’ils transportent et emmagisent les eaux de surface et procurent un habitat au poisson et aux organismes aquatiques. Un écosystčme aquatique sain soutient la biodiversité, maintient la stabilité écologique et maximise les avantages sociaux, p. ex., les zones récréatives vivantes, et favorise l’appréciation esthétique du milieu naturel. Les nombreuses activités humaines comportent souvent des effets d’altération sur les processus naturels qui soutiennent l’existence des cours d’eau et de leurs milieux intérieurs. La réparation des dommages aprčs qu’ils se sont produits est habituellement difficile et coűteuse, et il se peut qu’on constate des améliorations aprčs plusieurs décennies seulement.

Le contrôle détaillé et continu des zones hydrographiques procure des renseignements sur les sources de pollution existantes et permet d’évaluer la santé du milieu aquatique ainsi que sa capacité ŕ s’adapter aux conditions changeantes. Cette compréhension représente la premičre étape de l’amélioration et de la protection de la santé de nos cours d’eau en produisant l’information requise pour pouvoir prendre des décisions opportunes, éclairées et efficaces. Elle permet également la mise en place de mesures correctives et l’évaluation de l’efficacité des mesures de rétablissement.

Le Contrôle de base de la qualité de l’eau est un volet important du Programme. Il a été conçu pour fournir l’information requise afin de déclarer les tendances ŕ long terme relatives ŕ la qualité des principales eaux de surface de la ville, et il sert d’outil de dépistage pour les enquętes détaillées. Depuis sa création en 1998, le personnel a recueilli plus de 6 000 échantillons prélevés ŕ 91 endroits le long de six rivičres et de 29 ruisseaux ainsi que de trois lacs. Chaque échantillon fait l’objet d’une analyse selon 43 différents paramčtres. Les résultats obtenus jusqu’ŕ présent montrent qu’essentiellement les grands cours d’eau présentent une qualité de l’eau variant de bonne ŕ excellente, mais que celle‑ci se dégrade considérablement plus les affluents sont petits. Ce phénomčne dénote la capacité réduite des petits cours d’eau ŕ tolérer la pollution et renforce l’importance de protéger la qualité de l’eau dans les petits affluents si nous voulons continuer de bénéficier d’une eau de bonne qualité dans nos cours d’eau.

Le Programme de contrôle de base ŕ lui seul fournit les tendances ŕ long terme de la qualité de l’eau et répond, par exemple, ŕ la question suivante : « Est‑ce que la qualité de l’eau s’améliore ou empire? ». Afin de déterminer pourquoi la qualité de l’eau s’améliore ou se dégrade et de contrôler les incidences de l’eau de pičtre qualité, un nombre de composantes complémentaires clés ont été élaborées pour appuyer le Programme de contrôle de base.


Ŕ titre d’exemple, les examens biologiques permettent d’évaluer la santé des organismes vivants qui composent le systčme aquatique ainsi que la nature de leurs interactions, ce qui comporte le dénombrement des espčces de poisson et des invertébrés benthiques présents dans les cours d’eau ainsi que la collecte de caractéristiques morphologiques, végétatives et thermiques qui, conjointement, exposent une vue d’ensemble de la santé des cours d’eau.

Les données et l’information sur la qualité de l’eau recueillies dans le cadre du Programme de protection du milieu aquatique représentent l’un des principaux intrants de la gestion proactive du milieu aquatique de la Ville d’Ottawa. Les services municipaux internes s’en servent pour cibler les enquętes sur les sources de pollution, pour évaluer les effets des évacuations municipales sur le milieu aquatique récepteur ainsi que les efforts de rétablissement et de biorestauration. L’information est aussi utilisée dans le cadre du processus de planification des bassins et sous-bassins hydrographiques qu’entreprennent les offices de conservation de la nature et la Division de la durabilité de l’environnement. En outre, les organismes gouvernementaux et non gouvernementaux externes utilisent également ces données.

 

BACKGROUND

 

The Water Environment Protection Program (WEPP) which was established in 1990, is mandated to monitor and make recommendations regarding the management of surface waters within the Ottawa area.  Since 1990, the Program has developed to support the ecosystem management approach in the protection of our natural resource features and is a key component in support of the City of Ottawa’s Corporate Plan and the 20/20 Principle of “A green and environmentally sensitive city”.  

 

The City of Ottawa’s Environmental Strategy addresses the need to protect and strengthen local ecological features and processes, and to reduce the City’s global environmental impact.  This includes preserving our natural habitats, and protecting groundwater and watersheds.  The collection of data from small tributaries flowing to the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers is an important element of the WEPP.  The Program also supports efforts within Public Works and Services and other Departments, notably Planning, Transit and the Environment and Public Health Branch, to carry out Council’s policies as they relate to the water environment.

 

The following report provides an update on the activities of the Program since amalgamation, present the public report entitled “Water Quality in Ottawa’s Rivers and Streams” (attached) and outlines future activities in support of understanding, protecting and promoting awareness of the water environment.

 

DISCUSSION

 

Aquatic systems can be defined as the network of watercourses and water bodies that occur within a watershed and the life they support.  They are important because they transport and store surface water and provide habitat for fish and aquatic organisms.  Many plants, amphibians, birds and mammals are also dependent on their existence for shelter and food.  A healthy aquatic ecosystem sustains biodiversity, maintains ecological stability, and maximizes social benefits such as vibrant recreational areas and aesthetic appreciation of the natural environment.


Many human activities often have the effect of altering the natural processes that sustain the existence of watercourses and these aquatic environments.  Development may alter flows, erode stream corridors, and increase the loading of sediment and other contaminants through stormwater discharges.  Other contaminants, including sewage, chemical and agricultural waste, may be discharged as a result of runoff or through leaching into the groundwater from both industrial and residential sites. 

 

Potential impacts of watercourse alteration include:  the proliferation of algae blooms, beach closures, degradation of habitat, loss of biodiversity and contamination of water supply sources.  Impacts are usually cumulative and move from the smaller tributaries to the larger water bodies, which are both ecologically and socially important.  Reversing damage, once it has occurred, is usually costly, extremely difficult, and may take decades before improvements are noted. 

 

Detailed and ongoing monitoring provides information on existing pollution sources and assesses the health of the aquatic environment and its capacity to adapt to change within the watershed.  Background information helps determine the impact of new pollution sources or other factors such as new developments and changes to open spaces.  Data may also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of improvement efforts, track progress made towards protection and restoration, and provide information on whether or not the desired objectives are being achieved.  This kind of understanding is the first step in improving and protecting the health of our waterways by providing the information required to make well-informed, effective decisions.

 

The Water Environment Protection Program, as a partner in the protection and improvement of the City’s natural environment, conducts chemical, physical and biological monitoring of the water environment within the City of Ottawa.  The data collected is summarized and reported on while also being provided to city departments (e.g. Planning, Transit and the Environment and Public Health Branch), Conservation Authorities, and other levels of government.  The purpose of these actions is to communicate the current state of our waterways for decision making purposes, determine the impact of municipal discharges, initiate corrective actions to eliminate sources of pollution, assess the effectiveness of restorative measures, and protect fish habitat and the aquatic community.  The major components of the Water Environment Protection Program are: Baseline Water Quality Monitoring, Biological Assessment, Priority Outfall Monitoring and Pollution Source Investigations, Beach Monitoring, Environmental Effects Monitoring, and Data Collection for Verification Studies and Watershed Studies. 

 

Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Program

 

The Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Program (Baseline Program) is designed for long term assessment of the aquatic environment within the City of Ottawa.  The main objective of the Program is to provide the information necessary to report on long term water quality trends in the City’s major surface waters and act as a screening tool for detailed investigations.  Over the past eight years, existing conditions have been established for use as a reference point to which future conditions may be compared in order to measure changes.  Determination of whether or not water quality is improving or degrading is based on this analysis.  A report summarizing the Program and its findings has been prepared for public information and is appended to this report as Document 1 – Water Quality in Ottawa’s Rivers and Streams.


Since the inception of the Program in 1998, staff have collected over 6,000 samples from locations selected to give coverage of the rivers, major tributaries and smaller tributaries throughout the City.  In total, monitoring is performed at 91 locations along 6 rivers, 29 creeks, and 3 lakes.  Sampling is performed monthly at each monitoring site unless prohibitive conditions, such as ice cover, exist.  Wind, temperature, flow rate, rainfall and water depth can have a significant effect on aquatic conditions.  Sensors for many of these factors are installed throughout the City and provide information used in the assessment of water quality.

 

Each sample collected is analyzed for 43 different parameters.  In addition to detailed analytical reviews, the City of Ottawa also uses the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Water Quality Index to summarize the data into simpler terms (i.e., excellent, good, poor) for reporting purposes and to provide a relative comparison of the water quality in the City’s rivers and streams.  The CCME Index incorporates criteria established by the Provincial Water Quality Objectives and the Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life that identify levels that protect aquatic life, recreational uses based on public health, and aesthetic considerations. 

 

Like the Provincial Air Quality Index, the Water Quality Index provides information on overall water quality without being specific.  It is a screening tool that identifies areas of impairment, or those that require further investigation.  The review of other water quality parameters adds insight to what contributes to evaluations of fair to marginal, and highlights parameters that may be of concern even while the general assessment of a water body may be good.

 

Results to date suggest that the larger rivers have good to excellent water quality, although some locations along the Rideau, in both rural and urban reaches, are rated as fair.  In contrast, water quality in the smaller rivers range from fair to marginal.  Rural creeks are generally rated marginal, and most urban tributaries are rated marginal to poor.  The  trend of degrading water quality as tributaries get smaller reflects the lesser ability of small streams to tolerate pollution and reinforces the importance of protecting water quality in the smallest of streams if we want to continue to enjoy good water quality in our rivers. 

 

Phosphorous is a nutrient that is essential for life.  In the aquatic environment, however, excess amounts may also lead to excessive growth of plants, the creation of algae blooms and the depletion of oxygen, which limits the ability of fish to survive.  Generally, phosphorous levels are a concern citywide except in the larger channels of the Ottawa and Mississippi rivers.  This issue requires ongoing support in order to keep our watercourses healthy and aesthetically pleasing.

 

E.coli is an indicator of the presence of human sewage or animal waste.  It can enter waterbodies through direct discharge from mammals and birds or storm runoff.  With the exception of a few localized areas, E.coli levels, on average, are not a concern in the major rivers for body contact recreation.  Occasional anomalies are investigated and usually found to be a result of stormwater runoff and birds.  Average concentrations of E.coli in urban creeks exceed Federal and Provincial water quality targets, while the majority of rural creeks meet the targets. 

 

Metals, especially copper, tend to be a concern in smaller tributaries in urban areas, reflecting the inputs from roads, parking lots, and other potential pollution sources.  With few exceptions, the smaller tributaries in rural areas meet Federal and Provincial targets.  More detailed information on the specific sampling locations is available in the attached report.

Over the years, marked improvements to water quality have occurred following the identification and implementation of significant management actions.  This includes such measures as the upgrading of the wastewater treatment plant to secondary treatment in 1992, rebuilding of large sections of old combined sewers, improving stormwater management, and the installation of gull wires at Britannia Beach and Mooney’s Bay.  Because changes in water quality are typically very gradual, continued monitoring is advisable to verify the trends that have emerged to date, and note those that may not yet have become apparent.

 

The Baseline Monitoring Program, on its own, provides long term trends in water quality, i.e., “Is the water quality getting better or worse?   In order to determine why water quality may be improving or deteriorating, a number of key supporting components have been developed to complement the Baseline Program to make the data more meaningful and useful. 

 

Biological Assessment

 

Water quality sampling, is valuable in identifying areas of concern.  However, it can only supply information as a series of snapshot views of the water quality over time.  It is also difficult to monitor the impacts of poor water quality because water is transient in nature.  As a result, water sample analysis has been complemented with measurements that provide a more direct link to water quality impacts over a longer time scale and on a subwatershed basis.  This integrated approach allows for better watershed management and decision making.

 

Biological assessment evaluates the health of the living organisms making up the system and the nature of their interactions.  The health and survival of biological communities reflects the combined impacts of chemical, physical and biological influences over extended periods of time.  Stream and fisheries assessments complement water quality data and are used to provide an overall picture of a waterbody’s health. 

 

Staff enumerate the fisheries and benthic invertebrates present in the watercourses by electrofishing, seining, and obtaining samples of the material and organisms located at the bottom of the waterbody.  Morphological, vegetative and thermal characteristics of creeks and rivers are also evaluated.  Adult and nursery communities are sampled in addition to fish habitat mapping and the collection of water level data.  These biological indicators respond to and demonstrate the effect of multiple stressors over a long period of time.  For example, the absence of fish communities may be an indicator of existing threats to fish habitat.  Because benthic invertebrates generally cannot move away from a pollution source, a lack of species diversity may be an indicator of historical pollution problems in an area, even if fish communities are found to be present.

 

Ongoing monitoring can act as an early warning system to identify areas in which the populations of fish and insects are gradually decreasing.  Trends may indicate a need for remedial action or for a change in urban development patterns.  The location of spawning and nursery sites is used for planning purposes, and, in order to minimize the impacts of development proposals on the fishery resource.  External agencies, such as Conservation Authorities and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, also make use of the information collected in the creation of development conditions for fisheries compensation plans.


Data may also be used to evaluate the potential for habitat improvements.  An example of this is the collaborative work of City staff and Parks Canada staff regarding the filling and draw down of the Rideau Canal.  The habitat mapping and water quality data collected assisted in the modification of procedures to mitigate the negative impacts that earlier procedures had on the fisheries community.  This has significantly reduced the number of fish mortalities in the fall and promoted the maintenance of fish spawning habitat in the spring. 

 

Priority Outfall Monitoring and Pollution Source Investigations

 

Outfalls and other point source inputs to the watercourses were not included in the Baseline Program because they are not typically considered to be part of the “natural” watercourse. Monitoring has shown, however, that stormwater and agricultural runoff can significantly degrade water quality.  As the storm sewers carry rainwater from the streets to the creeks and rivers, they bring along a host of pollutants.  The goals of priority outfall monitoring and pollution source investigations are to assess and prioritize the relative magnitudes of pollutant loads to the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers and reduce contaminant loadings through investigation and enforcement of the Sewer Use By-law in the upstream drainage area. 

 

Areas of concern may be identified through the Baseline Program or by complaints from the public or other agencies or Departments.  They are characterized separately in order to prioritize them in terms of significance, and to complement other investigations or studies.  Specific inputs include storm sewer outfalls, and natural creek systems.  Typically, creeks in urbanized areas have between 40 and 50 outfalls, and the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers each have over a hundred.  Products of this Program include identification of sources of pollution requiring remedial action, flow and loading estimates for catchments, and analysis of relative significance of various inputs to the two main rivers within the City.   

 

Beach Monitoring

 

When a beach is closed for swimming, it is often due to elevated numbers of bacteria such as E.coli and related bacteria called faecal coliforms.  The Public Health Branch is tasked with daily sampling of the beaches for this determination.  Water Environment Protection Program staff may become involved in the monitoring when a beach has been closed and the source of contamination must be identified.   River transects and key outfalls impacting beach areas are sampled and unusually high bacterial levels are investigated.

 

The Water Environment Protection Program has performed extensive monitoring of beaches and their general vicinities over years, both in support of the Health Department and to assist in the identification and elimination of pollution sources.  After comprehensive studies, gull wires were installed at Mooney’s Bay in the early 1990s and the Britannia Beach in 2002 to reduce the potential for fecal contamination.  They have had a positive impact, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of beach closures annually.  This has negated the need for more costly remediation measures which were previously under consideration. 

 

Water Environment Protection Program staff also undertook a three-year monitoring Program at Petrie Island to assist with the determination of the appropriateness of opening a beach at that location.  Continued support is being provided to identify the pollution sources that negatively impacted the beach in 2006.  The last year of a four year study into the closures at Westboro Beach was also completed in 2006. 

The final product of this study is a three dimensional computer model to identify the effectiveness of potential solutions in the remediation of the problem.  Staff will report on the final recommendations later in 2007.

 

Environmental Effects Monitoring

 

In support of the Official Plan, the Environmental Strategy establishes the City’s commitments to demonstrate and promote leadership in environment stewardship and to take an ecosystem approach to the protection of natural features, including local rivers and streams.  One way in which the City can work towards this vision is through Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) Studies. 

 

EEM is a process used to collect and assess data with the intent to establish whether discharges into the environment cause an effect on a component of the environment.  This Program is designed to assess how municipal facilities and activities affect the receiving water environment, including water quality, benthic invertebrate communities and fish habitat in the City’s rivers, streams, and creeks.  EEM studies can also track changes in the environment over time and provide feedback on the cumulative effects of different activities.

 

The goals of EEM are to ensure that effluents originating at municipal facilities that enter waterways are not causing environmental degradation, and that those measures to improve the design, operation, and standards for City facilities and activities consider environmental factors in addition to economic and social priorities.  Work completed since amalgamation includes an assessment of the discharges to the natural environment from: the water purification plants, the wastewater treatment plant, several snow disposal facilities, and stormwater treatment ponds.  As part of the City’s West Nile Virus Control Program, the impact of the application of larvicide in roadside catch basins was also evaluated.

 

Of particular note, the City is now in the process of diverting water purification plant waste from the Ottawa River to sewage works, and data collected on behalf of the wastewater treatment plant is being used in support of the City’s effort to comply with the Environment Canada Notice requiring a pollution prevention plan for chlorinated wastewater effluents.

 

Data Collection for Verification Studies

 

Verification studies refer to monitoring that is undertaken to determine the effectiveness of remedial measures on watercourses.  Evaluation of the success of existing management techniques is conducted with a view to improving the design, operation and maintenance of existing and future controls.  Site-specific monitoring is undertaken in support of many local municipal water quality initiatives, focusing largely on detailed environmental study reports and the evaluation of stormwater management facilities.   

 

A specific example of this type of work is the comparison of the environmental impact of a stormwater management facility on nearby waterways against conditions in an area where there are no provisions for stormwater management.  This enables the assessment of the value of a variety of stormwater management programs and the comparison of investments in stormwater management to the alternative of leaving it unmanaged.


Similarly, when development occurs in an area that has been designated as being a habitat for fish, and a fisheries compensation plan is required, monitoring may be used to compare the effectiveness of various measures under different conditions.  This type of monitoring supports the use of limited municipal resources.

 

Data Collection for Watershed/Subwatershed Studies

 

The watershed/subwatershed planning process is the foundation for all sound decision making for City of Ottawa natural environment, including watercourses.  It is undertaken by Conservation Authorities and the Environmental Sustainability Division in order to document the existing condition of the natural environment in the watershed; identify significant environmental features and conditions in the watershed that need to be conserved, and recommend measures to mitigate the impacts of existing and proposed land use activities.  The resulting plans attempt to balance environmental protection, conservation and restoration with development and other land use practices to ensure long term, ecological sustainability of the watershed and its natural resources.  They also aid in the selection of management measures that will reduce the pollutant loading to a body of water and contribute to the restoration of impaired systems.

 

Core activities of the Water Environment Protection Program, such as Baseline Monitoring and Biological Assessment, contribute to a body of information required for public consultation and decision making undertaken during the course of subwatershed plan development, and to assist in ensuring development is designed in harmony with the environment.  Water Environment Protection staff have participated in sub-watershed studies and initiatives through the provision of technical advice, flow and water quality sampling data and biological assessments.  The information is typically used to provide a comprehensive inventory and condition analysis of the aquatic systems in the watershed (such as fish habitat), an overview of how they interrelate and an evaluation of the potential impacts on those systems as a result of the proposed land development. 

 

Partnerships

 

The Water Environment Program maintains partnerships with numerous groups, including the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation Authorities, other external agencies, and related City Programs.  This is of value in developing and maintaining the knowledge base, and ensuring the value of our data and monitoring Programs.  It is an approach that also incorporates the sharing of data for the protection of the environment and provides feedback on the value of the Program.  Extensive databases are maintained to ensure the integrity of the data.

 

Through water quality partners, efforts are also made to coordinate sampling locations so that there is no duplication of effort for data collection and common data utilization needs are identified.  A good example of this is the group’s participation in the Lower Rideau Watershed Strategy.  This is a collaborative effort led by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority that  will guide a full spectrum of efforts to mitigate the impacts of urban and rural land use, canal operations, recreational use, and other stresses on the Lower Rideau. 


One of the five main action plans for the Lower Rideau Watershed Strategy is Integrated Environmental Monitoring and Reporting.  Water Environment Protection staff will be working with staff in other City departments and other Provincial and Federal agencies to improve the integration of monitoring Program components and ensure regular reporting of environmental conditions.  Other areas in which Water Environment Protection staff have been identified to play a major role include the expansion of the City’s existing priority outfall monitoring Program to identify and correct cross-connections between municipal storm and sanitary sewer infrastructure and the mapping of fish habitat.

 

Summary of Data Uses

 

The water quality data and information collected by the Water Environment Protection Program is used by internal City departments to focus investigations, inform planning, and evaluate restoration and remediation efforts.  It is also used by external government and non-government agencies.  Examples of the value of this data are summarized below.

 

Data Source

Use

Programs / Policies Supported

Baseline Monitoring Information

·         Screening tool for investigation

·         Long term trend analysis

·         Public reporting on Water Quality

·         Improved Water Quality

·         Performance Measurement

·         Reporting on KPIs

Stream and Fisheries Assessments

·         Review of development proposals

·         Fish Compensation Plans

·         Identification of need for remedial measures

·         Assist with engineering designs for stormwater management facilities

·         Modification of canal filling and draw down to reduce fish mortalities

·         Development in harmony with the environment

·         Environmental Assessment

·         Preserve a wide range of animal and plant life

Priority Outfall Monitoring and Pollution Source Investigation

·         Investigation and remediation of pollution sources

·         Key recommendation from Lower Rideau Study

·         Improve water quality

 

·         More efficient and effective use of resources

Beach Monitoring

·         Identified gulls as major pollution source at Britannia Beach, leading to installation of gull wires

·         Three year study of Petrie Island area to assess suitability of beach

·         Four year study of Westboro Beach to identify pollution sources and remedial measures

·         Improve water quality

·         Healthy and Active City

Environmental Effects Monitoring

·         Study on the discharge of alum sludge from water purification plants to the river, leading to the sewering of the waste

·         Study on wastewater treatment plant effluent to assist with pollution prevention planning legislated by Environment Canada

·         Evaluation of West Nile Virus Control Program on the environment

·         Commencement of study of impact of discharges from snow disposal facilities on the receiving streams

·         Minimize City’s environmental impact

·         Maintain high standard of water quality

·         Public accountability

Data Collection for Verification Studies

·         Evaluation of creek restoration measures along Poole Creek, a rare cool-water stream

·         Evaluation of work completed at the Sawmill Creek Stormwater Management Facility to improve water quality and enhance fisheries

·         Evaluation of enhancements to the Foster Drain and Pond

·         Preserve a wide range of animal and plant life

 

·         Effective use of resources

 

Date Collection for Watershed/Subwatershed  Studies

·         Stream assessment data is used in subwatershed studies.  Areas currently being studied:

o        Jock River Reach 2

o        Mud Creek

o        Greater Cardinal Creek

·         Environmental Stewardship through ecological sustainability of the watershed and its significant natural resources

 

Future Activities

 

The 2007 Program is continuing on the basis of the principal goals stated above.  There has been some redirection of focus as part of the ongoing review of the Program and to ensure that monitoring activities support and complement each other in a comprehensive manner for area watercourses and to integrate monitoring strategies.  Efforts are also being directed towards effectively assimilating the City’s Sewer Use Program into the group in order to provide a more efficient mechanism to remediate pollution sources.  Data management is being examined with the view to ensure data reliability and accessibility from the sample collection to storage in the computer archival system.  Public education will also be an ongoing initiative of the Program.

 

A number of initiatives are planned for 2007 and beyond to extend the effectiveness of the Water Environment Protection Program.  Briefly, some specific future initiatives include:

 

 

Conclusion

 

A healthy environment is vital for quality of life and the long term sustainability of communities.  Water quality in the City’s major rivers is generally good to excellent, but degrades as water bodies become smaller.  Protection of the smaller water bodies is necessary for continued good water quality in the rivers.  The data collected by the Water Environment Protection Program is one of the key inputs to the proactive management of the aquatic environment in the City of Ottawa.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

 

A Public Opinion Survey completed in May 2002 regarding the proposed ban on pesticides indicated that citizens considered water quality/pollution the most important environmental issue facing the City.  The Water Environment Protection Program, in partnership with internal and external parties, works towards the assessment and protection of the City’s groundwater, recreational waters, and fish habitat.  This supports the City’s commitments to demonstrate and promote leadership in environmental stewardship; take an ecosystem management approach in the protection of our natural resource features; and measure, assess and report on the City’s progress towards these commitments.

 

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

 

Many of the waterways currently assessed by the Water Environment Protection Program are located in rural areas.  Environmental protection is provided to these areas by maintaining and improving water quality and protecting and improving the habitat for fish and wildlife in stream corridors.  Future initiatives may also be of benefit in source water protection.

 

CONSULTATION

 

This report and the associated attachment have been circulated to the Environment Advisory Committee for comment.

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

Funds for the Program’s operation are available in the 2007 Approved Operating Budget.  There are no financial implications to this report.

 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

 

Document 1:     Water Quality in Ottawa’s Rivers and Streams (Distributed separately and on file with the City Clerk)