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2. lead service replacement
program |
Committee recommendations
That Council approve:
1. That City staff develop a Proactive Lead Service Replacement Pilot
Program that will involve:
a) A review of the Water Treatment processes in operation at
Britannia and Lemieux Island Water Purification Plants to confirm that they are
providing an optimum level of protection against lead corrosion;
b) A public information outreach program that will provide residents
with information on the issues surrounding lead in drinking water and provide
information on:
i) the City’s current compliance with all Federal and Provincial
health-based guidelines for lead in drinking water;
ii) how a homeowner can identify whether or not they have a lead
service;
iii) how homeowners or residents with lead services can reduce their
exposure to lead in drinking water through a few very simple practices in the
homes; and
iv) how
homeowners can apply to have their service line assessed, and, if lead service
exists, possibly replace it as part of this pilot program.
2. A pilot Proactive Lead
Service Replacement program be initiated for 2007 that will allow residents to
request that their lead service be replaced.
The service replacement will involve replacing the entire service, from
the City’s water distribution system through to the homeowners’ water
meter. Costs will be shared
proportionally between the City and homeowner, with each party responsible for
the cost of service replacement on their property. Certain eligibility conditions will apply for homeowners
interested in participating.
3. Staff to report to Committee in the fall of 2007 on the program
following the first year of operation.
Recommandations du Comité
Que le Conseil approuve :
1. que le personnel de la Ville élabore un programme pilote proactif
de remplacement des conduites en plomb qui comportera :
a) un examen des procédés de traitement de l’eau mis en œuvre aux
usines de purification de l’eau Britannia et de l’île Lemieux afin de s’assurer
qu’il procurrent un niveau de protection optimal contre la corrosion du plomb;
b) un programme de promotion de la
santé d’intérêt public qui fournira aux résidents de l’information sur les
enjeux liés au plomb dans l’eau potable et fournira de l’information sur :
i) le niveau de conformité actuel de la Ville avec toutes les lignes
directrices fédérales et provinciales en santé relativement au plomb dans l’eau
potable;
ii) la méthode qu’un propriétaire peut employer
pour déterminer si oui ou non il possède des conduites en plomb;
iii) la façon dont les propriétaires ou les
résidents possédant des conduites en plomb peuvent réduire leur exposition au
plomb dans l’eau potable par le biais de quelques pratiques très simples pour la
maison; et
iv) la démarche à suivre par les propriétaires
pour faire une demande d’évaluation de leurs conduites, et, s’il y a présence
de conduites en plomb, pour les remplacer dans le cadre de ce programme pilote.
2) qu’un programme pilote proactif de remplacement des conduites en
plomb soit mis sur pied en 2007 qui permettra aux résidents de demander à ce
que leurs conduites en plomb soient remplacées. Le remplacement des conduites nécessitera le remplacement de
toutes les conduites, du système de distribution de l’eau de la Ville jusqu’au
compteur d’eau du propriétaire. Les coûts seront partagés de façon
proportionnelle entre la Ville et le propriétaire, et chaque partie sera
responsable du coût du remplacement des conduites sur sa propriété. Certaines
conditions d’admissibilité s’appliqueront aux propriétaires qui souhaitent
participer au programme.
3) que le personnel fasse rapport au Comité à l’automne 2007
concernant le programme, après la première année de mise en application de ce
dernier.
Documentation
1. A/Deputy City Manager's report (Public
Works and Services) dated 1 June 2006 (ACS2006-PWS-UTL-0013).
2. Extract of Draft Minute, 27 June 2006 (Follows
the French version of this report and available in English only).
Documents
1. Rapport du Directeur municipal adjoint par intérim, Services et Travaux Publics,
daté le 1er juin, 2006 (ACS2006-PWS-UTL-0013).
2. Extrait de l’ébauche du procès-verbal,
le 27 juin 2006 (Suit la version française de ce rapport, et disponible en
anglais seulement).
Report
to/Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de
l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
Submitted by/Soumis par : R.G. Hewitt
Acting Deputy City Manager/Directeur
municipal adjoint par intérim,
Public Works and Services/Services
et Travaux publics
Contact Person/Personne ressource :
Kenneth J. Brothers, Director /Directeur
Utility Services/Services publics
(613) 580-2424 x22609,
ken.brothers@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
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OBJET : |
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
1) That the Planning and Environment Committee
recommend Council approve: that City staff develop a Proactive Lead Service
Replacement Pilot Program that will involve:
a) A review of the Water Treatment processes
in operation at Britannia and Lemieux Island Water Purification Plants to
confirm that they are providing an optimum level of protection against lead
corrosion;
b) A public information outreach program that
will provide residents with information on the issues surrounding lead in
drinking water and provide information on:
i)
the City’s current
compliance with all Federal and Provincial health-based guidelines for lead in
drinking water;
ii) how a homeowner can identify whether or not
they have a lead service;
iii) how homeowners or residents with lead
services can reduce their exposure to lead in drinking water through a few very
simple practices in the homes; and
iv) how homeowners can apply to have their
service line assessed, and, if lead service exists, possibly replace it as part
of this pilot program.
2) A
pilot Proactive Lead Service Replacement program be initiated for 2007 that
will allow residents to request that their lead service be replaced. The service replacement will involve
replacing the entire service, from the City’s water distribution system through
to the homeowners’ water meter.
Costs will be shared proportionally between
the City and homeowner, with each party responsible for the cost of service
replacement on their property. Certain
eligibility conditions will apply for homeowners interested in participating.
3) Staff to report to Committee in the fall of
2007 on the program following the first year of operation.
1)
Que
le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement recommande au Conseil
d’approuver : que le personnel de la Ville élabore un programme pilote
proactif de remplacement des conduites en plomb qui comportera :
a)
Un
examen des procédés de traitement de l’eau mis en œuvre aux usines de
purification de l’eau Britannia et de l’île Lemieux afin de s’assurer qu’il
procurent un niveau de protection optimal contre la corrosion du plomb;
b)
Un programme de promotion de la santé
d’intérêt public qui fournira aux résidents de l’information sur les enjeux
liés au plomb dans l’eau potable et fournira de l’information sur :
i)
le
niveau de conformité actuel de la Ville avec toutes les lignes directrices
fédérales et provinciales en santé relativement au plomb dans l’eau potable;
ii)
la
méthode qu’un propriétaire peut employer pour déterminer si oui ou non il
possède des conduites en plomb;
iii)
la
façon dont les propriétaires ou les résidents possédant des conduites en plomb peuvent
réduire leur exposition au plomb dans l’eau potable par le biais de quelques
pratiques très simples pour la maison; et
iv)
la
démarche à suivre par les propriétaires pour faire une demande d’évaluation de
leurs conduites, et, s’il y a présence de conduites en plomb, pour les
remplacer dans le cadre de ce programme pilote.
2)
Qu’un
programme pilote proactif de remplacement des conduites en plomb soit mis sur
pied en 2007 qui permettra aux résidents de demander à ce que leurs conduites
en plomb soient remplacées. Le remplacement des conduites nécessitera le
remplacement de toutes les conduites, du système de distribution de l’eau de la
Ville jusqu’au compteur d’eau du propriétaire. Les coûts seront partagés de
façon proportionnelle entre la Ville et le propriétaire, et chaque partie sera
responsable du coût du remplacement des conduites sur sa propriété. Certaines
conditions d’admissibilité s’appliqueront aux propriétaires qui souhaitent
participer au programme.
3)
Que
le personnel fasse rapport au Comité à l’automne 2007 concernant le programme,
après la première année de mise en application de ce dernier.
During the Planning and Environment Committee
meeting of 14 February 2006, Councillor Alex Cullen requested that staff
provide a report in June, 2006 regarding the lead water services in the
City. This report has been prepared in
response to this request.
Drinking water is delivered to
the City's 750,000 customers via service lines connecting the City’s water
distribution system to the customers’ internal plumbing systems. The lines are usually constructed of one
material, from the distribution system to the customer's meter within the
building. A valve is typically
installed at the property line and serves to separate that portion of the water
service line that is a municipal responsibility to maintain (i.e. that portion
within the road right of way) from that portion that is a customer's
responsibility (i.e. that portion on private property).
Services connecting commercial, industrial and instititional customers to the City distribution system have water demands that require services to be constructed in diameters greater than 25 millimeters. These services are constructed from non-lead materials and are not affected by this issue.
Until the mid-1950’s, small
diameter service lines connecting customers homes with the City's distribution
system were typically made from lead.
Through the mid-1950’s, the standard residential service line material
was changed from lead to copper, which continues to be the City's
standard. While no records were kept of
the actual service material installed, we estimate that between 35,000 and
40,000 services to residential homes were initially constructed of lead.
In the 1970's, recognition and concern grew over the possible health impact of lead in the environment, and in particular the potential impact on young children and pregnant women. Recognizing that at that time, drinking water could represent as much as 10% of our daily exposure to lead, drinking water guidelines were established. These standards were established by Health Canada, and took into consideration the facts that the health risk is posed by exposure over time, that the population at highest risk are children below the age of five and pregnant women, and the contribution that lead in drinking water could contribute to a person’s overall daily intake of lead. Based upon this work, Health Canada determined that consuming drinking water at or below a concentration of 10 mg/litre or 10 parts per billion (10 ppb) was protective of human health and therefore acceptable. This limit has been incorporated into Ontario’s Drinking-Water Quality Standards regulation, (O. Reg 169/03) and now is the standard against which drinking water compliance is measured.
For the past few years, water treatment facilities, municipalities and the public have recognized that the most effective means of producing high quality drinking water, is provided by a series of barriers, rather than relying upon any one barrier. While this approach was originally applied to protection against microbiological risks, the same approach can be used to manage the risk posed by chemical parameters as well.
For Ottawa residents, the City’s approach to this issue has involved providing a drinking water that minimizes the amount of lead in drinking water as delivered to our customers, replacing lead services owned by the City as a regular part of our watermain rehabilitation program and making information available to the public on this topic. Each of these aspects of our approach is explained in greater detail below.
The City is responsible for delivering drinking water to its customers, that meets or is better than all Federal and Provincial health based guidelines and standards. For lead in drinking water, Health Canada has established this compliance standard as 10 mg/l (10 ppb) and as measured by a flowing sample at a customer's tap.
The City produces and distributes drinking water that is essentially free from lead. Our distributed water sampling program confirms this to be the case. The potential sources of lead in drinking water, as measured in customer’s taps, in order of declining contribution, are a lead service line, lead from solder used to join sections of internal copper piping, leaded brass fittings and some food storage containers.
The City has recognized that due to the very 'soft' nature of the Ottawa River raw water, properly treated drinking water would be naturally corrosive. Further pH adjustment to the treated water has been necessary in order to minimize this corrosiveness. Since 1932, when 'treated water' was first distributed to Ottawa residents from Lemieux Island, operators have raised the pH in treated water to a pH of 8.5 using lime, prior to distributing this water to customers. The benefit of this practice has been that the internal corrosion of all metallic piping systems was reduced. This benefit applied equally to the City's water distribution system, the water service lines from the City's distribution system, to the customer's home and the customer's internal plumbing system.
In the late 1990’s, the City undertook an extensive process review of alternative corrosion control processes. Approximately fifteen (15) alternative corrosion control processes were reviewed. Given our source water characteristics, the study recommended that the optimum corrosion control treatment alternative would involve raising the pH of treated water to 9.2 and maintaining an alkalinity of not less than 35 mg/L. The means of accomplishing the pH adjustment would shift to the addition of caustic soda and the seasonal adjustment of alkalinity would be accomplished via the addition of carbon dioxide.
The corrosion control changes were constructed as part of the Water Quality Improvement project. This project involved a number of changes to the water treatment processes at both of our central water treatment plants.
In the summer of 2002, a lead in drinking water concern was identified in a section of Old Ottawa South. In response, the planned pH adjustment to 9.2 was implemented in an effort to lower the lead concentration in affected homes. This change provided immediate reduction of the lead concentrations by 50%. Water quality monitoring confirmed that the lead in drinking water in this area had returned to below 10 mg/litre concentrations. Continued monitoring of homes with the highest concentrations for the subsequent 14 months confirmed the success of this treatment alternative.
In 2003, the City constructed three pipe loops to allow for continued water quality monitoring and corrosion control effectiveness monitoring. Each pipe loop set up consists of four services; one of lead, another of copper piping with lead soldered joints, a continuous copper tubing service and a mild steel service. The pipe loops have been located at Britannia, the Glen Cairn Pumping Station and Forest Ridge Pumping Station. The Pumping Station loops are intended to allow for monitoring of distributed water quality and any changes in protection or distribution over time. This is part of the City’s QA/QC program to monitor corrosion control.
The City’s watermain
rehabilitation program has been in place since 1986. As a standard practice on all watermain replacement projects, the
City has replaced that portion of all lead services encountered that are the
City’s responsibility. To date, it is estimated that approximately 13,000
lead services have been replaced within the public right-of-way as part of this
program. This leaves approximately
24,000 lead service lines within the public right-of-way.
Based upon a very limited number
of post lead service replacement water quality monitoring, staff have found
that the practice of replacing only the City portion of lead services has
reduced the concentration of lead in drinking water by approximately 50% of
pre-construction values. This is as
expected, as the removal of the City portion of lead service reduces the overall
length of lead service by about half.
This year, staff expect to
replace approximately 800-900 lead services through the watermain replacement
program. This is an unusually low
number of service replacements, as the City more typically replaces between
1200 and 1500 lead services per year.
At this typical rate of watermain replacement, staff expect to have
replaced the City portion of all lead services within 15-20 years.
The City does not keep records of lead service replacements on the private property side, as it is not regularly informed of any changes. Anecdotally, staff estimate that as few as 1,000 lead services within private property have been replaced by homeowners. This means that between 34,000 and 39,000 lead services remain on private property.
Making information readily
available to the public is an important means of allowing the public to make an
informed assessment of this complicated issue.
The City currently makes information available to the public by three
(3) means.
There is information posted on
the City's Water website titled "Lead in Drinking Water" (http://city.ottawa.on.ca/city_services/water/27_2_5_4_en.shtml).
This website information explains the situation in greater detail. For those customers that wish to reduce
their exposure to lead even further, some helpful suggestions are available on
how to accomplish this with some very simple practices in the home. This information is also available in
printed form and can be ordered by voice messaging or email.
As part of the public
communication program involved in watermain replacement projects in areas
suspected of being serviced by lead services, staff typically distribute a
pamphlet entitled, "Improving Your Water Supply" to residents well in
advance of the project commencement.
This pamphlet informs residents of the construction project impacts and
includes a discussion on the likelihood that their service may be constructed
of lead. The pamphlet notes that the
City will automatically be replacing that portion of lead service within the
City’s right of way and suggests that homeowners with lead services consider
replacing their service at this time.
Finally, to those customers that
call with concerns regarding lead in drinking water, staff provide much of the
information described above and offer to sample their drinking water at their
home free of charge. There were fifty
(50) such investigations conducted in 2005.
Test results from the City’s accredited water testing and analysis
laboratory are provided to customers verbally and on request, and can also be
provided in written format, all at no cost.
This program is the source of the 400 compliant results referenced
above.
Staff have surveyed a number of
Canadian municipalities to determine what practices are in place in other
regions. Included within this survey
were Gatineau, Toronto, Hamilton, Peel, Durham, Halton, London, Windsor,
Vancouver, St. John and Saskatoon. Most
of these municipalities have a replacement program similar to Ottawa’s current
service that replaces the municipal portion of lead services as part of their
watermain replacement program.
Depending upon the size and age of the municipality, they are further
ahead or behind the City of Ottawa in this respect. However, almost none of these municipalities appear to address
the private portion of the lead service as part of their capital program.
Toronto, Hamilton, London and
Windsor have proactive lead or substandard service replacement programs in
place, that allow residents to initiate their lead service replacement ahead of
the City's watermain replacement program.
Toronto has a Substandard Service
Replacement program intended to address both quality and quantity issues. The program allows homeowners to replace
their entire service independently of a watermain replacement program. Their program has a further feature that
allows the private portion of a substandard service to be replaced as part of a
City initiated watermain replacement project.
In this situation, the homeowner is able to take advantage of the
economy of scale feature of replacing their lead service, at the same time as
the major capital works program is replacing the municipal portion of a lead
service.
Hamilton has a proactive lead
service replacement program as well. A
condition of this program is that along with the lead service, the City will
install a water meter in the owner’s house.
Windsor has a rather unique
approach in that it charges residential customers a surcharge on their monthly
water bill, but will replace the entire water service at no cost to the
customer, from watermain to residential meter, either as part of a capital
renewal program or as part of leaking service repair process.
While recognizing that the
quality of drinking water as delivered by the City of Ottawa to residents meets
or exceeds all Federal and Provincial health based guidelines for lead in
drinking water, these services consisting of residents that desire even lower
lead exposure than approved by Federal or Provincial standards. For this reason, staff recommend that the
City:
1) Review
the current water treatment operational practices, to confirm that the current
water treatment strategy is effective and optimum in terms of reducing the
corrosiveness of drinking water. This
assessment is to take into consideration earlier extensive study work carried
out by the City of Ottawa, ongoing water quality monitoring, both in the home
and pipe loop results, new water quality research information and experience
that may be taken from other jurisdictions including Montreal, Washington, D.C.
and Greenville, N.C.;
2) Review
and update the City's current public information on lead in drinking water.
This update would be prepared with input from the City’s Medical Officer of
Health, Corporate Communications and Drinking Water Services. The updated
information will be made available to residents on the City’s website and
through Client Service Centres.
Further, the updated information would be distributed directly to
residents in areas likely to be serviced by lead services, to inform them of
the situation, to provide helpful information on how they can easily reduce
their exposure to lead in drinking water and to provide information on how they
can register for the pilot service replacement project; and
3)
On a pilot program basis for 2007 only, provide a proactive
lead service replacement program that will allow residents to request the
replacement of a lead service to their home, based upon the following criteria:
For selected 2007 watermain replacement projects approved as part of the 2007 Capital Budget deliberations, staff will also investigate the ability to include within these projects, the opportunity for homeowners to opt in to a private property lead service replacement option, with eligibility and repayment options as described above.
Staff will prepare a summary
report of activities in late 2007. This
report will provide the information to Committee and Council to determine
whether to continue or modify the pilot program.
At the time that this report was finalized, staff were scheduled to present final recommendations to the Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) on June 9, 2006. Any recommendations emanating from the EAC meeting will be tabled with this report at Planning and Environment Committee meeting.
This report was circulated for review to the Community and Protective Services Department (Public Health Branch), Corporate Communications, the Financial Services Branch and the Infrastructure Services Branch within Public Works and Services Department.
If this program is approved by Council, further consultation will be required with the Heavy Construction Association to work out the details involved with the tendering and work on private property.
The Auditor General has recently tabled an audit of Drinking Water Services in which it was recommended that the City develop a lead service replacement program. Approving these service enhancements and implementing the proactive lead service replacement program will satisfy this recommendation.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Currently, the City has not
allowed for any of these service enhancement initiatives in its Capital
Budgets, nor in previous Long Range Financial Plans.
Staff anticipate that reviewing
current water treatment corrosion control practices will involve a combination
of internal staff time and resources, as well as a limited scope of services by
a water treatment process specialist consultant. Combined costs are not expected to exceed $50,000. The source of this funding will be taken
from funds available within the Water Facilities Regulatory Program, Ongoing
Water Facilities Regulatory Inspection account, 900603.
The preparation, printing and
targetted mail distribution of a revised and updated Lead in Drinking Water
pamphlet or brochure has been estimated to cost approximately $100,000. As this work is to occur in 2006, the source
of the funds required for this work will be from funds available within the
Water Distribution System Operational Improvement Program, Cathodic Protection
account, 902959.
The City's portion of lead service replacement is carried out as a standard part of a watermain replacement projects. The costs are included as part of the overall project costs. It is important to note that when services are replaced as part of a City watermain replacement, the incremental cost of the lead service replacement is very low.
Staff estimate that the cost to the City of replacing the City's portion of all 24,000 remaining lead services, as part of watermain replacement projects, will be between $18 to $20 million. These costs are considered to be included as part of the water distribution system asset rehabilitation and renewal costs.
To estimate the cost of replacing
a lead service from a City watermain through to a resident's water meter as
part of a proactive program is very difficult to do because of the uniqueness
of individual properties and installations.
For program estimation purposes, staff have estimated that an open cut
replacement of a lead service from the City’s distribution system to the
homeowners meter would cost approximately $7,000 per service. Of this total, approximately $2,800 relates
to the cost of replacing a lead service on the private portion of the
service. Staff suggest that this
account be established as part of the 2007 Capital Budget with an initial
budget of $1 million. This amount will
cover program administration costs of two FTEs to provide program
administration, pre-construction site inspection and post-construction
follow-up. Staff estimate that the cost
of these services will be approximately $180,000. The balance of the funding, $820,000, will cover the cost of
replacing over 100 services in 2007.
However, it is staff’s expectation that by using more innovative 'no
dig' construction techniques, the City can significantly reduce the overall
cost of individual service replacement and increase the number of services
capable of being replaced within that envelope.
Attachment 1: Improving Your Water Supply pamphlet
Attachment 2: City of Ottawa WaterWords, "Lead in
Drinking Water"
The Public Works and Services Department will:
1. Implement the Proactive Lead Service Replacement pilot program;
2. Work in cooperation with Public Health Branch and Corporate Communications to develop a new Lead in Drinking Water brochure that will be distributed to residents in areas considered to have a high likelihood of having lead water service lines; and,
3. Will report back to the Planning and Environment Committee on this pilot program in the fall of 2007.
ATTACHMENT 1
ATTACHMENT 2