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: Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/
Directrice municipale adjointe
Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability/
Services d’infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités
City-Wide / À l’échelle de la Ville |
|
Ref N°: ACS2010-ICS-ESD-0007 |
SUBJECT: The Ottawa river ACTION PLAN
OBJET : plan
d’ACTION de LA RIVIÈRE DES OUTAOUAIS
That Planning and Environment
Committee recommend Council:
1.
Approve the Ottawa River Action Plan (ORAP) as
described herein, valued at $251.64 million.
2.
Approve a service level for combined sewer overflows
(CSO) of zero overflows during the swimming season in the “average year.”[1]
3.
Receive for information the scope and timeline for
development of a long-term Water Environment Strategy as described
herein.
Que le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement recommande au Conseil :
1.
d’approuver le Plan d’action de la rivière des Outaouais
(PARO) tel qu’il est décrit dans
le présent rapport et dont le coût s’élève à 251,64 millions de dollars;
2.
d’approuver un niveau de service correspondant
à « aucun débordement durant la saison de baignade dans “l’année moyenne” »1
pour les surverses d’égout unitaire (SEU);
3.
de prendre connaissance de la portée et des
échéances d’une Stratégie sur le milieu aquatique à long terme telle qu’elle
est décrite dans le présent document.
This report recommends the
adoption of a City policy of having zero combined sewer overflow (CSO) in an
average year, implementation of 17 projects over the next five years aimed at
improving the health of the Ottawa River, and development of a long-term
strategy to ensure the health of Ottawa’s water environment for generations to
come.
A key recommendation of the report
is to build storage facilities in the combined sewer area currently
experiencing overflows during wet weather. If implemented, the storage
facilities will capture flows during wet weather events. These flows will be
pumped out later when the event has passed. By doing so, modelling
shows that overflows into the Ottawa River will be greatly reduced.
This report is the result of Council
direction.
In June 2009, Council approved a report titled Ottawa River Water
Quality Assessment (ACS2009-ICS-WWS-003), which directed staff to:
·
Consult
with the public regarding a set of 16 projects to be carried out in the
short-term (referred to collectively as the Ottawa River Action Plan[2]);
and,
·
Prepare a
long-term strategy to guide management of the watershed over time.
The
objectives for the short-term Ottawa River Action Plan were the
following:
·
Achieve and sustain compliance
with regulatory requirements, with a focus on CSO control;
·
Optimize recreational use and
economic development of the river, with a focus on reducing beach closures; and
·
Maintain a healthy aquatic
ecosystem, with a focus on addressing challenges presented by existing
infrastructure.
Each of the ORAP projects targets one or more of the above, with the CSO Control Project (Project 3) addressing all three objectives (see Table 1). Special attention was given to that ORAP project during the consultations due to the need for a policy decision regarding the community’s preferred level of CSO control.
Four Open Houses, a dedicated web page (Ottawa.ca/riverplan), and an on-line questionnaire were used to provide information to and solicit comments from the public regarding the above. Three options were considered for dealing with flows from CSOs and were tabled for public consultation in the fall of 2009. Option A was designed to meet the provincial target at a cost of $40-$60 million (over 4-5 years), Option B would exceed the provincial target at a cost of $95-$140 million (over 5-6 years), Option C would virtually eliminate overflows at a cost of $1.3-$2.2 billion (over 30-50 years). With respect to controlling CSOs, over 75% of questionnaire respondents endorsed Option B, which equates to a targeted CSO control level of “zero overflows during the swimming season in the «average» year.”
This level of service would be achieved by the following means: a)
separating sewers within a 187 ha area comprising a number of streets
throughout the core; and b) building storage to accommodate stormflows
generated within a 675 ha area that is to remain combined (shown in Figure
1). In some years (i.e., those with more
severe weather patterns than the “average” year), overflows would continue to
be experienced during the swimming season, depending upon the frequency of
intense storm events. For instance, in recent years, (which have experienced high levels
of summer rainfall) Option B would have reduced the number of combined sewer
overflows experienced from an average of thirty per year to one per year. Cost
estimates provided in June 2009 were based upon Option A, with a lower level of
combined sewer overflow control and reduction.
The CSO control and capital costs have been adjusted in this report to
reflect Option B as modified to address concerns raised by the public regarding
the need to design for growth, system redundancy, and climate change.
With respect to the remaining ORAP projects, questionnaire results
indicate that, while there is good support for the scope and scale of the
projects identified, there is still a strong sentiment in the community that
more remains to be done. Three key
themes emerged from or were confirmed during the consultations:
FIGURE 1 – Ultimate Combined Sewer Area
·
The
City must address impacts of uncontrolled stormwater runoff as well as CSOs. Several
ORAP projects address urban stormwater; however, it is recognized that
stormwater pollution is as important an issue as combined sewer overflows.
·
Residents
and businesses must take responsibility for their discharges to the environment
(i.e., source control). At present, the City does not have a
communication plan for improving awareness of, and action on, water environment
issues at the community level. For this
reason, a new project was added to ORAP to allow for improved public outreach
and education on water environment matters.
·
A
watershed approach is needed to ensure that the full range of pollutant sources
and impacts are addressed.
The need to develop a long-term Water
Environment Strategy, as directed by Council, is clear. A collaborative effort among city
departments, agencies, and community stakeholders led by the Environmental
Sustainability Branch will be coordinated over the next two years in order to:
·
Document
the full range of watershed management issues, and determine those within the
control or influence of the City of Ottawa.
·
Increase
public awareness and understanding of the issues, and the actions needed to
address them.
·
Establish
priorities, assess the range of tools available to address them, and set short,
mid, and long-term goals and targets to be achieved by the City over the next
20 years.
·
Implement
an approach for achieving those targets, including timelines and budget
envelopes, as well as a collaborative framework for ongoing communication and
cooperation between water environment partners such as the Conservation
Authorities.
·
Define
monitoring, reporting, and information management requirements to allow for
regular review, assessment and implementation of the strategy.
The total value of ORAP projects over the 5-year period 2009-2013 is approximately $252 million, which includes the CSO Control Project cost updated to allow for implementation of Option B; and all other project costs adjusted to December 2013.
The
Environment Commissioner of Ontario reviewed the Ottawa River Action Plan and
has endorsed the City’s approach (Document 9).
The following section of this report:
· Presents public feedback regarding the list of projects tabled in June 2009, which are referred to collectively as the Ottawa River Action Plan (ORAP);
· Confirms the list, timing, and cost estimates of ORAP projects;
·
Presents
public feedback regarding the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control initiative
(ORAP Project No. 3);
·
Provides
the rationale for recommending Option B to address public concerns; and,
·
Establishes
the scope and timeline for development of a long-term Water Environment
Strategy (ORAP Project No. 13) that will eventually provide a broader
context for ORAP.
Open Houses were held November 23, 26, 30 and December 1, 2009 in the centre, west, south, and east ends of the city. Public notices were published in the major dailies and community papers, and radio ads were used to promote awareness of the consultation process. An e-mail notice was sent to approximately 200 groups and individuals who have previously expressed interest in environmental and community issues. A web site was established, and an on-line questionnaire was launched to provide public information and gather feedback.
Almost 100 people attended the public meetings, and over 300 questionnaires were completed either at those events or on-line. As well, approximately 50 e-mails had been received at the time of the writing of this report.
The above consultation occurred in addition to ongoing discussions with the National Capital Commission and la Ville de Gatineau on water management issues, and extensive meetings with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
Legal/Risk Management Implications
There are no legal/risk management impediments to implementing any of the recommendations in this report. The successful implementation of Project 1 in 2010 (Real Time Control) is expected to bring the City closer to compliance with the Ministry of the Environment’s Procedure F-5-5. Implementation of Projects 3 and 5 will bring the City into full compliance.
The City’s Pollution Prevention Control Plan will be
updated to reflect the direction of Council.
The total value of ORAP projects over the 5-year period 2009-2013 is approximately $251.64 million. This value is greater than the June 2009 estimate for the following reasons:
· The CSO Control Project cost was updated to allow for implementation of Option B; and
· All other project costs were adjusted to include all costs up to December 2013, but not beyond.
Table 3 distinguishes between previously committed monies, monies identified in the 2010 budget and beyond, and new budget pressures.
TABLE 3 - ORAP Financial Requirements
|
5-year
ORAP ($ million) |
2014
and beyond[3] |
|||
2009 |
2010 |
2011-13 |
TOTAL |
||
Total ORAP per Document 5 |
$54.13 |
$23.86 |
$173.65 |
$251.64 |
$11M/yr |
Less |
|||||
Ottawa River Fund Approved in 2009 |
$19.75 |
$31.25 |
$88.0 |
$139.0 |
|
Other Works in Progress (WIPs) |
$34.38 |
|
|
$34.38 |
|
Costs not previously budgeted |
|
($7.39) |
$85.65 |
$78.26 |
$11M/yr |
The 2010 requirement of $23.86 million has been included in the 2010 Draft Rate Supported Programs Capital Budget. Pending approval of this plan, requirements for 2011 and beyond will be identified in the Long Range Financial Plan to be tabled in the spring.
As several of these projects extend beyond the five-year period of ORAP, it will be necessary to expand and extend the funding envelope over time. For example, the Sewer Separation Outside the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area (UCSA), the implementation of Stormwater Retrofit Plans, and Implementation of the Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan are all multi-year projects that extend well beyond 2013. Should Council approve this plan, pre-commitments of future years’ budgets will be required.
Staff will also pursue opportunities for cost sharing with other government bodies.
Ce rapport préconise l’adoption de la politique
« aucune SEU dans l’année moyenne » de la Ville, la mise en œuvre de
17 projets d’amélioration de la rivière des Outaouais au cours des cinq
prochaines années et l’élaboration d’une stratégie à long terme de préservation
du milieu aquatique d’Ottawa pour les générations futures.
Une des principales recommandations du rapport
concerne la construction de réservoirs dans la zone d’égouts unitaires où
surviennent actuellement les débordements par temps pluvieux. Ces réservoirs
serviraient à capter les eaux pluviales lors des fortes précipitations. Cette
eau serait ensuite pompée lorsque la pluie aurait cessé. Les modélisations
montrent une réduction considérable des débordements de la rivière des
Outaouais.
En juin 2009, le Conseil a approuvé un rapport
intitulé Évaluation de la qualité de
l’eau de la rivière des Outaouais (ACS2009-ICS-WWS-0003), dans lequel on
demandait au personnel de :
·
consulter
la population au sujet de 16 projets à court terme (appelés collectivement Plan d’action de la rivière des Outaouais[4]);
et
·
préparer
une stratégie à long terme pour orienter la gestion continue du bassin
hydrographique.
Les objectifs du Plan d’action de la rivière des
Outaouais, qui vise une réalisation à courte échéance, sont les suivants :
·
se
conformer aux exigences réglementaires, particulièrement en ce qui a trait au
contrôle des SEU;
·
optimiser
le développement économique de la rivière et son utilisation à des fins
récréatives, notamment par la diminution des fermetures de plages;
·
maintenir
un écosystème aquatique sain, en se consacrant surtout aux difficultés que posent
les infrastructures existantes.
Chacun
des projets qui forment le PARO cible un ou plusieurs des objectifs énumérés
ci-dessus. C’est notamment le cas du projet de contrôle des SEU (projet 3), qui
englobe les trois objectifs (voir le tableau 1). Ce projet a reçu une attention spéciale au
cours des consultations en raison de la nécessité d’établir une politique sur
le niveau de contrôle des SEU souhaité par la communauté.
Pour informer la population et recueillir ses
commentaires à cet effet, on a organisé quatre réunions portes ouvertes, publié
une page Web spéciale (Ottawa.ca/planriviere) et
produit un questionnaire en ligne. Trois options ont été présentées aux fins de
consultations publiques à l’automne 2009. L’option A a
été conçue pour atteindre la cible provinciale à un coût de 40 à
60 millions de dollars (sur une période de 4 à 5 ans), l’option B
surpasserait la cible provinciale à un coût de 95 à 140 millions de
dollars (sur une période de 5 à 6 ans) et l’option C permettrait pratiquement
d’éliminer les débordements à un coût de 1,3 à 2,2 milliards de dollars (sur
une période de 30 à 50 ans). En ce qui concerne le contrôle des SEU, plus de 75
% des répondants au sondage se sont dits favorables à l’option B, soit un
objectif de niveau de contrôle des SEU correspondant à « aucun débordement
durant la saison de baignade dans “l’année moyenne” ».
On compte atteindre ce niveau de service de la
façon suivante : a) en séparant les égouts dans une zone de 187 ha qui
comprend plusieurs rues au cœur du système; b) en construisant des réservoirs
pour recueillir les eaux pluviales reçues à l’intérieur d’une zone de 675 ha où
l’on prévoit concentrer les égouts unitaires (illustrée à la figure 1). Au
cours de certaines années (c’est-à-dire celles enregistrant des précipitations
plus abondantes que « l’année moyenne »), des débordements
continueraient de se produire durant la saison de baignade, selon la fréquence
des événements pluvio-hydrologiques de grande
importance. Par exemple, ces dernières années (au cours les précipitations ont
été abondantes en été), l’option B aurait permis de réduire le nombre moyen de
SEU par année, le faisant passer de 30 à 1.
L’évaluation des coûts fournie en juin 2009 était basée sur l’option A,
soit un niveau de contrôle et de réduction des SEU inférieur. Dans le présent rapport, on a ajusté les
coûts de contrôle des SEU et les coûts d’immobilisation liés
aux SEU pour refléter l’option B, un changement qui vise à répondre aux
préoccupations de la population concernant la nécessité d’aménager des
infrastructures en tenant compte de la croissance, de la redondance du réseau
et des changements climatiques.
En ce qui concerne les autres projets du PARO,
les résultats du sondage indiquent que la population appuie en général la portée
et l’envergure proposées pour ces projets, mais qu’elle croit fortement qu’il
reste beaucoup à faire. Les trois grands thèmes suivants sont ressortis ou ont
été confirmés lors des consultations :
FIGURE 1 – Zone définitive des égouts unitaires
·
La Ville doit remédier aux effets du ruissellement incontrôlé des eaux
pluviales et aux SEU. Plusieurs projets du PARO portent sur les
eaux pluviales en milieu urbain. Toutefois, il est établi que la pollution
causée par les eaux pluviales est aussi importante que les SEU.
·
Les résidents et les entreprises doivent assumer la responsabilité de
leurs déversements dans l’environnement (contrôle à la source).
Actuellement, la Ville ne dispose d’aucun plan de communication pour
sensibiliser les gens aux problèmes liés au milieu aquatique dans leur
communauté et les inciter à agir. Pour cette raison, on a ajouté un nouveau
projet au PARO, lequel vise à mieux informer la population au sujet des
questions liées au milieu aquatique.
·
Il faut adopter une approche axée sur le bassin hydrographique si l’on
veut s’assurer que toutes les sources de polluants et tous les effets de la
pollution soient pris en considération.
Ce dernier point rappelle la nécessité
d’élaborer une Stratégie sur le milieu aquatique, comme l’a demandé le Conseil.
La Direction de la durabilité de l’environnement supervisera l’élaboration de
cette stratégie, qui sera le fruit d’une collaboration entre les services de la
Ville, ses organismes et divers intervenants de la communauté au cours des deux
prochaines années. Ces efforts concertés visent à :
·
décrire
l’ensemble des problèmes liés à la gestion du bassin hydrographique et
déterminer ceux que la Ville d’Ottawa peut régler ou contribuer à régler;
·
sensibiliser
le public aux problèmes en question et aux gestes à poser pour les régler, et
s’assurer qu’il comprend bien ces notions;
·
établir
des priorités, évaluer la gamme d’outils disponibles pour y répondre et fixer
des objectifs et des cibles à court, à moyen et à long terme que la Ville devra
atteindre au cours des 20 prochaines années;
·
adopter
une approche permettant d’atteindre ces cibles et comprenant un calendrier, une
enveloppe budgétaire ainsi qu’un cadre collaboratif pour assurer la
communication et la coopération continues entre les partenaires œuvrant dans le
domaine de la préservation du milieu aquatique, comme les offices de protection
de la nature;
·
établir
des exigences en matière de suivi, de rapport et de gestion de l’information
qui permettront de mettre en œuvre la stratégie et de l’évaluer et la revoir
régulièrement.
La valeur totale des projets du PARO
sur une période de 5 ans (de 2009 à 2013) est d’environ 251,64 millions de dollars, ce qui
comprend le coût du Projet du contrôle des débordements d’égouts unitaires mis
à jour pour permettre la mise en œuvre de l’option B et tous les autres coûts
de projet ajustés pour tenir compte des dépenses qui seront engendrées d’ici
décembre 2013.
La partie suivante du présent rapport vise à :
·
présenter
les commentaires de la population sur les projets proposés en juin 2009, que
l’on appelle collectivement le Plan
d’action de la rivière des Outaouais (PARO);
·
confirmer
la liste des projets du PARO, de même que leurs échéances et leurs coûts
estimatifs;
·
présenter
les commentaires de la population concernant l’initiative de contrôle des surverses d’égout unitaire (SEU) (projet n°3 du PARO);
·
indiquer
pour quelles raisons l’option B permettrait de mieux répondre aux
préoccupations du public;
·
établir
la portée et les échéances d’une Stratégie sur le milieu aquatique à long terme
(projet n°13 du PARO) qui servira plus tard de contexte général au PARO.
Des réunions portes ouvertes ont été tenues les
23, 26 et 30 novembre 2009 ainsi que le 1er décembre 2009
dans le centre, l’ouest, le sud et l’est de la ville. Des avis publics ont paru
dans les grands quotidiens et dans les journaux locaux, et on a diffusé des
publicités à la radio pour informer les gens du processus de consultation. Un
avis par courriel a été envoyé à environ 200 personnes et groupes qui avaient
déjà exprimé leur intérêt pour les questions environnementales et
communautaires. On a créé un site Web et mis en ligne un questionnaire qui a
permis de renseigner le public et de recueillir ses commentaires.
Près de 100 personnes ont assisté aux réunions
portes ouvertes, et plus de 300 questionnaires ont été remplis soit au
cours de ces rencontres, soit en ligne. Environ 50 courriels avaient été
reçus au moment de la rédaction du présent rapport.
En plus des consultations décrites
ci-dessus, des discussions ont été menées avec la Commission de la capitale
nationale et la Ville de Gatineau au sujet des questions touchant la gestion de
l’eau, et des rencontres importantes avec le ministère de l’Environnement de
l’Ontario ont eu lieu.
Répercussions Juridiques/Sus la Gestion du
Risque
Le rapport ne fait état d’aucune répercussion
juridique ni d’aucune conséquence pour la gestion des risques découlant de la
mise en œuvre des recommandations. La réalisation du projet 1 (contrôle en
temps réel) en 2010 devrait permettre à la Ville de faire des progrès sur le
plan du respect de la Procédure F-5-5 du ministère de l’Environnement. La mise en œuvre des projets 3
et 5, quant à elle, devrait permettre à la Ville d’être entièrement
conforme à cette procédure.
Le Plan de contrôle et de prévention de la pollution
sera mis à jour afin de refléter l’orientation du Conseil.
Répercussions Financières
La valeur totale des projets du PARO dont il
est question dans le présent document s’élève à environ 251,64 millions de
dollars..
·
Le
coût du Projet de contrôle des SEU a été mis à jour pour permettre la mise en
œuvre de l’option B;
·
Tous
les autres coûts de projet ont été ajustés pour inclure les dépenses qui seront
engendrées d’ici décembre 2013.
Dans le tableau 3, les fonds déjà
investis, les fonds prévus dans le budget de 2010 et des années suivantes ainsi
que les nouvelles pressions budgétaires sont indiqués séparément.
Tableau 3 – Besoins financiers du PARO
|
PARO sur 5 ans (en millions de dollars) |
À compter de 2014[5] |
|||
2009 |
2010 |
2011-13 |
TOTAL |
||
PARO total selon le document 5 |
54,13 |
23,86 |
173,65 |
251,64 |
11 M$/an |
Moins |
|||||
Fonds
de la rivière des Outaouais approuvés en 2009 |
19,75 |
31,25 |
88 |
139 |
|
Autres
travaux en cours (TEC) |
34,38 |
|
|
34,38 |
|
Coûts qui n’ont pas encore été budgétés |
|
(7,39) |
85,65 |
78,26 |
11 M$/an |
Les besoins financiers pour 2010, qui sont de
l’ordre de 23,86 millions de dollars, ont été inclus dans la version
préliminaire du budget d’immobilisation pour les programmes de
2010 soutenus par les tarifs. En attente de l’approbation de ce plan, les
besoins financiers pour 2011 et les années subséquentes seront établis dans le Plan financier à long terme et présentés
au Conseil le printemps prochain.
Comme la réalisation de plusieurs de ces
projets excède la période de cinq ans du PARO, il sera nécessaire d’augmenter
et de prolonger l’enveloppe budgétaire. Par exemple, le projet d’aménagement
d'égouts unitaires à l’extérieure de la zone définitive des égouts unitaires
(ZDEU), les plans de réfections de l’infrastructure de traitement des eaux
pluviales et le Plan de gestion de l’infrastructure de traitement des eaux
pluviales sont tous des projets pluriannuels qui dont la mise en œuvre sera
complétée bien après 2013. Se ce plan devait être approuvé par le Conseil, il
faudrait prendre des engagements préalables pour les budgets des années
subséquentes.
Le personnel sera donc à l’affût des
possibilités de partage des coûts avec d’autres organismes gouvernementaux.
BACKGROUND
The Ottawa River is 1,271 km in length; the watershed 146,222 km2
in size[6],
with a flow rate that is the sixth largest in Canada. The upper reaches of the watershed are in
near pristine condition. The health of
the river up and downstream of Ottawa is “Good” when assessed against a variety
of measures (Document 1).[7]
The City of Ottawa and Ville de Gatineau are the only major urban
settlements on the river. All other
communities on the river have significantly smaller and are relatively
dispersed. Use of the river for lumber
transport ceased in the 1970s, however, pulp and paper mills and other
industries draw from the watershed for purposes such as power generation,
heating and cooling, irrigation, and as a manufacturing input.
Over the years, the City of Ottawa has continually improved its
wastewater system design and operations to reduce local impacts on the
river. Fifty years ago, all sanitary
waste was discharged to local rivers untreated.
Today, less than 1% is discharged untreated. Well over a billion dollars has been spent to
achieve this success—making the City a leader amongst national capitals.[8]
Currently, a few communities on the river do not have secondary sewage
treatment of their sanitary waste discharges.
The City has done much to improve the quality of discharges to the river
over the past fifty years, but more effort is needed to address the full range
of pollutants and, in particular, to address them at their source. Though the volume and frequency of combined
sewer overflows have been lowered over the years, they still contribute to
beach closures, shoreline pollution, and contamination of local aquatic
habitats. Figure 2 identifies the
various sources of E coli to the Ottawa River in the reach extending from
Arnprior to Cumberland, and shows that Ottawa CSOs and stormwater
discharges are two of the largest local sources of E coli today.
Other pollutants also affect the river and many of its tributaries
within the City. In fact, 10 years of
monitoring data shows that several of the City’s urban and rural creeks are
under stress—suffering from high levels of nutrients that can lead to excessive
algae growth and depleted oxygen levels (Document 2); elevated heavy metal
levels that threaten fish and other aquatic life (Document 3); other stormwater
pollutants that contaminate shorelines and beaches (Document 4); and excessive
erosion that clouds the water column and can destroy aquatic habitat. These matters will be addressed by several
ORAP projects, in particular the Water Environment Strategy and the urban
retrofit initiatives.
Much work remains to be done. This report documents the City’s commitment to do more as proposed in June 2009, as amended to address feedback received during consultations carried out in November and December 2009.
DISCUSSION
Four public meetings were held in late 2009 to inform the community of
water quality issues in the Ottawa River, to present the range of City of
Ottawa projects planned or underway to reduce impacts in the short-term, and to
solicit feedback on the scope of initiatives—in particular the level of CSO
control to be achieved with respect to combined sewer overflows. The following sections summarize the feedback
received, and the recommended plan going forward.
Short-term Ottawa
River Action Plan
The
objective of the Ottawa River Action Plan is to address the full range
of watershed health issues, starting with the most critical:
1. Achieve and sustain compliance with regulatory requirements, with a
focus on CSO control;
2. Optimize recreational use and economic development of the River,
with a focus on reducing beach closures; and,
3. Maintain a healthy aquatic ecosystem, with a focus on addressing
challenges presented by existing infrastructure.
The sixteen short-term projects tabled in June 2009 and listed in Table
1 will achieve these objectives.
Projects 1, 3 and 5 combined will lower the City’s annual contribution
of E coli to the Ottawa River by an estimated 65%. Had they been in place in recent years, these
projects would have reduced the number of CSO events during the swimming season
from an average of thirty (30) per year to one (1) per year.
TABLE 1 – LIST OF ORAP PROJECTS |
||||
Project |
Purpose |
Objective |
||
1 |
2 |
3 |
||
1. Implementation of Real
Time Control |
Maximize use of existing capacity within the combined sewer
collection system through the upgrade of regulators, and use of automated
controls. |
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
2. Critical CSO and Storm
Outfall Monitoring |
Improve system monitoring
to allow for timely identification and response to equipment failure; reduce
the risk and severity of failures; and improve understanding of how the
system responds under different conditions to facilitate continuous
improvement. |
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
3. CSO Storage for Ultimate
Combined Sewer Area (UCSA) |
Achieve regulatory
compliance for the frequency and volume of combined sewer overflows during
the swimming season, and in so doing reduce beach closures. |
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
4. Review Sewer
Interconnections |
Identify cross-connections
between the storm and sanitary systems in order to: reduce pollutants entering
the stormwater system; and reduce the volume of stormwater flows entering the sanitary system that can
cause surcharging and overflows. |
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
5. Sewer Separation Outside
the UCSA |
Reduce the volume of stormwater flows entering the combined sewer system that
can cause surcharging and overflows. |
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
6. Development of a Wet
Weather infrastructure Management Plan |
Develop a
comprehensive plan for improving the management of wet weather flows in the
urban area to reduce surcharging, flooding, overflows, and pollution of the
natural environment. |
ü
|
|
|
7. Implementation of a Wet
Weather Infrastructure Management Plan |
Implement
measures to improve management of wet weather flows. |
ü
|
|
ü
|
8. Installation of Floatable
Traps in Combined Sewer Area Catch Basins |
Reduce
the quantity of floatables (e.g., plastic bottles, cups, wrappers, oil and
grease) entering combined and storm sewers and discharged to the environment. |
|
|
ü
|
9. Pinecrest Creek / Westboro
Stormwater Management Retrofit Plan |
Evaluate approaches to
retrofit urban subwatershed and sewersheds
to improve water quality, reduce erosion and flood risk, and enhance degraded
aquatic habitat. |
|
ü
|
ü
|
10. Eastern Subwatersheds Stormwater Management Retrofit Plan |
Evaluate approaches to
retrofit urban subwatershed and sewersheds
to improve water quality, reduce erosion and flood risk, and enhance degraded
aquatic habitat. |
|
ü
|
ü
|
11. Implementation of
Stormwater Retrofit Plans |
Reduce pollutants from
entering surface waters by implementing the above (9 and 10) and assessing
suitability for implementation elsewhere. |
|
ü |
ü |
12. R.O. Pickard Environmental
Control Effluent Dechlorination |
Reduce discharges of
chlorinated compounds to the Ottawa River through implementation of dechlorination at the City’s sewage treatment plant. |
|
|
ü |
13. Develop a Water
Environment Strategy |
Establish a comprehensive and integrated plan in
cooperation with other agencies for the management of water environment
issues in Ottawa. |
ü |
|
ü |
14. Monitoring and Source
Control Programs |
Identify and reduce pollutants at source, and track long-term trends
in environmental health associated with ORAP projects. |
|
ü |
ü |
15. Wastewater & Drainage
Environmental Quality Management System |
Identify and mitigate risks of system failure or human error through
implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS) for the sanitary
system. |
ü |
ü |
ü |
16. Updates to the Ottawa
River Bacterial Water Quality Computer Model |
Update the Ottawa River Water Quality Model to allow for the
empirical evaluation of pollution management options. |
ü |
ü |
ü |
17. Public Outreach and
Education (NEW) |
Inform the public of the linkages between what they do and the health
of the water environment; and increase awareness of ORAP initiatives. |
|
|
|
Document 5 provides the implementation timeline and cost estimate for each ORAP project.
Over sixty
percent of questionnaires received indicated that they “agreed” or “strongly
agreed” that the list of projects was appropriate. However, most respondents also expressed the
desire that the plan address stormwater pollution to the same degree as CSOs;
and to involve residents and businesses in reducing pollution of surface waters
at the lot level. Several felt that as
the nation’s capital, the City of Ottawa should be a world leader in CSO
control and protection of the Ottawa River watershed.
The
results illustrate the need for the City to do a better job demonstrating that
it is a world leader in CSO control, that implementation of these works will
strengthen Ottawa’s leadership position amongst communities with combined sewer
systems, and that it will make significant improvements in watershed
protection. Furthermore, these results
show the need to increase public awareness of the role that households and
businesses have in protecting the watershed.
Upon
completion of Projects 1, 3, and 5, few if any cities of Ottawa’s size and age
in Canada will match our level of CSO control (less than 0.5% untreated
discharges per year). Furthermore, by
addressing the impacts of uncontrolled stormwater runoff, the City will make
significant improvements in stormwater discharges, and be in a position to lead
by example on broader watershed issues.
This is a comprehensive short-term plan that will yield both short and
long-term results, and which addresses key issues that are the responsibility
and within the control of the City of Ottawa.
As noted
previously, the need for enhanced public education was identified as a key
ingredient to success at all public meetings.
For this reason, a 17th project is recommended for the
short-term plan: Public Education on
Watershed Issues. The City has not
actively promoted water environment awareness and understanding for several
years. It is carried out on an ad hoc
basis in association with special events and specific capital projects, but
there is no on-going effort to raise awareness and to remind residents and
businesses of their impacts on the environment, what the City does to mitigate
those impacts, and how they can adjust their behaviours to further reduce
pollution of the watershed.
At present, many in the community are focused on E coli from CSOs
because it can be harmful to humans and causes beach closures. As important in terms of watershed health are
other pollutants that are harmful to aquatic species. Many of those pollutants come from chemicals
we use in our yards, garages and pools, from our vehicles, and from our
pets. Many watershed problems arise when
we fail to properly dispose of wastes, handle chemicals improperly, ignore
fluid leaks, remove vegetation and alter slopes near creeks, and harden
shorelines. The Public Education project
will raise awareness of the linkages between daily behaviours and the health of
our water environment.
It is recommended that $75,000 per year be allocated to Project 17 for
the next five years as part of the short-term plan. Activities would include speaking to
community and business associations, outreach at local malls and beaches,
special events in cooperation with local water environment partners, tours of
community stormwater facilities for area residents, and the development of
educational materials.
No other changes to the short-term action plan are recommended.
The General Manager of Environmental Services Department will oversee
implementation of the Ottawa River Action Plan and will be responsible
for progress monitoring and reporting to Council and the public. A variety of departments will lead
implementation of specific ORAP projects, as identified in the Disposition
hereto.
CSO Control for the
Ultimate Combined Sewer Area – ORAP Project 3
The City
of Ottawa is required to meet targets set out in the Ministry of the Environment
(MOE) Procedure F-5-5 for the capture and treatment of flows from the
combined sewer area (CSA). The primary
criterion to which all municipalities with combined sewer systems must comply
concerns the “volume” of overflows permitted.
For municipalities with downstream beaches impacted by CSOs, a second
criterion applies concerning the “number” of overflows permitted during the
swimming season, and the impact of those overflows on beach closures. The City’s Combined Sewer Area Pollution
Prevention Control Plan (PPCP), sets out the activities required to meet
the volumetric requirement, and the need for storage should downstream beaches
be affected by the CSOs.
The City
has been in compliance with the volumetric criterion for several years, and
will further improve system performance upon commissioning of ORAP Project 1,
Real Time Control. The purpose of the
CSO Storage for the UCSA and the Sewer Separation Project (Projects 3 and 5) is
to bring the City into compliance with the “numeric” target set by the
province, which is a maximum of two (2) overflow events during the swimming
season, during the ‘average year.’
During public consultations for this project, the community was asked
whether the provincial target was acceptable, or if a more stringent level of
CSO control was desired.
What is
the Ultimate Combined Sewer Area (UCSA)? (Refer to Figure 1)
·
Approximately
2,952 ha of the downtown was originally developed using a single-pipe system to
collect both sanitary and stormwater, and is called the Combined Sewer Area
(CSA).
·
Most of
the CSA (65%) has undergone sewer separation meaning that the single pipe has
been replaced with “separate” sanitary and storm pipes.
·
There is
a 675 ha area within the CSA that cannot undergo separation without significant
difficulty and cost because there are no nearby locations to discharge the
stormwater.
·
After
all other areas of the downtown have undergone sewer separation, the City’s Pollution
Prevention Control Plan confirmed that this area continues to be served by
a single-pipe system, and thus is called the “ultimate” combined sewer area.
Three options were considered for dealing with flows from the UCSA and were tabled for public consultation in the fall of 2009 for achieving the provincial target, as well as more stringent service levels (see Table 2). All three options meet regulatory requirements, assuming implementation of Project 1: Real Time Control (RTC); and Project 5: Separation of the remaining 187 ha of sewers lying outside of the UCSA over the next 20-25 years.
TABLE 2 –
SUMMARY OF OPTIONS A, B, AND C |
||
OPTION A (per
PPCP) |
OPTION B |
OPTION C |
Meet provincial target. |
Exceed provincial target. |
Virtual elimination of
overflows. |
$40 to $60 million 4-5 years |
$95 to $140 million 5-6 years |
$1.3 to $2.2 billion 30-50 years |
Storage capacity would be added to the combined sewer system to
temporarily hold surplus flows during wet weather events, preventing them
from overflowing to the Ottawa River. The amount of storage constructed would ensure compliance with current
provincial requirements for combined sewer overflows, (i.e., no more than two
overflows during the swimming season in the average year). Several storage facilities would likely be required, consisting of
underground storage tanks sited at key locations downtown, but could also
consist of a tunnel. |
Even more storage capacity than proposed under Option A would be
added to the combined sewer system to temporarily hold surplus flows during
wet weather events, preventing them from overflowing to the Ottawa River. The amount of storage constructed would ensure compliance with
current provincial requirements (i.e., no more than two overflows during the
swimming season in the average year) and due to the greater storage capacity
this option would achieve fewer overflows during wet years as well. Storage would likely be linear, for example
a deep tunnel running west to east through the downtown or near the
shoreline, possibly extending as far as the Robert O. Pickard Environmental
Centre treatment plant. Alternatively, underground storage tanks
could be sited at key locations in the City’s downtown (more numerous and/or
larger than those required by Option A). |
Ottawa’s 675 hectares of Ultimate Combined
Sewer Area would undergo full sewer separation. The City’s Partially Separated Area,
roughly 2,000 hectares, comprising 58,000 households would undergo the
following: ·
Disconnection of roof downspouts and foundation
drains from the sanitary sewer; ·
Installation of new sewer laterals leading from
homes to the storm sewer in the street; and ·
Installation of sump pumps in basements where
sewer laterals cannot be installed. Separation work would be carried out on a
priority basis, addressing first those areas requiring rehabilitation and
replacement of infrastructure or flood relief. Several storm outfalls to the Ottawa River
would be constructed, each with a stormwater
centrifuge (vortex separators) that would provide partial removal of some
pollutants. |
Because all three options achieve regulatory compliance, moving to a higher level of CSO control offered by Options B and C is at the City’s discretion. To aid in this policy decision, each option was evaluated against a set of criteria developed using existing City environmental, social, and financial policy. The results of those analyses are contained in Document 6.
In summary, staff, the community (over 70% of completed questionnaires), the Environmental Commissioner, and the Ottawa Riverkeeper endorse Option B for the following reasons:
· By providing greater storage, Option B will:
o Reduce the number of overflows from an annual average of thirty (30) per year to one (1) per year, with significant reductions in the number of beach closures;
o Capture greater volumes from the more frequent and severe storms predicted to occur as a result of climate change; and,
o Allow for treatment of a greater volume of urban stormwater—another major pollutant source.
· Option B will capture all frequent sized storms, with only extreme wet weather events overflowing. The more severe the storm, the greater the amount of stormwater entering the system, and the larger the volume of overflow. However, these overflows will be very diluted due to the large volume of stormwater present.
· If designed as a linear facility, Option B provides opportunities for the following operational improvements:
o If extended from downtown to the sewage treatment plant, a tunnel could provide redundancy to the Ottawa Interceptor Outfall Sewer, which is over 50 years old.
o It may be possible to pick-up stormwater from other locations for treatment at the sewage treatment plant to reduce pollution from urban stormwater run-off.
As recommended by several members of the public, staff
recommends that the above opportunities be investigated, as well as
consideration of opportunities to size and design the project to offset the
impacts of urban intensification.
By comparison:
· Option A does not allow for any of the above, and is vulnerable to climate change.
· Option C would take several decades to complete, likely necessitate interim measures, and would result in increased pollution of the Ottawa River from urban stormwater run-off[9]. Though the costs per year for sewer separation are relatively affordable, the cost per unit of CSO diverted from the river is roughly seven times the cost of providing a storage solution ($7,000 versus $1,100 per m3 of CSO removed in the average year). Furthermore, it is a much more disruptive solution.
Additional options were raised during public consultations that are hybrids of Options A, B, and C, and which are discussed in Document 7.
Development of the
Long-term Water Environment Strategy (WES)
The previous sections dealt with activities and works to be carried out
over the next five years. A strategy is
needed that identifies long-term watershed objectives and how to achieve them
on an ongoing basis; and that ensures that the City addresses water environment
issues in a coordinated and integrated manner in cooperation with agency
partners and community stakeholders. Staff propose to carry out comprehensive consultations over
the next 2 years in order to:
·
Summarize
the current state of knowledge regarding water environment issues in Ottawa
(urban and rural, surface and groundwater, short and long-term, localized and
city-wide, as well as water quality and habitat/ecological functions);
·
Establish
long-term water environment goals, objectives, and targets to be achieved by
the City over the next 20 years;
·
Confirm
the scope of matters within the control or influence of the City of Ottawa and
develop an approach for City actions and works beyond ORAP;
·
Document
programs and projects in place today that contribute to achievement of the
above;
·
Identify
service gaps, opportunities and barriers to success;
·
Establish
priorities and an approach for achieving strategic goals, objectives, and
targets;
·
Establish
an approach for addressing gaps, opportunities, and barriers;
·
Prepare
timelines and budgets for the above initiatives;
·
Establish
a collaborative framework to guide ongoing communication and cooperation
between the multiple agencies and stakeholders involvement in the water
environment;
·
Define
monitoring, reporting, and information requirements and budget that allows for
regular review and assessment of progress towards strategic goals, objectives,
and targets, and implementation thereof; and,
·
Ensure
that the resultant Water Environment Strategy has the support of the
community.
Given the number of interested stakeholders, the City recognizes the importance of broad consultation. To that end, the NCC, Ville de Gatineau, Conservation Authorities and other non-governmental organizations such as the Ottawa Riverkeeper will be invited to participate in this initiative.
Community consultation as well as interest-specific consultations will
be needed to ensure that the Strategy is based upon the input of a
cross-section of the population, and enjoys broad community support. A variety of consultation and communication
methods will be employed to achieve that result.
The City has already made significant efforts on watershed issues in
recent years that will provide a foundation for this work, namely:
Stormwater Management (SWM) Strategy
Existing stormwater conditions within the urban area were assessed in 2006. Council approved stormwater goals, objectives, and policies for those areas in 2007. Preparation of a Stormwater Management Planning Guideline is to be completed in 2010. And, ORAP Project 9, development of a retrofit plan for Pinecrest Creek/Westboro is underway, and will be used to evaluate and test alternative means of managing urban stormwater. All of the above was or is being carried out in consultation with the public and will be used as the starting point for the WES.
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 algae in the streams.
The WES will include the watershed issues identified in the Lower Rideau Watershed Strategy and reflect or update the commitments made therein.
The long-term
Water Environment Strategy is to cover a 20-year period, and those components
requiring approvals under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment
will be prepared in accordance with the master planning process. The
project will be a collaborative effort led by the Director of Community
Sustainability.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
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.
RURAL
IMPLICATIONS
NA
Open Houses were held November 23, 26, 30 and December 1, 2009 in the centre, west, south, and east ends of the city. Public notices were published in the major dailies and community papers, and radio ads were used to promote awareness of the consultation process. An e-mail notice was sent to approximately 200 groups and individuals who have previously expressed interest in environmental and community issues. A web site was established, and an on-line questionnaire provided information and gathered public feedback.
Almost 100 people attended the public meetings, and over 300 questionnaires were completed either at those events or on-line. Approximately 50 e-mails had been received at the time of writing of this report.
The above consultation occurred in addition to ongoing discussions with the National Capital Commission and la Ville de Gatineau on water management issues, and extensive meetings with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
There are no legal/risk management impediments to implementing any of the recommendations in this report. The successful implementation of Project 1 in 2010 (Real Time Control) is expected to bring the City closer to compliance with the Ministry of the Environment’s Procedure F-5-5. Implementation of Projects 3 and 5 will bring the City into full compliance.
The City’s Pollution Prevention Control Plan will be
updated to reflect the direction of Council.
TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS
NA
The total value of ORAP projects over the 5-year period 2009-2013 is approximately $251.64 million. This value is greater than the June 2009 estimate for the following reasons:
· The CSO Control Project cost was updated to allow for implementation of Option B; and
· All other project costs were adjusted to include all costs up to December 2013, but not beyond.
Table 3 distinguishes between previously committed monies, monies identified in the 2010 budget and beyond, and new budget pressures.
TABLE 3 - ORAP Financial Requirements
|
5-year
ORAP ($ million) |
2014
and beyond[10] |
|||
2009 |
2010 |
2011-13 |
TOTAL |
||
Total ORAP per Document 5 |
$54.13 |
$23.86 |
$173.65 |
$251.64 |
$11M/yr |
Less |
|||||
Ottawa River Fund Approved in 2009 |
$19.75 |
$31.25 |
$88.0 |
$139.0 |
|
Other Works in Progress (WIPs) |
$34.38 |
|
|
$34.38 |
|
Costs not previously budgeted |
|
($7.39) |
$85.65 |
$78.26 |
$11M/yr |
The 2010 requirement of $23.86 million has been included in the 2010 Draft Rate Supported Programs Capital Budget. Pending approval of this plan, requirements for 2011 and beyond will be identified in the Long Range Financial Plan to be tabled in the spring.
As several of these projects extend beyond the five-year period of ORAP, it will be necessary to expand and extend the funding envelope over time. For example, the Sewer Separation Outside the UCSA, the Implementation of Stormwater Retrofit Plans, and Implementation of the Wet Weather Infrastructure Management Plan are all multi-year projects that extend well beyond 2013. Should Council approve this plan, pre-commitments of future years’ budgets will be required.
Staff will also pursue opportunities for cost-sharing with other government bodies.
Document 1 Ottawa
River Water Quality in the Ottawa Reach (Arnprior to Cumberland)
Document 2 10-year Average
Phosphorous Levels
Document 3 10-year Average Copper
Levels
Document 4 10-year Average E
coli Levels
Document 5 ORAP Cost Estimates
and Project Schedule/Status
Document 6 Evaluation Results
for Options A, B, and C
Document 7 Review
of Hybrid Solutions and Other Ideas Offered by the Public
Document 8 Summary
of Questionnaire Methodology and Findings
Document
9 Environment Commissioners’ Report on
the Ottawa River Plan
·
Financial
Services will adjust the 2010 and 10-year capital forecast to include the
short-term ORAP projects as identified herein.
·
Infrastructure
Services Department will lead completion of Projects 1-8.
·
Infrastructure
Policy Unit will lead completion of Projects 9-11.
·
Community
Sustainability Department will lead completion of Project 13.
·
Environmental
Services Department will lead completion of Projects 12, and 14-17; will carry
out development of the long-term Ottawa River Action Plan; and will
report back to PEC on the status of all the above in one year.
Document 1 - Ottawa River Water Quality in the Ottawa Reach
(Arnprior to Cumberland)
Document 2 - Total Phosphorous Levels, 10-year average
Document
3 - Copper Levels, 10-year average
Document 4 - E coli Levels, 10-year average
Document 5 - ORAP Cost Estimates & Project
Schedule/Status
|
||||
ID No. |
Project |
5-year Budget* ($Million) |
|
Schedule/Status |
1 |
Implementation of Real
Time Control (RTC) |
$30.0 |
|
Over 90% complete. To be completed 2010. |
2 |
Critical CSO and Storm
Outfall Monitoring |
$5.0 |
|
Feasibility assessment
has commenced. New monitoring stations
to be installed by 2012-2013. |
3 |
CSO Storage for
Ultimate Combined Sewer Area (UCSA) |
$140.0 |
|
EA has commenced. To be commissioned 2013-2015 depending upon
design solution. |
4 |
Review & Implement
Sewer Interconnection Program |
$4.0 |
|
Commenced. To be completed 2013. |
5 |
Sewer Separation
Outside the UCSA |
$47.0 |
|
On-going initiative
that will continue until program is complete (estimated 20-25 years). |
6 |
Development of a Wet Weather
infrastructure Management Plan |
$0.14 |
|
Commenced. To be completed 2010. |
7 |
Implementation of a Wet Weather
Infrastructure Management Plan |
$7.325 |
|
To commence 2011 and
take several years to complete at an estimated cost of $2M/year. |
8 |
Installation of
Floatable Traps in Combined Sewer Area Catch Basins |
$3.55 |
|
Over 30% complete. To be completed 2011. |
9 |
Pinecrest Creek / Westboro Stormwater Management
Retrofit Plan |
$0.25 |
|
Commenced. To be completed 2010. |
10 |
Eastern Subwatersheds Stormwater
Management Retrofit Plan |
$0.75 |
|
To be carried out
2011-2012. |
11 |
Implementation of Stormwater Retrofit Plans |
$4.0 |
|
To commence 2012 and
take several years to complete.
Long-term costs commencing 2014 are estimated at $9M/year. |
12 |
R.O.Pickard
Environmental Centre Effluent Dechlorination |
$7.44 |
|
To be carried out in
2010. |
13 |
Develop & Implement
a Water Environment Strategy |
$1.0 |
|
Strategy to be developed
2010-2011. |
14 |
Monitoring and Source
Control Programs |
$0.26 |
|
On-going initiative
that will continue over the life of ORAP. |
15 |
Wastewater &
Drainage Environmental Quality Management System |
$0.15 |
|
To be developed in
2010. |
16 |
Updates to the Ottawa
R. Bacterial Water Quality Computer Model |
$0.40 |
|
To be carried out in
2010. |
17 |
Public Outreach and
Education (NEW) |
$0.375 |
|
|
|
TOTAL |
$251.64 |
|
|
*2009-2013. Additional costs may be incurred in
subsequent years.
DOCUMENT 6 – Evaluation Results for Options A,
B, and C
Criterion / Option |
A |
B |
C |
|
Achieving Provincial CSO Control Targets |
Meeting CSO Control Targets… and More |
Virtual Elimination of CSOs |
||
Environmental Criteria |
|
|||
E1 |
Does the option mitigate the impact of pollutants on the Ottawa River? |
M |
M |
L |
E2 |
Does the option distribute environmental benefits equitably or address broader watershed issues? |
M |
M |
L |
E3 |
Does the option impact the quantity and quality of greenspace? |
M |
M |
M |
Social Criteria |
|
|||
S1 |
Does the option enhance sewer system resiliency, or reduce risk of regulatory non-compliance? |
M |
H |
L |
S2 |
Does the option reduce the risk of localized flooding of private property? |
M |
M |
M |
S3 |
Does the option reduce the average frequency of beach closures? |
H |
H |
L |
S4 |
Does the option pose a risk of permanent loss of heritage values or features? |
M |
M |
M |
Financial / Economic Criteria |
|
|||
F1 |
Does the option facilitate urban intensification or growth? |
M |
M |
M |
F2 |
Does the option yield or prevent achievement of other infrastructure benefits? |
H |
M |
L |
F3 |
What are the estimated capital costs of the project? |
$40-60M |
$95-140M |
$1.3-2.2
B |
DOCUMENT 7 - Review of Hybrid Solutions and
Other Ideas Offered by the Public
Hybrid Solutions
During consultations the public asked whether the City could develop hybrid solutions, specifically:
a) Implement A and moving towards B over time; or
b) Implement A or B and moving towards C over time.
Under this scenario, storage would be added either in the form of a tunnel or tanks, and the City would monitor the effectiveness of the system in achieving the MOE Guideline F-5-5 target, and to assess impacts on the environment.
Phase 1 - Storage would be designed to achieve the level of CSO control specified under Option A. Depending upon the outcome of subsequent monitoring, additional storage capacity would be added during Phase 2 (via an extension to the tunnel or more tanks) to elevate CSO control to that specified under Option B.
This approach is feasible and cost effective.
Under this scenario, the UCSA would undergo partial separation, i.e., a second pipe would be installed to collect storm run-off from roads only. Individual properties would not be connected to the new pipe. The new storm sewers would collect and direct wet weather flow to the Interceptor via regulators until the capacity of the interceptor was reached. At this point all remaining flows would be discharged to the river, but would flow through a centrifuge wherever possible to removed suspended solids. This option would also require construction of several new stormwater outfalls to the river.
The number and size of new storage tanks would provide for the level of CSO Control specified for Option A.
Opportunities to separate sewers in the combined sewer area using existing outlets, or via the construction of new outlets have been largely exhausted. The remaining 187 ha planned for sewer separation represent the last reasonable opportunities for sewer separation in the City. While anything can be engineered, the creation of a stormwater collection system in the UCSA is impractical, with or without storage, with or without treatment, and with or with connection to individual homes and businesses. Notwithstanding, the above, there is nothing in Option A or B that prevents subsequent consideration of Option C at a later date.
Same as Hybrid 2, but with the volume of storage designed to achieve the level of CSO control specified for Option B.
Same as under Hybrid 2.
Other solutions/modifications suggested during public
consultations:
Public Suggestion |
Staff
Comments |
1. Options A and B should be designed to accommodate intensification, i.e. build now to meet future needs. |
Agreed. Staff will examine how to recover that portion of costs attributable to growth via the next update to the Development Charges By-law. |
2. Options A and B should be designed to accommodate climate change, i.e. oversize. |
In that Option B provides a higher level of service than Option A, it inherently accommodates climate change to some degree. However, the challenge is that there are no design standards for such. This is of concern to municipalities and the engineering community alike. Staff will consult with the MOE on how best to approach this issue in the short-term. |
3. Source controls should be required in the partially and combined sewer area to mitigate the need to build larger storage facilities; and to reduce the volume and impact of overflows when they occur. |
Agreed. Furthermore, new development in these areas should require “best practice” design for stormwater quality and quantity control. |
4. Greater stormwater treatment should be included with each solution, including new technologies, to mitigate impacts of stormwater discharges. |
None of the cost estimates provided for Options Q B, and C allow for the acquisition of land that would be required to also install stormwater treatment facilities. However, Projects 9, 10, and 11 provide for improvement stormwater management and pollutant removal. |
5. System redundancy should be built into Options A and B to yield greatest benefits. |
Agreed. Staff will investigate opportunities to build system redundancy into the design of the preferred solution. |
6. Design standards should be more stringent to mitigate impacts of new development through greater on-site control (e.g. green roofs.) |
Agreed. Design standards are reviewed at intervals, and the City itself has begun to implement new design approaches to test and demonstrate their effectiveness. Direction would be needed to accelerate application of new standards to the larger community. |
7. Option C or combination thereof should be used to address aging infrastructure in the core. |
Renewal of infrastructure in the core has and will continue to be carried out regardless of the option chosen. In areas undergoing sewer separation, the two activities (sewer separation and sewer replacement) are harmonized wherever possible. |
8. Hydroelectric opportunities should be examined during design of the preferred solution. |
Preliminary calculations indicate that this option is not cost effective due to the relatively significant cost required to harness a relatively small amount of energy from infrequent wet weather flows that contain particulate matter. |
Document 8 - Summary of Questionnaire
Methodology and Findings
(Prepared by Grant Consulting, January 2010)
The
City of Ottawa is working on several projects that will improve sewer infrastructure
in Ottawa with several more in the planning stages. Collectively these projects
are known as the Ottawa River Action
Plan (ORAP) and they represent a significant investment on behalf of
taxpayers.
In
order to ensure that they are meeting the needs of residents, staff from the
City undertook a public consultation exercise designed reach out to citizens
and secure their thoughts on a series of proposed short and long term
objectives. From November
23 to December 1, 2010, the City of Ottawa held four open houses in Ottawa to
present the objectives of the ORAP to the public. During the open house
sessions the public had an opportunity to review 52 panels, listen to four
presentations and ask questions of all presenters. This effort was supported with
a communications plan to raise awareness and encourage participation; the
production of supporting print materials to explain issues; and the development
of a City web site http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/waterwaste/river_action/index_en.html
To
capture feedback from residents on the ORAP, an
feedback tool was developed. It was linked to the City web site and paper
copies of the feedback form were made available at the open houses. This report is a summary of the results collected
using the feedback tool.
The online feedback tool was developed to meet two
key objectives.
Provide open house participants with a way of
providing comments to the City in a clear and manageable way.
Provide visitors to the City web site and members
of the public who were unable to come to the open house events with a way to
review the material and provide comments to the City in a clear and manageable
way.
To build a tool to meet these objectives the
project team used Survey Monkey as the electronic platform for data collection.
Using this tool the project team was able to develop a flexible tool that
allowed residents to submit feedback electronically. In addition staff were able to use the tool to manually input comments
collected in paper formats at the open houses.
In the design of the feedback tool, the project
team chose to present residents with a series of questions to answer, using
different question formats to collect data. This included use of the following
questions:
In order of priority, with 1 being the top
priority, please rank the reasons why you think the Ottawa River is important.
In
order of priority, with 1 being the top priority, please rank how you think
ORAP funds should be allocated from 1 to 12.
We
are interested in what you think about the Ottawa River Action Plan and its 16
projects. For each statement please indicate the extent to which you agree or
disagree with it.
Which combined
sewer overflow (CSO) option do you favour?
Why
do you favour the option that you selected above?
In your review
of the Evaluation Results for CSO options, please consider the Environmental
Criteria and indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with them.
In your review
of the Evaluation Results for CSO options, please consider the Social Criteria
and indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with them.
In your review
of the Evaluation Results for CSO options, please consider the Financial/ Economic
Criteria and indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with them.
Do you have any
other comments?
The feedback tool was set up to allow one response
per computer to reduce the likelihood that a resident would submit a response
more than once. Respondents were not forced to answer any questions but some of
the questions did force ranking of two or more options. Where respondents
completed the survey using paper and did not follow the instructions, staff were instructed to input the data that was presented
clearly.
Respondents were residents who became aware of the
public consultation initiative as a result of the communications campaign and
who chose to take the time to respond.
In the design and roll out of the feedback tool
there was some confusion with regard to the use of the word survey, some of
which resulted from the use of the Survey Monkey tool. The feedback tool was
erroneously referred to as a survey when in fact it was not a survey, nor was
it intended to be a survey. It was designed to obtain comments and feedback
from participants in the consultation process in an organized and easy to
manage electronic format.
Over the period from November 23 to December 15, 2009, a total of 309
people submitted feedback on the ORAP using the feedback tool in either
electronic or paper format. This is more than double the total number of people
who attended the open houses. Respondents were not screened on any demographic
points other than language, with 306 people choosing to respond in English and
3 choosing to respond in French.
In the feedback tool, respondents were able to indicate why they felt
that the Ottawa is important. They were able to select from a list of
statements and to include their own comments.
Over 65% of respondents indicated that the number
one reason why they felt that the river is important is because it is a
valuable natural resource.
In the analysis of the 110 people who provided
written feedback on this question, the top two responses were concerns related
to drinking water (26%) and concerns related to the protection of natural
habitat (25%)
In the feedback tool, respondents ask to rank 12 ORAP projects based on
how they felt that the funds should be allocated.
Reducing combined sewer overflow discharges was selected as the
number 1 funding priority by 49 % of respondents.
Preventing pollutants from entering stormwater was the most common
number 2 funding priority selected by 29% of respondents.
Treating stormwater was the most common number 3 funding priority selected by 27% of
respondents.
Overall 61 people provided feedback on this
question, with 15 citing another issue as a top priority.
In the feedback tool, respondents were asked to consider the ORAP and
its 16 projects. For those who attended an open house they were able to review
the information panels and to listen to the presenters. For all others they had
to rely on the information provided on the City web site.
58% strongly agreed or agreed with the statement
that the list of projects is appropriate.
42% strongly agreed or agreed with the statement
that the level of financial investment is appropriate.
80% strongly agreed or agreed with the statement
that more should be done to protect the Ottawa River in the short-term (within
5 years).
82% strongly disagree or disagree with the
statement that too much is being invested in the Ottawa River.
18% of respondents also included a written comment.
In the feedback tool, respondents were asked to indicate which of the
three proposed combined sewer overflow (CSO) options they favoured
and why. Option B was overwhelmingly favoured with
76% of respondents selecting it. 11% of respondents favoured
Option A and 13% favoured Option C.
In our review of the feedback, the project team looked at the responses
by option favoured. Respondents were able to select
more than one reason for favouring an option and were able to include their own
reason in the comment box.
In our review of respondents who favoured Option B,
78% indicated that it is a good environmental solution and 51% felt that it
provides good value for money.
In our review of respondents who favoured Option A,
43% indicated that it is a good environmental solution, 43% felt that it was
the best use of taxpayer's dollars and 47% felt that it provides good value for
money.
In our review of respondents who favoured Option B,
57% indicated that it is a good environmental solution while 73% provided their
own reason in the comment box with most of those comments reflecting the belief
that Option C is the best long term solution.
Staff from the City of Ottawa completed an environmental assessment of
the three options for CSOs and presented the results at the open houses and
online. Respondents were asked to consider the environmental, social and
financial/economic criteria separately.
Overall very few respondents disagreed with the results of the
assessment.
54% of respondents generally agreed with the
environmental results, 35% had no opinion and 11% disagreed with the results.
53% of respondents generally agreed with the social
results, 40% had no opinion and 8% disagreed with the results.
50% of respondents generally agreed with the
financial/economic results, 40% had no opinion and 10% disagreed with the
results.
In the feedback tool, respondents provided with an opportunity to
provide comments after answering the feedback questions. In total 115 responses
were provided.
40% (46 responses total) were generally supportive
and/or urged the City to move forward.
13% (15 responses total) were critical of the
solutions and/or the public consultation process.
12% (14 responses total) of respondents
misunderstood a critical idea or concept presented in the open houses and the
web site.
Several other opinions were offered falling into
categories where there were fewer than 10 common responses in total.
The detailed results have been sorted by question and presented to the
City for further assessment and review. In addition, all comments and
suggestions that highlighted an alternative approach to one or more of the 16
projects were pulled together into a single document entitled Analysis
of Alternatives Presented in Feedback Responses.
[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 one (1) overflow per year. The existing system averages over thirty (30) overflows/year.
[2] Formerly referred to as the Ottawa River Integrated Protection Plan.
[3] This does not include the cost of the sewer separation program, which sees significant annual variations in expenditures.
[4] Anciennement appelé Plan
de protection intégrée de la rivière des Outaouais
[5] Les coûts du programme de
séparation des égouts, dont les dépenses varient considérablement chaque année,
ne sont pas compris.
[6] Source Water Quality in Ottawa’s Rivers & Streams, WEPP, May 2006.
[7] “Good” as defined by the methodology established by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment.
[8] On a percentage of gross flow, as well as on a volumetric basis, Ottawa’s CSOs will be less than Washington DC, Oslo, London, Paris, and Rome to name a few.
[9] The efficacy of centrifuges located at stormwater outlets under Option C would be significantly less than that of the Robert O. Pickard Environmental Centre; and is inversely related to the severity of the storm, i.e. the more severe the storm, the less effective it is at pollutant removal.
[10] This does not include the cost of the sewer separation program, which sees significant annual variations in expenditures.