Township moves on initiatives to ease development capacity restrictions

The township is moving ahead with initiatives aimed at alleviating wastewater capacity limitations that are stalling development.

At the Sept. 9 meeting, council directed staff to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the completion of a Class Environmental Assessment for long-term wastewater management.

Council also agreed to support in principle the investigation of reduced wastewater generation, improved operational performance at the Mapleton Wastewater Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) and increased discharge capacity.

“Each of these programs and associated initiatives will improve the wastewater capacity of the WPCP and are programs which support sustainable communities,” states a report from public works director Brad McRoberts.

Under consideration in the area of reduced wastewater generation are:

– programs to reduce infiltration and inflow of non-sanitary water sources such as rainwater and groundwater;

–  sewer camera work to identify deteriorated or failing sanitary sewer pipes or poor pipe joints which may allow continuous or event-based infiltration of groundwater to the sanitary sewer;

– financial incentive programs to assist property owners in removing illegal connections to the sanitary sewer;

– capital funding programs to address deficient sanitary sewer infrastructure; and

– programs to promote reduced water consumption resulting in reduced wastewater generation.

The latter may include public information and education programs and financial incentive programs to support low-volume water fixtures and appliances.

“Currently the township is in the process of implementing water meters and these additional programs would be well timed during this process,” McRoberts notes in his report.

 In relation to improving WPCP operation performance, suggestions include:

– improved wastewater discharge metering;

– automation of wastewater filtering and UV treatment to maximize operational discharge;

– arrangements for back-up power during power outages;

– participation in the Grand River Conservation Authority’s WPCP Optimization Program; and

– other strategies to improve the ability of the WPCP to approach, without exceeding, the discharge capacity limits.

Under this initiative, McRoberts said it is proposed township officials continue to work with the Ministry of Environment (MOE) to obtain increased discharge capacity for the WPCP.

“At this time it is unclear what additional information or data gathering will be required to obtain the MOE’s approval of an increase in the discharge capacity limits but these may include additional receiving water sampling and public consultations,” McRoberts pointed out, adding further information may be available following a meeting between town and Ministry of Environment officials scheduled for Sept. 11.

“On Sept. 3 (at a meeting of the township’s Wastewater Capacity Working Group) strategies were approved and we would like to go to the ministry with a resolution from this council supporting the investigation,” McRoberts told council.

“We’d like to narrow that margin of discrepancy between operational and rated capacity,” at the sewage treatment facility.

A motion to remove a holding provision from 14 lots on Faith Drive in Drayton, had to be deferred at the Aug. 26 meeting after an engineers’ report from R.J. Burnside and Associates stated that, while the plant’s rating indicated the capacity was available, the township actually had an operational capacity deficit of 61 units.

“How did we get to this point? How come we have the discrepancy?” asked councillor Andy Knetsch.

“I would probably wait to provide that information until I work my way through the sequence of events that got us there,” responded McRoberts, who joined Mapleton’s staff in June.

McRoberts’ report, approved by council at the meeting, recommends the financial impact of the initiatives be considered when preparing the township’s 2015 budget.

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