This is part of a series of case studies on wastewater projects funded by the FCM's Green Municipal Fund. Each case study provides technical information, project details and tips on best practices.

Project overview

To help meet phosphorus discharge targets set by the Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan and to sustainably handle both projected growth in the Picton-Hallowell urban area and septage from residents in the surrounding rural areas, Prince Edward County, ON, constructed a new pumping station and a new wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The existing plant in the Town of Picton (in Prince Edward County), built in 1947, was approaching its rated capacity. Further in-service upgrades would have been difficult because of aging components, land use constraints and aspects of plant layout that limit the capacity to handle increasing peak flows. The new WWTP provides a greater level of wastewater treatment and meets more stringent effluent criteria by replacing chlorination with tertiary filtration and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. The plant was built and is operated under the county's full cost recovery approach to municipal water and wastewater infrastructure — an approach complemented by continual promotion of water conservation. 

Reasons for the project

• The existing facility was reaching the end of its service life.
• The county had increased capacity requirements. The county wanted to meet targets for phosphorus set out by the Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan.

Innovative aspects of the project 

• The project has improved the environmental sustainability of the community.
• Design-build is a solid approach for procurement and can fast-track construction during tight economic times.
• The municipality did an excellent job managing the project, from the feasibility study to the design-build process.

Best practices and key lessons

The municipality's experience with this project demonstrates some best practices and key lessons that can inform similar projects.

Engage early and broadly

• The municipality formalized the role of community members through a public works subcommittee and maintained regular engagement with practitioners, decision makers and the public through online status updates, press releases, a substantial milestone completion ceremony and a grand opening.

Use integrated teams and processes

• Involve operations staff in the design process from the start to ensure that design choices are optimal for ongoing facility operation. For example, cost cutting at the design stage may result in choices that are more laborious and time-consuming once in operation. Having input from operations staff can help in avoiding such mistakes.

Use alternatives to lowest-bid procurement

• A conventional tendering approach yielded bids that were significantly higher than the project budget. After offering bidders the opportunity to include facility operation in their bids (whereby the bidders would invest capital, which would be offset by future income), the municipality ultimately chose a design-build approach and worked with the successful bidder to reduce the costs to an acceptable level. This approach allowed the contractor and consulting engineer to work together to identify technical solutions and resolve construction issues. The arrangement reduced capital costs by producing a design tailored for cost-effective construction. The design-build team and the municipality also worked together in a value-engineering exercise to determine which aspects of the project could be eliminated or modified without impacting the project goals.

Project benefits

This project yielded a number of environmental, social and economic benefits. 

Environmental benefits

Improved effluent quality: Through the addition of tertiary treatment and UV disinfection, the new WWTP provides higher quality effluent compared to the old plant. 

Reduced hazardous residuals: UV technology has replaced chlorination for disinfection.

Reduced odour pollution: The new plant includes an odour-control system, which has eliminated odour emissions, improving air quality. 

Social benefits

Improved public safety: The new facility is fenced and has security alarms to minimize crime and accidents. 

Improved service delivery: The new WWTP provides more reliable treatment than the old facility, allowing for an overall reduction in bypasses and effluent non-compliance events. In addition, the plant has greater capacity to accommodate anticipated growth. It can also serve users whose households are not connected to the sewage collection system, providing a convenient and affordable means of septage disposal.

Creation of public space: Demolition of the old plant has improved the aesthetics of the surrounding space. The municipality plans to revitalize the space by turning it into parkland. Furthermore, the new plant is located further away from public recreation areas.

Protection and improvement of public health: With the new plant producing higher quality effluent, residents will have access to higher quality water. 

Economic benefits

Increased potential to attract new businesses: By increasing the treatment and reserve capacity, the county will be able to serve additional businesses.

Increased potential to attract new residents: By increasing the treatment and reserve capacity, the county will be able to support a growing community.

More efficient operation: System automation through SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) allows for more efficient operation of equipment.

Project contact information

Don Caza 
Director of Water and Wastewater Services
County of Prince Edward, ON
T. 613-476-2148, ext. 4501

Kayla Beach 
Compliance Supervisor
County of Prince Edward, ON
T. 613-476-2148, ext. 4505

A pioneering project in biomethanation

The City of Saint-Hyacinthe took the lead in completing all the research and development for its biomethanation project to produce biogas from waste. The project, completed without external consultants, is a first in Quebec and one of the first in North America. 

Read the case study below to learn about project highlights, as well as the challenges and lessons learned that can help your community in planning a similar project.

About the project

To manage its organic waste and sewage sludge from water treatment locally, Saint-Hyacinthe undertook a biomethanation project. By constructing a new facility and working with local partners, the city now converts waste from the brown bins of citizens in 23 municipalities and from agri-food businesses into natural gas that can be used to heat buildings and operate vehicle fleets at low cost. 

Biomethanation is a stable, environmentally responsible and economic way of generating natural gas. In addition, the municipality produces a surplus of natural gas that it sells to the Gaz Métro utility. In just a few years, Saint-Hyacinthe will recoup the cost of building its organic waste and biomethanation plants.

With this initiative, Saint-Hyacinthe has proven that a municipality can lead and complete all stages of a large-scale biomethanation project, acquire the necessary technical skills, and even make the project profitable.

Transcript

Project highlights

Results

Challenges

• Saint-Hyacinthe began its project before Quebec's biomethanation standards were developed. The municipality had to develop benchmarks in conjunction with the Quebec government. This facilitated the development of standards for future similar projects in Quebec.
• Biomethanation technology was not readily available in Canada, so Saint-Hyacinthe conducted in-depth research in Europe, and transferred the knowledge and acquired equipment from the United States and Europe.

Lessons learned

• Be inspired — Saint-Hyacinthe's experience shows that municipalities can complete large projects at an affordable cost.
• Use internal resources to significantly reduce total project costs. This approach means that project schedules and funds invested can be carefully monitored, allowing better control over expenditures and deadlines.
• Get started with biomethanation projects by visiting other facilities, seeking support from local and regional stakeholders and maintaining regular contact with authorities and citizens. 

More information

Brigitte Massé
Director of communications
City of Saint-Hyacinthe
T. 450-778-8300

Upgraded infrastructure for active transportation

Three major upgrades to cycling and pedestrian networks in the City of Vancouver have created a seamless active transportation corridor running from the city's western neighbourhoods and across the Burrard Bridge to the downtown core. Active transportation is now safer, thanks to the Seaside Greenway, South End Burrard Bridge and York Bikeway projects, which have led to an increase of 20,000 new cycling trips per year.

Read the case study below to learn about project highlights, as well as the challenges and lessons learned that can help your community in planning similar projects. 

About the project

Setting a new high water mark for active transportation infrastructure and healthy communities, the City of Vancouver has dramatically improved cycling and walking connectivity throughout a major waterfront corridor running from Vancouver's western neighbourhoods to its downtown core.

The entire 28-kilometre Seaside Greenway route is now a seamless, safe corridor for cyclists and pedestrians. The city closed a three-kilometre gap in the Seaside Greenway (the Seawall), where pedestrians and cyclists previously had to travel along busy Point Grey Road, by redirecting traffic and converting the road into a quiet greenway. The city also created the York Bikeway to extend the cycling corridor to the Burrard Bridge. The bikeway features protected bike lanes, bicycle signals and alternating one-way streets to calm traffic. The city also reconfigured the intersection at the southern end of the Burrard Bridge, making it simpler and safer for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. With Dutch design features such as protected road space for cyclists and protected signal phases, it is now one of the most complete multi-modal intersections in North America.

The projects have enhanced waterfront access and sustainable transportation opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. They help to fulfill the city's Transportation 2040 goals, and they contribute to Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) Milestone 5 (corporate and community).

Transcript

"People in the city are now realizing that walking or riding a bike is an extremely viable option to getting into their car, whether it's for work, play, shopping or whatever else they are doing around the city."
— Councillor Heather Deal

Project Highlights

Results

Challenges

• It took time for the city to identify and agree on the best model for the intersection at the south end of the Burrard Bridge, because the chosen design was a new type of intersection for North America.
• To calm traffic on Point Grey Road, the city installed a permanent diverter that could not be moved. When adjustments were needed to accommodate changes in traffic patterns, the city had to install an additional diverter.
• City staff had to reconcile manual "before and after" counts. The city did not install automatic bicycle count equipment in time to track the beginning of heavy ridership over the summer. Additionally, the city could not use automatic equipment to track bicycle trips prior to construction, because bicycle traffic was mixed with motor vehicles.

Lessons learned

• Be bold and courageous: build on the momentum and support generated during municipal planning efforts by taking on "hard-to-do" projects right away once long-range plans are established.
• When altering streets and intersections to better accommodate cyclists and pedestrians, draw individual elements from best practices in other jurisdictions to create unique configurations tailored to local needs.
• Apply the new model to a whole corridor or network of streets, rather than imposing the change on a single street or intersection. This increases the impact and the likelihood of successful uptake.
• Conduct continual network monitoring in various forms (including traffic cameras and trip count equipment) to measure results and inform ongoing adjustments.

More information

David Rawsthorne
Senior Transportation Engineer
City of Vancouver, British Columbia
T. 604-873-7343

Living smarter in 2020: a plan for taking action on climate change

With three cities and a regional government pulling together to address climate change, the Region of Waterloo in southern Ontario has prioritized its clean technology and sustainable energy sectors.

Read the case study below to see highlights of the region's award-winning plan, and learn about the challenges and lessons learned that can help your community in a planning a similar initiative.

About the project

Acting together, the Region of Waterloo and the three cities within its boundaries (Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge) have developed and begun implementing a local climate action plan that will reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, and contribute to the prosperity of the entire region. Two local non-profit organizations worked closely with the four councils to develop the plan with shared targets and timelines. Local electric and gas utilities were also involved in developing the action plan and emissions reduction target. Stakeholders from 28 different organizations participated as well.

All four councils unanimously endorsed the plan and each administration committed to the same target: a 6 per cent reduction in GHG emissions from 2010 levels by 2020.

The action plan addresses energy use in homes and businesses, sustainable transportation, waste diversion and waste-to-energy generation, and touches on the role of sustainable water use and agricultural production. Implementation of a sample of 13 of its actions is expected to save businesses and residents more than $21 million, and generate nearly 5,400 person years of employment. Over time the plan is expected to stimulate growth in the clean technology and sustainable energy sectors within the region.

"It's not surprising that the climate action plan has received such acceptance here. We have a history of working together, of trying to get everyone to work toward common goals, and I think that played a strong role."
— Regional Chair Ken Seiling

Project Highlights

Results

Challenges

• Working with a large group of stakeholders takes time and commitment. The effort is worth it to achieve consensus and have the partner groups take ownership of the plan, but don't assume it will be easy.
• Identifying measurable actions: people generate a lot of great ideas but many of them require extensive advance analysis to determine whether they are realistic and if they have a business case that stimulates the necessary financial support.
• Collecting data and crunching numbers is demanding, but without it you can't plan concrete steps. You need the capacity to put numbers into action.
• Ongoing measurement is only part of the task: you need to collate and capture the results and translate them into terms that the public and stakeholders can easily understand. Communicating the need for change, co-benefits of actions and the path to reach the reduction target is important to gain widespread support.

Lessons learned

• Link environmental and economic benefits. It is critical for engaging people. By demonstrating cost savings, job opportunities and economic spinoffs, you can reach people with different priorities.
• Coordinate the work of municipalities, utilities and non-profit organizations. It sends a powerful message that this is really what the community wants, and helps build support.
• Develop a realistic community engagement strategy based on financial and staff capacity. Focus on high-quality interactions with a few key people.
• Use accessible off-the-shelf tools such as Twitter and Facebook for online engagement.
• Hire a full-time dedicated project manager to see the project through from start to finish.
• The process will take more time than you expect. Add some extra contingency time to your schedule.

More information

David Roewade
Sustainability Planner - Community Planning
Region of Waterloo, ON
T. 519-575-4757 ext. 3308

Redeveloping brownfields is one of the most promising ways to promote the environmental, economic and social health of your municipality. These success stories show how local governments across Canada have played a key role in returning a brownfield site to productive use.

Use these case studies to:

• See the different approaches municipalities have taken to redevelop brownfield sites 
• Learn about the costs and benefits involved with different types of remediation
• See how brownfield redevelopment projects benefit communities through public space, neighbourhood aesthetics, job creation and property tax

This resource is designed for municipal staff, such as brownfield coordinators, planners and economic development officers, who are responsible for overseeing brownfield redevelopment in their community.

Download the document.