InfraGuide: National guide to sustainable municipal infrastructure

InfraGuide: National guide to sustainable municipal infrastructure is a collection of technical best practices and principles to help better inform municipal staff and decision-makers in infrastructure management. 

Based on Canadian expertise and research, InfraGuide addresses key areas in infrastructure planning, providing a range of resources from highly technical guides to strategic planning tools. Technical staff can explore the principles and best practices in their specific areas of work, while senior managers, CAOs and elected officials can better understand the principles and governance structures that support better infrastructure planning and maintenance.

Find documents relevant to your municipality’s needs

Access reports designed to help you maximize returns on your community’s infrastructure investment, while being mindful of the social and environmental implications of those decisions. These tools support sustainable municipal infrastructure decisions and actions in seven key areas:

• Asset management [decision making and investment planning]
  • Alternative Funding Mechanisms
  • Dedicated Funding
  • Investment Parameters for Municipal Infrastructure
  • Planning and Defining Municipal Infrastructure Needs
  • Public Consultation for Infrastructure Renewal
  • Managing Infrastructure Assets
  • Managing Risk
  • Selecting a Professional Consultant
• Potable water
  • Developing a Water Distribution System Renewal Plan
  • Deterioration and Inspection of Water Distribution Systems
  • Establishing a Metering Plan to Account for Water Use and Loss
  • Methodology for Setting a Cross Connection Control Program
  • Monitoring Water Quality in the Distribution System
  • Selection of Technologies for the Rehabilitation or Replacement of a Water Distribution System
  • Small Systems Operation and Maintenance Practices
  • Speed and Quality of Linear System Repairs
  • Water Quality in a CO₂ Distribution System
  • Water Use and Loss in the Water Distribution System
• Municipal roads and sidewalks
  • Dust Control for Unpaved Roads
  • Guidelines for Sealing and Filling Cracks in Asphalt Concrete Pavements
  • Preservation of Bituminous Pavement Using Thin Surface Restoration Techniques
  • Priority Planning and Budgeting Process for Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation
  • Reuse and Recycling of Road Construction and Maintenance Materials
  • Road Drainage Design Alternatives and Maintenance
  • Rut Mitigation Techniques at Intersections
  • Sidewalk Design Construction and Maintenance
  • Timely Preventive Maintenance for Municipal Roads
• Stormwater and wastewater
  • Assessment and Evaluation of Storm and Wastewater Collection Systems
  • Biosolids Management Programs
  • Communication and Public Consultation for Biosolids Management
  • Conveyance and End of Pipe Measures for Stormwater Control
  • Inflow Infiltration Control Reduction for Wastewater Collection Systems
  • Optimization of Lagoon Operations
  • Quality Management for Biosolids Programs
  • Selection of Technologies for Sewer Rehabilitation and Replacement
  • Solids Inventory Control for Wastewater Treatment Plan Optimization
  • Source and On Site Controls for Municipal Drainage Systems
  • Stormwater Management Planning
  • Wastewater Source Control
  • Wastewater Treatment Plant Optimization
• Environmental protocols
  • Accounting for Environmental and Social Outcomes in Decision Making
  • Demand Management 
  • Environmental Assessments
  • Environmental Management Systems for Municipal Infrastructure
  • Land Use Planning
  • Strategic Commitment to the Environment by Municipal Corporations
• Transit
  • Strategies for Implementing Transit Priority
  • Transit Best Practices
• Multidiscipline 
  • An Integrated Approach to Assessment and Evaluation of Municipal Road Sewer and Water Networks
  • Best Practices for Utility-Based Data
  • Coordinating Infrastructure Works
  • Developing Indicators and Benchmarks
  • Developing Levels of Service
  • Water and Sewer Rates Full Cost Recovery

InfraGuide was developed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the National Research Council, and funded by the Government of Canada.

More about InfraGuide

Developed between 2001 - 2006, InfraGuide is the collaborative effort of a network of 200 volunteers from across the country, including municipal staff, researchers and other experts. While infrastructure management practices and technology have continuously evolved since these documents were developed, many of these best practices continue to be relevant today. FCM makes these resources available so the sector can continue to build on this work.