REQUEST FOR DIRECTION
DATE: September 18, 2017 Report No. EPW-17-046
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Jeff Miller, Director of Engineering and Public Works
SUBJECT:
Title
Inflow and Infiltration Strategy
End
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
How will inflow and infiltration activities that occur in the public and private realms be funded?
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That the Committee of the Whole receive Staff Report EPW-17-046 for information, provide any additional direction to staff as the COTW considers advisable, and directs staff to prepare a report for Council’s consideration.
Body
BACKGROUND:
Inflow and infiltration (I&I) is the flow of storm water or ground water that enters the sanitary collection system. See Attachment 1 for definitions. From 2005 to 2015, the Township has carried out a number of activities to reduce the flows created by I&I within the public realm. See attachment 2. Theses activities were undertaken to meet requirements under the Liquid Waste Management Plan. These are:
1. Reduce the maximum daily wet weather flows to less than 4 times the average dry weather flow (4xADWF) by 2030.
2. Eliminate overflows less than a 5 year return period.
The activities that have been carried out have impacted the volume of I&I that enters the sanitary collection system. See Attachment 3. However to continue this trend, activities would need to shift from the public realm to the private realm due to the length of pipe and contribution of the private realm. See Attachment 4.
When a typical neighbourhood is reviewed, there are generally three situations that will appear. These are:
1. The existing storm drain does not extend the entire length of the road. In this situation, roof drains and weeping tile has been tied into the sanitary service line.
2. Storm and sanitary service laterals have been cross connected to each other.
3. The sanitary lateral is connected to the sanitary collection system but is failing.
ISSUES:
The corrective work(s) carried out will benefit both the home owner and the Township by reducing the flow of sanitary waste water to the waste water plant for treatment. In the long term by reducing the flow amount, home owners would see a lowering of property taxes/CRD allotment. However in the short term, there will be a cost that will need to be paid for.
These costs will range in magnitude from $5,000 to $100,000 depending on the situation and corrective work(s) carried out. The cost of this work will need to come from a funding source. This source will either be from the Township or private owners. Who will pay this cost needs to be clarified before corrective works can be initiated.
There are four options for discussion. They are:
1. Status Quo
2. Home owner pays for all corrective works
3. Township pays for all corrective works
4. Percent Spilt between Home Owner and Township for corrective works.
Status Quo
Under this option, no programs will be created to deal with the I&I concern. Corrective works will be carried out when either the public or private portion of the lateral fails with each owner being responsible for paying for the repair works. This option would only see minor improvement in the I&I contribution and takes a fairly long view of correcting the problem.
Home Owner Pays
This option would see the home owner be fully responsible for corrective works. This option follows a user pay philosophy that only homes that have an I&I issue are charged the cost of the corrective works. The Township would then benefit from these repairs by a lowering of I&I contribution to sanitary flows which would be reflective in the costs for treatment. This lowering of costs would then have a positive benefit to all users of the sanitary system.
If this option was undertaken, the Township would have to develop a methodology so that works could be carried out in a timely fashion and that the home owner could pay for them. The works would be either carried out by Township forces or Township contract forces or charged back to the lot owners.
Township Pays
Under this option, the Township would carry the burden to addressing I&I concerns in both the public and private realm. This option would see positive benefit to all home owners for lowering the I&I contribution to sanitary flows and their treatment but all owners would pay for the works that only a small number of owners need. The Township would develop a program for corrective works and fund them through taxation. The works would be either carried out by Township forces or Township contract forces.
Percent Split
The last option would see the cost for works split by percentage. This split in costs could take a number of forms from a pre-determined split (i.e. 75% Township/25% Owner) to costs split based on lengths of main/laterals/weeping tile that need to be replaced/installed. The Township would develop a program for the corrective works and fund it through taxation. For the wwner portion, a mechanism would have to be developed to allow for either direct payment or repayment over time through taxation.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. That the COTW receive Staff Report EPW-17-046 for information, provide any additional direction to staff as the COTW considers advisable, and direct staff to prepare a report for Council’s consideration.
2. That the COTW provide alternative direction to staff.
3. That the COTW request further information from staff.