Adam Bramburger
Beaver Staff
Loyalist Township council accepted a staff recommendation Tuesday night that it not allocate any further water or sewer capacity within Amherstview, Odessa, or Bath.
The decision came after councillors heard sewage capacity could be an impediment to future approvals in Amherstview and Odessa, while water capacity would be the limiting factor in Bath.
Council received a report from project co-ordinator Rami Maassarani that explained the municipality is required by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MOECP) to ensure its water and sewage infrastructure can fully treat water being supplied to, and sewage collected from all connections to the system.
Maassarani indicated staff examined the current use and flow through the systems as well as the equivalent residential units (ERU) that have already been allocated by council but are not currently in use.
Using the three-year maximum daily flow of its water systems and the three-year average daily flow of its sewer systems, 2016 population data, and the number of commitments for unconnected services, staff determined outstanding system capacity.
For Amherstview and Odessa, both the Fairfield Water System and the Loyalist East Sewage System are below their respective flow ratings of 8,000 cubic metres per day and 6,400 cubic metres per day. The water system is at a maximum daily flow of 4,741. The sewage system has an average daily flow of 3,905 daily.
That said, the township has made commitments for 2,005 additional water connections and 1,403 additional sewage connections. Maassarani indicated in his report, those numbers would allow the municipality 11 years of building at an average of 125 units a year.
Staff suggested the formulae would indicate additional capacity for 956 additional ERU on the water system and 1,112 ERU on the sewage system. A wet 2017 gave pause to that consideration, however. With extreme flooding, last year’s flows were 16 per cent higher than the three-year average.
“It can therefore be concluded that the effects of extreme precipitation events should be taken when calculating the uncommitted hydraulic reserve capacity of a system,” Maassarani wrote. “Studies have suggested that a significant increase in annual heavy precipitation is likely in some regions of eastern Ontario.”
Given that observance, the township’s staff elected to take a more conservative approach to look at worst-case weather scenarios that would put drastic pressure on collection systems and sewage plants. It arrived at 217 ERU as a suitable number of uncommitted allocations for the two systems and recommended those not be allocated.
The Bath systems, which service the village and the Correctional Service of Canada penitentiaries nearby, are both well within their rated capacity. Three-year maximum flows for the water system were 1,589 cubic metres daily on a system with a capacity of 2,672. Maassarani noted that flow has been gradually increasing over time. Additional capacity of 1,095 ERU, however, has already been allocated to developers and the municipality.
The Bath sewage system’s average daily flow remains well under its capacity of 2,099 cubic metres per day, even with last year’s high of 922. It has 1,341 ERU allocated for approved future development.
Maassarani suggested at a rate of 30 units per year, the 1,095 ERU available on both systems could sustain 36 years of building. An additional 271 ERU would be available on the sewage system.
According to Maassarani’s report, staff is already working on addressing capacity issues on the Bath water system and estimate a target completion date of 2020 for improvements.
Deputy mayor Ric Bresee said “being conservative is a good thing,” but wondered if the recommended restriction on allocating services for development would be reversible if capacity is needed or if future numbers allow.
The township’s engineering manager, Jenna Campbell, said staff performs the calculations on an annual basis and said council could change course in the future.
“The decision is reversible. If the numbers are more favourable and if at the end of 2018 council wishes to make a different decision, that is up to council at that time. What we’re asking for tonight is to employ that conservative stance and not allocate any additional capacity based on what we’ve seen.”
In other Loyalist news…
– Council approved a conditional site plan control application that would pave way for a 40-seat Tim Hortons store with a drive-through at the Loyalist Plaza in Amherstview.
The proponent first proposed the project, which would see a portion of the existing plaza demolished, in 2016. One factor that delayed the approval was ensuring the Ministry of Transportation approved entrances and exits onto Hwy 33. Township and ministry officials were able to work with the developer to create a modified traffic study and the ministry has approved site plan drawings.
Mayor Bill Lowry expressed appreciation for the time and money the developer spent, noting he thought they would give up at some point in the process.
Lowry said he received some e-mails opposed to the development, but added that when it was time for Loyalist to approve a Shoppers Drug Mart in Amherstview, the council chamber was full of opposition. Since, he said he’s seen many who were opposed shopping there and the business has benefitted residents in the township.
“It was quite successful,” the mayor said before adding “I think there’s nothing better for business than competition.”