MAPLETON – The process to develop a water and wastewater master plan for growth areas in the township is getting underway.
Erin Longworth of CIMA engineering consultants updated Mapleton council on the status of the plan on July 13.
Longworth explained the study is currently in phase one, which includes a review of background conditions, identification of growth needs and planning, production and creation of a problem/opportunity statement.
A notice of commencement is expected to be issued this month to advise stakeholders of the project and get initial input and feedback, Longworth noted.
In phase two, Longworth said the more detailed aspects of the study are completed.
“We will develop a range of alternative solutions for existing urban areas and in growth areas, and then we develop an evaluation methodology and evaluation criteria that will enable us to identify recommended solutions for all the infrastructure needs for the township,” said Longworth.
Once preliminary recommended solutions are determined, a public information centre will be held to obtain input from any interested parties, public stakeholders and review agencies.
“Once they have all of that input, we will document everything in a master plan report and file that for public review period and issue a notice of completion,” Longworth stated.
“And once all of that is completed, then any projects that have been recommended to the master plan can proceed to implementation based on the timing needs for those individual projects.”
A class environmental assessment is also part of the master planning process, Longworth noted.
“We’ll also need to consider all effects on the environment and methods to avoid and mitigate any impacts that might be expected through the infrastructure needed.”
Longworth pointed out consultation is one of the key components of the environmental assessment and master planning process.
“So a range of stakeholders will be consulted throughout: yourselves as council, public agencies and also Indigenous communities,” she told council.
“The Indigenous consultation aspect of the class EA process is becoming more and more important. So they will be consulted throughout to determine if there are any concerns related to treaty rights or Aboriginal lands or anything.”
Councillor Michael Martin asked if a previous EA completed for a re-rating of the township’s water/wastewater system would be incorporated into the new study.
Longworth said CIMA will definitely be reviewing the available documents, including previous EA documents for water supply in Drayton and as well for the wastewater treatment plant.
“That is definitely part of the background documents. So we are going to incorporate all the studies that have been done,” she said.
Capital program
At the same meeting, Kelly Frensch of CIMA provided council with an update on capital planning for the township’s water and wastewater systems.
Year one of the capital program includes about $473,000 worth of projects, most of which ($449,000) is devoted to a clean out of settled solids in cell 1 of the Mapleton Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP).
Capital projects on the five-to-10-year horizon include:
- $184,000 for installation of flow metering and valve chamber to allow for isolation of the Moorefield sewage pumping station;
- $204,000 to process asset repairs and replacements identified over the next 10 years in addition to ongoing preventative maintenance;
- $36,000 for repair of alum dosing pipe heat tracing and extending the downspout to mitigate flooding; and
- $10,000 for investigation of the Mapleton WPCP tertiary filter media condition to determine its remaining useful life.
Long-term projects to be dealt with through the master planning process include:
- development of a long-term solution for the Drayton sewage pumping station to meet future servicing needs; and
- development of a solution for the Mapleton WPCP to meet future servicing needs of related assets.
“The timing of these projects as well, will be confirmed through your master plan,” Frensch told council.
Both reports were accepted by council as information.
