Storm sewer hookups are no longer an option, they are mandatory.
On Monday, Wellington North councillors passed two resolutions regarding storm sewer connection. The first, makes it mandatory for all property owners on new or existing streets, to connect sump pumps to the storm sewer system when a connection is provided to that property.
Further, once that service in installed, existing homeowners will be given six months to complete the sump pump connection. New homes must be connected during the construction of that home.
As well, all connections must be done according to Wellington North’s servicing standards.
The second resolution of council offers an incentive to existing homeowners to reduce costs.
The offer would provide 50% of the cost to connect the sump pump with the storm sewer, up to a maximum of $250 per connection.
The installation still must meet municipal servicing standards and once completed the homeowner would submit a copy of the invoice verifying the cost of the project.
In his report, Works Superintendent Gary Williamson said that as part of the township’s municipal servicing standards, storm sewer connections are require to be installed at each lot when a new street is constructed or an existing street rebuilt.
“This is to reduce the inflow of sump pump water into our sanitary sewers and therefore take the pressure on our sewage capacity and treatment costs.”
Williamson wrote, “It is imperative that the general public becomes educated as to the financial and environmental impact of illegally connecting sump pumps, eaves troughs and footing drains into the sanitary sewer. Although difficult to calculate the additional costs, there is no question that the connections directly affect sewer rates charged and therefore costs everyone connected to the sewers through higher monthly fees.”
The report stated, “Also, in extreme wet conditions, the additional flows from these connections can cause sewage bypasses from our treatment plants and pumping stations directly into the rivers.”
His report said the Ministry of the Environment is strongly recommending municipalities address inflow and infiltration into sanitary sewers to reduce such bypasses, which can cause environmental issues.
“Sump pump connections are one of, if not the biggest contributor to inflow. If we do not address the need for removing illegal sump pump connections, then we need to consider a bylaw to allow fines to be levied against anyone with illegal connections to the sanitary sewer system,” he said
Williamson later explained a number of homes were built before there were storm sewer connections. As a result, footing drains and eaves troughs were all tied into the sump pumps and pumped out onto the lawns.
But some individuals prefer not to have wet lawns for a variety of reasons. So the sump pumps were hooked into a laundry tub and went directly into the sanitary sewers.
Williamson said that “when there is significant, or even any rainfall, the flows at the sewage treatment plant in both Arthur and Mount Forest just about go off the chart. That’s just the reality.”
He explained that all new development such as Eastridge, in Arthur, must install storm sewer connections to all lots.
Previously, the connections were not mandatory, but Williamson said as the municipality proceeds with reconstructing existing streets, the municipality will ensure the connections are made available to the property lines.Williamson said the mandatory aspect forces the disconnection of the sump pumps to the sanitary sewers.
However, he said that council is ready to provide an incentive to assist homeowners.
“Everyone benefits. At the end of the day if we can reduce flows to the sewage treatment plants, we don’t have to do plant expansions and the cost of treating goes down. The cost of treating water is the same as treating sewage. It’s an issue we have to address and this is one way of dealing with it,” Williamson said.
