Representatives from the City of Guelph visited Puslinch and Guelph-Eramosa councils recently to provide an in-person outline of the city’s water supply master plan update.
Puslinch Township
On Oct. 16 the Guelph officials, including Guelph city councillor Leanne Piper and water supply program manager Dave Belanger, appeared before Puslinch council.
Piper also serves as chair of the city’s planning, building and environment committee.
She noted she grew up in Puslinch adjacent to a provincially significant wetland – “so water is something I feel very passionately about.”
She added, “We are here in the spirit of cooperation, to share our water supply master plan update with you.” She explained the update is for a project completed in 2007.
The plan, she noted, emphasizes the need for cooperation for any water supplies outside of the city limits.
Belanger provided an overview of the master plan – “a slimmed down presentation provided during a recent public open house.”
That meeting was attended by both Puslinch Mayor Dennis Lever and councillor Wayne Stokley.
Belanger noted the city is a groundwater supply-based municipality, as it has been since 1879.
That supply comes primarily from deep bedrock wells and the Arkell Spring Grounds collector system.
“We have 25 production wells in Guelph’s municipal supply system,” said Belanger.
He noted Guelph’s total water supply in 2007 was about 75,000 m3/day, while the current water supply is about 83,000 m3/day,.
He noted the average requirements for the city are around 45,000 m3/day.
He said ensuring that Guelph has enough water to support current and future needs is an important reason to update the 2007 Water Supply Master Plan.
He explained private wells and municipal production wells do not draw from the same source.
Private wells in Guelph and the surrounding area take water primarily from the Guelph formation, a shallow bedrock aquifer.
Municipal production wells are drilled much deeper, and take water primarily from the Gasport formation. This deep bedrock aquifer is the source of Guelph’s main groundwater supply.
As a result, Belanger said “this means there is very little potential for interference between private wells and the municipal water supply.”
He added the city draws a great deal of water from the Arkell Spring Grounds, which include a number of bedrock wells.
Natural springs discharge along the south side of the Eramosa River Valley; the city has used these springs as a water source since 1908. This shallow groundwater supply is now augmented with six production wells.
Belanger spoke on the city water conservation plans since 2007.
“Every drop of water we save is one less drop of water that we need to provide.”
In May 2009, the city endorsed the water conservation and efficiency strategy with a goal of reducing water use by 8.7 million litres per day (MLD) by 2019.
“We are now at 4.5 to 4.8 million litres per day (reduction) – about halfway to that goal,” said Belanger.
He added, “We know it makes sense to use our water wisely. Since 2006, we’ve reduced our average daily water production by 12 per cent, with Guelph residents now using 20% less water per person per day than the average Ontarian.”
Those programs will continue to be part of the master plan, he said. He added source water protection programs are an integral part of protecting the city’s water supply.
He noted Guelph Drinking Water Source Protection Plan and Policies:
– developed policies to protect existing and future drinking water sources from unwanted impacts and harmful contaminants; and
– ensures compliance with the Clean Water Act requirement to develop local and watershed based source protection plans.
He also spoke on current projects to generate new water supply and the rehabilitation work to bring former wells back on line.
Belanger commented briefly on Guelph’s south groundwater supply investigation including the Arkell Spring Grounds. Since 2007, the city has constructed two new wells in the Arkell area.
Those wells were brought online in conjunction with an adaptive management plan – to determine the water supply is sustainable and does not impact the Blue Spring Creek ecosystem (located 2km Northeast of the Arkell Spring Grounds) or local domestic wells.
“We have confirmed there are no sustainability issues and it does not impact the creek.”
Belanger said the update to the plan will define how the city will get its safe and reliable water – for residential, industrial, commercial and institutional use – over the next 25 years.
He stressed the intent is to have the water supply regulate growth, rather than having growth happen, then trying to find the water to support it.
Simply put, the city needs more water.
Belanger said the current supply capacity is sufficient for the next five to seven years based on the city’s estimated growth.
“Therefore we need to define strategies to increase that capacity.”
Belanger said the strategies must ensure that an adequate amount of water is provided in a safe and cost-effective manner, while ensuring that environmental sustainability is not compromised.
He said the objective is to develop a reliable and sustainable supply of water to meet the current and future needs over the next 25 years.
The Water Supply Master Plan is being developed according to the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process. Work will look at Guelph’s projected population over the next 25 years and the estimated demand for water.
Those projections will be compared to existing water capacity and then identify and evaluate alternatives such as new sources of water which can be brought online.
One thing not on the table is the idea of a water pipeline, said Belanger.
Councillor Ken Roth asked how these plans, including source water protection plans, will affect Puslinch.
Belanger initially said the city source water plans do not affect Puslinch.
“Source protection is the responsibility of the municipality in which the wells exist. You get the luxury of protecting our wells,” he said.
Councillor Wayne Stokley said he is impressed with the city conservation efforts.
“As I noticed … 60% of the water that Guelph uses, comes from the Arkell area.”
Stokley said he hopes that when the city looks for alternative water sources, Puslinch is not overly enveloped by these wells. He wanted to ensure other areas are being looked at as well.
Belanger said the city has made use of wells in the Arkell area for over 100 years – “we want to be there for another 100 and the only way to do that is in a sustainable and environmental fashion while respecting our neighbours.”
Mayor Lever was pleased with both the detail in the planning and public participation.
However, Lever is concerned with how the wellhead protection policies will affect Puslinch.
“The current legislation will cast us [Puslinch] as being responsible for enforcement and the associated costs,” said Lever. “It is going to be an ongoing concern, but I’m sure we can work something out. We will have to work something out.”
Guelph-Eramosa
Belanger and Piper made a similar presentation to Guelph-Eramosa council on Oct. 21.
Mayor Chris White said he is concerned with how the city’s water plans affect his municipality.
“We’re here to work together,” said White, noting both municipalities are governed by the same legislation.
Councillor Doug Breen said he is pleased that city water taking efforts have not impacted local farmers the way some thought they might.
Breen added he is also pleased city officials are keeping Guelph-Eramosa so well informed and he lauded the city for making an effort to improve its once-strained relationship with the township.
-With files from Chris Daponte
