Council got its first look at details, including cost, location and collection alternatives, for a future wastewater treatment system for the villages of Erin and Hillsburgh.
Joe Mullan of Ainley Group presented six major reports from phase three of the environmental assessment (EA) at a special council meeting on Jan. 9.
From these reports, the preferred alternative for effluent outfall – where treated water is released – would be the west side of Winston Churchill Boulevard in the West Credit River.
The preferred alternatives for the location of a wastewater treatment facility are Solmar-owned lands or Halton Crushed Stone (HCS) lands on either side of Wellington Road 52.
The preferred collection method for each village is a blend of gravity and low pressure systems. The preferred connection between each community would use the Elora Cataract Trail. Mullan also discussed the preferred treatment technology process.
The preferred alternatives are expected to cost $50 million to $60 million for the existing community and $58 to $68 million to service future development.
The town and Ainley Group will host a public meeting on Feb. 2 about phase three.
Facility location
Mullan said Ainley Group evaluated four different locations, Solmar-owned lands north of Wellington Road 52 and three parcels of HCS-owned lands south of Wellington Road 52.
Each plot would be about five hectares and house a plant that could accommodate the existing community and potential expansion for future development.
“The owners of these four parcels are willing to sell; however, Halton Crushed Stone are not willing to sell until after the aggregate is extracted, so that provides some sort of a challenge,” said Mullan.
The lands being proposed in the report are currently part of an application to expand HCS’ current gravel pit operation.
Therefore, Mullan said, phase three will include two sites as preferred alternatives. The Solmar-owned land is preferred prior to extraction and the second parcel of HCS-owned lands is preferred after extraction.
Councillor John Brennan asked about the timeline for extraction.
Christine Furlong of Triton Engineering explained HCS indicated “if the industry carries on as it currently is, it could be cleaned out in two to five years.”
Councillor Matt Sammut asked if Ainley considered a parcel of HCS-owned land further from Wellington Road 52 that has already been excavated.
Gary Scott of Ainley Group said it was considered, “But we dropped it, because (HCS) are going to mine 10th Line, so we thought potentially there would be no access for some time,” he said.
Extraction of 10th Line south of Wellington Road 52 has not yet been approved by council.
Treated effluent outfalls
The location to release treated water back into the environment would be the west side of Winston Churchill Boulevard in the West Credit River.
This location “avoids a significant spawning area between the 10th Line and Winston Churchill and it also provides the optimal mixing of effluent in the West Credit River,” said Mullan.
Councillor Jeff Duncan asked if there’s been any dialogue with the Town of Caledon.
“We’ve pretty much taken our entire effluent and we’re dumping it onto our municipal boundary and it doesn’t actually flow anywhere in the Town of Erin,” Duncan said.
Mayor Allan Alls said he’s spoken to the mayor of Caledon, but, “No, we really haven’t had that sort of conversation.”
Sammut asked if treated effluent is “really going to impact the trout in that spawning area potentially that we’re going to be spending an extra $1.2 million to run it down Winston Churchill?”
Mullan said the preferred alternative is the most robust, justifiable and sustainable.
“The fact that it goes that length cools the effluent somewhat and that’s another concern when it goes into the river,” added Alls.
Costs
Mullan said Ainley Group examined the costs based on existing community numbers versus the full build out.
The existing community has about 1,800 residential properties. The addition of commercial, potential infill and intensification within the existing community brings that number to 2,672 units.
A full build out of the community could have up to 5,200 residential units, plus commercial, industrial and infill to a total number of 6,750 units.
Mullan said the cost to the existing community would be between $50 million and $60 million.
The cost to the future development community would be between $58 and $68 million.
In his report, Mullan said this includes “a share of the collection system to convey full build out flows to the treatment plant and a share of the treatment costs” – but it does not include sewers in future subdivisions.
This translates to $20,000 to $25,000 per property before any federal or provincial grant. In addition, private property connections could cost owners an average of $5,100.
Annual operating costs for each customer would range from $400 to $500, based on other local municipalities of similar size.
Nancy Neale of Watson and Associates discussed the financing options, including options under the Municipal Act, development charges, grants, debt and private-public partnerships.
She said the town’s debt capacity would allow between $15 million (10-year debt) and $24 million (20-year debt), but it does not take into account other capital needs.
Duncan said the project wouldn’t be able to go forward without grants from the provincial and federal governments.
“We’re the largest municipality in Ontario without a sewage treatment facility,” he said.
“There’s an election coming up and we don’t want this to be on the radar, we want this to be on the short list.”
Collection alternatives
Ainley Group looked at five collection system alternatives. The preferred solution is a blend of gravity and low pressure collection.
Mullan said the majority of the two communities would be serviced by gravity sewers, with several small, localized areas serviced by low pressure sewers.
This blended option is best suited to the Erin/Hillsburgh topography; provides the most secure, sustainable long-term solution and lowest operating cost; and would avoid more sewage pumping stations, Mullan said.
Forcemain
Three routes were considered for the Erin to Hillsburgh forcemain connection, including the Elora Cataract Trail, Wellington Road 22/8th Line and Trafalgar Road/Sideroad 17.
The preferred solution is the Elora Cataract Trail, said Mullan, adding Ainley Group has talked with Credit Valley Conservation, which owns the trail.
“We had some discussions with them already and they are on board with this and they are recognizing that this is the preferred alternative going forward and at this point they have not made objections to that,” Mullan said.
Natural environment
One of the reports considered the aquatic and terrestrial environment within the study area.
Mullan said there is a significant cold water habitat and a robust population of brook trout in the West Credit River between 10th line and Winston Churchill Boulevard.
“That’s been documented and will be incorporated into the recommendations moving forward,” he said.
The study also found provincially significant wetland, diverse and important vegetation communities, and species at risk.
Mullan said it wasn’t a “surprise” adding, “the key component is documenting this and as we move forward making sure that we deal with the appropriate recommendations.”
Part of that includes avoiding construction during sensitive breeding periods from March to October.
“That may seem like the entire construction season, which in essence it is, but this is very localized in one or two little areas that we can accommodate and work around it,” said Mullan.
The environmental aspects are typically weighted at 20 per cent, with social/culture at 10%, technical at 40% and economic at 30%.
Sammut said the evaluation criteria “ignored somewhat” the social and cultural impacts.
“Are people who’ve invested all their life savings in their home less important than brook trout?” he asked.
Mullan said the evaluation criteria is common throughout the industry. He explained some of the social and cultural impacts, such as traffic, would exist only during the construction period.
Wastewater treatment technologies
The treatment of the wastewater would take a five-step process. Mullan said the technologies had to have proven reliability, be able to achieve regulatory and effluent compliance and be cost effective to be considered in the study.
The recommended treatment would use:
– coarse screens and grit removal followed by rotating belt filter for the preliminary/primary treatment;
– membrane bioreactor for the secondary and tertiary treatments;
– ultraviolet light for disinfection; and
– autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestion for biosolids management.
Moving forward
Phase three is wrapping up with a public information meeting set for Feb. 2 at 6pm. After this, phase four – the final documents – is expected to come to council in April for approval.
After the 30-day public review process, Mullan said it could take 4.5 years to design, approve and build the treatment plant and collection system.
He added there are three items the town can complete during that process, including an official plan amendment confirming the projected growth for each community, completion of a water supply environmental assessment to locate sufficient water supply, and securing project funding.
Sammut said water is “a big concern” for the town.
Furlong said she would be coming to council on Feb. 6 to discuss the water supply.
“We are having trouble finding water,” she said.
Tests at the Hillsburgh fire hall site were unsuccessful and the preliminary well at Mountain View in Erin is producing less than 100 gallons a minute, far below the preferred 200 to 300 gallons a minute.
“We’ve identified four other sites in Erin and four other sites in Hillsburgh, which I can talk to you more about … on Feb. 6,” she said.
Alls said the process will wrap up this term of council.
“There is a frustration in the community … that (the) SSMP (Servicing and Settlement Master Plan) dragged out for 10 years … we at least got this study done and we’ll have it done by the end of this council,” Alls said.
