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The Harbourfront & Collingwood Projects

THE HARBOURFRONT TRUNK SEWER OVERFLOW CONTROL PROJECT AND COLLINGWOOD CSO CONTROL AND WATER TREATMENT PLANT WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECT


IN THE NEWS


WORK BEGINS

Utilities Kingston will begin construction of the much-anticipated Harbourfront Trunk Sewer the week of October 4.

 

YOUR OPINION


QUESTIONNAIRE

Let us know what you think about the pollution-control plans so far. [PDF 38KB]

 

MAP


PROJECT SITES

Locate the facilities targeted by the pollution-control effort.

 

REPORTS INDEX


PAGE 1: Project Process And Schedule [PDF 203KB]

 

PAGE 2: Project Area Existing Conditions [PDF 226KB]

 

PAGE 3: Sewer Overflows Problem Statement [PDF 228KB]

 

PAGE 4: Sewer Overflows Alternative Solutions [PDF 241KB]

 

PAGE 5: Sewer Overflows Analysis Of Alternatives [PDF 188KB]

 

PAGE 6: Analysis Downtown Alternatives [PDF 271KB]

 

PAGE 7: Evaluation of Downtown Alternatives [PDF 209KB]

 

PAGE 8: Downtown Preferred Alternatives [PDF 209KB]

 

PAGE 9: King St. Water Plant Problem Statement [PDF 102KB]

 

PAGE 10: King St. Water Plant Waste Alternatives [PDF 153KB]

 

PAGE 11: King St. Water Plant Waste Comparing Alternatives [PDF 105KB]

 

PAGE 12: King St. Water Plant Waste Preferred Solution [PDF 130KB]

 

PAGE 13: Project Costs [PDF 70KB]

 

FIGURES INDEX


FIG 1: Harbourfront Trunk Sewer from Brock St. to River St. Pumping Station [PDF 239KB]

 

FIG 2: Area Connected to Harbourfront Trunk Sewer Brock St. to River St. [PDF 136KB]

 

FIG 3: Harbourfront Trunk Sewer in the Vicinity of King St. Water Filtration Plant [PDF 76KB]

 

FIG 4: Area Connected to Harbourfront Trunk Sewer Sir John A. MacDonald Blvd. to Collingwood St. [PDF 105KB]

 

FIG 5: Harbourfront Trunk Sewer, Brock St. to River St. Pumping Station [PDF 225KB]

 

FIG 15: King St. West Proposed Works [PDF 130KB]

 

PDF HELP


ACROBAT READER

The freely available Acrobat Reader software can be used to view the PDF documents on the Utilities Kingston Web site.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Many of the sewers in central Kingston were originally built in the 1800's and early 1900's and flowed directly into Kingston's harbour and waterfront with no sewage treatment. These sewers were built as "combined " sewers, meaning they receive sewage flow from residences and businesses, as well as drainage from roadways and other surfaces.

In the 1950's, a comprehensive plan was developed to intercept these sewer drains by construction of a trunk sewer along the waterfront from Kingston Penitentiary, past City Hall and on to River Street on the shores of the Great Cataraqui River. Included were the Lake Front Trunk Interceptor Sewer, the sewage pumping station at River Street, and the sewage treatment plant east of the Forces Reserve, now called Ravensview. The interceptor sewer carries the flow to the River Street pumping station where it is pumped across the river and up the Barriefield hill. A gravity sewer pipe then carries the flow through CFB Kingston to the Ravensview sewage treatment plant.

In the late 1980's, there was substantial concern about water pollution along the waterfront, particularly the posting of Richardson Beach as unsafe for swimming due to bacteria levels in the water. It was perceived that many of the water pollution concerns were due to occasional overflows from the sewer system in wet weather. As well, stormwater drainage from the urban area was becoming a bigger issue.

POLLUTION CONTROL PLANS

In 1989, the City of Kingston initiated the development of a comprehensive Pollution Control Plan (PCP) to address water pollution issues and the capacity limitations of the sewage collection system. The initial Pollution Control Plan was developed between 1989 and 1992.

The PCP study led to a long-term strategy for dealing with water pollution problems along the waterfront. The 1992 PCP included a number of recommended infrastructure improvement projects to help address water pollution problems.

A comprehensive review of the PCP was carried out in 2000. The update reviewed the progress made since 1992, and reviewed current priorities, especially with respect to continuing the effort to reduce sewer overflows.

SEWER OVERFLOW ISSUE

To address the sewer overflow issue, the 2000 PCP Update report recommended that:

  • highest priority should be placed on implementing the sewer overflow facility for the Collingwood Street area recommended in the 1992 PCP
  • high priority should now be given to dealing with remaining sewer overflows along the Harbourfront Trunk Sewer through the downtown core area and northward along the Inner Harbour to River Street.
  • sewer overflows should be reduced to achieve, at a minimum, the requirements set out in the Ontario Ministry of Environment's Directive F-5-5, which had not been in place when the 1992 PCP was formulated.

PROCESS RESIDUE DISCHARGES

Process residues produced at the Kingston Water Treatment Plant are discharged back to Lake Ontario. These wastes contain concentrations of suspended solids, aluminum and chlorine in excess of the Ministry of Environment's Provincial Water Quality Objectives (PWQO). These residues may have the following:

  • degraded water aesthetics from any visible discharge plume or increase in water turbidity;
  • aluminum, chlorine and heavy metals can be toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms; or
  • aquatic habitat and organisms can be adversely affected by sediment deposition on the lake bed

PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND PUBLIC CONSULTATION

The objectives of the two separate projects are to further implement the recommendations in the Pollution Control Planning Study and its respective update in order to minimize impacts or pollution of the environment from the discharges of water treatment plant process residues and combined sewer overflows.

Updates for the project will be posted regularly on the website, including all public meetings to enable broader public consultation. Once construction commences, Utilities Kingston proposes to provide regular information to enable the community to view the activities from perspectives not usually afforded to anyone other than the construction workers.

For further information, please contact:

Project Consultants
Harold Chard, P.Eng
XCG Consultants Ltd.
33 Earl Street
Kingston, ON K7L 2G4
(613) 542-5888, ext 12

Harbourfront Trunk Sewer Overflow Control Project
UTILITIES KINGSTON
Allen Lucas, P.Eng
1211 John Counter Boulevard, PO Box 790
Kingston, ON K7L 4X7
(613) 546-1181, ext 2250

Collingwood CSO Control and Water Treatment Plant Waste Management Project
UTILITIES KINGSTON
Chris Phippen, P.Eng
1211 John Counter Boulevard, PO Box 790
Kingston, ON K7L 4X7
(613) 546-1181, ext 2335


Heading: Notable

CITY PLEDGES MORE WORK
TO CUT SEWAGE BYPASSES

NEW STUDY WILL FOCUS
ON CITY'S OLDER SEWERS

ENGINEERS DESIGNING
RAVENSVIEW UPGRADE

FINAL REPORT RELEASED
ON BIOSOLIDS STRATEGY

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