2019 Achievements
Click to enlarge
What's the context?
We've provided data on our achievements in 2019. If you're looking for additional context on how much overall infrastructure we maintain, check out our overview infographics.
Featured Department: Water and Wastewater System Operations
Infrastructure Upgrades
Expansion Progress: Cataraqui Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant
It’s been over three years since we broke ground on the four-year, $88 million expansion and upgrade of the Cataraqui Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant. The upgrade will increase the plant’s capacity from 38,800 to 55,000 cubic meters per day to meet projected population growth.
In 2019, work focused on the following:
- Dewatering and biosolids storage facility brought online
- Loaded the filter media for the Biological Aerated Filter process and brought online
- Equipped the headworks building for screening and grit removal and brought online
- Programming the computer systems that monitor and control each instrument and device in the plant
Ravensview Wastewater Treatment Plant Septage Receiving Station Project
The $3.9 million construction of the Ravensview Wastewater Treatment Plant Septage Receiving Station is now complete. The work consisted of the following:
- An access road and remote unloading bay for septage haulers. These facilities are located outside the plant perimeter fence, to facilitate hauler access.
- A two-storey septage receiving building, located inside the fence. It will house a pretreatment unit for screening and grit removal of septage, as well as an odour treatment unit.
Days Road Sewage Pumping Station
After completing the Environmental Assessment process in 2019, this project proceeded to detailed design in 2019. Geotechnical, environmental and archaeological studies were completed to support the design process. With this information in hand, the detailed design was then completed, as well as the contract tender documentation.
Complete: Alfred-Elm Street sanitary sewer reconstruction
In accordance with the 2017 Utilities Kingston Wastewater Master Plan, the sanitary sewer reconstruction project on Princess, Alfred and Elm Streets is now complete. This work was needed to support projected growth relating to the Williamsville revitalization, and to ensure the ongoing reliability of wastewater services. Crews replaced approximately 339 metres of 375 mm sanitary sewer pipe, upsizing to 450 mm pipe.
Westbrook Sewage Pumping Station Upgrades
Construction to the Westbrook Sewage Pumping Station has been completed. These capacity upgrades were required in order to support development in the area.
The pumping station upgrades include:
- modifications to the interior of the existing station wet well
- replacement of the pumps, pump controls, internal piping, and wet well cover
- landscaping and associated surface restorations
The general footprint and profile of the existing station were not modified.
Dalton Pumping Station
The Dalton Pumping Station project was completed in 2019. Crews replaced equipment to ensure continued reliability and operating efficiencies, including the following:
- Travelling bar screen at the facility, which had been in place for well over 25 years.
- Pump and impellor to improve operating efficiencies at the station while maintaining pumping capacity.
- Programmable logic controllers and programming (in progress).
This $1.8 million project was completed entirely in-house, by a team consisting of water and wastewater treatment operations staff, and our SCADA group.
Preventative Plumbing Program
For the eight year, Utilities Kingston offered the Preventative Plumbing Program to customers, helping to reduce the risk of sewage back-ups and basement flooding in neighbourhoods. Since the program began in 2012, $3.3 million in financial assistance has helped 1,929 Kingston homeowners, including with the removal of 206 illegal connections to the sanitary sewer.
Over the last eight years, the program has built trust, reputation and an increased awareness, which is reflected in its uptake. In 2019, program helped 357 home owners. An amount of $751,000 was invested to assist home owners through this program.
Here are our 2019 program results:
Click to enlarge
Environmental Protection
Utilities Kingston continues to keep abreast of the best available technology in the treatment of wastewater. We look forward with confidence that we will always be able to enjoy the recreational waters of Kingston, while maintaining growth and prosperity in a healthy environment.
In Ontario, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is the government body responsible for environmental protection, including the provision of clean water through pollution control and prevention. The effluent from the City of Kingston’s treatment facility is required to meet stringent limits established by the Ministry for discharge to receiving waters.
In 2019 we completed the requisite reporting to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks on the quality of our wastewater treatment.
