Notice of public drop-in session: Kingston Regional Biosolids & Biogas Facility
Thank you to everyone who came to our public drop-in session on March 28. Your input is important to this project. Please take our survey to share your opinion and feedback on the new Regional Biosolids and Biogas Facility https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CVC55LK.
The survey will be available until April 14, 2023.
Utilities Kingston invites the public to drop into our main offices at 85 Lappan’s Lane on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., as we progress on investigating the feasibility of an integrated biosolids and source-separated organics processing facility.
The project, referred to as the Kingston Regional Biosolids & Biogas Facility project is proceeding to Step 2, which includes public consultation and vendor engagement. The proposed facility would be located at the City of Kingston-owned Knox Farm property on the west side of Perth Road, north of Highway 401.
The project was triggered by the need to expand solids treatment infrastructure at the Cataraqui Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant and the desire to investigate innovative solutions that reduce the environmental impact of delivering utility services. Managing sludge and other organic wastes to produce renewable end products will reduce the overall greenhouse gas emissions from operations, helping Utilities Kingston and the City of Kingston to become carbon neutral by 2040.
The concept for the facility is that it will process organic waste from several sources, including sludge (a product of wastewater treatment) from both the Ravensview and Cataraqui Bay Wastewater Treatment Plants, the City’s Green Bin program, and potentially other local and regional providers. After treatment, these organic wastes would create two sources of renewables: biogas (an environmentally-friendly, renewable energy source produced by the breakdown of organic matter) and digestate (the liquids and solids produced from processing organic materials).
Timelines
- Step 1 of this project, completed in January 2023, was to review the Master Plan and complete a suitability assessment of the Knox Farm property. At this stage, no major barriers were identified with this location.
- As part of Step 2, a public drop-in session will be held on March 28, from 4-8 p.m., at 85 Lappan’s Lane, where the public can learn about the project and discuss the results of the preliminary assessments of the Knox Farm property in terms of its suitability for the proposed facility. Access is through the front, south-facing entrance, while parking is available in the front and back of the building.
- Step 3, to begin in the summer of 2023, will be to formally initiate the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) process to develop and evaluate alternative design concepts for the facility.
- After also investigating a business plan, Utilities Kingston expects to make the final go-no-go recommendation to City Council on the facility by the end of 2024.