Utilities Kingston is sharing its 2019 online annual reports with our community. Find the "You can count on us" reports and a brief video overview at UtilitiesKingston.com/2019 and KingstonHydro.com/2019. 

The pandemic-related events over the past few months have highlighted the importance of our mission: to provide safe and reliable core utility services; in difficult times and always.

“During 2019, our employees proved time and again, you can count on us to be safe and reliable,” says Jim Keech, president and CEO of Utilities Kingston. “Whether it’s counting on our workers to restore storm damage, keep one another and local infrastructure safe, support our community, or build infrastructure for future growth and development, you can count on us – come what may.” 

Utilities Kingston's 2019 highlights

Community  

• Provided opportunities for 19 students to gain meaningful career experience.
• Provided free, quality tap water with the water buggy at 66 local events.
• Promoted diversity, inclusion and equality in the trades by partnering with the Women of Powerline Technicians organization, to promote gender diversity in the trade. 

Health and safety

• Hosted 607 participants from 136 contracting firms at our award-winning Safety Days, presented jointly with the City of Kingston.
• Received a Canadian Gas Association Public Safety Leadership Award.
• With a goal to better support wellness in the workplace, we formed the Guarding Minds @ Work committee. Mental wellness is important to the health and safety of our workplace. The committee is implementing the Guarding Minds at Work program at Utilities Kingston. 

Conservation

• From 2015 to 2019, Utilities Kingston and its electricity customers have saved an average of nearly 7.4M kWh/year – or enough electricity to power approximately 4,631 homes. Customer-supported Save on Energy projects in 2019 saved enough electricity to supply 1,122 homes (on average).
• In 2019, we offered natural gas conservation incentives for the fourth year. Since the inception of gas incentives in mid-2016, we have helped support nearly $31 million in investments. Customer-supported projects in 2019 saved enough natural gas to supply 81 homes (on average). 

Water achievements

• Replaced 1,830 metres and relined 3,319 metres of water main.
• Replaced or installed 2,120 water meters, using in-house expertise to complete the multi-year project to replace 39,000 water meters.
• Completed the Cataraqui Woods Drive watermain extension from Anderson to Centennial.
• Ensured water quality by taking 4,000 microbiological and 10,000 chemical samples.
• Treated and pumped 22.3 billion litres of water.
• Tested and maintained nearly 4,000 backflow prevention devices. More than 400 new devices were installed in industrial, commercial, institutional and multi-residential buildings.

Wastewater achievements

• Cleaned and inspected 36 km of sewer mains to ensure the integrity of the sanitary sewer.
• Continued the $88 million expansion of the Cataraqui Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant.
• Completed construction of the Ravensview Wastewater Treatment Plant Septage Receiving Station.
• Completed construction of Westbrook Sewage Pumping Station to support development.
• Completed the detailed design of the Days Road Sewage Pump Station upgrade.
• Completed upgrades to the Dalton Pumping Station, to ensure continued reliability and operating efficiency. The project was completed entirely in-house, by a team consisting of water and wastewater treatment operations staff, and our SCADA group.
• Provided the Preventative Plumbing Program to reduce the risk of basement flooding. Since 2012, $3.3 million in financial assistance has helped 1,929 homeowners invest in preventative plumbing.

Gas achievements

• Inspected or maintained 418 out of 1,400 mainline gas valves.
• Inspected over 20 per cent of the infrastructure for leaks.
• Replaced natural gas line heaters at two regulating stations with more efficient Cold Weather Technologies Natural Gas Line Heaters. It is anticipated that this upgrade will reduce energy consumption to heat natural gas by 50 per cent.

Electricity achievements

• Recognized as a Centre of Excellence by the Canadian Electricity Association.
• Continued work to upgrade Substation No. 1, Kingston’s oldest substation housed in a heritage building at Queen and King streets.
• Visually inspected 2,783 of 5,257 electricity poles and related equipment to help prioritize capital works.
• Through the infrared scanning preventative maintenance program, identified 113 defects that are prioritized for operation and maintenance works.
• Restored 79 unplanned power outages. An increase in total customer hours of interruption over 2018 is largely attributed to the major windstorm of Nov. 1.

Streetlight and traffic signals achievements

• To support local development and road safety, we installed four new signalized intersections. For pedestrian safety, we installed four new crossovers.
• In response to the large windstorm of Nov. 1, crews replaced 45 damaged traffic signal heads at 35 intersections and aligned 25 twisted traffic signal heads at 18 intersections.

See and share the full reports at UtilitiesKingston.com/2019 and KingstonHydro.com/2019. Watch our two-minute video overview at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGzlo0cbGCA