Utilities Kingston's ten-year asset management plan
Good, quality infrastructure is the cornerstone of public health and safety and supports sustainable societies.
The employees of Utilities Kingston proudly manage, operate and maintain multiple utilities, including the municipal water and wastewater assets of the City of Kingston.
In accordance with O. Reg. 588/17: Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure, our asset management plan addresses infrastructure needs to effectively collect, convey and treat sewage and to treat and distribute safe, quality drinking water over the next ten years while meeting the needs of our customers and community. Download the asset management plan document now.
An asset management company
Utilities Kingston is an asset management company. As of 2021, we manage over 100 facilities, serving over 120,000 customers across our multiple utilities, including water, wastewater, natural gas, electricity and broadband networking. In managing these assets for reliable utility services, Utilities Kingston monitors 25,000 components that need to operate effectively and efficiently across more than 1,000 kilometres of linear assets. Learn more About Utilities Kingston.
Why asset management?
Asset management is current best practice. Our asset management plan strives to achieve the following:
- Stronger governance and accountability
- More sustainable decision-making
- Enhanced customer service
- More effective risk management
- Improved financial efficiency
Upper levels of government continue to put emphasis on municipalities to implement sound asset management plans with long-term financial plans, along with full-cost accounting.
Asset management at Utilities Kingston is guided by the following service level statements:
Performance & reliability:
Utilities Kingston will operate the utility efficiently, effectively, safely and reliably to meet customer service expectations.
Risk management:
Utilities Kingston will identify, prioritize and mitigate risks associated with management of the utility.
Growth & planning:
Utilities Kingston will facilitate the growth of the customer base by ensuring the utility can meet current needs and the needs of the future.
Sustainability:
Utilities Kingston will improvement the environmental and operational sustainability of the Utility to support the community vision of becoming Canada’s most Sustainable City
Financial management:
Utilities Kingston will operate the utility in a manner that is adequately funded and financially responsible to the shareholder and customers.
Asset management strategy
The asset management strategy consists of four parts.
- Growth planning & demand management, ensuring infrastructure is adequate to meet the needs of existing and future customer loads. This considers existing and future regulatory requirements and anticipated growth of services.
- Risk management, to identify projects that mitigate the increase in risks that occur due to age and degradation of assets. This includes assessing the condition, value, criticality and risk associated with plants and pump/booster facilities, inspecting components and assessing linear infrastructure. Examples of mitigation include annual inspection and cleaning of pipes in the wastewater utility, flow testing fire hydrants and detecting water main leaks.
- Whether it’s to build new, accelerate maintenance, rehabilitate or replace, lifecycle decision making identifies the appropriate course of action.
- Maintenance management, whereby documented and tracked maintenance activities ensure effective operation of the water and wastewater utilities.
Financial strategy
Funding is sourced from rate-based revenues, impost, new debt (as required) and Provincial/Federal grants, when available.
- $15.8 million in annual funds is required for renewing existing water utility infrastructure (2021)
- $21.9 million in annual funds is required for renewing wastewater infrastructure (2021)
The high-level funding requirement estimate assumes reconstruction of assets. However, there are many other ways that Utilities Kingston extends the life of assets to delay the need for infrastructure replacement. Some of these programs include watermain lining, sewer main cleaning and inspection, sewer main lining as well as other forms of pipe rehabilitation.
Asset management document
This asset management document inventories, values and assesses the linear assets, plants and facilities maintained by Utilities Kingston in the water and wastewater utilities. It outlines the expected level of service, as well as the asset management and financial strategy for each utility.
By reviewing this document, you'll learn more about our ten-year plans for the following infrastructure:
- Services
- Water meters
- Gravity mains, forcemains and watermains
- Wastewater forcemains and large critical watermains
- Wastewater junctions
- Plants and facilities
Contact
For further information, please contact customer service, by calling 613-546-1181, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m
