The Harbourfront and Collingwood Projects
The Harbourfront Trunk Sewer Overflow Control Project
and Collingwood CSO Control and Water Treatment Plant Waste Management Project
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
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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:
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Project Consultants |
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Harbourfront Trunk Sewer Overflow Control Project |
Collingwood CSO Control and Water Treatment Plant Waste Management Project |
