Huntsville’s sewage treatment capacity is currently sitting at 67 per cent, but if everyone who can connect to the system did, it would be at capacity, according to the District of Muskoka’s latest numbers.
Huntsville Council also learned at its March 27 meeting that 40 per cent of the wastewater being processed at its sewage treatment plants is made up of storm water and that there are currently 1,600 lots or units that could hook into the system but haven’t. If they were to hook up into the system tomorrow, Huntsville’s sewage treatment capacity would be sitting at 102 per cent. But that is an unlikely scenario, according to the District, which owns and operates Muskoka’s water and sewer infrastructure and allocates servicing resources and capacity across its six member municipalities.
District staff told council that based on the current growth projections for the town, its sewage treatment capacity – made up of the Golden Pheasant and Mountview sewage treatment plants – would not need to be updated for another 10 to 20 years. Although by the District’s own admission during a tour of its Huntsville plants last September, the Mountview Sewage Treatment Plant will not comply with new treatment regulations expected by 2021. At the time, District staff stated that the preferred scenario to address the aging Mountview plant is to decommission it and expand the Golden Pheasant plant. That work, according to Marcus Firman, Director of Water, Wastewater Operations for the District of Muskoka, continues although “there is no great pressure to rush to actually fill additional capacity.” He did say the expansion of the Golden Pheasant plant would take into consideration future expansions.
District staff also indicated that it would be looking at ways of allocating its finite water and sewer servicing resources across Muskoka in an equitable manner moving forward. That could mean that draft approvals of subdivisions – or proposed developments that have been on the books for more than ten years and would require servicing – may need to be re-examined. Until the full plan is rolled out, those files will be given a one-year extension.
Council was also told that 40 per cent of the wastewater treated by the District in Huntsville is made up of storm water and fixing that problem is Huntsville’s responsibility. According to District numbers, about 700 mega litres of the estimated 1,735 mega litres of wastewater processed annually at its sewage treatment facilities is made up of storm water. Firman told council that Huntsville is the worst municipality for storm water infiltration into the sewer system in Muskoka. He also said treating that water is costing an estimated $291,000 per year.
That’s a lot of water that is impacting the system’s overall sewage treatment capacity, said Firman. He also told council that since 2010 approximately 66 kilometres of Huntsville’s underground sewage system has been inspected by the District with an additional 10 per cent expected this year. He said District staff is monitoring the condition of the sewers and making sure there is no urgent work that is required, while also prioritizing work to be done. As a result of that work, Firman said it is District staff’s belief that the infiltration part of the problem is under control in terms of leaky pipes or poor joints.
He did note that storm water sump pumps connected to the sewage, water from weeping tile foundations in older homes, and roads that do not have storm sewers to collect water are all part of the inflow problem as that water winds up in the sewage system.
“Really we’re here to start the conversation. We’ll be going around to all the area municipalities to see how we can have a conversation about what we can do to assist in removing this issue – and it is a major issue throughout Muskoka. How do we come about putting in storm sewers, many in area municipal roads? So, there are things that we can explore,” said Firman. He spoke about low impact development techniques being used in other areas, such as using porous surfaces so that water drains naturally into the ground or the actual construction of storm sewers, which residents can connect to instead of being connected to the sewage system.
It’s quite key an issue in Huntsville and a huge opportunity in actually gaining capacity back referring to sewage treatment capacity. Marcus Firman, Director of Water, Wastewater Operations for the District of Muskoka on storm water making its way into Huntsville’s wastewater treating system
Deputy Mayor Karin Terziano questioned whether putting in storm sewers in the older parts of town, which is where most of the problem lies, would be the responsibility of the Town. Firman said it would be.
“So it’s a perfect opportunity to actually work with the District to solve a problem that they have with their sewage treatment plant and we can solve the problem we have with storm water,” said Aitchison.
Aitchison asked the Town’s Director of Operations and Protective Services whether the municipality has maps showing storm water pipes. “That’s part of the project we’re working on,” responded Steve Hernen, adding that the Town has applied for a grant in order to inspect the underground systems. “We have a rough idea but we don’t know exactly where it is and we don’t know the shape and conditions… so that’s what we’re prepared to do,” said Hernen, referring to applying for funds in order to map the storm water systems and figure out which areas need work, especially as road reconstructions take place. Firman said the Town could co-ordinate its underground camera inspections with that of the District’s in order to save money.
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Hi Brian.
I am no expert, however I believe the water produced at the water treatment plant is measured through meters, at the plant and individual properties. In a closed system, a very near equivalent amount should enter the waste water plants. If the flow into the Waste plants is much greater than the output of the Water Treatment plant, the difference is infiltration in all its forms.
How do they know which water is storm water and which is sanitary when it reaches the plant? It is all co-mingled and probably looks much the same at this point. Just curious how they do this determination if someone can enlighten me.