M E M O   /   N O T E   D E   S E R V I C E

 

Ottawa bw

 

To / Destinataire

 

Chair and Members of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee /

Président et membres du Comité de l’agriculture et des questions rurales

 

File/N° de fichier: 

ACS2012-COS-ESD-0006-IPD

From / Expéditeur

Dixon Weir, General Manager / Directeur général, Environmental Services / Services environnementaux, City Operations  / Services opérationnels

Contact Person / Personne ressource: Dave Ryan, Project Manager, Municipal Drainage / Gestionnaire, Installations de drainage, Environmental Services Department / Services environnementaux

613-580-2424 x 25106 Dave.Ryan@ottawa.ca

Subject / Objet

Municipal Drains Program Update / Mise à jour programme de drainage municipal

Date: May 2, 2012 /

Le 2 mai 2012

 

 

The City of Ottawa has a legislative responsibility for all aspects of drainage works constructed under the Drainage Act, including the repair and maintenance of 1,200 km of existing municipal drains and the construction of new drainage works.  This memo provides a general overview of the Municipal Drainage Program as well as the status of various municipal drain petitions, and improvement and maintenance projects.

 

Municipal Drain Maintenance Program

 

In 2011, the City Drainage Superintendents maintained approximately 182,093 feet (approximately 55 kilometers) of municipal drains.  The total cost of $269,901.32 associated with this maintenance will be recovered through a combination of provincial grants and assessments to benefiting landowners.  An annual grant from the Province in the amount of $203,333.00 was received in April 2011 to cover grants to eligible agricultural landowners as well the City’s Drainage Superintendents’ costs for maintenance work completed in 2010, and a grant in the amount of $214,616.00 is expected this year for work completed in 2011.  In addition, total assessments of $223,715.55 will be levied in 2011.

 

The following is a list of municipal drains that are currently scheduled for maintenance in 2012 and for which, where eligible, grant money from the Province has been requested. Additional maintenance activities will be conducted on a localized basis (beaver dams, culverts) on other municipal drains in response to inspections, surveys and landowner requests.  The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ (OMAFRA) budget is typically approved in April of each year.  Approvals are obtained from the various regulatory agencies and maintenance is ongoing and will continue throughout the summer, fall and into early winter.

 

 

Cumberland Ward

John Smits MD

Marshall Seguin MD

11th Concession Municipal Drain

 

Osgoode Ward

Keith Moodie MD

South Castor MD

Stone School Rd MD

Allen MD

 

Gloucester Ward

Dancy MD

Ottawa Front Municipal Drain

 

Rideau-Goulbourn Ward

Smith MD

Wammes MD

Morrison MD

Johnston MD

Staidler MD

Brownlee Branch MD

 

Municipal Drain Capital Project Status Update

 

Four of the nine projects listed in this report are Section 4 Drainage Act petitions for new drainage works.  The other five are improvements and modifications to existing drainage works.  The drainage works are at various stages in the Drainage Act design and approval process.

 

Dowdall Municipal Drain - A Drainage Engineer was appointed under Section 78 of the Drainage Act to undertake modifications and improvements to the Dowdall Municipal Drain in Rideau-Goulbourn Ward.  Following receipt of the revised Engineer’s Report, a second preliminary landowner meeting was held in November 2009.  The revised Engineer’s Report was tabled at Committee on 14 January, 11 February and 22 April 2010.  Notices of appeal to the Ontario Drainage Tribunal were filed on the decision of the Court of Revision, a hearing was held in and a decision rendered in August 2010 followed by final approval at Council in late 2010.  The necessary regulatory approvals have been received.  Tendering and construction began in 2011 and will be completed in 2012.

 

Arbuckle Petition - Following receipt of a landowner’s petition to give the existing Arbuckle award drain status under the Drainage Act, the final Engineer’s Report was submitted to the City and the Meeting to Consider the report was held on 25 March 2010 at the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC).  The lands requiring drainage are now the subject of a development application and a change in ownership from the original petition.  As such the Engineer’s Report was referred back to the Engineer under Section 57 of the Drainage Act.  Legal Services staff have met with lawyers for the new landowners/developer and the Engineer’s Report is being revised.  Legal Services is advising that the Drainage Act approval process recommence and that the Engineer’s Report be tabled for consideration by ARAC and Council.  Required regulatory approvals have been received.  Subject to legal negotiations and a resolution of the development-related and planning issues, final approval will be sought from Council in 2012.

 

Upper Dowdall and Upper Karl Petition for Drainage Works - The Drainage Engineer’s preliminary reports for both the Upper Dowdall and the Upper Karl Municipal Drain petitions, for the extension of the existing drains in Rideau-Goulbourn ward/Beckwith Township area to provide legal and sufficient outlet for Ashton Station Road, have been completed and meetings held with the Township of Beckwith.  The final Engineer's Reports are expected in Q2 of 2012 and once the provisional by-law has been prepared and the necessary regulatory approvals received, the report will proceed to Committee and Council in 2012.  Upon third reading of the by-law and final approval from Council, the drainage works will proceed to construction in 2013.  Costs will be recovered through provincial grants and assessments to benefiting landowners.

 

Monahan Municipal Drain - A Drainage Engineer was appointed under Section 78 of the Drainage Act to undertake modifications and improvements to the Monahan Municipal Drain in Kanata/Goulbourn Wards in response to development.  The draft Engineer’s Report is being prepared and when completed will be submitted to the City and the regulatory agencies for review and the necessary permitting from the Conservation Authority, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).  All work associated with this drainage improvement will be assessed to landowner/developer upon completion of the work.  The Engineer's Report and the provisional by-law are expected to be tabled at ARAC in Q2 of 2012 for the Meeting to Consider the report followed by tabling at Council for 1st and 2nd reading of the by-law.  Once the by-law has received final approval from Council the drainage works will proceed to construction.

 

Flewellyn Municipal Drain - A Drainage Engineer was appointed under Section 78 of the Drainage Act to undertake modifications and improvements to the Flewellyn Municipal Drain in Kanata/Goulbourn Wards in response to a development application.  The draft Engineer’s Report is being prepared and when completed will be submitted to the City and the regulatory agencies for review and the necessary permitting from the Conservation Authority, MNR and DFO.  All work associated with this drainage improvement will be assessed to landowner/developer upon completion of the work.  The Engineer's Report and the provisional by-law are expected to be tabled at ARAC in Q3 or Q4 of 2012 for the Meeting to Consider the report followed by tabling at Council for 1st and 2nd reading of the provisional by-law.  Once the by-law has received final approval from Council the drainage works will proceed to construction.  All engineering costs associated with this project will be recovered through assessments to benefiting landowners.

 

David Adams Municipal Drain - ARAC, in its capacity as the Court of Revision, adjusted and approved the assessments as outlined in the Engineer's Report and recommended that Council give third reading to the David Adams Municipal Drain By-law.  However, the decision of the Court was appealed to the Ontario Drainage Tribunal and a hearing is scheduled for 23-25 April 2012.  Subject to the outcome of the Ontario Drainage Tribunal hearing, the provisional by-law will require third and final reading at Council, followed by tendering and construction in late 2012 and 2013.

 

South Cyrville Municipal Drain – A Drainage Engineer was appointed under Section 78 of the Drainage Act to undertake modifications and improvements to the South Cyrville Municipal Drain in Alta Vista Ward in response to a development application by the proponent/landowner.  The draft Engineer’s Report has been completed and submitted to the City and the regulatory agencies for review and the necessary permitting from the Conservation Authority, MNR and DFO.  The Engineer's Report and the provisional by-law are expected to be tabled at ARAC in Q2 of 2012 for the Meeting to Consider the report, followed by tabling at Council for 1st and 2nd reading of the by-law.  Once the matter has received final approval from Council, the drainage works will proceed to construction in Q2 of 2012.  All work associated with this drainage improvement will be assessed to landowner/developer upon completion of the work.

 

Coordination with Stakeholders

 

In addition to the Drainage Act, watercourses are governed by several other federal and provincial acts:

 

 

The Endangered Species Act is the most recently created provincial legislation affecting both the maintenance and construction of drainage works.  City Drainage staff continue to work with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources on the approval process and related requirements under this statute.

 

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Dave Ryan, Drainage Superintendent, Surface Water Management Services, at extension 25106.

 

 

 

 

Dixon Weir, P.Eng.

General Manager

Environmental Services

 

 

cc:     Executive Committee

F. Petti, Manager, Surface Water Management Services