3.         Orléans Watermain Link

 

                Raccordement des conduites principales d’Orléans

 

 

 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

 

That Council approve the results of the Class Environmental Assessment Study for the Orléans Watermain Link as detailed in Documents 1 and 2 and direct staff to proceed with Notice of Study Completion for a 30-day public review period in accordance with the Ontario Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Schedule "B" process.

 

 

RECOMMANDATION DU COMITÉ

 

Que le Conseil approuve les résultats de l’Étude d’évaluation environnementale de portée générale sur le raccordement des conduites d’eau principales d’Orléans, comme l’indiquent les documents 1 et 2, et de charger le personnel de diffuser un Avis d’achèvement d’étude pour une période d’examen public de 30 jours, conformément au processus d’évaluation environnementale de portée générale de l’Ontario (annexe B).

 

 

 

DOCUMENTATION :

 

1.                  Deputy City Manager, Planning and Infrastructure report dated 25 April 2012 (ACS2012-PAI-PGM-0107);

 

2.         Extract of Draft Minute 3 May 2012, follows the French report.

 

 

Report to/Rapport au :

 

Environment Committee

Comité de l’environnement

 

and Council / et au Conseil

 

25 April 2012 / le 25 avril 2012

 

Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager, Directrice municipale adjointe, Planning and Infrastructure/Urbanisme et Infrastructure

 

Contact Person/Personne-ressource : Richard Kilstrom, Manager/Gestionnaire, Policy Development and Urban Design/Élaboration de la politique et conception urbaine, Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance Élaboration de la politique et conception urbaine

(613) 580-2424 x22653, Richard.Kilstrom@ottawa.ca

 

Rideau-Rockcliffe (13), Beacon Hill- Cyrville (11)  Innes (2) Orléans (1) Capital/Capitale (17) Cumberland (19)

Ref N°: ACS2012-PAI-PGM-0107

 

 

SUBJECT:

Orléans Watermain Link

 

 

OBJET :

Raccordement des conduites principales d’Orléans

 

 

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

 

That the Environment Committee recommend Council approve the results of the Class Environmental Assessment Study for the Orléans Watermain Link as detailed in Documents 1 and 2 and direct staff to proceed with Notice of Study Completion for a 30-day public review period in accordance with the Ontario Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Schedule "B" process.

 

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

 

Que le Comité de l’environnement recommande au Conseil d’approuver les résultats de l’Étude d’évaluation environnementale de portée générale sur le raccordement des conduites d’eau principales d’Orléans, comme l’indiquent les documents 1 et 2, et de charger le personnel de diffuser un Avis d’achèvement d’étude pour une période d’examen public de 30 jours, conformément au processus d’évaluation environnementale de portée générale de l’Ontario (annexe B).

 

BACKGROUND

 

The Orléans Watermain Link (OWL) was originally identified in the 1997 Water Master Plan (RMOC) and the need for this watermain was reaffirmed in the 2003 and 2009 Infrastructure Master Plans (IMP).  The purpose of this link is twofold:

 

·         To increase the reliability of the water supply to the East Urban Community (EUC); and

·         To augment water transmission capacity to EUC in order to meet the needs of future urban development.

 

The project was originally planned for implementation between 2017 and 2021.  However, the timing of the project was re-evaluated as part of the 2009 IMP, and it was recommended that the project be constructed to provide greater reliability to the EUC sooner.

 

The overall OWL project will complete a reliable and continuous secondary water supply route to the EUC.

 

The schedule for implementing the OWL has two main drivers: it is needed in order to allow for the construction of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit (OLRT) project in coordination with the widening of Highway 417 (Nicholas to the Split); and it is required to increase the reliability of water service to the City’s East Urban Community to mitigate supply risks.

 

Water is currently supplied to the EUC through a primary transmission main that runs roughly along Highway 417, Highway 174, and St. Joseph Boulevard.  There is also a secondary transmission main that runs parallel to the primary transmission main between the Rideau River and St. Laurent Boulevard.  Following the most recent IMP update, work has been completed to assess related water supply risks along the section between the Rideau River and Blair Road. A key risk that was indentified through this process was that this secondary main needs to be moved before OLRT construction. The proposed OWL will ensure that a continuous flow of water to the EUC is maintained throughout and following the LRT construction period without interruption.

 

It is noted that a separate Environmental Assessment (EA) is being initiated on the relocation existing transmission main between Lees Avenue and the Hurdman Pumping Station (located between the Rideau River and Vanier Parkway).  The need for this separate EA is also driven by the widening of the 417 bridge over the Rideau River, however, this project’s scope remains distinct from the Orléans Watermain Link EA study.

 

Increasingly, maintaining the quality and reliability of municipal water systems is a significant challenge for all communities, and Ottawa is no different.  For decades, a large water storage reservoir in Orléans has provided for some level of redundant and back-up water supply to the area.  However, with expanding suburban growth, this level of redundancy is no longer sufficient to provide an acceptable level of service in the event of an extended transmission failure, and thus, a secondary transmission main must be extended through the Eastern Greenbelt and into the Orléans area. In Ottawa, the East Urban Community will be the last area to have this level of redundancy constructed into the system as secondary transmission mains have already been constructed to the south and west urban areas. The OWL will also be sufficient to allow the City to accommodate future growth without the need to install another transmission main.

 

 

DISCUSSION

 

A Schedule B Class Environmental Assessment and Functional Design have been completed for the OWL.  A wide range of conceptual alternatives were considered, including various routes both north and south of Highways 417 and 174.  A formal screening and evaluation process was followed, and a preferred alternative was identified.

 

The preferred alternative (Document 2) includes two components:

 

·         West Link – A new major watermain will extend north from near Highway 417, in the vicinity of North River Road, cross RCMP property to the Vanier Parkway, and then follow Coventry Road east to Saint Laurent Boulevard.  The North River Road segment will replace an existing main in the same alignment; and

 

·         East Link – A new major watermain will extend east from Ogilvie Road at Blair Road to Montreal Road, and then follow the northern edge of the Highway 174 corridor into Orléans, via Youville Drive.

 

The proposed alignment intersects the National Capital Commission (NCC) Greenbelt in the vicinity of Highway 174, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) property on the Vanier Parkway, and the Hydro One property on Youville Drive. The RCMP property is owned by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).  Discussions with these agencies are on-going, but formal approvals have yet to be secured.  The design and approvals process may result in some adjustments to the proposed alignment.

 

Design of both the East and West Links will be carried out in 2012 and 2013.  Construction of both links is expected to begin in 2013.  Two short segments of the project are not considered to be necessary in the short term, and are expected to be deferred for several years.  This includes the North River Road segment, and a proposed interconnection between the OWL and the existing main transmission line at Shefford Road.

 

The cost for the new OWL (East and West Links) is estimated at $49 million.  Because this new link is being installed along an existing corridor, there is an opportunity to integrate other infrastructure needs as part of the construction.  This is mainly the case for the West Link where Coventry Road will be reconstructed to address existing road, watermain and sewer needs.  The integrated needs for the East Link are not anticipated to be significant.  In total, the overall updated integrated project cost is estimated at $75M, which will be further refined through the design process later this year.

 

Funding for the East and West links are identified in the 2012 Capital Budget under accounts 901141 (East) and 906635 (West).  The total amount previously identified in the 2012 Capital Budget for 2012-2015 to fund the overall integrated project was $50M ($15M for the East link and $35M for the West link).  The $25 million balance, to be refined through the detailed design process, will be funded through WIP closures, bulk allocations, the reallocation of priorities, project phasing, debt financing, or a combination thereof.

 

The reasons for the rise in the estimate for this project are multiple and relate to project-specific challenges, including increases to the project’s scope, and construction industry specific rapid inflation. Further, the original estimate was a high-level planning estimate based on simple cost per metre calculations that did not benefit from a project specific Environmental Assessment study or subsequent functional design work.

 

For example, the functional design work that was done as part of the EA process uncovered the need for two additional watermain segments, both of which involve tunnelled highway crossings, and difficult connections to the existing transmission system that were not previously anticipated .  One of these segments will interconnect the OWL to the primary transmission main at Shefford Road.  The other segment will interconnect the two mains via Youville Drive and an easement through Hydro One property. While these additional watermain segments are critical to ensure operational performance, they have also added roughly $7 million to the cost of the project.  Furthermore, design work also identified enhancements that were needed to cross Green’s Creek Valley that would limit impacts on the Eastern Greenbelt and to better ensure NCC approvals for the project.  The cost of the creek crossing is expected to be high because of some geotechnical conditions and the manner in which the creek bends near the highway.  In total, these enhancements added roughly another $7 million to the estimate for the project.

 

Another reason for the rise in the estimate for this project is the rapidly increasing cost of delivering these types of infrastructure projects. For the last few years, the construction price index has been roughly 3.5 per cent per annum, but costs associated with this type of project have been rising faster than that. These factors affect engineering, materials and construction costs.  Furthermore, additional construction contingency has been added to the overall project estimate due to additional project challenges such as a major trunk gas main crossing near the eastern edge of the Greenbelt. 

 

 

In order to mitigate these estimated cost increases, a value engineering review will be conducted as part of the detailed design process in order to see if there are options to deliver these key pieces of water infrastructure at a reduced cost.

 

The study documentation is provided in the April 2012 OWL Environmental Assessment Study by Delcan Corporation (Document 1).

 

 

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no rural implications associated with this report.

 

 

CONSULTATION

 

Consultation included the following components:

 

 

COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLORS

 

Councillors of affected Wards (1, 2, 11, 13, 17, 19) are aware of the project.

 

 

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no legal impediments to implementing the recommendation in this report.  Once the Notice of Completion is published, the Study Report will be subject to a 30‑day review period during which individuals may raise concerns and request a Part II Order be issued by the Minister of Environment to elevate the status of the project.

 

 

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

 

The project will substantially reduce the risk of water supply interruptions and/or water restrictions in the East Urban Community.  The West Link of the project is also needed to address risks posed by the construction of the OLRT project and the widening of Highway 417.

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

As indicated in this report, the revised estimated cost for this project is $75 million. A total of $50 million for the project has been included in the City’s capital planning forecast (under two projects:  901141 Orléans Transmission Main; and 906635 Hurdman-St. Laurent Watermain Relocation).  The $25 million balance, to be refined through the detailed design process, will be funded through WIP closures, bulk allocations, the reallocation of priorities, project phasing, debt financing, or a combination thereof. Project estimates will be updated for the 2013 budget process and any required additional capital authority and funding sources will be brought forward for Council consideration at that time.

 

 

ACCESSIBILITY IMPACT

 

The project has no accessibility impacts.

 

 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

 

The project has been subject to a Schedule B Class Environmental Assessment.  Environmental impacts are expected to be limited, and mitigation measures have been identified.  The OWL will cross the NCC Greenbelt immediately adjacent to Regional Road 174, and thus will not have a significant impact on these lands.

 

 

TECHNOLOGY IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no direct technical implications associated with this report.

 

 

TERM OF COUNCIL PRIORITIES

 

The project is consistent with the long term sustainability goals for water and wastewater services.  The project will improve operational performance and reliability of service to residents and businesses, and will be a key component to achieving service excellence.

 

 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

 

Document 1        Orléans Watermain Link Environmental Assessment Study (distributed separately and filed with the City Clerk)

Document 2        Orléans Watermain Link Preferred Alternative


 

DISPOSITION

 

Following Committee and Council approval, the OWL Environmental Assessment Study report (Document 1), which describes the entire environmental assessment process and study recommendations will be made available to the public for a 30-day review period. The public will be notified through the posting of a ‘Notice of Study Completion’ appearing in local daily newspapers and the City’s website for this project. Additionally, the Notice will be forwarded to the Study’s mailing list.

 

ORLEANS WATERMAIN LINK                                                                         DOCUMENT 2

PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE