Future of County’s water services outlined in regional master plan

Ahead of the Aug. 27 council meeting which includes the tender of the water treatment plant in Wellington, the County has shared its overall plan to deliver water to residents across the County.

The County’s Regional Water Supply Servicing Master Plan, notice of completion was issued last week, and identifies needs and infrastructure for Picton, Wellington, Rossmore, the villages of Bloomfield, Ameliasburgh, Peats Point, Consecon and Carrying Place. There are currently more than 8,000 people relying on the County for drinking water through 111 kms of watermains.

The plan identifies long-term drinking water service and infrastructure needs for the County’s four water treatment plants and six water distribution systems (which also rely on Belleville and Quinte West for water in Rossmore and Consecon/Carrying Place).

Most notably, it is recommended Picton and Bloomfield connect to a new system in Wellington and the existing Picton plant be decommissioned over a timeframe of five to 10 years.

Two intakes draw water from Picton Bay into the Picton water treatment plant at 28 Spencer St. (constructed in 1928 and upgraded in 1958, with major upgrades in 1994 and 2011). Its expected end of useful lifespan is 2042.

It is noted the intakes are shallow and located in a boat traffic-prone waterway, making them subject to potential contamination. It is also noted Picton Bay is at risk from freight traffic, ferry operation, and shipping terminal storage of road salts. (In 2017, a sinking barge spilled fuel into the bay forcing the closure of the Picton plant for a week).

The Picton drinking water system includes the treatment plant, the Macaulay high-level reservoir and pump station, the Bloomfield elevated tank and 63km of distribution mains, including an approximately 10km long watermain to Bloomfield.

Wellington’s master servicing plan from 2021 noted the current treatment plant at 459 Main St., was built in 1996. An intake pipe in Lake Ontario draws drinking water for treatment and distribution. Water storage facilities includes a reservoir and elevated tank. The water treatment neighbors the site of the wastewater treatment plant.

The plan states the plant is unable to support forecasted growth and the water storage and distribution infrastructure could not handle current volume, pressure and fire flow requirements. The wastewater treatment, the plan stated, would be unable to service the Wellington urban area within the next 10 years and requires capacity and treatment upgrades.

The County states building one regional plant with a transmission line between Wellington and Picton would cost between $4 – $16 million less than building replacement plants in both towns, where the most growth is taking place.

It states between 2025 and 2032, nearly 4,200 housing units are expected to be built in Prince Edward County, with another 4,500 housing units between 2033 and 2043.

The County’s detailed breakdown of planned development.

Of the overall cost of $192.4 million for the regional plan, $41.7 million of that is benefit to existing users (21.7 per cent). The other $150.5 million is eligible to be recouped through regional development charges. Currently, only Wellington has area-specific development charges for water/wastewater costs. A similar cost recovery framework has not yet been applied to Picton but is to be considered in the future.

The County states $16 million of the $41.7 million portion that benefits existing users has been incorporated into the 2021 rate study, meaning that amount will not impact the water rates.

Further, $25.6 million will need to be incorporated into the 2026 rate study. However, if the municipality if successful in its $18.3 million request for grant funding through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, only $7.2 million would have to be incorporated into the water rates when they are set again in 2026, and that would be spread over the new users in Picton this time, not only Wellington, as was the case in the Wellington Area Specific Development Charges Bylaw.

The Regional Water Supply Servicing Master Plan’s recommendation of a regional water plant is to be integrated into the Picton Master Servicing Plan currently under development. It is to go into further detail about the upgrades that will need to take place to existing infrastructure — such as the wastewater treatment plant, pumping stations and force mains, the water distribution network, and collection sewers.

The Regional Water Supply Servicing Master Plan recommended avoiding spending money on expensive upgrades where projected growth is low or non-existent, and instead focus on regular maintenance in Ameliasburgh, Carrying Place/Consecon, and Rossmore/Fenwood Gardens.

The study concludes providing individual private groundwater wells, subject to approval from residents, the ministry and a hydrogeological study. as the alternative at the Peats Point system that just serves 21 residences.

The Master Plan Report detailing the planning process, findings, and recommendations for the study is available for public review on the municipal website until Sept. 13.

Click below for details on the County’s water projects (Wellington trunk watermain and sanitary sewer; Wellington water treatment plant; Wellington wastewater treatment plant; Regional Water Supply Servicing Stragegy; Picton master Servicing Plan and the Wellington water tower).

Water and Wastewater Infrastructure