Project Description:

The purpose of this project is to investigate opportunities for innovative storm solutions and new creative approaches, technologies, and strategies implemented to manage and mitigate the impacts of storms and heavy rainfall. These solutions are designed to address challenges such as flooding, erosion, water quality degradation, and infrastructure damage caused by storms.

Recognizing that the City’s annual capital budget is limited and the recommended solution of constructing over 4km of new storm sewers within the Focus Area would have a considerable capital cost, the City will investigate the feasibility of alternative stormwater management solutions in the area.

Some examples of innovative storm solutions include:

1. Green infrastructure: implementing nature-based solutions such as green roofs, rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable pavements to manage stormwater runoff and promote infiltration, reducing the burden on traditional drainage systems.

2. Detention and retention basins: constructing engineering basins to capture and temporarily store stormwater, reducing the peak flow and attenuating the volume of water entering the drainage sytem.

3. Stormwater harvesting and reuse: collecting and treating stormwater for beneficial uses such as irrigation, toilet flushing, or groundwater recharge, reducing the demand on potable water sources.

Background:

The Omer Area Inflow and Infiltration Reduction Program Final Report (Associated Engineering, 2014), as well as the previously completed Storm Sewer System Infrastructure Needs Study Final Report (Associated Engineering, 2015) recognized the need for reduction in inflow and infiltration within this area of the wastewater collection system to reduce wastewater treatment costs, basement flooding and overflows to the natural environment and costs associated with capital expansion of the system.

During the assignment, a supplemental Storm Drainage Investigation was completed in the vicinity of Steele Street and Borden Avenue, referred to as the ‘Focus Area’, which identified several constraints, including:

• Many residential lots do not have adequate grade to provide positive surface drainage, making it difficult to redirect foundation drains/sump pumps from the wastewater system to the surface without causing surface flooding on adjacent properties; and
• The existing storm sewer system in the Focus Area, a network of non‐designed drainage tiles and culverts, is in poor condition, and therefor does not support a sump pump disconnection program or have a suitable drainage outlet.

Recommendations made, based on the Storm Drainage Investigation, indicated the City must address the condition of the storm sewer system in order to provide adequate long‐term storm drainage and to support sump pump disconnection. It was recommended that this be achieved through the implementation of new storm sewers and outlet within the Focus Area. The City’s Storm Sewer System Infrastructure Needs Study further reinforced this recommendation of replacing the existing drainage tile system with designed storm sewers and redirecting the outlet.

External Support:

Associated Engineering has provided professional engineering consulting services to the municipalities within the Niagara Region, including the City of Port Colborne, for over 25 years. The firm consist of multi‐discipline team of engineers, planners, environmental scientists, and technologists, providing services in the infrastructure, structural, transportation, environmental, water and asset management sectors. With offices located in Niagara‐on‐the‐Lake, Kitchener, and Markham, Associated Engineering has over 130 staff comprised of engineers, technologists, and technicians to provide professional services that ensure projects are completed effectively and efficiently.

Approved Budget:

Total Approved Budget: $150,000

• City Funding: $69,900
• Niagara Region Combined Sewer Overflow Control Program: $80,100

Grants:

The City of Port Colborne and the Niagara Region are working together to reduce the amount of inflow and infiltration entering the sanitary system through the Combined Sewer Overflow Control Program.

The cost-sharing program funds municipal projects to target inflow and infiltration reduction, which helps to reduce basement flooding, overflows to the environment and alleviates system capacity. Some examples of municipal projects funded through the program include:

• Studies: Targeted investigative work is completed on the sanitary system to assess the condition of infrastructure and to identify sources of inflow and infiltration. Flow monitoring is an example of an important study used to narrow down the location of possible high inflow and infiltration locations.
• Sewer separation projects: Combined systems are separated by the installation of new storm sewers
• Overflow storage tanks: Large underground tanks are used to store excess wastewater during heavy rain or snowmelt events. Once the wet weather event is over and capacity in the system is restored, the wastewater is pumped back into the pipes and transported to wastewater treatment plants to be treated.

Estimated Completion:

April 2024