Good water

Wellington has exceptional water. Literally. The intake pipe extends about a kilometre into Lake Ontario. The source is clean and the supply is bounded only by the capacity of the great lake. Our water requires little treatment compared with other sources, and our system can deliver vastly more volumes of fresh, clean water than our village could ever consume. It is why any discussion of waterworks in Prince Edward County, begins and ends at this pipe.

These basic set of facts were understood more than three decades ago, when leaders from Brighton, Trenton, Belleville, and the County contemplated a regional water supply plant centred in Wellington. They calculated that the additional cost of pipes to these communities would be offset by the exceptional quality of the water—demanding less treatment and system maintenance. But a lack of political will and likely timid financial planners scuttled those plans.

Their legacy is a hodge-podge of waterworks— drawing from six different sources in the County alone. It is eye-wateringly expensive to operate and maintain. And when the province ratchets up compliance or performance standards, that means a list of new expenses, multiplied by six. It is a bad arrangement made worse by one fantastically uneconomic system (Peat’s Point, though Ameliasburgh is not far behind) and another obscenely usurious water purchase agreement (from Belleville serving Rossmore and Fenwood Gardens).

All this to say that any talk about Wellington waterworks necessarily involves consideration of the region.

Wellington is currently the subject of a servicing plan being prepared by the consultancy R.V. Anderson. The primary purpose is to outline a plan to expand the water and waste water system necessary to accommodate new development in the village. Pressure is already low on the extremities of the system. It turns out the existing water tower is simply too short to provide the jet blast folks in Wellington on the Lake seek. This is why the existing water tower, as iconic as it is, will disappear from Wellington’s horizon one day. To be remembered on T-shirts and Marjorie Wiltse photos.

System capacity will also be a challenge (both treatment and delivery) if, or when, all the homes on the drawing board, suddenly turn on their taps.

This is why we need a plan.

Rika Law is the consultant leading the Wellington planning project. “You are privileged to have such a great water source,” said Law, setting the table for our discussion and underlining the strength of this asset. Law explained that water plants, wastewater treatment and the distribution networks (that deliver and take away water and waste) are really expensive. And as such, communities only want to do it once every 50 or 60 years.

So, scaling is key. To do this, you need keen predictive skills. Aim too high and consumers pay needlessly for a system they will never fully use. Aim too low and you risk replacing it sooner than anticipated, at much higher costs. Since this speculation extends to assessing the pipes snaking under our village, the stakes are raised even higher.

It is essential, therefore, that we plan in phases and with plants and networks that can expand as demand arises. Build it as they come—rather than assuming they do. Yet some basic footprints are unavoidable.

For example, a new water treatment structure will be needed in the near- to mid-term future to augment the existing system in Wellington. It makes sense to oversize the building to allow for modular expansion of the plant equipment as the need grows. There will be some base costs in foundation and framing, but treatment capacity will be added in components only as needed.

This is where we get back to the regional opportunity. Picton has a poor water supply. The source, Picton Bay, is shallow and the intake lies below a busy waterway. It is subject to contamination from a variety of sources. For several weeks in 2017, Picton residents’ water was trucked in because a sinking barge spilled fuel into the bay.

So, we have to look at the implications (costs and engineering) of a regional water supply plant in Wellington. To serve Picton. Perhaps Consecon, Ameliasburgh, Rossmore, and Fenwood Gardens too.

Planning is cheap compared to the blunders that can cost consumers for decades. The County, along with R.V. Anderson, will hold another public information meeting this fall, to deliver a plan by the end of the year.

This plan has critical implications for waterworks consumers, builders, developers and businesses. But it goes far beyond these constituents. Getting waterworks planning right is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It will shape our community, and indeed the County, for decades to come.

Consider the role you might play in understanding and promoting a plan that will endure beyond the remainder of our lifetimes.

rick@wellingtontimes.ca

To download the consultant’s current slide deck go to the County website at pecounty.on.ca and search for Wellington Master Servicing Plan.