Review Process 1 Consultation With Staff 1 Introduction 1. Analysis 2 Budget 2. General Public Works 3. Fleet Management 6

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2 Table of Contents Executive Summary Summary of Recommendations Review Process 1 Consultation With Staff 1 Introduction 1 Analysis 2 Budget 2 General 3 Fleet Management 6 Work Management and Administration 7 Training & Development 9 Maintenance Management System 9 Water/Wastewater 12 MPMP Wastewater 14 MPMP Water 22 MPMP Stormwater 28 Water/Sewer Rates 30 Solid Waste Collection/Disposal & Recycling 37 General Trends & Observations 39 Program Analysis 40 Solid Waste Collection 42 Recycling 44 Recycling & Waste Collection 48 Disposal 49 Total Waste Collection, Disposal and Recycling 51 Public Works Transit Services Page 81

3 Roads 53 Regulatory Compliance 54 MPMP 54 Ontario Traffic Manual & Occupational Health & Safety Act 55 Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways 55 Employment Standards Act 56 Env. Canada's Code of Practice - Road Salts 57 Performance Measurement 57 Winter Road Services 58 Winter Weather & Storms 60 Spread Rates 60 Route Optimization 61 Winter Reserve Fund 62 Facilities Management 64 Strategic Real Estate & Facility Planning 64 Preventative Maintenance 65 Staff Training 66 Management Reporting 66 Operating Standards & Procedures 67 Reserve Planning & Chargeback 68 Additional Information Technology Requirements 73 Public Works Transit Services Page 82

4 Executive Summary The following programs are included in the section of the report: Water/Wastewater Roads Solid waste Disposal and Collection also provide fleet and building management services across the Corporation and these services are also included in this section of the report. The objectives of each program should be defined and service standards established for each program objective. Service standards are necessary for the purposes of budgeting, work planning and performance evaluation. Performance measurement indicators should also be set for each program. The department should establish a consolidated administrative section providing integrated management system services to each of the operating programs. The management system services should include financial management systems, a work management and scheduling system, a customer service system, inventory management and service assurance. Changing workloads and tasks in the department and an increasing role of advanced technology will lead to increased training requirements which should be supported by the City. Water/Wastewater The City is currently in the process of undertaking a detailed operating review of the water/wastewater operations, a comparison of other municipalities that have similar characteristics as Timmins using the 2003 Municipal Performance Measurement Program administered by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. These performance measures include efficiency and effectiveness measures. The results of the comparison show a low level of spending for wastewater, however, efficiency measures for sewer back-ups and wastewater by-passed are higher in Timmins than most other municipalities which may indicate inadequate expenditure to ensure effective operations. Operating costs for drinking water are higher than the survey average. The causes for these higher than average measures should be investigated further as part of the detailed operational review. Page 75

5 Water and sewer rates in Timmins are the lowest of all the municipalities in the survey. Also, Timmins was the only municipality in the survey to have a flat rate structure, all the other municipalities in the survey are metered. Timmins should set rate structure objectives and devise a rate structure to meet the objectives. Waste Collection/Disposal and Recycling Timmins had the lowest collection costs on a per capita basis of all municipalities surveyed even though it allows the highest limit on containers. The majority of municipalities set a limit of 2-3 containers and Timmins allows 4 containers and no limit on commercial pick-up. The costs in Timmins are expected to increase with the increase service implemented in 2004 as a weekly collection in winter and spring cleanup. Timmins is the only municipality in the survey that does not have weigh scales at its disposal site. The percentage of solid waste recycled was estimated at 17.5%, amongst the lowest in the survey. The cost of recycling is low in Timmins however, that is attributed to the low amount being recycled compared to the other municipalities. The City of Timmins has very little disposal revenues. As a result, even though the gross disposal costs per capita are only slightly above the average compared with the other municipalities, the net expenditures per capita are the highest in the survey, three times the survey average. As a result, the combined solid waste collection, recycling and disposal costs in Timmins were amongst the highest in the survey. There are opportunities to increase recycling by imposing further limits on the number of containers, reviewing commercial collection options and charging disposal fees. Roads The cost of maintaining roads per lane kilometre was compared with a number of other municipalities. The cost in Timmins is slightly below the survey average, however, a recent roads needs study indicated 44.9% of the roads need immediate attention. The winter control costs per lane kilometre is amongst the highest in the survey. A winter operations plan should be developed to identify maintenance practices and made available to customer service representatives, related staff, and Council and on the web site. There are no clearly articulated service standards to guide winter operations and these should also be prepared. Page 76

6 Winter conditions and therefore costs fluctuate from year to year, therefore in order to avoid fluctuations in the budget, a winter reserve fund should be established and surpluses or deficits in winter operations should be transferred to or from the reserve. There are opportunities for savings in the winter operations by rationalizing routes, yards, fleet and staff. Facilities Timmins does not have a facilities/asset management and/or real estate plan. The implementation of such a plan would enable management to implement a proactive rather than reactive approach to facility management decision-making. There is also a need to establish a preventative maintenance programs for each facility. Additional staff training should also be provided to ensure staff perform their functions responsibly, efficiently and effectively. In order for users to be accountable for their space needs, the cost of delivering facilities management should be allocated to program users. There is no property specific reserve fund for capital replacements. The facilities are aging and the need to plan properly is becoming increasingly more critical. The implementation of a building assessment, preventative maintenance and reserve fund planning program should be explored sooner rather than later. Page 77

7 Summary of Recommendations General Recommendations That a Policy Manual be developed incorporating all Program Service Standards and Corporate Policies. These policies should be developed in the context of outcomes, provincial minimum standards, and the scope of service expected by the public. Departmental practices should be formalized within each program area. Fleet Management Recommendations That Asset Reserve Funds for Fleet be based on sound economic principles. That the vehicle equipment rental rates be updated and include all related expenses including preventative maintenance and replacement of the asset based on its useful life. That the City establish 10 year rolling Capital Replacement Plans for Fleet. Works Management and Administration Recommendations That a program of staff training that fosters pride in workmanship, improves morale, supports the strategic competition program, encourages innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit in staff, and reduces risk and liability be instituted. That the City investigate the costs and feasibility of introducing a single corporate wide work management system. A phased approach is recommended for reasons of affordability and to ease the update of the technology in the corporation. Water/Wastewater Recommendations That the reason for the high number of sewer back-ups and potential solutions be established as part of the detailed operational review of the water/sewer operations. That the detailed operation review investigate the reasons for by-passes at the Whitney Plant and identify potential solutions to rectify sewer by-passes at the Whitney Plant. Public Works Transit Services Page 78

8 That a water/sanitary rate study be conducted in Timmins to include the following steps: Identifying Rate Structure Objectives Comparing Existing Costs in Timmins to Other Municipalities Identifying Revenue Requirements For Each Service Allocating Costs Calculating Unit Costs Designing Rate Structure Options Assessing The Effectiveness Of Addressing Objectives Assessing The Impact On Each Class Making Recommendations for Future Consideration That the City of Timmins develop performance measurement indicators as recommended by the American Water Works Association and report to Council the actual performance against the indicators at least annually. Solid Waste Collection, Disposal and Recycling Recommendations That Timmins review it s recycling programs with the objective of increasing the percentage of solid waste diverted for recycling. That the City of Timmins install weigh scales at its disposal site and institute tipping fees to offset the costs of disposal. This could increase revenue by up to $1.3 million a year. That the City of Timmins review the number of containers. Roads Recommendations That performance measures be developed and ongoing benchmarking be established as part of a quality management and assurance approach to the delivery of roads services. That Timmins publish an annual Consolidated Winter Road Control Plan. Public Works Transit Services Page 79

9 That a Winter Reserve Fund be established. That a route optimization program be carried out to maximize the efficient delivery of service through optimization of equipment and staff and provide a standardized level of service throughout the City. That a yard rationalization program to reduce duplication, support the route optimization and support cost reductions be conducted. That a staff complement rationalization to improve prioritization of staff utilization, reduce duplication and reduce labour costs be carried out. That a fleet rationalization study to support the staff rationalization, support the service delivery models and provide economies of scale be conducted. Facility Management Recommendations That operations manuals for the facilities function be updated which specify the policies, procedures, task lists and duties. That an energy management program be developed to identify energy use/cost by property. That an appropriate preventative maintenance program be developed for each facility to ensure that facility management services are provided at a level sufficient to reduce equipment breakdown and service interruptions. That additional training for staff be provided to ensure that onsite staff can effectively perform routine maintenance and operations functions responsibly, efficiently and effectively. That the cost of delivering facilities management be allocated to program users. That a property specific reserve funding program be established for capital replacements. That a space/furniture standards program be established and implemented. That the purchase of furniture and equipment to save costs and ensure conformity to standards be coordinated. That additional computer training be provided to staff in to ensure that software is used efficiently and effectively. Public Works Transit Services Page 80

10 Review Process Consultation With Staff Discussions were held with the Director, Manager and Supervisors of each area to review: Policies, procedures and practices Compliance with legislation/regulations Management of the department Staffing needs, roles and responsibilities Number of yards, workforce Organizational structure Performance management Major projects and priorities Current and Capital Budgets Introduction The portfolio includes: Engineering Water, Wastewater, Sewer Operations Waste Collection, Recycling and Disposal Roads and Winter Maintenance Facility Management Fleet Management Transit Operation (a separate report was prepared on Transit) Page 1

11 Budgets The following provides a summary of the Budgets (Excluding Transit). Budget Report By Function Account 2002 Values 2003 Budget Values 2003 Actuals 2004 Budget Values Solid Waste $ 1,012,064 $ 1,520,700 $ 1,266,807 $ 1,400,100 Storm $ 25,932 $ 101,400 $ 72,999 $ 103,000 Sanitary $ 402,410 $ - $ (74,316) $ 310,375 Water $ 1,205,786 $ 386,816 $ 1,158,338 $ 5,307,480 Roads $ 12,212,913 $ 10,865,300 $ 11,436,918 $ 11,669,462 Total Net Expenditures $ 14,859,105 $ 12,874,216 $ 13,860,746 $ 18,790,417 The next section of the report provides an overview of each division within the portfolio. Page 2

12 General Standards Policies and Practices Service Standards The guiding policy for service organizations are its service standards. The outputs of an organization are its programs. For this section there are four primary programs. Service standards should be established on the objective of each program Road Services Water Services Waste Water Services Solid Waste Services The objectives of each program area should be defined in terms understood and appreciated by the users of that service. Service standards should then be established and the standards should not specify the activity (operations) required to be undertaken by the City but how the objective will be achieved. Examples of Service Standards Service Standards can articulate limits for accumulation of Snow on Municipal Right of Ways. The City has a practice of removing snow along the frontage of all streets as a common service to the public without identifying the relative hazards that the stored snow presents in accordance with minimum service standards as established by the Ministry. This generates considerable expense with no increase in safety. The objective is to manage and assure public safety and efficient transportation and at the same time control cost for this service. The best practice is to identify those areas where snow stored beyond a certain height or encroachment must be removed. Page 3

13 For Example: Snow Accumulation on ROW Accumulated Snow on public ROW may present a hazard to vehicles and pedestrians. Under the following criteria the accumulated snow will be removed to less than the limiting dimensions within 7 days of exceeding these limits. 1. Travelled lanes will maintain a surface width of no less than 3 m on any municipal road, as encumbered by snow banks. Laneways, and gravel surfaced roads that are less than two full lanes normally will require only a single 3 m clearance, with consideration for passing zones of 6m minimum width. 2. Snow banks, snow drifts, or snow piles interfering with lines of sight at intersections of one street with another, or in the case of the CBD with streets and winter maintained sidewalks, will be removed - To within 1 metre vertically; - Within 5 metres of the point of intersection with class 4-6 roads, or - Within 15 metres of the point of intersect ion with class 1-3 roads. 3. Removal of accumulations of snow interfering with sight lines at intersections of private entrances with winter maintained sidewalks or roads are the responsibility of the users. 4. Where unacceptable snow accumulations occur on public ROWs due to private operations not otherwise under the direction of the City such encroachment will be required to be removed upon direction being given by the City. Page 4

14 In the case of water, wastewater and road services the Province has established minimum service standards. These de facto policies govern the public expectations of the relevant services. It is appropriate and reasonable for the City to also determine the service levels it seeks to aspire to for purposes of budgeting, work planning and evaluation. Design standards exist Design Standards: The Engineering Division maintains a current and complete set of design standards for all the related assets. These Standards have regard for best practices and provincially recognized practice in design known as the Ontario Provincial Standards. These standards have been recently updated and the department is well served by following professional design standards. Corporate Policy: Appropriate corporate policies are also required. Corporate policy would include matters governing all programs of the City, for example regarding customer service, employee conduct, use of corporate resources by employees. Miscellaneous corporate policy would also address unique and specific situations, For example; public access to materials purchased by the city, landscaping encroachments onto the road allowance, drainage tiles in its ditches, storage of snow from private property on the road allowance. Practices: In the absence of service standards, the formally recognized practices (often called maintenance standards) are poor substitutes. It is not recommended that maintenance practice be adopted as policy by Council but given as directives by senior management. Such practices are adjusted as improvements are identified. In some cases municipalities will make it a matter of policy to adopt the relevant practices articulated in the national INFRAGUIDE. The federal government has sponsored an initiative to identify best practice on the subject of infrastructure through the ongoing project entitled the National Guide to Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure. Several best practices are now available through their web site Page 5

15 Each municipal service area in Ontario is contributing best practices to a unique collection of practices in the library of the Ontario Centre For Municipal Best Practice (OCMBP). Municipalities reporting exceptional performance in the related MPMP are sought out as to the practices which enable the top performance in their class. See At this time practices are posted covering roads, water, transit and solid waste programs. Recommendations A policy manual should be developed incorporating all program service standards and corporate policies That a Policy Manual be developed incorporating all Program Service Standards and Corporate Policies. These policies should be developed in the context of outcomes, provincial minimum standards, and the scope of service expected by the public. Departmental practices should be formalized within each program area. Fleet Management The charge out rate for fleet should be updated, utilizes over 150 pieces of equipment, with transit another 24. This list represents an investment of over $20 million, with an annual depreciation in the order of $2 million. Currently vehicles are assessed for replacement as required on an annual basis. Commonly, fleets are sustained at a far less than optimum condition, to avoid debt, or capital costs, yet operating costs go through the roof and could easily service the debt incurred to revitalize the essential fleet. There is limited multi-year forecasting being done to project the timing of future fleet purchases beyond the current budget period. The rate of depreciation of the assets is greater that the rate of renewal. This results in an unfunded liability, outdated and ineffective equipment with escalating operating costs. Page 6

16 Vehicle rental rates are not current and therefore do not provide for full operating costs including depreciation The City currently draws a rental equivalent for its fleet from the operating budgets. These rates are not current, and also do not include the full cost of operating, maintenance, depreciation, storage, and borrowing. Program activities which utilize City equipment should adjust to the new rates. Recommendations That Asset Reserve Funds for Fleet be based on sound economic principles. That the vehicle equipment rental rates be updated and include all related expenses including preventative maintenance and replacement of the asset based on its useful life. That the City establish 10 year rolling Capital Replacement Plans for Fleet. Work Management and Administration Customer Service Record Keeping Management systems (see 6 defined below) Communications Administrative assistance Inventory Parts Operating Contracts (Capital contracts managed by respective managers in the Engineering Division) This Administrative section of the department should have responsibility for: Page 7

17 Management Systems should include: 1. A financial management system which tracks all expenses, revenues, and payroll related information. 2. A work management system to plan and report the who, when, where, what, of the activities and sub activities of each service area. 3. A customer service system tracks all service requests, and unplanned work. All work undertaken as a result of a customer service request, if not addressed by scheduled and planned work, should be charged to the unplanned work activity of the relevant service area. A best practice in this regard has been employed in Chatham-Kent which purchased a system to track the responsiveness and efficiency of service delivery received from the public. As a result, average response time declined in 2004 by 70% over Resolution time to citizen requests also declined by 43%. Supplementary to this is a proactive web based service for the public to view road condition (winter) maps, construction closures, Maintenance equipment locations (garbage trucks, plows etc.). 4. An inventory management system manages the purchase and dispensation of all recognized inventory items. 5. A service assurance system recording the condition of assets and services in compliance with provincial and municipal standards. Inspection (or patrol) is a service which provides quality assurance of all deliverables of the department. This work is not to be confused with supervisory work. It must be planned and delivered by qualified persons, with complete recording methods. 6. Optional, yet valuable, is a real time location and alert system for the primary fleet of the municipality and remote alarms for critical functions. Bridge deck freezing, building entry, high levels, spreader operations, etc. can be monitored by remote wireless technologies. Recommendations That the department establish a consolidated administration section providing integrated management system services. Page 8

18 Training and Development Changing workloads, tasks and the increasing role of advanced technology will lead to increased staff training requirements Changing workloads and tasks, and the increasing role of advanced technology will lead to increased staff training requirements. It is necessary for the City to support staff as they go through this process by providing enhanced training. In house training of support staff within the Department should provide an enhanced departmental health and safety program which will increase due diligence, risk management. This program will include yearly safety audits. Recommendations That a program of staff training that fosters pride in workmanship, improves morale, supports the strategic competition program, encourages innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit in staff, and reduces risk and liability be instituted. Maintenance Management System An integrated maintenance management system will provide support and background information for the decision making process Developing an integrated maintenance management system is critical to the support of activity based costing, budgeting, benchmarking, best practices, communications and customer service. The integrated maintenance management system will provide support and background information for the decision making process. The maintenance management system will have to integrate with all existing management systems, such as people soft, asset management, etc. Page 9

19 Best Practice: The concept of individual work groups reporting in separate formats is a dated concept. Corporate wide integrated work management software will address many of the issues the City will need to address over the next few years. It is now possible to manage and format all work regardless of what department is involved. It permits a streamlining of the data entry systems related to work in that the timesheet data can drive other programs seamlessly for payroll, GL, inventory relief, project management and send data to other groups within the City updating costing on improvements to specific asset. More importantly, work management systems are now capable of tracking the work being performed and can electronically provide updates or completion data to the residents who have requested the work. The ability to track request status and provide customer service performance summaries has become an important component of the service delivery and essential for good public relations within the community at large. Page 10

20 The work management system can provide the following data: Daily, year-to-date, and project costing Unit cost by specified performance measure Customer Service Tracking and Work Integration Work Order generation Payroll G.L. Inventory Control Integration to PMS ( Fleet) Real time Rental Rate Calculation ( Fleet) Equipment Management Performance Reporting Budget Optimization There is no linkage between the work provided and the customer s request for service Current Status: There is one maintenance management software program currently in use in Timmins and it is in the Fleet section. The software system is not as effective as it should be because of it s age and the City has been told that the software will no longer be supported by its supplier after this year. Also there is no linkage between the work provided and the customer s request for service. Recommendations That the City investigate the costs and feasibility of introducing a single corporate wide work management system. A phased approach is recommended for reasons of affordability and to ease the update of the technology in the corporation. Page 11

21 Water/Wastewater The, Engineering & Transportation Department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Sewage Plants, Water Filtration Plant, Pumping Stations, lagoon, water wells and the maintenance and repair of sanitary sewer, storm sewer, watermains, hydrants, valves and water service connections to the property line. The Walkerton crisis of 2000 highlighted the public health risks related to the management of water and wastewater systems. Provincial studies indicate that very large capital investments in water and wastewater infrastructure are required and will continue to be required for a considerable period of time. Since 1999, the City of Timmins along with all Ontario Municipalities have been participating in the Municipal Performance Measurement Program (MPMP). The objective of the program is to Provide taxpayers with useful information on service delivery and municipalities with a tool to improve those services over time. 1 The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing administers the program. Table 1 on the following page presents the performance measures collected as part of the MPMP program regarding wastewater collection and treatment, drinking water distribution and treatment, stormwater and solid waste management. 1 Page 12

22 Summary of Wastewater, Drinking Water and Stormwater performance Measures 2002 Reporting Year 2 Service Area Objective Type of Measure Measure Efficient municipal wastewater collection Efficiency services Efficient municipal wastewater treatment Efficiency and disposal services Efficient municipal wastewater system Efficiency (Integrated System) Municipal sewage management practices Effectiveness prevent environmental and human health hazards Municipal sewage management practices Effectiveness prevent environmental and human health hazards Wastewater (Sanitary and Combined Sewage) Wastewater collection Wastewater treatment and disposal Wastewater collection, treatment and disposal (Integrated System) Wastewater main backups Wastewater by-passes treatment Storm Water Urban storm water management Rural storm water management Drinking Water: Water Treatment Water Distribution Water treatment and distribution (Integrated System) Boil water advisories Water main breaks Solid Waste Garbage Collection Solid Waste Garbage Disposal Solid Waste Diversion Solid Waste Management Efficient urban storm water management Efficient urban storm water management Efficient municipal water treatment services Efficient municipal water distribution services Efficient municipal water system (Integrated System) Water is safe and meets local needs Improve system reliability Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Effectiveness Effectiveness Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Effectiveness Effectiveness Effectiveness Effectiveness Effectiveness Effectiveness 2 Operating costs for the collection of wastewater per kilometre of wastewater main. Operating costs for the treatment and disposal of wastewater per megalitre. Operating costs for the collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater per megalitre (Integrated System). Number of wastewater main backups per 100 kilometres of wastewater main in a year. Percentage of wastewater estimated to have bypassed treatment. Operating costs for urban storm water management (collection, treatment, disposal) per kilometre or drainage system. Operating costs for rural storm water management (collection, treatment and disposal) per kilometre of drainage system. Operating costs for the treatment of drinking water per megalitre. Operating costs for the distribution of drinking water per kilometre of water distribution pipe. Operating costs for the treatment and distribution of drinking water per megalitre (Integrated System). Weighted number of days when a boil water advisory issued by the Medical officer of Health, applicable to a municipal water supply, was in effect. Number of water main breaks per 100 kilometres of water distribution pipe in a year. Operation costs for garbage collection per tonne. Operating costs for garbage collection per household Operating costs for garbage collection per tonne or per household Operating costs for garbage disposal per tonne. Operating costs for garbage disposal per household. Operating costs for garbage disposal per tonne or per household Operating costs for solid waste diversion (recycling) per tonne. Operating costs for solid waste diversion per household. Average operating costs for solid waste Page 13

23 There are two types of MPMP performance measures: efficiency measures; and effectiveness measures. Operations and maintenance costs are the numerator of all efficiency measures while the denominator depends on what is being benchmarked (e.g. in wastewater collection the denominator is km of collection system). The effectiveness measures relate to level of service provided in the utility. For example, an effectiveness measure for water treatment is the number of boil water advisories per annum and for wastewater treatment is the number of bypasses per annum. Both performance measures relate to the level of service and the reliability of the system. It is important to note that benchmarking is the practice of being humble enough to admit that someone else may be better at something, and wise enough to learn how to match and EVEN SURPASS THEM AT IT. A municipality has to start gathering municipal performance data and comparing to other municipalities to gauge their performance. With out this check it is difficult to know where to best allocate resources to improve municipal performance. MPMP Data 2003 MPMP data was used for comparison. The municipalities chosen for comparison purposes have similar characteristics to Timmins. The municipalities used for comparative purposes include: Brantford, Brockville, Chatham-Kent, Cornwall, Muskoka, Peterborough, Sarnia, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Thunder Bay. The Province has summarized the results of the 2001 MPMP information for all of Ontario. Select information from the Provincial Report has also been included to show how Timmins compares with the other Ontario municipalities. Wastewater Wastewater benchmarking was divided into two sections: wastewater collection; and wastewater treatment. Both treatment and collection have efficiency and effectiveness measures. Page 14

24 Wastewater Collection Effectiveness Measure maintains and repairs the City sanitary sewer mains. Ongoing programs include inspection and flushing of sanitary sewers, upgrading of sanitary manholes and repairing or replacing sanitary sewers identified for need. Sanitary sewer service from the City sewer mains to residence and businesses are the responsibility of the business or residence. Timmins operates and maintains 172,319 m (161, m of sanitary sewers and 11, m of forcemain) of wastewater collection system at a cost of approximately $486,000. Their system is similar in size to the District of Muskoka whose collection system is 193,000 m in length, Orangeville whose collection system is 165,000 m in length, and Brockville whose collection system is 200,000 m in length. The MPMP effectiveness measure for wastewater collection is the total number of backed up wastewater connections / 100 km of length. A back-up in a wastewater connection is defined as an obstruction or hydraulic overload in a municipal system which results in a back-up of wastewater which may enter a house. Timmins had 47 sewer back-ups in 2003 and 40 in 2002 / 100 km of length. The following graph illustrates each number of sewer back-ups by municipality. The number of back-ups in Timmins / 100 km of sewer is substantially above the average of other municipalities which reported back Wastewater Main Backups/100km of Wastewater Main Muskoka Welland Fort Erie* Peterborough Brockville Brantford Sarnia Sudbury Guelph Chatham-Kent Average Timmins North Bay Sault Ste. Marie Cornwall Thunder Bay sewer ups. Page 15

25 The number of wastewater near back-ups per 100 kilometers of wastewater main can be influenced by: Heavy rainfall Heavy spring runoff Age and condition of pipes Since this analysis is limited to an overview of the data, we were not able to establish reasons for the high number of back-ups which Timmins has experienced nor identify potential solutions. Timmins is currently in the process of hiring a firm to conduct a detailed, indepth review of the water and sewer operations. Further investigation is recommended as part of the detailed operational review. Recommendations That the reason for the high number of sewer back-ups and potential solutions be established as part of the detailed operational review of the water/sewer operations. Whitney and Tisdale Wastewater Treatment Plant The Whitney and Tisdale Waste Water Treatment Plant which is completely computerized serves the communities of South Porcupine and Porcupine. This facility treats approximately 3,200 cubic meters of wastewater per day, with the capacity of 6,800 cum/ day. Wastewater is pumped through seven pumping stations. It is treated, tested and disinfected, and the effluent is discharged into the Porcupine River within M.O.E. guidelines. The sludge is hauled to a private approved landfill site for proper disposal. The plant is a secondary treatment facility and operates on contact stabilization, which is a type of activated sludge process. Samples are sent every month to independent laboratories for tests of chemical parameters under M.O.E. guidelines. Samples are taken in the plant every day and tested for dissolved oxygen, 30 minute setting test, and suspended solids. Some pumping stations are equipped with diesel generators for emergency situations. Page 16

26 Bob s Lake Lagoon Bob s Lake Lagoon is a facility operated and maintained under Whitney and Tisdale wastewater treatment plant. The Bob s Lake Lagoon serves the Bob s Lake subdivision of approximately 54 houses. It is adjacent to Bob s Lake, south of highway 101. The lagoon is a separate biological treatment facility. This facility consists of a pumping station, where the sewage is collected and pumped to a stabilization pond. It is treated by a natural process with the elements of sun, wind, bacteria, etc. The effluent goes to Porcupine Lake via a drainage creek. The rectangular pond has a volume of 9,100 cubic meters, 1.5 meters deep, and a retention of 102 days. Samples are sent every month to independent laboratories for tests of chemical parameters Mattagami River Waste Water Treatment Plant The Mattagami River Waste Water Treatment Plant serves the communities of Timmins, Mountjoy, and Schumacher. This facility treats approximately 20,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day with a capacity of 52,500 cubic meters per day. Wastewater is pumped through eleven pumping stations. It is treated, tested and disinfected, and the effluent is discharged into the Mattagami River within M.O.E. guidelines. The solids are treated anaerobically, methane gas produced in the digesters is used for digestion and as a source of energy for the boilers. The sludge is hauled to a private approved landfill site for proper disposal. The plant and some pumping stations are equipped with diesel generators for emergency situations. The MPMP effectiveness measure for wastewater treatment is volume bypasses / total volume treated. The percentage of wastewater estimated to have by-passed treatment can be influenced by: The number of lift stations Heavy rainfall Heavy spring runoff Page 17

27 2.00% 1.80% 1.60% 1.40% 1.20% 1.00% 0.80% 0.60% 0.40% 0.20% 0.00% 2003 Volume Bypassed / Total Volume Treated Brantford Cornwall Guelph Muskoka North Bay Peterborough Thunder Bay Chatham-Kent Timmins-Mattagami Brockville Average Timmins-Whitney Sudbury In 2003 the Mattagami plant had a very low percentage of wastewater by-passed at.10%, however for the past 3 years the Whitney plant exceeded the average percentage by-passed by other municipalities. Further investigation as to why this has occurred is recommended. Recommendations That the detailed operation review investigate the reasons for by-passes at the Whitney Plant and identify potential solutions to rectify sewer by-passes at the Whitney Plant. Page 18

28 Timmins operating costs for wastewater collection is slightly below the survey average Wastewater Collection and Treatment Efficiency Measures The efficiency measures are related to the wastewater treatment and collection operating costs for the collection of wastewater/km of wastewater main and the operating costs/ml of wastewater treatment and disposal. A third measure, which gauges the performance of the overall wastewater utility, is the integrated operations and maintenance costs/ ml collected and treated. The following graph shows the operating costs for the collection of wastewater per kilometer of wastewater main. The unit cost in Timmins is $2,821/km which is slightly below the survey average of approximately $3,000/km. The operating costs for the collection of wastewater can be influenced by: The extent of water infiltration into the sewers The distance between collection points and the treatment plant The frost penetration and heaving with respect to underground conduits and surface inspection chambers The topography of the municipality and number of lift stations Age of the infrastructure $6,000 Operating Costs For Wastewater Collection per Km of Wastewater Main $5,000 $4,000 $3,000 $2,000 $1,000 $0 Fort Erie Brockville Chatham-Kent Welland Peterborough Muskoka Timmins Average Cornwall Sault Ste. Marie Sarnia Brantford Thunder Bay Sudbury Page 19

29 The operating costs for the treatment and disposal of wastewater can be influenced by: Whether plants receive both sewage and stormwater The number, size and scale of a municipality s plants The extent of water infiltration into the sewers The amount and nature of industrial sewage treated The method of sludge disposal The type of treatment process utilized The age of the infrastructure $700 Operating Costs For Wastewater Treatment and Disposal per Megalitre $600 $500 $400 $300 $200 $100 $0 Significant capital funds are needed to provide secondary treatment at the Mattagami plant Cornwall Brantford Sault Ste. Marie Thunder Bay Sudbury Peterborough Timmins Brockville Timmins operating costs for wastewater treatment are below average, however it is one of only a few municipalities to have only primary treatment at the Mattagami plant. The Mattagami plant needs to be upgraded at an estimated capital cost of $6 million to provide secondary treatment. Average Sarnia Chatham-Kent Muskoka Page 20

30 Unlike the effectiveness performance measures, the efficiency performance measures (see below) show Timmins as having a lower cost for collecting and treating wastewater than average unit cost. Operating Costs For the Collection, Treatment & Disposal of Wastewater per Megalitre/ml $1,000 $900 $800 $700 $600 $500 $400 $300 $200 $100 $0 North Bay Cornwall Peterborough Timmins Brockville Thunder Bay Brantford Average Sarnia Chatham-Kent Sudbury Guelph Muskoka Conclusion Based on a limited review of the City of Timmins data and comparing it to other municipalities in the MPMP database it seems that there is not adequate expenditure to ensure the effective operations and maintenance of the wastewater collection and treatment system. Timmins has the second highest volume bypassed and higher than average wastewater backups per 100 km of wastewater main and below average operating costs. The low operations and maintenance costs seems to have directly impacted the level of service provided by the municipality as determined by the effectiveness measures. Page 21

31 Water The following provides some general information regarding the Timmins Water Filtration Plant. The water filtration plant is completely computerized Operated and maintained 24hrs a day, 7 days a week In case of power outage the plant is equipped with emergency diesel generators The water intake is from the Mattagami river The plant has a capacity to treat 52,500 cubic meters per day Treated water is stored in three reservoirs at the plant, which have a capacity of 4,500 cubic meters per reservoir Hollinger Park stand pipe has a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters McLean Drive reservoir has a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters Water is tested 24hrs/day for colour, turbidity, ph, and chlorine residue leaving the plant Three times per week samples are collected from different parts of the City for Bacterial analysis Effectiveness Measures There are two effectiveness performance measures for water: water main breaks and boil water advisories. These performance measures help establish the reliability and safety of the municipal water distribution and treatment system. According to the MPMP database, watermain breaks averaged 13 breaks/100 km of watermain in Timmins, with 235,184 m of watermain was below this average with 7.23 breaks/100km in 2003 and 6.38 breaks/100km in The graph on the following page provides a summary of watermain breaks for various Ontario municipalities. As seen in the graph, Timmins experienced fewer breaks per 100 km of watermain than the average for municipalities participating in the 2001 MPMP program. Page 22

32 60 50 # Breaks in Watermains/100km Average = 13 breaks /100km 10 0 Dryden C North Bay C Barrie C Elliot Lake C Richmond Hill T Innisfil T New Tecumseth T LaSalle T Orangeville T Tecumseh T Brant County C Brockville C Owen Sound C Quinte West C Orillia C Aurora T Belleville C St. Thomas C Timmins C 2002 Timmins C 2003 Cornwall C Welland C Leamington M Muskoka D Waterloo C Peterborough C Sarnia C Increases in km of water distribution from left to right Brantford C Sault Ste. Marie C Niagara Falls C Guelph C Kingston C St. Catharines C Thunder Bay C Markham T Kitchener C Greater Sudbury C Windsor C London C Hamilton C Page 23

33 A second effectiveness performance measure is the weighted number of days when a boil water advisory issued by the Medical Officer of Health, applicable to a municipal water supply, was in effect. The number of boil water advisories can be influenced by: The source of the drinking water (lake, stream, or well) The number of self-contained water systems The extent of the municipality s cleaning and flushing program Construction-related activities Power outages This is a normalized calculation of the summation of the number of boil water days times the number of connections affected all divided by the total connection in the service area. The City of Timmins had 6 boil water advisories issued in 2003 and 63 boil water days. The number of connections affected and the total number of connections were not available. As a result it was not possible to calculate a weighted number of boil water advisories for Timmins. Most municipalities had a zero weighted number of boil water advisories, the average was 2. The source of the water is an important factor when looking at the boil water advisories and should be considered when comparing to other municipalities. Since Timmins experienced boil water advisories in 2003 their weighted number of boil water advisories should be calculated. Page 24

34 Efficiency Measures The efficiency measures related to water treatment and distribution are operations costs for the treatment of drinking water per megalitre treated, operating costs for the distribution of drinking quality water per kilometer of water distribution pipe and the operating costs for drinking water treatment and distribution per megalitre. Both operating and maintenance cost for water treatment / ml treated, and the operating and maintenance (O & M) cost for the distribution system / 100 km length are limited. Timmins water distribution system is 235,184 m in length and is similar in length of pipe and population served to the City of Welland whose distribution system is 293,000 m in length, and Town of Fort Erie whose distribution system is 256,000 m in length. Timmins has high operating costs for drinking water distribution when measured on a per km basis The following graph illustrates water distribution costs for the various municipalities surveyed. The distribution O & M costs for Timmins was $7,190/ km of distribution pipe which is the highest in the survey. A comparison to similar municipalities shows Welland at $4,000/km and Town of Fort Erie at $5,900/km. Operating Costs For Drinking Water Distribution/km $8,000 $7,000 $6,000 $5,000 $4,000 $3,000 $2,000 $1,000 $0 Muskoka Chatham-Kent Cornwall Sarnia Welland Brantford Peterborough Average Sault Ste. Marie Fort Erie Sudbury Brockville Thunder Bay Timmins Page 25

35 The operating costs for the distribution of drinking water can be influenced by: Provincial water quality regulations Ages of pipes Pipe material Soil conditions in which pipes lay Topography Depth of frost penetration Severity of winter weather The distance between consumption points and the treatment plants The severity of winter conditions and the depth of frost penetration have a substantial impact on the water distribution system. Operating costs for drinking water per megalitre treated is below the survey average The operating costs for the water treatment systems are $3.24 million. This includes the Timmins Water Filtration Plant, MacDonald Lake Treatment Plant, Shaw Wells, Tisdale Reservoir, MacLean Drive Reservoir, Hollinger Standpipe and Pumphouse and the Vipond Pump Station. The City of Timmins treated 18,000 ml of water. The best comparison to Timmins is the City of Sarnia which treated 16,400 ml. The following graph illustrates treatment costs for various municipalities. At $180/ml, the drinking water treatment O & M costs for Timmins is below the average, but is above Sarnia s cost of $134/ML. $500 $450 $400 $350 $300 $250 $200 $150 $100 $50 $0 Operating Costs For Drinking Water Treatment Per Megalitre Treated Thunder Bay Cornwall Sarnia Brockville Timmins Sudbury Peterborough Chatham-Kent Average Brantford Sault Ste. Marie North Bay Muskoka Page 26

36 The operating costs for the treatment of drinking water can be influenced by: Provincial water quality regulations The source of raw water The quality of raw water The distance between the sources of raw water and the purification plants The number, age, type and capacity of water purification plants The following graph represents the operating costs for treatment and distribution of drinking water/ml (integrated system). As shown on the graph Timmins has the second lowest cost of all municipalities surveyed. Operating Costs For Drinking Water Treatment And Distribution / ml Treated $800 $700 $600 $500 $400 $300 $200 $100 $0 Cornwall Timmins Thunder Bay Sarnia Peterborough Guelph North Bay Average Brantford Sault Ste. Marie Brockville Chatham-Kent Sudbury Muskoka Page 27

37 Stormwater Storm Sewer Maintenance & Repairs maintains and repairs City storm sewers that collect rain run off from streets Upgrading of storm sewer manholes, catch basins and storm sewer are carried out based on identified need Sand collected in catch basins is vacuumed out. Storm water leaders to buildings are the responsibility of the building owner The City has 106,565 m of stormwater pipe Efficiency Measures MPMP has two performance measures for stormwater including urban and rural stormwater management. There was little information available, especially for the rural stormwater management. The operating costs for stormwater management can be influenced by: Heavy rainfall or snowfall Heavy spring runoff Age of pipes Pipe materials Soil conditions Topography Depth of frost penetration Number, size and scale of a municipality s plants The destination of the plant s effluent The type of treatment process The average operating costs for the urban stormwater management (collection, treatment, and disposal)/ km of drainage system was approximately $1,400/km. This is higher than Timmins costs of $966/km. Page 28