The City of Welland invested a great deal of time and financial resources over the past decade into building the City’s infrastructure to best prepare for the future.
Welland, ON – The City of Welland invested a great deal of time and financial resources over the past decade into building the City’s infrastructure to best prepare for the future. That investment is now beginning to reveal some savings through the City’s wastewater sources. The Municipality collects domestic sewage from all homes, businesses, institutions, and industries that are connected to the municipal sewer system. In addition to domestic sewage, the municipality also collects what is referred to as extraneous flow. Extraneous flow is primarily storm-water runoff, and comes from various roadways, building foundations, illegal roof downspouts, and groundwater infiltration. Most of what is collected is then conveyed to the Niagara Region Wastewater Treatment Plant for measurement, and charged to each Municipality accordingly.
During the past 10 years, the City of Welland has invested more than $10 million into the reduction of extraneous flow, mainly through the construction of new separated sewers. Along with more than $10 million invested from Niagara Region, a number of key projects have been completed by Public Works, mostly by eliminating extraneous flow at various locations.
Erik Nickel, Manager of Engineering Services for the City of Welland, claims that sewage treatment is approximately 25% lower than it was 10 years ago. “Had the City done nothing to separate sewers in the past decade, we would now be paying an approximate additional $2 million per year for sewage treatment,” said Nickel. “It’s our priority to replace deteriorating City Infrastructure, but it’s also important to do so in a financially sustainable way. The work done to separate sewers has not only put new pipe in the ground for use by current and future generations, but has been do so with long-term cost savings.”
Engineering Services continues to develop plans, strategies, and policies to further eliminate extraneous flow and to attain annual savings for wastewater treatment costs. For more information on Engineering Services visit www.welland.ca .
