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	Corporate Report
DEPARTMENT/	City Manager's Office
DIVISION	City Manager's Office	REPORT NO.	2012.107
DATE PREPARED	June 18, 2012	FILE NO.
MEETING DATE	June 25, 2012
SUBJECT	City of Thunder Bay Flood Disaster - "Go Forward" Strategies and Actions

RECOMMENDATION

With respect to Report No. 2012.107 (City Manager) related to the City of Thunder Bay Flood Disaster, we recommend that the following strategies and actions be undertaken:

1. THAT an Independent Engineering Assessment be completed to analyse the flooding of the Water Pollution Control Plant for the purpose of repair and recovery work, and for future action to prevent future plant flooding. This action will proceed in keeping with By-law 113-2011 Emergency Procurement Method for Goods and Services; and
2. THAT Administration prepare a detailed Neighbourhood Master Stormwater Drainage Study for those areas impacted most directly by the declared Flood Disaster; and

3. THAT Administration report the preliminary results of the above noted study in conjunction with the Proposed 2013 Capital Budget & Forecast, as well as through the update of the Pollution Prevention and Control Plan; and

4. THAT Administration be directed to further review and report back in July 2012 on potential options for the City of Thunder Bay related to a Residential Drainage Assistance Program as outlined further in Corporate Report No. 2012.107, with
information on how the specific strategies and actions will be implemented, including cost estimates and funding sources.

On May 27 and 28, 2012 an unpredictable and unprecedented storm event occurred resulting in significant basement and other types of flooding affecting Thunder Bay residents. The City of Thunder Bay was declared a disaster area on June 8, 2012 by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. As this report is being presented we are also witness to the devastation caused due to massive storm related flooding in our Sister City Duluth.

This report speaks in part to the complexity of the issues related to flooding and introduces proposed strategies and actions for consideration by Council related to municipal infrastructure and private property owners with flood prevention measures. This report does not address the significant relief efforts already implemented to date for disaster flood victims (eg Safe Home program) or those anticipated to take place through the Thunder Bay Disaster Relief Committee over the next few months.

This report speaks directly to the very complex issue of stormwater management and residential flooding. To appropriately address the issue, it is important to appreciate that stormwater management and storm drainage, particularly in an urban environment, is an extremely complicated, dynamic and interdependent matter that has become and will continue to be an even more difficult challenge as a result of severe weather events. Included in the report is a background summary of the significant investment and strategic work that has been undertaken by the City over the past 12 years through its Pollution Prevention and Control Plan (PPCP).

In presenting this report and asking Council to consider specific recommendations to assist with stormwater related flooding, it is important to appreciate the “big picture” considerations and the scope and magnitude of the challenges that the City must address.

Pollution Prevention Control Plan (PPCP)

As mentioned, in the background section, the PPCP as set out in the Phase II Report (1999), consists of two (2) components; (1) the Short Term Pollution Prevention and Control Plan, and (2) the Long Term Pollution Prevention and Control Plan.

The Short Term Plan included items, which were to be implemented over five (5) to ten (10) years, and provided a foundation for the Long Term Pollution Prevention and Control Plan measures. The Long Term Plan had a planning horizon of twenty (20) to twenty-five (25) years.

Key elements of the Short Term Pollution Prevention and Control Plan are as follows:

· Collection System Management
· Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Controls
· Measures to reduce basement flooding
· Stormwater Management
· Pollution Prevention
· Enhanced sewage treatment at the Atlantic Avenue Water Pollution Control Plant.

Key elements of the Long Term PPCP are as follows:
· Collection System Management
· Basement Flooding
To date, more than $100 million has been invested in improvements in accordance with the PPCP.

Costs to date from 2003 to 2010 are as follows:

Water Pollution Control Plant $69,104,000
UV/Cogen$12,247,000

Rehabilitation of Sanitary Sewers $ 6,986,766
Elimination of Combined Sewers $ 7,388,451
Upgrade of Combined Sewer Overflows $ 360,530
Golf Links Trunk $ 1,114,137
Barepoint Backwash $ 1,642,970
CCTV Camera Sewers $ 1,479,770

Total to date $100,323,624

Current and Future Costs as per long term capital budget include:

Elimination of Combined Sewers $ 1,000,000 annually
Rehabilitation of Sewers $ 2,400,000 annually

The Pollution and Prevention Control Plan as well as other planned asset management replacement strategies have made a significant improvement in reducing the occurrences of localized flooding from 1999 to date – specifically in the areas of Westfort and McKellar Wards.

Unprecedented Storm Event

The heavy rains and flooding that resulted on May 28 closely followed another heavy rain event on May 24. The landscape in and around the City was saturated and subsequent days with more rain resulted in very wet ground conditions and a high water table.

Rain showers associated with a thunderstorm began approximately at midnight Eastern Daylight Time on May 28, 2012 in southern areas of Thunder Bay and at the Airport. The first intense rainfall took place and lasted approximately 15 minutes and featured combinations of heavy rain, lightning in all directions and reduced visibility. Hail of pea size occurred briefly at this time at a weather station southwest of the Airport.

From midnight to approximately 2:00 a.m. thunder and heavy or moderate rain showers occurred for two hours, with 70 mm recorded at the Airport and 77 mm at a Lakehead Conservation Regional Authority (LCRA) station next to the Neebing River, about one kilometre northeast of the airport tower.

These two hours of mainly heavy showers was followed by about 90 minutes with frequent thunder, mainly light showers and diminishing wind speeds. Rainfall of 79 mm was recorded from midnight to 04:30 a.m. at the Airport and 88 mm was recorded at LRCA Neebing River site

This short-duration storm contributed to flash flooding and reached the 100-year return period at about 1 a.m. Available records suggest that the May 28 situation reached 100-year status more quickly than any other historical storm. In comparison, the flood of September 8, 1977 became a 100-year event after 12 hours.

The unprecedented nature of this storm indicates that the municipality’s drainage infrastructure was overwhelmed, even though the City has current municipal practices and standards in place.

· Independent Engineering Assessment

As recommended, an independent engineering assessment of the Atlantic Avenue Water Pollution Control Plant will be undertaken to analyse the flooding of the Plant for the purpose of repair and recovery work and for future action to prevent future Plant flooding.

· Neighbourhood Master Stormwater Drainage Study (and Integration with 2013 Capital Budget and Forecast)

Administration, in conjunction with a specialized engineering firm, will conduct a detailed stormwater drainage study in those areas that were most directly impacted by the May 27 and 28, 2012 storm event including McKellar and Northwood Wards. The engineering firm will proceed on the basis of a Terms of Reference that includes, but is not limited to, the analysis of the flooding, sewer performance, detailed household surveys, current and historical data review and will include specific storm water infrastructure and management recommendations to minimize future flooding events.
· Residential Drainage Assistance Program Options

This section outlines a number of potential options for Council’s consideration that are directed at providing assistance to homeowners with respect to storm drainage related matters. The initiatives outlined below require further review and assessment from a policy, administrative and financial perspective. The options represent a combination of existing City of Thunder Bay initiatives and practices from other Canadian municipalities. In some cases the cost may be funded 100% by the municipality given there is direct municipal benefit and in others, the programs represent a cost sharing approach between the municipality and the private property owners. Administration intends to report back with specific recommendations on these options in July 2012.

Options Include:

· Residential roof leader and weeping tile disconnection program from combined and sanitary sewers by qualified contractors.
· Residential Drainage Assessment program – Individual lot survey and “Check list” approach to assessing lot and other residential drainage issues. This program will also confirm any residential connection issues with roof and foundation drains.
· Basement Flooding Prevention Subsidy Program – Cost sharing between City and private home-owner of major flood prevention measures such as back flow prevention devices and/or sump pumps and pits in areas of gravity storm sewer connection.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The proposed strategies and actions outlined in this report (specifically #1 – completion of an Independent Engineering Assessment, #2 – preparation of a Neighbourhood Master Stormwater Drainage Study and #4 – Residential Drainage Assistance Program) to be undertaken during 2012 will require the allocation of financial resources. Administration will report back in July 2012 on the estimated costs and sources of financing.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that Corporate Report 2012.127 which provides a summary of the City of Thunder Bay Pollution Prevention Control Plan (PPCP) and an overview of recommended “go forward” strategies and actions to address sanitary and storm water infrastructure related issues and assist in responding to future residential flooding, should be approved.

It is further concluded that Administration should report back to Council in July 2012 with more information on how the specific strategies and actions will be implemented, including cost estimates and funding sources.

BACKGROUND

Thunder Bay Pollution Prevention and Control Plan

The City of Thunder Bay, with participation and funding assistance from the Province of Ontario and the Federal Government through the Great Lakes 2000 Cleanup Fund, commissioned a study in late 1993 to develop a Pollution Prevention and Control Plan (PPCP) for the City. The prime purpose, of the Plan, was to determine the extent of contamination of the watercourses passing through the City and Lake Superior, due to direct municipal discharges. The study was to recommend ways to reduce this pollution and also to provide a detailed plan to reduce the risk of basement flooding, due to the surcharging of the Sanitary Sewer System.

In 1995, Administration presented to Committee of the Whole, Phase I of the Study that focused on the “State of the System”. The recommendations were approved and, as a result, Administration proceeded with the Phase II Study, which was to set out the short and long term objectives. Phase II was presented to Committee of the Whole in 1999.

The Phase I report confirmed that adverse impacts on the water quality in streams passing through the City, due to the combined sewer overflows and storm sewers, were considered to be relatively minor and have not resulted in serious deterioration of water quality in the streams to date.

The Phase I report also reviewed the performance of the Atlantic Avenue Water Pollution Control Plant. The plant was found to have adequate capacity for development expected to the year 2015, but the report recommended that secondary treatment facilities be added to reduce the pollution loading being discharged into the Kaministiquia River.

In 1999, City Council also authorized Administration to carry out pilot evaluation testing of various secondary sewage treatment processes. The Secondary Sewage Treatment Plant commenced with construction in 2002.

None.