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May 2010
A Liquid Waste Management Plan
for the Greater Vancouver
Sewerage & Drainage District
and Member Municipalities
Integrated
Liquid Waste and
Resource Management
Table of Contents
Vision Statement 4
A. Sustainable Liquid Waste Management Plan 6
Governance 6
Roles and Responsibilities 6
Scope of the Plan 7
Linkages and Alignment 10
B. Goals, Strategies, Actions and Measures 13
Goal 1: Protect public health and the environment 13
Goal 2: Use liquid waste as a resource 21
Goal 3: Effective, affordable and collaborative management 23
Financial Plan 30
Performance Measures 32
Figure 1 Metro Vancouver Member Municipalities and Electoral Area A 8
Figure 2 Metro Vancouver Sewerage Areas and Existing Wastewater Treatment
Plant Locations 9
Figure 3 Metro Vancouver Sustainability Framework 12
Table 1 List of Members for Metro Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver Sewerage
and Drainage District 7
Table 2 Scenarios for Annual Household Levies by Sewerage Area 31
4 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010
Vision Statement
Sustainable Region Initiative
Metro Vancouver has a vision to achieve what humanity aspires to on a global basis—the highest quality of
life embracing cultural vitality, economic prosperity, social justice and compassion, all nurtured in and by a
beautiful and healthy natural environment.
We will achieve this vision by embracing the principles of sustainability, not least of which is an unshakeable
commitment to the well-being of current and future generations and the health of our planet, in everything we do.
As we share our efforts in achieving this vision, we are confident that the inspiration and mutual learning we
gain will become vital ingredients in our hopes for a sustainable common future.
In 2002, Metro Vancouver adopted The Sustainable Region Initiative (SRI) as its framework for decision making
as well as the mechanism by which sustainability imperatives are moved from ideas into action. The SRI has
been driven by three overarching principles which state that decision making must:
• have regard for both local and global consequences, and long term impacts;
• recognize and reflect the interconnectedness and interdependence of systems; and
• be collaborative.
These provide the foundation for the three sets of sustainability principles that guide Metro Vancouver:
• protect and enhance the natural environment (conserve and develop natural capital);
• provide for ongoing prosperity (conserve and develop economic capital); and
• build community capacity and social cohesion (conserve and develop social capital).
MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 5
Liquid Waste
Liquid waste is the wastewater that is collected from homes, businesses, industries and institutions through
vast networks of sewer pipes. Liquid waste is also the rainwater runoff and snowmelt that may be, or may
become contaminated by washing and collecting pollutants from streets, lawns and gardens—most of this
runoff enters creeks, rivers and the ocean untreated.
Traditionally, liquid waste has been viewed as an unusable output needing collection, treatment and disposal.
However, stormwater can also be an asset in the natural environment in the form of creeks and other
watercourses. Furthermore, as resources world-wide become scarcer and more expensive, liquid waste is
increasingly recognized as a resource from which nutrients, energy, and water may be recovered and reused.
Resource recovery can help to offset a portion of the costs associated with liquid waste management. In a fully
sustainable system, there is no waste—everything is recycled and reused.
The long-term vision for liquid waste management in Metro Vancouver is that all elements of liquid waste
will be efficiently recovered as energy, nutrients, water or other usable material or else returned to the
environment as part of the hydrological cycle in a way that protects public health and the environment.
This vision and the Sustainable Region Initiative are supported by three goals:
Goal 1: Protect public health and the environment
Public health and the environment are protected by managing sanitary sewage and stormwater at their
sources, and providing wastewater collection and treatment services protective of the environment.
Goal 2: Use liquid waste as a resource
Energy will be recovered from the heat in the sewage and from biogas generated in the treatment process.
Materials which have nutrient value will be recovered from wastewater treatment plants. Water will be
recovered from the wastewater treatment process and stormwater.
Goal 3: Effective, affordable and collaborative management
Monitoring, maintaining and investing in liquid waste infrastructure are essential to ensuring effective system
performance and preventing costlier repairs. Innovative alternative approaches to traditional treatment
systems will be explored. Opportunities for positive synergies with other utilities and regional management
systems will be pursued—such as integrated stormwater management plans. Sources of risk will be identified
and mitigated.
6 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010
A. Sustainable Liquid Waste
Management Plan
Governance
The BC Ministry of Environment allows all local
governments to develop and periodically update
a liquid waste management plan. Liquid waste
management plans are authorized and regulated
through the BC Environmental Management Act.
This plan authorizes discharges to the environment—
water, air and land—associated with the
management of liquid waste in Metro Vancouver
according to the criteria set out in the plan and
facility specific Operational Certificates.
Once each updated plan is approved, it becomes
part of local liquid waste regulation through the
BC Environmental Management Act. In the absence
of an approved liquid waste management plan, the
provincial Municipal Sewage Regulation governs.
Roles and Responsibilities
The extent and complexity of the liquid waste
systems, with roles and responsibilities being spread
between broad levels of governance, require close
co-ordination between all levels of government,
businesses, institutions and homeowners. This
includes and is demonstrated by senior government
cost sharing for major capital projects that benefit
and support their mandates and regulations.
The following have key roles and responsibilities in
implementing this Plan:
Federal Government:
• Environment Canada: regulates pollutants and
protects species at risk.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada: mandated to
protect fish populations and habitat in receiving
waters and urban streams.
• Infrastructure Canada: provides and administers
infrastructure co-funding for local government
projects.
Provincial Government:
• Ministry of Environment: regulates liquid waste
and approves Liquid Waste Management Plans.
• Ministry of Community and Rural Development:
enables infrastructure financing and provides co-
funding to local governments for civic projects.
• Ministry of Health: regulates on-site wastewater
treatment systems (such as septic tanks).
• Ministry of Agriculture and Lands: encourages
responsible agricultural land management.
Local Government:
• Metro Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver
Sewerage and Drainage District (GVS&DD):
own, maintain and operate regional trunk
sewers and major wastewater treatment plants,
regulate industrial waste discharges, implement
required regional actions in its plans, report on
plan progress, and collaborate with others as
appropriate.
• Municipal members of the GVS&DD: own and
maintain collector sewers, implement municipal
actions set out in the regional liquid waste
management plan, manage stormwater systems,
report on their progress on actions required in
the plan, set local land use plans and community
development standards.
First Nations: have constitutional rights which must
be taken into account in the planning process.
Homeowners, businesses, institutions, and crown
corporations: own and maintain private property
sewer connections and private stormwater
management systems.
MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 7
MeTro VAnCouVer MeMBerS
Scope of the Plan
While the plan covers the geographic area of Metro Vancouver (Figure 1), the majority of its actions are specific
to Metro Vancouver’s wastewater collection and treatment systems, and the users connected to these systems,
including municipalities, businesses, and homeowners. In addition, the plan sets specific actions for GVS&DD
members regarding their management of stormwater runoff. Major GVS&DD facilities and the system extents
are shown in Figure 2. All actions in the plan are applicable to the GVS&DD and its members as listed in Table 1.
Liquid waste management from sources such as on-site treatment and septic systems, agricultural runoff, and
marine pump-out facilities for pleasure craft is cross-jurisdictional. Their management is addressed in the plan
by Metro Vancouver and members though collaboration with senior government agencies and stakeholders.
City of Burnaby City of Port Moody
City of Coquitlam City of Port Coquitlam
Corporation of Delta City of Richmond
City of Langley City of Surrey
Township of Langley City of Vancouver
District of Maple Ridge District of West Vancouver
City of New Westminster City of White Rock
City of North Vancouver University Endowment Lands
District of North Vancouver
District of Pitt Meadows
Village of Anmore
Village of Belcarra
Bowen Island
Municipality
Village of Lions Bay
Electoral Area A
Tsawwassen
First Nation
Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District Members (GVS&DD)
Table 1 List of Members for Metro Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage DistrictTable 1 List of Members for Metro Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District
8 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010 Figure 1 Metro Vancouver Member Municipalities and Electoral Area AFigure 1 Metro Vancouver Member Municipalities and Electoral Area A
MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 9Figure 2 Metro Vancouver Sewerage Areas and Existing Wastewater Treatment Plant LocationsFigure 2 Metro Vancouver Sewerage Areas and Existing Wastewater Treatment Plant Locations
10 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010
Linkages and Alignment
Aligning with National Initiatives
Metro Vancouver and its members actively
participated with the Canadian Council of Ministers
of the Environment (CCME) to develop the Canada-
wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal
Wastewater Effluent (CWS-MMWE). The Canada-
wide Strategy was endorsed by the CCME in
February 2009, and will be implemented in British
Columbia by the Ministry of Environment.
The Canada-wide Strategy sets baseline wastewater
management criteria, timelines and prioritization
methodologies, and formalizes processes to assess
environmental risk. This plan has been developed in
accordance with the Canada-wide Strategy.
Aligning with Provincial Initiatives
The goals, strategies and actions have been aligned
with senior government policies and positions
to ensure that Metro Vancouver’s and senior
governments’ environmental and fiscal objectives
and actions are mutually supportive and successful.
Key senior government plans and initiatives
supported by this plan include:
• Integrated Resource Recovery: Integrated
Resource Recovery (IRR) was formally defined by
the Province in 2008 in a report commissioned
by the Ministry of Community and Rural
Development titled Resources from Waste: A
Guide to Integrated Resource Recovery. It is
a concept and approach that integrates the
management of water, wastewater, energy and
solid waste services to recover resources and
value and to help increase resiliency. IRR planning
and resource recovery actions in this plan support
the BC Climate Action Plan, the BC Energy Plan,
and Living Water Smart.
• BC Climate Action Plan: The success in achieving
the province-wide target of 33% less greenhouse
gas emissions by 2020 (Live Smart BC) depends
on the success of supporting initiatives of other
provincial and local government plans. The
actions set out in this plan will contribute to
meeting these targets through its IRR approach
and actions to recover energy, water and
nutrients from wastewater and stormwater.
• The BC Energy Plan—A Vision for Clean
Energy Leadership: In support of the provincial
government’s vision for “clean energy
leadership” and electricity self-sufficiency by
2016, this plan seeks to expand the production
of biogas from wastewater, and to recover
heat energy from wastewater for use in district
heating systems. The IRR approach to integrating
liquid and solid waste management will also
support the BC Bioenergy Strategy: Growing
Our Natural Energy Advantage. In partnership
with municipalities and the private sector,
initiatives in these areas will reduce greenhouse
gas emissions, diversify the region’s sources of
energy, provide renewable energy and increase
our energy independence.
Flood management and constructed habitat,
Eugene Creek, Surrey.
11MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
• Living Water Smart—British Columbia’s Water
Plan: Water Smart objectives supported by this
plan include the requirements to complete and
implement municipal Integrated Stormwater
Management Plans, support rainwater harvesting
and water reclamation actions, the development
of an understanding of what makes streams
healthy, watershed management planning in
priority areas, and helping address the impacts
of climate change and climatic variability on local
water resources. This will be supported by the
ongoing work of a new overarching integrated
utility management advisory committee which
will enhance and continue the work of the
current two inter-governmental committees: the
Environmental Monitoring Committee (EMC) and
Stormwater Inter-agency Liaison Group (SILG).
• A Guide to Green Choices—Ideas and
Practical Advice for Land Use Decisions in BC
Communities: Expressed in this guide is the need
for “sustainable infrastructure” and “integrating
communities with nature”. The commitment to
IRR in this plan recognises and reinforces the links
between community and effective infrastructure
services. Municipal Integrated Stormwater
Management Plans link the health of urban
streams to the land use decisions and will seek
to protect the health of urban streams by better
managing rainwater where it falls.
• Burrard Inlet Environmental Management
Plan and Fraser River Estuary Management
Plan: These are joint plans involving federal
and provincial agencies, Metro Vancouver,
municipalities and crown corporations. This
plan supports the long-term goals of improving
the health of Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River
estuary by upgrading wastewater treatment
plants, eliminating combined sewer overflows,
improving stormwater management, and ongoing
environmental monitoring.
Linking with Metro Vancouver’s
other plans
There is interdependence between the goals,
strategies and actions in this plan and those in
other regional plans.
• Drinking Water Management Plan (DWMP):
The increased use of reclaimed wastewater
for non-drinking water uses and harvesting of
rainwater for landscape irrigation will help access
alternatives to treated drinking water for use
where high quality drinking water is not needed.
These plans support provincial government
targets for BC to become 33% more efficient in
its water uses.
• Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP):
Minimizing greenhouse gas emissions generated
from liquid waste management and using
wastewater heat to substitute for fossil fuel based
heating supports Metro Vancouver’s climate
change objectives.
uce emergency overflows due to power
outages; and identify locations and
11
Releasing salmon fry, Silver Creek, Burnaby.
12 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010
• Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP):
Metro Vancouver will seek to produce biogas
from co-managing liquid waste and organic
solid wastes; technologies to make biodiesel
from wastes, opportunities to derive marketable
fertilizer products, recovered nutrients and
compost will be explored.
• Regional Growth Strategy (RGS):
The regional sewerage system will not be
extended beyond the urban containment
boundary except for overarching environmental
or public health reasons.
The Sustainability Framework also provides a
mechanism to collaborate with other organizations
in areas of overlapping responsibilities such as
transportation, economic development, culture,
social responsibility, and environmental stewardship.
Figure 3 Metro Vancouver Sustainability Framework
MeASureS & TArGeTS
(Sustainability Report)
reGIonAL VISIon
MeTro VAnCouVer roLe & MISSIon
VALueS
SuSTAInABILITY PrInCIPLeS
SuITe oF PLAnSSuSTAInABILITY
In ACTIon
• Water
• Sewerage
• Solid Waste
Disposal
• Parks
• Housing
• Labour Relations
CoLLABorATIVe
GoVernAnCe
Service
Delivery
Plans, Policy
& regulations
Political
Leadership
• Drinking Water
• Solid Waste
• Liquid Waste
• Air Quality
• Growth
Management
• Housing
• Parks & Greenway
• Ecological Health
• Outreach
• Advocacy
• Education
Figure 3 Metro Vancouver Sustainability Framework
MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 13
B. Goals, Strategies, Actions and Measures
Goal 1: Protect public health
and the environment
The fundamental purpose of sewerage systems is
preventing the spread of waterborne diseases and
protecting the receiving environment from harm.
Key management areas which support this goal are:
• Coordination of Infrastructure Capacity and
Urban Development: The regional sanitary sewer
system should be constructed to keep pace with
development; the rate of urban development and
redevelopment should be coordinated with the
expansion of the regional sanitary sewer system.
• Sanitary Sewer Source Control: Three main
objectives for managing liquid wastes at
their source are protection of health and the
environment, protection of infrastructure and
worker safety, and prevention of sewer overflows.
Pollution prevention programs keep out of the
sewers the pollutants that cannot be effectively
treated at wastewater treatment plants and those
that are harmful to workers or infrastructure. This
is achieved through permitting, enforcement
and outreach programs. Reducing the risk of
overflows is supported by actions that maintain
sewer capacity, such as permitted limits on
commercial discharge volumes and ongoing pipe
maintenance programs to keep out excessive
rainwater and groundwater.
• Sanitary Sewer Overflows: Sanitary sewers
overflow when their capacity is exceeded,
often due to large volumes of groundwater and
rainwater entering the system. Preventing sanitary
sewer overflows means keeping groundwater
and rainwater out of sanitary sewers (referred to
as inflow and infiltration management); this is
done through ongoing inspection and targeted
This plan has three goals, which are addressed by nine strategies and supporting actions for Metro Vancouver
and member municipalities The supporting actions are linked and reinforce each other; their implementation
requires collaboration and integration to ensure that they are not undertaken in isolation
During implementation of the plan, there will be collaboration between Metro Vancouver, its members and
other partners to ensure an informed and coordinated process
maintenance programs. To be effective, all
regional, municipal and private sanitary sewers
must be properly maintained. Private sewers
connect homes, business and institutions to the
municipal and regional systems, and account for
approximately 50% of the approximate 15,000
km of sewers in the region. While the regional
and municipal sewers continue to be kept in
good repair through ongoing maintenance
programs, private sewers have not been part of
any comprehensive strategy. Long-term overflow
elimination strategies depend on the reduction
of inflow and infiltration through inspection
and maintenance for all sewers as part of
maintenance and redevelopment cycles over
the coming decades. For the interim, storage
and temporary treatment of chronic sanitary
sewer overflows will be used to mitigate risks to
the environment.
• Stormwater and Rainwater: The region contains
over one hundred watersheds with creeks
and rivers of all sizes. These provide habitat
for fish and wildlife, as well as recreation to
many. Stormwater impacts the health of these
watersheds and can degrade their ecosystems.
Member municipalities continue to undertake
and will implement integrated stormwater
management plans to better protect their
watersheds. Integrated Stormwater Management
Plans (ISMPs) include managing rainwater at the
site level, thereby minimizing stormwater runoff.
To be effective, municipalities will integrate
land use into their stormwater management
plans, and appropriate site-level rainwater
management practices into their community
development policies.
14 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010
• Combined Sewer Overflows: The region’s first
sewers were built as a network of combined
sewers before wastewater was treated. They
carried sanitary sewage, and water from drains
and enclosed creeks to outfalls in the Fraser
River, Burrard Inlet and English Bay. While new
trunk sewers and wastewater treatment plants
have been built, they cannot cope with the
large amount of rainwater entering combined
sewers during wet weather, and the combined
sewer system continues to have overflows at its
remaining outfalls. Reducing combined sewer
overflows is ongoing and long-term; combined
sewers continue to be replaced with separate
sanitary and storm sewers. Ultimately, combined
sewer overflows will be reduced to meet criteria
for sanitary sewer overflows, and combined
sewers will either be eliminated or phased to
become stormwater outfalls. Interim solutions
include flow containment tanks, sewer separation
prioritization, and flow routing to minimize the
amount of sanitary sewage in overflows.
Municipalites will develop and implement ISMPs
for combined sewer areas so that the impacts
from future stormwater systems are proactively
mitigated. Opportunities will be sought that use
some of the combined sewer system to send the
first flush of stormwater to wastewater treatment
plants or divert stormwater discharges from
sensitive waterbodies.
• Wastewater Treatment: This plan’s commitment
to upgrade the remaining primary wastewater
treatment plants to secondary treatment is
consistent with the Federal-Provincial policy
for secondary level treatment as the minimum
Canada-wide standard. The plan calls for
continued monitoring and assessment of the
performance of wastewater treatment, and
using the results to inform the process to
improve treatment.
STRATEGy 1.1
Reduce liquid wastes at their source
This strategy seeks to enhance the effectiveness of
regional wastewater treatment plants and municipal
stormwater management programs by minimizing
liquid wastes at their source Actions that keep
excessive rainwater and groundwater out of sanitary
sewers will reduce the risk of sewer overflows,
and help maintain sewer capacity and treatment
effectiveness Managing rainwater and stormwater
runoff at the site level will reduce negative quality
and quantity impacts
Metro Vancouver will increase enforcement of the
Sewer Use Bylaw, improve source control tools and
update outreach and education programs. Metro
Vancouver and municipal actions will jointly seek to
reduce groundwater and rainwater entering sanitary
sewers over the long-term.
Annacis Island wastewater treatment plant provides
treatment for over 1,000,000 people.
15MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
This strategy will be implemented by the
following actions:
MEtRo VANcoUVER WILL:
Source control
1.1.1 Review and enhance sewer use bylaws to
reduce liquid waste at source, including
contaminants identified by the Canadian
Environmental Protection Act. 2012
1.1.2 Develop new regulatory instruments,
such as Pollution Prevention Plans to
complement existing regulations. 2014
1.1.3 Increase resources for permitting, and
inspection to support and enforce sewer
use bylaws. 2010
1.1.4 Investigate the implications of the use of
domestic food grinders. 2012
1.1.5 Develop and implement targeted outreach
plans to support liquid waste source control
programs. Ongoing
Inflow and Infiltration and Rainwater Management
1.1.6 Develop a template to guide the
preparation and implementation of inflow
and infiltration management plans as part
of broader asset management plans and to
support sanitary sewer overflow reduction
strategies. 2011
1.1.7 Work with the real estate industry and
their regulators, and the municipalities
to develop and implement a process for
the inspection and certification of private
sewer laterals being in good condition
as a required component of real estate
transactions within Metro Vancouver. 2011
1.1.8 Develop and implement inflow and
infiltration management plans that identify
reduction strategies and timelines to ensure
wet weather inflow and infiltration are within
targeted levels. 2012
1.1.9 Work with municipalities to review historical
data and adjust as necessary the average
inflow and infiltration allowance for regional
trunk sewers and wastewater treatment
plants, and develop associated target
allowances for municipal sewer catchments
associated with a 1:5 year return frequency
storm event for sanitary sewers to a level
that ensures environmental and economic
sustainability. 2013
1.1.10 Review progress in reducing inflow and
infiltration every four years. every 4 years
1.1.11 Enhance enforcement of sewer use bylaw
prohibition against the unauthorized
discharge of rainwater and groundwater to
sanitary sewers. 2010
1.1.12 Work with municipalities to: 2012
a) facilitate research on watershed-based
stormwater management approaches;
b) identify improvements to stormwater bylaws
to include on-site rainwater management
requirements;
c) develop model utility design standards and
options for neighbourhood design guidelines;
d) establish region wide baseline criteria for
on-site rainfall management including
variations for localized geology, rainfall and
watershed conditions;
Private sewers connect homes and businesses to the
municipal-regional sewer network.
16 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010
e) establish mechanisms to ensure continued
performance of on-site rainwater
management systems; and
f) work with senior governments and industry
to develop codes of practice, certification,
guidelines and standards which support
this plan.
1.1.13 Decrease liquid waste volumes through
complementary initiatives in the Metro
Vancouver Drinking Water Management
Plan to reduce potable water consumption.
Ongoing
MUNIcIPALItIES WILL:
Source control
1.1.14 Review and enhance sewer use bylaws to
reduce liquid waste at source, including
contaminants identified by the Canadian
Environmental Protection Act. 2012
1.1.15 Continue existing programs of permitting
and inspection to support and enforce sewer
use bylaws. Ongoing
1.1.16 Identify and regulate pesticides and lawn
care products which negatively affect
rainwater runoff quality and urban stream
health. 2014
1.1.17 Continue outreach plans to support liquid
waste source control programs. Ongoing
Inflow and Infiltration and Rainwater Management
1.1.18 Develop and implement inflow and
infiltration management plans, using the
Metro Vancouver template as a guide, to
ensure wet weather inflow and infiltration
volumes are within Metro Vancouver’s
allowances as measured at Metro
Vancouver’s flow metering stations.
Develop by 2012
1.1.19 Enhance enforcement of sewer use bylaw
prohibition against the unauthorized
discharge of rainwater and groundwater to
sanitary sewers. 2010
1.1.20 Update municipal bylaws to require on-site
rainwater management sufficient to meet
criteria established in municipal integrated
stormwater plans or baseline region-wide
criteria. 2014
1.1.21 Update municipal utility design standards
and neighbourhood design guidelines to
enable and encourage on-site rainwater
management. 2014
Separating combined sewers is a long-
term program.
17MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
STRATEGy 1.2
Reduce wet weather overflows
While reducing the amount of rainwater and ground-
water in sewage is vital to reducing sewer overflows
over the long-term, interim overflow treatment, pri-
oritized and targeted sewer renewal and separation,
and integrated municipal-Metro Vancouver operation
strategies will mitigate the risks of overflows over
the short-term
Key municipal actions are to eliminate sanitary sewer
overflows and reduce the risk of spills by: improving
and co-ordinating sewer rehabilitation programs
to keep rainwater and groundwater out of sanitary
sewers; constructing interim high rate overflow
treatment facilities; and separating the remaining
combined sewers in Burnaby, New Westminster and
Vancouver.
This strategy will be implemented by the following
actions:
MEtRo VANcoUVER WILL:
1.2.1 Prohibit the construction of new combined
sewer systems other than those functioning
as part of a strategy to reduce combined
sewer overflows or to manage stormwater
quality. Ongoing
1.2.2 Address the Canada-wide Strategy for the
Management of Municipal Wastewater
Effluent (CWS-MMWE) by working with
Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver
to develop and implement: priorities for
sewer separation of catchments tributary
to combined sewer outfalls; regional and
municipal sequence for trunk and collector
sewer separation; strategic use of existing
combined sewers to manage rainwater
quality runoff; and a strategy to separate
combined sewer connections from private
properties. 2014
1.2.3 Replace combined regional trunk sewers
with separated sanitary and storm sewers as
determined by the plans developed in 1.2.2.
Ongoing
1.2.4 Work with municipalities to develop and
implement municipal-regional sanitary
overflow management plans which will:
prevent sanitary overflows resulting from
heavy rain and snowmelt occurring less than
once every five years (for a 24 hour duration
event); reduce emergency overflows due to
power outages; and identify locations and
schedules for appropriate system capacity
improvements, wet weather containment,
and point treatment and discharge to
receiving waters of chronic overflows,
including Cloverdale Pump Station, Katzie
Pump Station, Lynn Pump Station. 2013
MUNIcIPALItIES WILL:
1.2.5 Work with Metro Vancouver to develop
and implement municipal-regional sanitary
overflow management plans as set out in
1.2.4. 2013
1.2.6 Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver
will work with Metro Vancouver to give
effect to 1.2.2 and, specifically, implement
plans to prevent combined sewer overflows
by 2050 for the Vancouver Sewerage Area
and 2075 for the Fraser Sewerage Area and
separate combined sewers at an average
rate of 1% and 1.5% of the system per year
in the Vancouver Sewerage Area and Fraser
Sewerage Area respectively. Ongoing
18 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010
STRATEGy 1.3
Reduce environmental impacts from liquid
waste management to a minimum
Metro Vancouver and municipalities will maintain
and operate their liquid waste infrastructure,
make improvements to meet evolving regulatory
requirements and reduce risks to the environment
which may be identified through ongoing monitoring
and assessment programs Implementing secondary
level of wastewater treatment for the Vancouver and
North Shore Sewerage Areas is a significant action
supporting this strategy
Metro Vancouver and municipal actions include
provision of basic sewer service levels and
quantifying and managing air emissions including
odours and greenhouse gases associated with
operating and maintaining wastewater
collection systems.
This strategy will be implemented by the
following actions:
MEtRo VANcoUVER WILL:
System Operation and Maintenance
1.3.1 Develop and implement operational plans
for sewerage and wastewater treatment
facilities to ensure infrastructure reliability
and optimal performance. Ongoing
1.3.2 Maintain trunk sanitary sewer capacity for
dry weather sewage conveyance levels
plus the Metro Vancouver target inflow and
infiltration allowance; as necessary upgrade
trunk sewer systems to maintain hydraulic
gradelines and safe operating levels which
have been established based on measured
flow. Ongoing
1.3.3 Work with municipalities to develop and
implement emergency sanitary sewer
overflow plans including contingency plans
to minimize impacts of unavoidable sanitary
sewer overflows resulting from extreme
weather, system failures or unusual events.
Ongoing
Secondary level wastewater treatment
1.3.4 Operate wastewater treatment plants which
have secondary level treatment (Annacis
Island, Lulu Island, North West Langley
wastewater treatment plants) to meet
requirements specified in each facility’s
Operating Certificate and the Canada-wide
Strategy for the Management of Municipal
Wastwater Effluent (CWS-MMWE) National
Performance Standards for wastewater
effluent, including: Ongoing
(a) monthly average maximum Carbonaceous
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (CBOD5 ):
25 mg/L; and
(b) monthly average maximum Total Suspended
Solids (TSS): 25 mg/L.
Metro Vancouver and municipal sewer
systems include a large network of sewage pumping
stations.
MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 19
1.3.5 Upgrade or replace Lions Gate (North Shore
Sewerage Area) and Iona Island (Vancouver
Sewerage Area) wastewater treatment
plants to secondary level treatment to meet
Canada-wide Strategy for the Management
of Municipal Wastewater Effluent (CWS-
MMWE) requirements and timelines.
a) The intended site for the North Shore
Sewerage Area secondary facility is the
Metro Vancouver owned property located
between Pemberton, Philips and McKeen
Avenues, and West First Street in the District
of North Vancouver. The existing outfall will
be retained as part of the upgraded facility.
The outfall discharges to embayed marine
waters as defined in the Environmental
Management Act, Municipal Sewage
Regulation.
b) The intended site for the Vancouver
Sewerage Area is the property immediately
adjacent and east of the existing Iona
Island plant in the City of Richmond. The
existing outfall will be retained as part of
the upgraded facility. The outfall discharges
to open marine waters as defined in the
Environmental Management Act, Municipal
Sewage Regulation.
c) Based on the CWS-MMWE and the
assessment made by the Environmental
Monitoring Committee, the Lions Gate
upgrade should be completed within
10-years subject to the appropriate financial
arrangements being in place as indicated in
the Financial Plan.
d) Based on the CWS-MMWE and the
assessment made by the Environmental
Monitoring Committee, the Iona Island
upgrade should be completed within 20
years. In spite of this, Metro Vancouver has
a strong desire to accelerate the completion
of the Iona Island upgrade as soon as is
reasonably possible in a 10 to 20 year
timeframe, because of the significance
of this upgrade to Metro Vancouver’s
Sustainable Region Initiative. The Region
will strive to the greatest extent possible
to achieve this. Risk factors to overcome
include resolution of technical and land
tenure issues, construction logistics and
will be subject to appropriate financial
arrangements being in place as indicated
in the Financial Plan. In collaboration with
provincial and federal governments, Metro
Vancouver will engage in resolving these
obstacles to complete the Iona Island
upgrade at the earliest practicable time.
e) Metro Vancouver will seek assistance
from both senior levels of government in
resolving First Nations rights and title issues
associated with these secondary treatment
plant upgrades.
1.3.6 Maintain interim maximum daily
concentration limits for wastewater effluent
of 130 mg/L BOD5 at both Lions Gate and
Iona Island plants and 130 mg/L TSS at
Lions Gate and 100 mg/L TSS at Iona Island
until such time as secondary treatment is
operational, and operate the plants to meet
requirements specified in each facility’s
Operating Certificate. Ongoing
Other environmental impact mitigation actions:
1.3.7 Assess environmental monitoring results
(see Strategy 3.3) to determine whether
any actions are required to meet Ministry
of Environment/Canada-wide Strategy for
the Management of Municipal Wastewater
Effluent (CWS-MMWE) requirements.
Ongoing
20 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010 20
1.3.8 Continue odour control programs
at wastewater treatment plants and
implement odour control programs for
targeted facilities in the regional sewer
system and for relevant energy and
material recovery processes
(see Action 3.3.4). Ongoing
1.3.9 Develop and implement air emissions
management programs for standby
power generators and biogas
production, including assessment of
desirability of retrofit and accelerated
asset replacement where appropriate.
2014
1.3.10 Develop and implement programs
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
from the regional liquid waste
management systems to help
achieve federal, provincial and Metro
Vancouver greenhouse gas targets
(see Action 3.3.4). 2015
MUNIcIPALItIES WILL:
System Operation and Maintenance
1.3.11 Develop and implement operational
plans for municipal sewerage facilities
to ensure infrastructure reliability and
optimal performance. Ongoing
1.3.12 Work with Metro Vancouver to
develop and implement emergency
sanitary sewer overflow plans including
contingency plans to minimize
impacts of unavoidable sanitary sewer
overflows resulting from extreme
weather, system failures or unusual
events. Ongoing
Other environmental impact mitigation actions:
1.3.13 Work with private marina operators, Ministry
of Environment and Environment Canada
to develop and implement regulations to
ensure all new marinas and marinas where
planned renovations exceed 50% of the
assessed existing improvements value have
pleasure craft pump-out facilities. Ongoing
1.3.14 Require all pleasure craft pump-out facilities
to connect to a municipal sanitary sewerage
system or a provincially permitted on-site
treatment and disposal system or have
established enforceable protocols for
transporting liquid waste for disposal at a
permitted liquid waste management facility.
Ongoing
1.3.15 Continue existing municipal odour control
programs and implement new programs
for targeted municipal sewer facilities (see
Action 3.3.4). Ongoing
1.3.16 Develop and implement air emissions
management programs for standby power
generators at municipal sewer pump
stations. 2016
1.3.17 Develop and implement programs to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from municipal
liquid waste management systems to help
achieve federal, provincial and municipal
greenhouse gas targets (see Action 3.1.5).
Ongoing
REqUESt tHE MINIStRy oF ENVIRoNMENt:
1.3.18 Include Metro Vancouver and municipalities
in the Ministry’s processes to review and
establish official water uses and official water
quality objectives for specific water bodies
within Metro Vancouver. Ongoing
MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 21
Goal 2: Use liquid waste
as a resource
The goal of using liquid waste as a resource
marks two important advances in thinking about
liquid waste in the context of Metro Vancouver’s
sustainability framework.
The first is the recognition that the traditional
and still vitally important functions of liquid waste
management to protect public health and the
environment will ultimately be achieved most
beneficially by converting liquid waste into usable
resources. Liquid waste is a source of green energy
and nutrients and, in addition to stormwater, it can
provide alternative sources of water. Strategies are
included in this plan to address these opportunities.
The second, which follows logically from the first,
is the recognition that the opportunities for cost-
effective resource recovery from liquid waste
are magnified when explored in the context of
integrated resource recovery from the whole range
of urban management systems. This is essentially
the implementation of the second ‘overarching
imperative’ of the SRI framework: “Recognize and
reflect the interconnectedness and interdependence
of systems...”.
A major challenge for Metro Vancouver and its
members will be to adapt the legacy sewerage and
stormwater infrastructure of the 20th century to a
more sustainable, integrated 21st century system
focussed on integrated resource recovery. This will
involve embracing new technologies and reshaping
communities and their infrastructure so that the
resources and energy recovered can be used
efficiently and effectively: integrating a new kind
of liquid waste infrastructure with building design,
community and nature. This involves managing
liquid wastes as a resource, minimizing discharges,
minimizing financial risks, and maximizing the quality
of discharges.
Biogas produced from wastewater supplies
heat and power to the Iona Island wastewater
treatment plant.
22 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010
STRATEGy 2.1
Pursue liquid waste resource recovery in an
integrated resource recovery context
Metro Vancouver will continue with its Biosolids
Management Plan Framework programs until new
options and supporting business cases have been
developed and implemented under this Strategy
MEtRo VANcoUVER WILL:
2.1.1 Assess each sewerage area using an
integrated resource recovery business case
model that: 2012
(a) evaluates opportunities to expand the
recovery of energy, nutrients and water from
the liquid waste system, specifically:
• energy from biogas at wastewater
treatment plants including investigating
new sludge and wastewater treatment
technologies and the co-digestion of other
organic wastes such as organics in municipal
solid waste, oils and greases;
• heat energy from new pump stations,
sewer replacement and rehabilitation and
major wastewater treatment plant projects;
• biodiesel from trucked liquid waste, waste
grease and sewer grease;
• energy from biosolids and sludge;
• nutrients, such as phosphorous from liquid
waste and biosolids; and
• alternatives to potable water for non-
drinking purposes, such as rainwater
harvesting, greywater reuse and reclaimed
treated wastewater;
(b) identifies linkages between liquid waste
resource recovery opportunities and other
systems (solid waste, drinking water, land
use/buildings, parks, air quality, energy); and
(c) develops and evaluates business cases
for integrated resource recovery/use
opportunities.
2.1.2 Implement appropriate business cases based
on the results of 2.1.1. Ongoing
2.1.3 Work with municipalities to adapt plans and
infrastructure for long term needs based on
the results of 2.1.1. Ongoing
MUNIcIPALItIES WILL:
2.1.4 Work with Metro Vancouver to give effect to
2.1.1, 2.1.2 and 2.1.3. Ongoing
MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 23
Goal 3: Effective,
affordable and collaborative
management
To be sustainable, liquid waste management
requires programs and services that are affordable
and effective, now and in the future. Innovation,
monitoring and assessment, maintenance and
reinvestment, resilient liquid waste systems and risk
management are important activities which help
achieve this goal.
Managing assets and optimizing their operation
requires ongoing inspection, condition assessments
and performance modelling. This is supported by an
extensive data collection network for sewer flows,
rainfall and stream flows that provides information
essential to assessing and planning performance of
wastewater and drainage systems. Environmental
monitoring and assessment programs inform
Metro Vancouver and the Ministry of Environment
on the effectiveness of the region’s liquid waste
management programs and whether changes may
be needed.
Collaboration and program alignment among
Metro Vancouver and its members help prioritize
maintenance and reinvestment in wastewater
collection and treatment systems. Stormwater
management is made more effective by better
integration of stormwater management and land
use planning and a commitment by GVS&DD
members to implement their integrated stormwater
management plans. Collaboration extends beyond
Metro Vancouver and its members, and includes
senior levels of government, academia and
business—this fosters innovation. This plan promotes
collaborative forums and dialogue through the
development of a learning academy for liquid waste,
partnerships in research, and advisory committees.
The new Columbia Street Pump Station helps
reduce combined sewer overflows.
24 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010
STRATEGy 3.1
Manage assets and optimize existing
sanitary sewerage operations
Long-term affordable sanitary sewerage
management requires ongoing assessment of
the system performance and its integrity Proper
maintenance of existing sewerage assets will, in the
long term, forestall the need for significantly higher
repair and replacement costs in the future
MEtRo VANcoUVER WILL:.
3.1.1 Assess the performance and condition of
regional sewerage systems by: Ongoing
(a) inspecting regional sanitary sewers on a
twenty year cycle; and
(b) maintaining current maps of sewerage
inspection, condition, and repairs.
3.1.2 Create incentives to reduce inflow and
infiltration by adjusting Tier I sewerage cost
allocation formulae within each sewerage
area from an average dry weather flow basis
(25th percentile) to average wet weather
flow (75th percentile) with appropriate
adjustments for combined sewerage
areas. Tier II cost allocation would remain
unchanged. 2010
3.1.3 In consultation with municipalities, review
Metro Vancouver’s safe-operating head for
regional sewers. 2011
3.1.4 Develop and implement asset management
plans targeting a 100 year replacement or
rehabilitation cycle for regional sewerage
infrastructure. 2013 for plans
3.1.5 Update and implement asset management
plans for wastewater treatment plants which
address risks, including climate change and
seismic events, and maintain performance in
wet weather. 2013
MUNIcIPALItIES WILL:
3.1.6 Assess the performance and condition of
municipal sewerage systems by: Ongoing
(a) inspecting municipal sanitary sewers on a
twenty year cycle;
(b) maintaining current maps of sewerage
inspection, condition and repairs; and
(c) using the Metro Vancouver “Sewer
Condition Reporting Template Standard
Report, November 2002” as a guide to
ensure a consistent approach to sewer
system evaluation and reporting.
3.1.7 Work with Metro Vancouver to give effect to
3.1.2, 3.1.3 and 3.1.4. Ongoing
3.1.8 Develop and implement asset management
plans targeting a 100 year replacement or
rehabilitation cycle for municipal sewerage
infrastructure and provide copies of such
plans to Metro Vancouver. 2014 for plans
Installing Metro Vancouver trunk sewers, South
Surrey.
MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 25
STRATEGy 3.2
Use innovative approaches and technologies
This plan seeks improvement through innovation,
using local research and development and adapting
successes from elsewhere, to address pollutants
of emerging concern, improve wastewater
treatment, implement more sustainable stormwater
management practices and reduce long-term
financial burdens
MEtRo VANcoUVER WILL:
3.2.1 With financial support from provincial and
federal governments and the University of
British Columbia, develop the Annacis Island
Sustainability Academy to support innovative
research and demonstration projects in
liquid waste management. Facility by 2011
3.2.2 Collaborate with local and senior
governments, academic institutions and
industry in research on wastewater treatment
technology and stormwater management
and associated demonstration projects,
training and development of educational
toolkits. Ongoing
3.2.3 Undertake an annual internal audit of
best practices of one regional liquid
waste management sub program and
environmental management system to
identify opportunities for innovation and
improvements. Annually
MUNIcIPALItIES WILL:
3.2.4 Undertake a tri-annual internal audit of
best practices of one municipal liquid
waste management sub-program in each
municipality to identify opportunities for
innovation and improvements. Triennially
STRATEGy 3.3
Monitor the performance of the liquid
waste system and impacts on the receiving
environment
Monitoring will inform the operation of infrastructure,
the understanding of the potential for impacts from
discharges and infrastructure planning
MEtRo VANcoUVER WILL:
3.3.1 Continue to monitor the ambient
environment conditions of relevant water
bodies in the region in conformance with the
Canada-wide Strategy for the Management
of Municipal Wastewater Effluent (CWS-
MMWE) requirements, and work with the
Ministry of Environment in developing
Environmental Quality Objectives. Ongoing
Rainwater infiltration treats stormwater and
rebalances groundwater and creek flows.
INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010 26
3.3.2 Continue to monitor the quantity and
characteristics of Metro Vancouver’s liquid
waste point discharges to the environment
in conformance with the Canada-wide
Strategy for the Management of Municipal
Wastewater Effluent (CWS-MMWE)
requirements to meet Environmental
Discharge Objectives. Ongoing
3.3.3 Continue to operate its regional data
collection network for sewers, rainfall and
streams and use that data to assess the
effectiveness of actions taken under this
plan. Ongoing
3.3.4 In collaboration with municipalities,
estimate and document the greenhouse
gas emissions and odours associated with
the operation of the municipal and regional
liquid waste management systems (see
Actions 1.3.8, 1.3.10, 1.3.15, and 1.3.17).
2012
3.3.5 Estimate and report on the frequency,
location and volume of sewage overflows
from regional combined and sanitary sewers,
and where feasible identify and address the
probable causes. Ongoing
MUNIcIPALItIES WILL:
3.3.6 In collaboration with Metro Vancouver,
estimate and document the greenhouse
gas emissions and odours associated with
the operation of the municipal and regional
liquid waste management systems. 2014
3.3.7 Estimate and report on the frequency,
location and volume of sewage overflows
from municipal combined and sanitary
sewers, and where feasible identify and
address the probable causes. Ongoing
3.3.8 Maintain and, if necessary, expand the
existing municipal sewer flow and sewer
level monitoring network. Ongoing
Monitoring at the Iona Island
wastewater treatment plant laboratary.
MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 27
STRATEGy 3.4
Provide resilient infrastructure to address
risks and long-term needs
Metro Vancouver and municipalities will identify risks
which threaten the continued integrity of liquid waste
management operations and infrastructure and
create more resilient and adaptable systems which
address these risks to contribute to the overall goal
of a resilient region
The actions in the strategy require integration
and collaboration This is essential to developing
and interpreting scenarios as well as developing
management plans such as integrated stormwater
management plans Climate change, Fraser
River freshet, demographic change and aging
infrastructure are examples of uncertainties
and factors which continue to be assessed and
assimilated into scenarios that assist Metro
Vancouver and municipalities in identifying options
that increase long-term resiliency and manage risks
MEtRo VANcoUVER WILL:
3.4.1 Design and adapt infrastructure and
operations to address identified risks and
long-term needs, including risks associated
with climate change. Ongoing
3.4.2 In collaboration with municipalities and
the Integrated Partnership for Regional
Emergency Management (IPREM), develop
emergency management strategies
and response plans for municipal and
regional wastewater collection and
treatment systems, including identifying
and maintaining a system of emergency
wastewater overflow locations. 2015
3.4.3 Ensure liquid waste infrastructure and
services are provided in accordance with the
Regional Growth Strategy and coordinated
with municipal Official Community Plans.
Ongoing
MUNIcIPALItIES WILL:
3.4.4 In collaboration with Metro Vancouver and
the Integrated Partnership for Regional
Emergency Management (IPREM), develop
emergency management strategies and
response plans for municipal and regional
wastewater collection and treatment
systems. 2015
3.4.5 Adapt infrastructure and operations to
address risks and long-term needs. Ongoing
3.4.6 Ensure liquid waste infrastructure and
services are provided in accordance with the
Regional Growth Strategy and coordinated
with municipal Official Community Plans.
Ongoing
3.4.7 Develop and implement integrated
stormwater management plans at the
watershed scale that integrate with land use
to manage rainwater runoff. Plans by 2014
STRATEGy 3.5
Use collaborative management to address
evolving needs
A key feature of the plan is collaborative
management— collaboration in monitoring progress,
identifying challenges, and finding solutions to
overcome challenges Through collaboration,
Metro Vancouver and its members will continue to
adapt and evolve their liquid waste management
operations and infrastructure and create more
resilient and adaptable systems
MEtRo VANcoUVER WILL:
3.5.1 Establish a new overarching committee,
the Integrated Utility Management
Advisory Committee (IUMAC), to advise
Metro Vancouver on plan implementation,
particularly from the perspectives of
integrated planning and resource recovery
across utility systems. 2010
28 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010
3.5.2 Continue to receive advice from the
Environmental Monitoring Committee (EMC)
and Stormwater Interagency Liaison Group
(SILG) as subcommittees under IUMAC.
Ongoing
3.5.3 Use the Burrard Inlet Environmental Action
Program and the Fraser River Estuary
Management Program Management
Committee (BIEAP-FREMP) as the senior
level forum for discussion of policy and
assessment of the scientific work related to
the plan, and for resolving toxicity concerns
and any disputes among its members
related to implementing the plan. Ongoing
3.5.4 Biennially produce a progress report on
plan implementation for distribution to the
Ministry of the Environment that:
By July 1st biennially
(a) summarizes progress from the previous two
years on plan implementation, for all Metro
Vancouver actions, including the status of
performance measures.
(b) includes summaries and budget estimates
for proposed LWMP implementation
programs for the subsequent two calendar
years.
3.5.5 Hold a public accountability session based
on the biennial reports (Actions 3.5.4
and 3.5.8) by making the report available
through Metro Vancouver’s website and
by holding a special meeting of the Metro
Vancouver Waste Management Committee
to receive public comments and input on the
report.Biennially
3.5.6 Report directly to the Ministry of
Environment annual progress on
integrated stormwater management plan
implementation and all occurrences of
sanitary sewer overflows.
By March 1st annually
3.5.7 In collaboration with members and the
Ministry of Environment, undertake a
comprehensive review and update of the
plan on an eight year cycle. Every eight years
MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 29
MUNIcIPALItIES WILL:
3.5.8 Biennially produce a progress report on
plan implementation for distribution to the
Ministry of the Environment that:
By July 1st biennially
(a) summarizes progress from the previous
two years on plan implementation for all
municipal actions, including the status of
performance measures.
(b) includes summaries and budget estimates
for proposed LWMP implementation
programs for the subsequent two calendar
years.
3.5.9 Report through Metro Vancouver to the
Ministry of Environment annual progress
on integrated stormwater management
plan implementation and all occurrences of
sanitary sewer overflows.
By March 1st annually
3.5.10 Work with Metro Vancouver to give effect to
3.5.2, 3.5.5, and 3.5.7. Ongoing
Trees improve habitat and reduce stormwater
impacts, Still Creek, Vancouver.
30 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010
Financial Plan
Metro Vancouver and its members recover most
of the costs to build, operate and maintain their
liquid waste infrastructure from users. These are not
adequate, however, to wholly finance major capital
projects such as upgrading primary wastewater
treatment plants to secondary treatment, and
therefore, historically senior levels of governments
have worked in partnership with local governments
and provided significant cost sharing for major
capital projects. Given that these projects are driven
in part by federal and provincial legislation and
regulations targeting environmental protection,
Metro Vancouver will seek and requires financial
support, from both the Federal and Provincial
governments, consistent with the responsibilities
identified in the Canada-wide Strategy for the
Management of Municipal Wastewater Effluent.
Metro Vancouver is committed to complete works
necessary to meet national and provincial objectives
and regulations. Metro Vancouver will fund its
proportionate share of the infrastructure.
While various pricing mechanisms can more
equitably allocate the costs among the users of
municipal and Metro Vancouver’s liquid waste
management services, they do not offer new
revenue sources. Similarly, different financing and
operating models may be able to make annual
financing appear less burdensome, but they also do
not offer new revenue sources. Through the IRR
process, opportunities to access resources from the
liquid waste system to create new revenues may
be possible, but these are uncertain and cannot be
relied upon to address the capital funding needs of
this plan.
The cost of the upgrades for the Iona Island and
North Shore plants is estimated in the order of $1.4
billion. The current regional average household levy
for Metro Vancouver services varies from $160 to
$180 depending on the sewerage area—municipal
sewerage and drainage services are additional.
Without senior government cost sharing, Metro
Vancouver average household levies are estimated
to increase by over 600% over the next two decades
for North Shore and Vancouver Sewerage Area
homeowners. The importance of senior government
cost sharing in maintaining affordability at the
household level is shown by the Table 2 scenarios.
While Metro Vancouver and its members will
work with senior government, businesses and its
communities to identify cost-effective solutions,
significant and equitable federal and provincial cost
sharing to ease the homeowners’ burden is needed
and expected by Metro Vancouver and its members.
This plan includes a commitment to upgrading both
the Lions Gate and Iona Island primary treatment
plants to secondary level treatment. Given the
significant cost and that the work is designed to
fulfill environmental policy goals shared by all
three levels of government, this plan assumes
provincial and federal financial commitments will be
forthcoming.
Metro Vancouver will work with its member
municipalities to ensure that the cumulative cost
implications of this plan are mitigated through
appropriate financial strategies such as
rate smoothing.
MAY 2010 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 31
The above three tables all assume that long term debt is amortized over 15 years.
2a) Sequencing Lions Gate and Iona Island within 10 years
(includes inflation and 2/3 senior government cost sharing)
Sewerage Area 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
Fraser $156 $171 $242 $291 $323
Lulu Island $157 $172 $248 $298 $331
North Shore $181 $292 $417 $504 $565
Vancouver $159 $266 $364 $440 $492
2b) Sequencing Lions Gate and Iona Island within 10 years
(includes inflation and 1/3 senior government cost sharing)
Sewerage Area 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
Fraser $156 $186 $282 $355 $415
Lulu Island $157 $188 $283 $357 $418
North Shore $181 $317 $639 $810 $953
Vancouver $159 $290 $545 $690 $812
2c) Sequencing Lions Gate and Iona Island within 10 years
(includes inflation but no senior government cost sharing)
Sewerage Area 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
Fraser $156 $205 $335 $427 $506
Lulu Island $157 $206 $332 $423 $502
North Shore $181 $348 $911 $1,168 $1,391
Vancouver $159 $317 $769 $985 $1,172
Table 2 Scenarios for Annual Household Levies by Sewerage Area
32 INTEGRATED LIQUID WASTE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAY 2010
Performance Measures
Performance measures document progress in
achieving the goals of the LWMP, and are useful for
the adaptive management process. Performance
measures will be further developed by the
Integrated Utility Management Advisory Committee,
and will be used in reporting on the Liquid Waste
Management Plan implementation progress.
Goal 1: Protect public health and the environment
• compliance with parameters specified in the
operating certificates for wastewater
treatment plants
• discharges that do not meet provincial water
quality guidelines
• number of sanitary sewer overflows—
frequency, location and volume
• sanitary sewage volumes in combined
sewer overflows
• beach closure days and locations
• watershed and stream health indicators as set
out in the integrated stormwater management
plan template
Goal 2: Use liquid waste as a resource
• quantities and types of energy and materials
recovered from the liquid waste system
Goal 3: Effective, affordable and
collaborative management
• wet weather peaking factors at key regional
monitoring points
• average [24 hour] flows at regional flow
monitoring stations and at wastewater
treatment plants
• metres of sewer pipe inspected and
renewed annually
• annual operations, maintenance and capital
expenditures for liquid waste management
• number and area [hectares] of integrated
stormwater management plans completed
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