About 3,250 new homes are expected across Picton and Bloomfield by 2032. Another 2,700 are to come the following decade.

New houses mean an expanded tax base. More water and wastewater customers. An improved economy.

It also means planning to ensure enough water, wastewater and stormwater capacity. As the town grows, pumping stations and force mains are required, as well as an expanded water distribution network and more stormwater collection sewers.

Unfortunately for the Town of Picton, the cupboard is relatively bare when it comes to expanding current plants and building out treatment facilities. New infrastructure is needed. Solutions were presented at a Public Consultation Centre at Rotary Hall last week for public comment.

A Regional WTP

Expansion at the current water treatment plant in Picton is a non-starter. Built in 1928, the legacy plant cannot be rehabilitated to meet provincial certification needs. And that’s before considering the 300 identified threats to the drinking water in Picton Bay. High levels of heavy metals and mercury levels that exceed federal limits were confirmed in 2011.

The recently completed Regional Water Supply Servicing Master Plan’s preferred alternative is a new regional WTP in Wellington, connecting Picton and Bloomfield to the Wellington system. It would deliver clean drinking water to over 4,000 ratepayers. The $140 million project involves sourcing Picton and Bloomfield drinking water in Lake Ontario at a regional WTP ($105 million) and pumping it east along the Millennium Trail ($19 million) to a reservoir near Base31 ($16 million).

The province has offered $18.3 million towards the regional solution and the municipality is confident development charges will pay for most of the rest, about $119 million by 2043.

Wastewater

Picton’s wastewater treatment system also needs attention.

The town has eight sewage pumping stations, 37.5 km of sewer pipe, and about 3 km of forcemains. All wastewater in Picton is pumped to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) at Champlain’s Lookout by way of the Lalor Street Pumping Station. The WWTP has a rated capacity of 6,000 m3 per day and its current sustainable capacity is 4,800 m3 per day.

Looking ahead, the Lalor Street station may require capacity upgrades and an estimated seven new pumping stations (paid for by developers) will be erected. The sanitary sewer network requires upgrades to eight sections at an estimated cost of $9 million, also to be offset by development charges. Any new sewer network additions will be constructed and paid for by developers to service new developments.

Future development is expected to pay for pipes, pumps and WWTP upgrades as well. The County is looking at a $65 million build out at the existing plant, built in 2012.

Any additions to the existing plant still require a Class C schedule process to investigate new treatment technologies.

Last week’s was the second public consultation on the MSP, and attracted about two dozen residents. All feedback is incorporated into the draft plan, available at the County’s website. Residents can still submit feedback on the Picton MSP to Project Manager Jeff Shortt by emailing [email protected]. The deadline is Thursday 17 October.