Case Studies

Dundas/Waterdown Flow Diversion Project

City of Hamilton

Wastewater flows from the Dundas and Waterdown drainage areas to the year 2020 exceed the capacity of the Dundas Waste Water Treatment Plant. A flow diversion project has been commenced to divert flows in excess of the Dundas WWTP capacity to the West Hamilton collection system, where it will be directed for treatment at the Woodward Avenue WWTP.

The project was designed by the Region of Hamilton Wentworth (now the New City of Hamilton) engineering staff and was ready for construction in 1999 but was delayed while the amalgamation of the City and surrounding municipalities took place. The agreement between Con-Drain and the City was finally concluded in March 2001 and construction commenced in April of that year.

A key to the project's viability is the financing package which sees Con-Drain paid one third of the project value initially with the balance coming from a development charge assessed against all new development in the areas which will benefit from the project. Thus Con-Drain will be providing financing for two thirds of the project cost over an extended period. Con-Drain shares in the City's confidence that the benefiting areas are prime for growth and that the payback period will be much shorter than the maximum stipulated by the agreement.

The main feature of the project is a reinforced concrete equalization tank measuring 57 metres by 33 metres by 8 to 9 metres deep including a wash-down bucket system and a pumping station. The project includes the replacement of the existing Borer's Creek sanitary sewer with approximately 500 metres of 1050 mm. diameter sewer and a new 900 mm. diameter sewer which carries excess flow from the Dundas WWTP to the equalization tank. A 600 mm. diameter concrete pressure pipe forcemain approximately 2 kilometers long takes sewage from the tank's pumping station to an existing sanitary trunk sewer at McMaster University.

Total cost of the project is $12.4 million. It is expected that the project will be completed within the schedule and under budget.