Application of the Composite Correction Program to improve Climate Change resiliency of the Town of Bancroft’s wastewater system

The Town of Bancroft will conduct a study to identify actions to improve the resiliency of the Town’s wastewater infrastructure to climate change. Currently, the treatment plant is negatively impacted by high wastewater flows during rain or snowmelt events, which cause releases of partially treated wastewater despite a $9M expansion in 2009. Climate change is expected to increase these impacts due to more intense rainfall and larger volumes of precipitation. The proposed study will use the Composite Correction Program (CPP) protocol, first developed by the US EPA, to identify and correct the cause(s) of the capacity issue at the treatment plant by educating plant operators on making the best use of existing infrastructure. The protocol addresses all factors that contribute to producing good, economical wastewater effluent, and has been applied successfully in Ontario and internationally. The town must identify, address and maintain optimum performance of its infrastructure to retain its position as a hub serving a regional population through public and private services. Currently, high utility costs due to excess wastewater inflows have a negative effect on obtaining new investment in the town. Future infrastructure costs caused by climate change will exacerbate sustainability and growth challenges, and cause significant hardship on the town and surrounding communities. The project team will include municipal staff, plant operators and consultants with prior CPP experience. In addition, staff from the MOECC and the former CAO of the City of Brantford, who successfully implemented the CPP there, will make in-kind contributions to the study. Town staff will report updates and findings to Town Council and continue to implement public consultation through press releases as well as inviting a citizen representative of the rate-payers association to be involved in the process. By implementing study findings the Town of Bancroft will hope to reduce the discharge of partially treated wastewater to the York River, maximize existing infrastructure to make wastewater services more affordable under climate change scenarios, and avoid further infrastructure capital costs. These identified potential benefits have made this a leading municipal priority and a project that Bancroft will share to help establish best practices for nearby municipalities experiencing similar issues.