In early January 2017, as a result of significant rain and snow melt, I posed some questions to Commissioner Geoff Wright (of Transporation and Works) regarding ongoing monitoring of the storm water system in Lisgar. My questions are in bold, his responses follow:
Councillor McFadden:
As requested, staff have reviewed the questions from your office regarding the functioning of the Lisgar District FDC and provide the following information:
“Are staff still able to monitor the water levels of the FDCs through gauges that we put in place during the investigation?”
Yes, the monitoring installations from previous years have been maintained in place, including those in the FDC system (18 FDC monitoring gauges) in the Lisgar district. The gauges record both water level and water temperature.
“Has there been any surcharging of the FDCs in the past 24 hours?”
The gauges are stand-alone units (i.e. the gauges do not have any type of telemetry or mobile connection) and therefore must be manually downloaded periodically by our consultant. The gauges were last downloaded in mid-November. Normally the gauges are left in place (recording data) from November/December until spring due to winter conditions; however, a download visit by the consultant could potentially be arranged sooner if there is a major concern or need to obtain the data earlier.
Also, Works, Operations and Maintenance (WOM) staff continue to visually monitor water levels in the FDC system. On January 3, 2017 staff were out checking both inlets and outlets as well as the FDC system. Staff will continue to monitor areas as required, and act accordingly, if needed. Based on these visual observations, no major issues or concerns over the past few storms dating back to 2014 have been experienced.
Staff will advise, as in the past, if there are any concerns during or following any storm event. WOM management staff also continue to be in contact with road patrol and dispatch during off-hours, in case there are any calls from residents that are experiencing any flooding.
“How were the FDCs functioning yesterday relative to a) the period of concern between 2011 and 2013 and b) how they were intended to function when first installed?”
Based on our visual observations, the system seemed to be functioning normally on January 3, 2017. In order to compare system functioning to previous years, we cannot answer that question at this time without yet having the data downloaded and analyzed from the gauges.
“And finally, is there any concern today with too much water in the FDCs?”
The observations and findings presented to the public (March 26, 2015 public presentation and associated final report) regarding FDC surcharge and storm sewer leakage still remain valid. Transportation and Works have been advancing the priority action plan noted at that time in conjunction with the consultant who supported the previous assessment. The highest priority item in the plan was storm sewer lining, which is currently underway in the area of Black Walnut Trail. Additional storm sewer lining in the area of Alderwood Trail and Osprey Boulevard is planned for later in 2017. Further, the design of a utility trench dewatering system at Black Walnut Trail and Cactus Gate is currently underway, and is expected to be constructed in 2017. Monitoring work remains ongoing to assess the effectiveness of these measures and to determine what additional measures, if any, are required.
Should you require further information or assistance regarding the Lisgar District FDC, please contact Jeremy Blair or myself.
Geoff Wright, P.Eng., MBA
Commissioner, Transportation & Works