c a p i t a l r e n e w a l PROGRAM
Water meter replacement program
The goal of WUC's Water Meter Replacement Program is to replace all damaged, frozen, defective, aging and obsolete water meters, in residential and industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) settings.
New meters provide benefits that include:
- Increased accuracy in billing for our customers;
- Improved efficiency in meter reading, as reads can be obtained via radio frequency (RF); and
- Enhanced ability to identify the sources and manage the causes of non-revenue water, thereby limiting revenue loss for both WUC and its ratepayers.
WUC installed 11,843 new meters in 2019. A small number of nonRF meters remained in the field at year end. The remaining meters are either located in vacant properties or conditions at the customer site require additional attention prior to replacement. These replacements will be coordinated with customers on a case by case basis going forward.
At year end, the average age of WUC's total meter population is 4 years. For ICIs only, the average age is 6.6 years.
All meter reading routes are now using the drive-by (RF) method to collect meter data.
Aside from the exceptions noted, the Water Meter Replacement Program is now considered complete.
Watermain replacement program
The 2019 WUC capital renewal program involved the replacement of approximately 16.34 km of existing cast and ductile iron watermains, as well as water services, with new PVC pipelines and polyethylene/copper tubing, respectively.
Water services are typically replaced from the new main to the property line.
The projects included watermains that no longer provided adequate service, and which were deemed to have the highest risk to public health.
The MECP and Ontario Fire Codes (OFC) mandate minimum levels of performance required for hydrants throughout the water distribution system. In 2019, 116 water hydrants were installed and 60 old public use hydrants were removed.
WUC capital projects, such as renewal of cast iron watermain, are prioritized based on a scoring system algorithm. A point score is assigned to the seven criteria listed below to determine the priority of the project.
The higher the risk to public health and safety, the higher the score, hence, the higher the priority status assigned. The algorithm uses the following priority:
- Anticipated percentage or total number of lead services;
- Deficient hydrant spacing;
- Low fire flow;
- Pipe Diameter;
- Breaks per 100m with an emphasis on recency;
- Disturbed water per 100m;
- Age (life cycle of pipe type).
reservoirs
Reservoir "G" (George Avenue Reservoir) was commissioned and placed in service in April 2019.
Reservoir "D", was drained for cleaning and inspection. This included inspection of the 60 inch valve that held back the water from the piping outside. Rehabilitation work is being engineered for construction in 2020.
Feeder ValVe replaCement
A 24-inch feeder main valve on Shepherd Street West would not seal. ENWIN and its contractor drained the feeder main and replaced the valve.
A 24-inch feeder main valve at Isabelle and Tranby was replaced. The valve was broken and could not be turned to open or close.