Storm Sewer Improvements - Riverside Drive and St. Rose

Construction of a new storm trunk sewer along Riverside Drive from Ford Boulevard to St Rose Avenue will alleviate significant flooding that occurs along Riverside Drive, and from the intersection of Edgar and Homedale north-easterly to the new pump station at St Rose will provide relief to the subject area.

Flood Protection Barrier Landform

Implementation of a flood protection barrier landform along Riverside Drive, as identified in the East Riverside Flood Protection Risk Assessment Study (in progress) using the 1:100 year Lake St Clair and Detroit River instantaneous water level factored for climate change scenario to 2050 will protect low lying lands to the south from the effects of riverine surface flooding.

Risk Analysis:

Any project deficits associated with the project will be the responsibility of the City. The limited time for submission to this grant and that the project is not shovel ready creates a risk that the cost estimates associated with this project will be lower than actual costs. Administration has mitigated this risk by increasing initial estimates with a contingency to reduce this risk, however there remains a possibility that additional City funding will be requested.

The Sewer Master Plan is due in December and while these projects are identified as priority, use of funding for the matching City portion for this project will reduce options on how many other projects may be able to be started. To mitigate this risk Administration has left $1,000,000 annually in the Sewer Master Plan Implementation project as well as the full amount of $4.8M in 2019. In addition, the Storm Water Financing study may further reduce this risk, however that plan is still in development. There is also an Investing in Canada Infrastructure – GHG funding stream expected in late 2019 which may be able to be leveraged to help fund other projects in the Sewer Master Plan.

There is a risk that the City may not be awarded grant funding for this project. Should this occur the project will be revisited as part of the Sewer Master Plan and the recommendations associated with the implementation of that plan.

The location of the pump stations is currently identified within existing parks. This will reduce space at those parks and while the structures will be designed to visually appealing there is a risk that the location is not well received by residents.

Financial Matters:

During the 2019 budget deliberations and in advance of the expected demands of the Sewer Master Plan, City Council elected to increase the Sanitary Sewer Surcharge