HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-2021-2 - Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS): Management Review Summary for 2020Staff Report
Infrastructure Services Department
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REPORT TO: Community & Infrastructure Services
DATE OF MEETING: March 8, 2021
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www.kitchenerca
SUBMITTED BY: St. Louis, Greg, Director, Gas & Water Utilities, 519-741-2600
ext.4538
PREPARED BY: Mick, Angela, Manager, Quality Management and Water Programs,
519-741-2600 ext. 4408
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: February 1, 2021
REPORT NO.: INS -2021-2
SUBJECT: Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS):
Management Review Summary for 2020
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the City of Kitchener Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS):
Management Review Summary for 2020 Report be received for information.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
• The purpose of this report is to inform the decision-making authority about the status
of the drinking water system.
• The Kitchener water distribution system meets the requirements under the Safe
Drinking WaterAct.
• The strategic plan alignment is through the delivery of core services.
• There are no financial implications of this report
BACKGROUND:
The Safe Drinking WaterAct, 2002 and Regulation 188/07, requires the City of Kitchener to
be licensed to operate and maintain Kitchener's water distribution system. Some of the
licensing requirements include the development and management of a Quality Management
System (QMS) and Operational Plan as well as communication to the owner. The City of
Kitchener became licensed in August, 2009 with a Financial Plan submitted in July, 2010.
The licence was renewed in 2019.
Section 19 of the Safe Drinking WaterAct imposes a statutory standard of care on persons
who oversee the municipal drinking water system: "...every person who, on behalf of the
municipality, oversees the accredited operating authority of the system or exercises
decision-making authority over the system". This standard of care includes Council since
they have decision-making authority. Part of the standard of care includes requiring system
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
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owners to undertake financial planning and implement the Drinking Water Quality
Management System (DWQMS).
REPORT:
The purpose of this report is to inform Council as the decision-making authority about the
status of the drinking water system on an annual basis. The Kitchener water distribution
system meets the requirements under the Safe Drinking WaterAct. There are specific areas
that must be reported per regulatory requirements, which include; but are not limited to
consumer feedback, results of infrastructure review, results of audits and summary of
maintenance.
The DWQMS requires Top Management to "report the results of the management review,
the identified deficiencies, decisions and action items to the Owner". Top Management is
defined as "a person, persons or group of people at the highest management level within an
Operating Authority that makes decisions respecting the QMS and recommendations to the
Owner respecting the subject system or subjects systems". The Owner of the water utility is
the Corporation of the City of Kitchener, represented by City Council.
The 2020 Management Review was completed with Top Management: Denise McGoldrick,
General Manager, Infrastructure Services, Greg St. Louis, Director, Gas & Water Utilities,
and Tammer Gaber, Manager, Operations (Gas & Water) as well as Matt Ryan, Manager,
Training and Programs, Angela Mick, Manager, Quality Management and Water Programs
and Dean Chapman, Quality Management System Specialist. The Management Review
report is attached.
Highlights of the report are:
• COVID restrictions resulted in a slightly delayed construction and maintenance start
as well as delayed training, however construction and maintenance activities were
completed. It is anticipated that hands-on training will continue to be difficult in early
2021
• Year Three Water Infrastructure Program (WIP) maintenance end of year
achievements (specific areas of improvement identified by WIP):
o Cleaned approximately 133km of watermain.
o Discoloured water complaints decreased significantly below 2019 numbers
(43 complaints for 2020). The Region of Waterloo's Strange Street Water
Pumping station continued to be off-line. It is believed that this was the source
of many discoloured water issues prior to going off-line in 2019. The station
upgrades for Manganese treatment continue.
0 45 broken valves and/or failing valves were replaced which allows for quicker
isolation for water emergencies.
o Approximately 1,100 valves were proactively operated (14%); the majority
were within the cleaning area and the 2020 reconstruction areas. Operating
valves ensures that they will work when they are needed in an emergency or
for construction activities.
o Completed spring and fall maintenance of fire hydrants.
o Underground utility locates — continued to meet regulatory requirements with
a combination of in-house and contract staff (14,403 locates completed).
Approval for two additional locating full time employees was provided in 2020.
39
o Approximately 2,350 services are protected by Backflow Prevention (BFP) —
total, focus is on high risk use.
o A regulatory relief was provided by the Ministry to limit the fall lead testing
programs (inside customer premises) to hydrants only due to COVID
restrictions. A relief has also been granted for the spring 2021 program
(hydrants only).
• An inspection of approximately 130 air relief valves in chambers was completed
identifying 5 replacement requirements for 2021.
• There were 62 watermain breaks in 2020, which is less than the 5 -year average of
79. The 5 -year average dropped from 95 to 79 due to 2015 (a very cold year) no
longer included to determine the 5 year average.
• COVID decreased the ability to replace water meters for a number of weeks, however
approximately 3,750 aging water meters were replaced when conditions allowed. It
is anticipated that the 2021 contractor work volume will be increased to continue to
address the backlog and meet the target of 5,000 meter replacements per year.
• Implemented mobile water valve inspections which decreased the need for data entry
and allowed for real time follow-up work to be scheduled.
• Unaccounted for water was 9.1 % (below the 10% target). The unaccounted for water
generally fluctuates around 10% (9-12%, with 10% being the 10 year average).
• Pressure reducing valve maintenance was completed.
• Re -vamped training programs started in late 2019, throughout 2020 and will continue
in early 2021— maintenance and operation programs, DWQMS Awareness.
Construction and Response training occurred in 2020 and will continue in 2021.
• Efforts to address the non-compliance received in early 2020 for new watermains not
being mapped within 12 months of replacement continues — see additional
information under Incidence of Regulatory Non -Compliance.
• Kitchener Utilities updated the website in early December to provide an accessible
website to Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) standards, better
navigation, and an overall better customer experience.
• Replaced watermains as outlined in the 2020 City of Kitchener Engineering & Water
Utility Capital Forecast.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports the delivery of core services.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM — This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of
the council / committee meeting. The Drinking Water Quality Management Policy is available
on the Kitchener Utilities Website.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
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There are no previous reports/authorities related to this matter; however the summary
reports are provided on an annual basis with the last report being INS -20-004.
APPROVED BY: Denise McGoldrick, General Manager, Infrastructure Services.
ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A — Drinking Water Quality Management Standard
Management Review - 2020
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Kitchener
Utilities
Kitchener Utilities
City of Kitchener Drinking Water Distribution
System
Drinking Water Quality Management
Standard
Management Review — 2020
The contents of this document are the intellectual property of Kitchener Utilities and cannot be reproduced
and/or distributed to any individual or organisation without the written authorization of Kitchener Utilities.
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DWQMS Management Review
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PartA - Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 3
Purpose...............................................................................................................................................
3
ExecutiveSummary .............................................................................................................................
3
Background.........................................................................................................................................
5
Other Related Water Quality Reports.................................................................................................
5
Quality Management System Policy....................................................................................................
6
Part B — Management Review................................................................................................................
7
SystemDescription..............................................................................................................................7
Water Infrastructure Program..............................................................................................................
7
COVIDImpacts...................................................................................................................................
8
Incidents of Regulatory Non Compliance............................................................................................
9
Incidences of Adverse Drinking Water................................................................................................10
Deviations from Critical Control Points Limits and Response..............................................................12
Effectiveness of the Risk Assessment Process........................................................................................15
Results of Internal and External Audits...............................................................................................16
OFI's, Non -Conformances, Non -Compliances by Year.......................................................................17
Operational Performance...................................................................................................................18
Raw Water Supply and Drinking Water Quality Trends......................................................................18
Follow-up on Action Items from Previous Management Reviews.......................................................19
Status of Management Action Items Identified Between Reviews........................................................19
Changes that could Affect the Quality Management System...............................................................19
ConsumerFeedback..........................................................................................................................
20
Resources Needed to Maintain the Quality Management System.......................................................21
Results of the Infrastructure Review...................................................................................................21
Summary of Maintenance.................................................................................................................
22
Effectiveness of Maintenance.............................................................................................................
25
Operational Plan Currency, Content and Updates.............................................................................
26
StaffSuggestions................................................................................................................................
26
Other................................................................................................................................................
26
Appendix.............................................................................................................................................
28
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City of Kitchener Water Distribution
DWQMS Management Review
PART A, INTRODUCTION
Purpose
The purpose of this report is to inform the decision-making authority about the status of the
drinking water system. The Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS) under the
Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) requires management to review and
evaluate the continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the Quality Management
System at least once a calendar year and that the results of the management review, identified
deficiencies, decisions and action items are provided to Council as the `Owner' of the drinking
water system.
Executive Summary
Highlights of the report are:
• COVID restrictions resulted in a slightly delayed construction and maintenance start as
well as delayed training, however construction and maintenance activities were
completed. It is anticipated that hands-on training will continue to be difficult in early
2021
• Year Three Water Infrastructure Program (WIP) maintenance end of year achievements
(specific areas of improvement identified by WIP):
o Cleaned approximately 133km of watermain.
o Discoloured water complaints decreased significantly below 2019 numbers (43
complaints for 2020). The Region of Waterloo's Strange Street Water Pumping
station continued to be off-line. It is believed that this was the source of many
discoloured water issues prior to going off-line in 2019. The station upgrades for
manganese treatment continue.
0 45 broken valves and/or failing valves were replaced which allows for quicker
isolation for water emergencies.
o Approximately 1,100 valves were proactively operated (14%); the majority were
within the cleaning area and the 2020 reconstruction areas. Operating valves
ensures that they will work when they are needed in an emergency or for
construction activities.
o Completed spring and fall maintenance of fire hydrants.
o Underground utility locates — continued to meet regulatory requirements with a
combination of in-house and contract staff (14,403 locates completed). Approval
for two additional locating Full Time Employees (FTEs) was provided in 2020.
o Approximately 2,350 services are protected by Backflow Prevention (BFP) — total,
focus is on high risk use.
o A regulatory relief was provided by the Ministry to limit the fall lead testing
programs (customer premises) to hydrants only due to COVID restrictions. A relief
has also been granted for the spring 2021 program (hydrants only).
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• An inspection of approximately 130 air relief valves in chambers was completed
identifying 5 replacement requirements for 2021.
• There were 62 watermain breaks in 2020, which is less than the 5 -year average of 79.
The 5 -year average dropped from 95 to 79 due to 2015 (a very cold year) no longer
included to determine the 5 year average.
• COVID decreased the ability to replace water meters for a number of weeks, however
approximately 3,750 aging water meters were replaced when conditions allowed. It is
anticipated that the 2021 contractor work volume will be increased to continue to
address the backlog and meet the target of 5,000 meter replacements per year.
• Implemented mobile water valve inspections which decreased the need for data entry
and allowed for real time follow-up work to be scheduled.
• Unaccounted for water was 9.1% (below the 10% target). The unaccounted for water
generally fluctuates around 10% (9-12%, with 10% being the 10 year average).
• Pressure reducing valve maintenance was completed.
• Re -vamped training programs started in late 2019, throughout 2020 and will continue in
early 2021— maintenance and operation programs, DWQMS Awareness. Construction
and Response training occurred in 2020 and will continue in 2021.
• Efforts to address the non-compliance received in early 2020 for new watermains not
being mapped within 12 months of replacement continues — see additional information
under Incidence of Regulatory Non -Compliance.
• Kitchener Utilities updated the website in early December to provide an accessible
website to Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) standards, better
navigation, and an overall better customer experience.
• Replaced watermains as outlined in the 2020 City of Kitchener Engineering & Water
Utility Capital Forecast.
Areas of Focus are:
• Proceed with improvements to the As -built process in conjunction with Engineering. A
work plan has been developed to address a non-compliance associated with the length
of time to map as-builts and additional resources may be required to manage. See
Incidence of Regulatory Non -Compliance section for additional information.
• Revise the Site Plan mapping process to map new infrastructure closer to when it
becomes live/removed.
• Restart the hydrant painting program with an extensive backlog of hydrants to be
painted (estimate of 750).
• Revised Disinfection Procedure was implemented on February 1, 2021. The revisions
include allowances for >6m connections when specific conditions are met, change of
backflow prevention device and a change relating to watermain break classification.
Specifications, procedures, and a training program have been developed to ensure
compliance.
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• Roll out a new solution for better tracking of Backflow Prevention/Cross Connection
program.
• COVID has further highlighted opportunities for mobile maintenance inspections.
Modelling on the success of the mobile valve inspection, develop mobile solutions in
conjunction with the CityWorks team for water hydrant field inspections to minimize
data entry, provide faster deficiency follow-up and free up resources.
Background
One of recommendations from Justice O'Connor's Part Two Report of the Walkerton Inquiry
was "The Ministry of the Environment should require the owners of municipal water systems to
obtain an owner's licence for the operation of their waterworks". Justice O'Connor also
recommended that the Owners and Operating Authorities of these systems implement a quality
management approach to operations and management. As a result of these recommendations a
Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS) under the Safe Drinking Water Act,
2002 was released in October 2006.
The Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 and Regulation 188/07, requires the City of Kitchener to be
licensed to operate and maintain Kitchener's Water Distribution System. Some of the licensing
requirements include the development and management of a Quality Management System
(QMS) and Operational Plan as well as communication to the Owner. The City of Kitchener
became licensed in August 2009 with a Financial Plan submitted in July 2010.
Section 19 of the Safe Drinking Water Act imposes a statutory standard of care on persons who
oversee the municipal drinking water system: "...every person who, on behalf of the
municipality, oversees the accredited operating authority of the system or exercises decision-
making authority over the system." This standard of care includes Council since they have
decision-making authority as the `Owner" of the system. Part of the standard of care includes
requiring system owners to undertake financial planning and implement a QMS.
Other Related Water Quality Reports
The City of Kitchener Summary Water Report for 2020 is a regulatory report provided to
Council, which provides a summary of drinking water including adverse water quality
incidences and water volume.
The Kitchener Distribution System prepares an annual summary of the number of tests taken
within the distribution system as well as the range of the results. A copy of this report is
available on the Kitchener Utilities website.
The Kitchener Distribution System is part of an Integrated Urban System, meaning the Regional
Municipality of Waterloo is responsible for water treatment and the development and
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operation of a trunk water network to distribute treated water to Kitchener, Cambridge,
Waterloo, Woolwich, and Wilmot. There is a variety of groundwater supply wells (800/o),
treatment facilities as well as a Grand River (20%) source. The Region of Waterloo's water
infrastructure system is complex, consisting of numerous supply sources, pressure zones,
reservoirs, and pumping stations. Ensuring sufficient pressure and quantities to meet current and
planned growth requires a long-term, co-ordinated strategy. The Region provides annual
summaries for each supply and the information is available on their website with a link available
at the Kitchener Utilities website.
A portion of Kitchener (River Ridge area) is supplied by the City of Waterloo. Kitchener supplies
water to a small section of Waterloo (Ira Needles area) and water travels through the Kitchener
distribution system to Breslau (Woolwich). The City of Waterloo's water quality report is
available on their website.
Quality Management System Policy
Kitchener Utilities owns, maintains, and operates the City of Kitchener's Drinking Water
Distribution System. At Kitchener Utilities, we are committed to supplying the City with safe
drinking water. We work together as the City of Kitchener and the Region of Waterloo to keep
water matters top of mind. We are committed to these principles:
1. Quality
Kitchener water is safely treated and regularly tested according to government legislation and
regulations for the consistent delivery of safe, quality drinking water. We are committed to
maintaining and continually improving the Quality Management System and complying with
applicable legislation.
2. Trust
Trust us to look after your water needs by delivering quality water and reliable service.
3. Value
Tap water is the most economical choice.
4. Communication
We will communicate openly with the public concerning matters of drinking water quality.
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PART B — MANAGEMENT REVIEW
System Description
The scope of the waterworks begins at the point where treated water enters the watermain
from the treatment facilities and ends at the property lines of the consumers. There is no
storage, chlorine boosting, secondary disinfection or pressure boosting within the control of the
waterworks.
At the end of 2020, the waterworks consists of approximately:
• 903.6 km of distribution watermain — 770 km Kitchener owned, 23 km Dual owned
(joint ownership between Kitchener and Region) and 111 km Regional owned
• 68,714 water meters in service.
• 4,565 hydrants (not including private hydrants).
• 7,614 valves (not including service valves or hydrant valves) — 7,053 Kitchener owned,
127 Dual and 433 Regional.
(See Appendix for a map at end of this document)
The waterworks system has the following permits and licences:
• Municipal Drinking Water Licence
• Drinking Water Works Permit
• Financial Plan
• Operational Plan
Water Infrastructure Program
The Water Infrastructure Program (WIP) was initiated in spring 2017. Targets for Year 3 of
maintenance -related work were achieved, included:
• Watermain cleaning program - cleaned 133km of the City.
• Valve maintenance and replacement programs — operated approximately 1,100 valves
and replaced 45 broken or failing valves.
• Hydrant operation and maintenance — completed as required.
• Underground utility locates — continued to meet regulatory requirements with a
combination of in-house and contract staff (14,403 locates completed).
• Approximately 2,350 services are protected by Backflow Prevention (BFP),
approximately 2,400 still require protection. The exact number of devices will not be
reportable until the new system is fully operational, anticipated in late 2021/early 2022.
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COVID Impacts
• Delayed start to the construction season compressed several activities which would
normally have been spread out.
• Late start to the spring maintenance program, however the programs were caught up
over the fall.
• Training was halted from mid-March until October 2020 and again in late December
2020. Training for 2021 has been initiated remotely with one-on-one practical
components.
• Reallocated a portion of static hydrant checks that are normally given to a contractor for
in-house staff to complete. This was work best suited to the single person vehicles at the
onset of COVID.
• Hydrant painting contractor was unable to retain staff and was unable to undertake
painting. Hydrant painting was not completed.
• Water meter replacement work was deemed non-essential and as a result of needing to
enter private residences was not completed from mid-March until August. This resulted
in a backlog of open service orders for meter issues and fewer meter replacement.
Contractor could not start their replacement work until July. Normally 2,600
replacements are provided to the contractor but an additional 500 were given after
restrictions lifted. The contractor completed 3,000 replacements in 2020. The contractor
will be given an increased volume to address the backlog in 2021. Some customers are
not comfortable with entry into the homes. A second shut -down commenced on
December 26, 2020.
• Water consumption dipped in March as businesses closed then largely recovered. The hot
summer combined with many people working from home resulted in more water use.
• Internal investigations for poor pressure and water quality were largely completed from
outside the home. If samples were required, they were taken from the hose bib. Dispatch
troubleshooted potential internal issues with customers to minimize staff visits.
• Regulatory requirements for sampling — temporary hose bib samples were used to meet
regulatory requirements. A relief was provided from the Ministry to slightly decrease the
number of samples per month until August. Additional community sample sites were
added in the fall due to hose bibs not being available over the winter months. A second
relief request was submitted at the end of 2020 for early 2021to decrease the number of
samples as community centres and other business close.
• A regulatory relief was provided for the fall lead sampling program — hydrants were only
sampled, no internal sampling. A request for relief from the spring 2021 program has
been granted.
• An additional flushing program was developed in areas where a lot of businesses were
closed to maintain the chlorine in the system. Communications to businesses, including
City facilities were made regarding flushing after a long period of closure.
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• Temporary watermain connections were made at the curb stop instead of inside the
home, resulting in an additional workload for Revenue staff to modify accounts. To
minimize these impacts in 2021, changes will be made to customer communications
regarding temporary watermains and water charges during construction.
• Staggered shifts to reduce the number of staff congregating at shift start and end has
decreased efficiency, however a second emergency response vehicle (263) has been
added to divide out the immediate response work.
Incidents of Regulatory Non Compliance
A Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) unannounced inspection was
completed July 30, 2020 and covered January 1, 2020 to July 30, 2020. There were no notices
of non-compliance.
A previously identified Non -Compliance noted: The owner did not have up-to-date documents
describing the distribution components as required. Condition 3.5 in Schedule B of the DWWP
requires the City to update the map within 12 months of any additions, modifications,
replacements, or extensions to the distribution system. For further clarification, the 12 -month
clock starts when a watermain is commissioned and the public is able to consume the water
from the respective watermain.
The work plan was submitted in 2020 and work continues to map the infrastructure within 12
months. A number of meetings with internal staff, Regional staff and consultants were
undertaken to stress the importance of the timeliness of as-builts as well as to improve the
process as follows:
2020 Changes
• As a result of a Consultant meeting, a First Submission Asset Drawing Checklist — for
consultants to double check common errors before submission was developed
(November 2020)
• Kitchener Utilities will not conduct final water inspections until as-builts have been
received and mapped in GIS (accepted drawings)
• Tracking of Initial Acceptance dates and if a submission has not been received within 3
weeks, escalation. The Letter of Credit will not be reduced until the As -Recorded and
Asset drawing submission has been accepted.
• Region will map all infrastructure on their projects each year rather than waiting until the
final year for as-builts. Previously KU would map Regional/City infrastructure associated
with Regional projects infrastructure.
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• Proposed drawings are entered into GIS with a purple boundary to flag that the existing
information may have changed. Once as-builts are received, purple boundary is
removed.
• Water As -Built Drawing Work Instruction Procedure finalized in November 2020.
• Email of all project status with GIS is sent out monthly by GIS (Action Required:
Outstanding Engineering Digital Submission Projects). This is generated as soon as
proposed drawings are entered into the system.
• KU may map important watermains in an interim status. Generally, these are Regional
watermains.
• Engineering Graphics Technologist vacancy in 2020 will be filled in 2021 (reconstruction
as-builts)
• Backlog of older new development and reconstruction drawings was largely addressed.
Once the backlog is cleared, it is anticipated that the improvements to the process will
result in timelier as-builts.
2021 Proposed Improvements
• Storyboard — to be posted on the Development website. This tool will guide users
through the checking/correction process.
• Attribute template — 2021 version will include removals — for example anodes, hydrant
bends, storm and sanitary manhole cover, storm pipe depth, bedding info will be
removed to streamline data collection. Individual utilities have reviewed their data
requests and removed some non-essential items.
• Topology fixer — GIS will complete the topology changes and not send these errors back
to the consultants.
• Attribute checker — there will be an app where consultants can check their data first
without providing it to GIS to run the checker.
• Red -lined reconstruction drawings are entered into GIS as drawings (not mapped) as a
resource for locators.
• Interim as -recorded at end of construction season for multi-year reconstruction projects.
• Additional resources may be required, if process improvements do not achieve the
regulatory requirements to map the drinking water infrastructure changes within 12
months.
Incidences of Adverse Drinking Water
There were 42 Adverse Water Quality Incidences (AWQI) during the year, six of which resulted
in self-imposed Boil Water Advisories (BWA). The volume of AWQls increased over 2019, the
majority of which were related to temporary watermains used during construction. Temporary
watermains are particularly sensitive as they are above ground systems influenced by the water
heating up in warmer temperatures. This may increase the potential for bacteriological growth.
Warmer weather seems to increase the incidences of Total Coliform. The additional challenge
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with temporary watermains is the sample port is located outside and subject to unsanitary
conditions. Many contractors remove the sampling ports when not in use because they are
subject to vandalism/theft. These ports need to be maintained in a sanitary condition between
uses. The general nature of reconstruction projects often leads to "false positives", where the
results received are more reflective of what is on the sampling tap, rather than what is in the
water. Every positive result is reportable, and resampling must occur in accordance with
regulations. When the resamples are clear, it is an indication that the issue was with the
sampling port, not in the water. Additional communications efforts to contractors regarding the
importance of maintain the sampling ports in a sanitary manner will be made over the 2021
construction season.
• Of the low chlorine AWQIs (13 total)
o Eight were in areas of new subdivisions with no houses yet built. Along with dead
ends, KU proactively flushes new areas until there are homes built and water is
being used.
• Total coliform AWQIs (22 total)
o 21 were at temporary sampling locations.
• Lead:
o No lead adverses were reported in 2020. Due to COVID, the fall lead program
was reduced to sampling for lead at hydrants (relief was granted by the Ministry).
o For private side exceedances, the City is not obligated to complete any additional
corrective actions other than reporting, unless directed under the Medical Officer
of Health.
• Six self imposed boil watery advisory were implemented — four due to potential sewer
contamination as a result of private side water service damage, one due to potential
contamination from sewer damage during a watermain break and one on a temporary
main.
• Two high sodium adverses at the same location. Correction actions, other than reporting,
are not required. Sodium is a common element in the natural environment and is often
found in drinking water. It can occur naturally or be the result of nearby road salt
applications. Sodium in drinking water is not a health concern for most people but may
be an issue for someone with hypertension, congestive heart failure or on a sodium -
reduced diet. Those on sodium restricted diet should consult their physician. Public
Health has an information document regarding sodium in drinking water.
• The Summary Water Report for 2020 discusses water quality compliance further.
Action: No further action required — for information only
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Adverse Water Quality Incidents (AWQIs)
Deviations from Critical Control Points Limits and Response
• There were 62 watermain breaks in 2020, which is less than the 5 -year average of 79. Of
the 62, 9 were deemed to be Category 2. Category 2 watermain breaks require
bacteriological sampling upon completion. The 5 -year average decreased due to one of
the high watermain break years being outside this window. We have been investing in
watermain replacements which have reduced the number of watermain breaks.
Watermain breaks are also heavily weather dependent due to the frost movement with
colder winters resulting in more breaks (2020 was a relatively mild winter). Incident
debriefs are completed for watermain breaks. This information helps to determine
priorities for replacement due to condition.
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Number of Watermain Breaks by Year
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• Unaccounted for water for was 9.1%; the MECP target is 10%. Water loss includes water
used for construction watermain commissioning (e.g. new mains and replacement mains),
water for temporary main supply during reconstruction, and water use for reactive
flushing (e.g. discoloured water). The 10 -year average for Kitchener is 10%, although the
percentage fluctuates.
Percentage Unaccounted For Water
Action: No further action required — for information only
Effectiveness of the Risk Assessment Process
• A risk assessment was completed on November 17, 2020. The purpose of the risk
assessment was to brainstorm potential risks and identify counter measures, where
appropriate. The following is a summary:
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o Reviewed all risks to ensure all information and assumptions are current and valid.
Also discussed the following new potential risks:
■ Risk of leaving valves closed (e.g. during watermain cleaning)
■ Risk due to the number of C&M Supervisors currently being low
■ Risk of not meeting sampling numbers due to COVID
o Preventive or Control measures updated for several existing risks and added for
the three new risks above. Revised risk assessment table.
o Risk C15, lack of drawings along LRT, was marked as completed.
Action: For Information Only
Results of Internal and External Audits
External:
• An external audit (12 month surveillance audit) was completed by a certified external
auditor (SAI Global) in November 2020. No non -conformances were found. One
opportunity for improvement was identified:
o Ensure that the Continual Improvement Log is accurately completed. Several
Continual Improvement items identified no preventive actions were required but
actions were undertaken. Additionally, there was no documented evidence that
the effectiveness of the implemented preventive action was reviewed within six
months, identifying the results of the review. A further discussion with the auditor
was completed to understand the definition of preventative actions. Changes to
the log will be made in 2021 to address.
Internal:
• 20 opportunities for improvement were identified from internal audits. As of December
2, 2020,
0 8 (40%) of these opportunities have been acted upon and implemented;
0 2 (10%) of these opportunities could not be implemented; and
0 10 (50%) of these opportunities are still being investigated.
• 10 preventive actions were identified from internal audits. As of December 10, 2020,
0 4 (40%) of these opportunities have been acted upon and implemented;
0 1 (10%) of these opportunities could not be implemented; and
0 5 (50%) of these opportunities are still being investigated.
• Zero nonconformances and zero non -compliances were found during the internal audits.
• Three nonconformances were found outside of the internal audits.
• Field audits were used more frequently in 2020 for the first time.
• 8 internal audits were conducted in this audit season:
o Valve Replacement field audit
o Record Change field audit
o Subdivision Inspections field audit
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Kitchener6j City of Kitchener Water Distribution
DWQMS Management Review
o Element 1, 2 and 3 audit
o Element 4 and 6 audit
o Element 12 and 21 audit
o Element 19 audit
o Dead End Main Flushing process audit
Continuous Improvement
Opportunities for improvement can come from other avenues as well, such as external audits,
staff suggestions, public concerns, management reviews, or the risk assessment meeting. In total
for 2020, excluding the results from internal audits, there were:
• 82 opportunities for improvement, of which:
0 43 (53%) were acted upon and implemented;
0 2 (2%) could not be implemented; and
0 37 (45%) are still being investigated.
• 44 preventive actions identified, of which:
0 24 (55%) were acted upon and implemented;
0 2 (5%) could not be implemented; and
0 18 (40%) are still being investigated.
OFI's, Non -Conformances, Non -Compliances by Year
Audit OFI's Other OFI's NonConf6rm- NonCompliance-
90
80
70
6G
30
30
20
10�
2019 2020
Values
■ Audit OF I's
■ Other OFI's
NonConform-
NonCornpIiance-
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Action: The Continual Improvement Log is updated monthly to discuss new items, track process
and circle back to determine the effectiveness of implementation.
Results of the Emergency Response Training/Testing
• New Boil Water Advisory training was provided to supervisors and management over
summer 2020/January 2021.
• Staff emergency training started in late 2020 due to COVID; with the 2021 groups
completing remote training in early 2021 (training is every 3 years).
• Debriefs are also completed for selected events. For example, debriefs after Boil Water
and Drinking Water Advisories are completed to improve our processes.
Action: No further action required — for information only
Operational Performance
• Ongoing work with the Region for the Zone 2 and 4 Optimization — this will improve
water pressures and supply in the southeastern end of the city. The majority of the work
is Regional; however, there is coordination work with the City. This work is dependent
on timing of development in the areas and as development proceeds, additional sections
of the main are installed. One major section still requires connection (Bleams/Fischer-
Hallman areas). Valves and temporary bypasses are installed to keep water circulation in
sections of the Regional main.
• The Region's Zone 4 Trunk Watermain project includes the installation of 750mm
concrete pressure pipe watermain from the Mannheim Water Treatment plant across the
southern portion of the City. Work commenced in 2017 and is ongoing. A section of the
newly installed watermain between the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant and Bleams
Road is temporarily being used as a Zone 5 watermain while the Ottawa St watermains
are out of service for construction.
• Future upgrades to Strange St Pumping station (station is currently out of commission)
will include additional treatment for manganese, which will decrease discoloured water
issues in the surrounding area. The decreased supply did not impact the 2020 watermain
cleaning program; however, it may impact 2021 if additional water conservation is
required.
Action: No further action required — for information only
Raw Water Supply and Drinking Water Quality Trends
There are known seasonal issues with the water supply:
In
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• Fall - Grand River temperature changes may cause odour challenges in the source water,
which may increase flushing requirements.
• Winter — temperature extremes may cause more watermain breaks in the system.
Action: No further action required — for information only
Follow,up on Action Items from Previous Management Reviews
• Mobile project with direct data entry for water valves went live in 2020.
Action: No further action required — for information only
Status of Management Action Items Identified Between Reviews
There were no items identified between the management reviews.
Action: No further action required — for information only
Chances that could Affect the Quality Management System
• MECP has released changes to the Watermain Disinfection Procedure which come into
effect February 1, 2021. The specifications document was revised to incorporate,
additional work instructions, forms and training materials have been developed, with
staff training scheduled for 2021. High level changes include criteria to allow a greater
than 6 m connection, change to acceptable backflow prevention device type and
categorization of watermain breaks to assume that the break is a Category 2 until proven
to be a Category 1.
• The Federal government has a manganese limit, however the current provincial
regulations, which Kitchener is, required to follow only has an aesthetic limit. It is
anticipated that the province will follow the federal guidelines and implement a
maximum allowable concentration. The Strange Street upgrades are being complete in
anticipation of this regulatory change.
• There are indications that the lead maximum allowable concentration will be reduced,
which will likely increase the number of lead tests that exceed the regulatory limits.
Customers are not required to complete any corrective actions when elevated lead exists.
The City is required to flush and resample if there is a lead adverse in the distribution
system. The City tracks street with lead or suspected lead and includes them as part of the
considerations for replacement. It is most cost effective to replace a number of lead
services as part of a road reconstruction project, rather than individual services.
Action: No further action required — for information only
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DWQMS Management Review
Consumer Feedback
• The number of customer water complaints has decreased from 2019. Due to COVID,
staff were not entering homes; however, water samples were taken at hydrants or
outside hose bibs, when appropriate. Dispatch staff guide customers through a number of
questions to determine whether the problem is suspected to be internal or external. The
majority of pressure issues are related to water softeners or other internal issues.
• KU tracks the problem, cause and remedy for each complaint. The percentage of
discoloured water complaints has been decreasing since the watermain cleaning program
began in 2016.
• Discoloured water complaints are often the result of changes in flow in the system. This
can be due to reconstruction, watermain cleaning, watermain breaks, valve replacement
and other construction. The number of discoloured water complaints decreased
significantly once Strange St pumping station was taken offline
• Low pressure complaints are largely internal issues (softeners, internal plumbing).
• Other complaints include water hardness, no water, odour/taste, air in lines (white
water), customer sample requests.
• In general, a number of customer complaints can be resolved by educating the customer
(water hardness), flushing/sampling (discoloured water) or confirming private side issue
(water softener, pressure reducing valve, drain issues)
• There was a Regional project which required multiple pressure zone switches to a large
area in the southern end of Kitchener. The work was too large to allow for hand delivery
of disruption notices (website was used when the work was planned), which resulted in
a cluster of pressure complaints.
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r
DWQMS Management Review
Distribution of Customer Water Complaints
450
450
400
400
350
350
300
300
250
250
200
200
150
150
100
100
50
50
0
0
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Custome r Wate r Complaints
395
242
279
295
142
■ other
167
63
65
83
52
■ Low Pressure
81
96
101
107
47
■ Discoloured Water
147
83
113
105
43
Action: Continue with proposed watermain cleaning area in 2021.
Resources Needed to Maintain the Quality Management System
• A mobile solution for inspection data entry would decrease administrative burden —a
mobile water valve program was delivered in 2020 and there are a number of programs
that could be mobile. Anticipated that a mobile application for hydrant inspections will
be rolled -out in 2021
• Proper completion of paperwork has improved due to additional training and collection
of hard copy records. Time is spent collecting, entering, scanning, attaching, and
collecting various data for operational and regulatory requirements.
Action: No further action required — for information only
Results of the Infrastructure Review
• Individual project selection is based on a number of factors including condition
(watermain break history), material, criticality, watermain size, presence of lead services,
shallow mains, and other infrastructure needs (storm, sanitary, road).
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• 2020 reconstruction projects were largely completed as per the 2020
Engineering/Storm/Sanitary/Water Capital Forecast
• The Region replaces some Kitchener infrastructure as part of their projects (Kitchener
funded).
• 2021 projects were finalized; however, it should be noted that there were a number of
Regional projects moved out to future years in the Regional capital program.
• Meetings were held with Asset Management and Engineering staff at both the City and
the Region to determine future project needs.
• Issue papers are brought forward as part of the budget process, additional funding
requests related to maintenance and water -only capital projects. The majority of water -
only projects are included as part of Regional roadwork to minimize disruptions to
citizens and be cost effective.
Action: No further action required — for information only
Summary of Maintenance
• Watermain cleaning - The watermain cleaning area is shown below. The pink area
included both the leftover 2019 area as well as 2020 area, both of which were
completed for a total of approximately 133km. The next map shows the proposed 2021
area in light green. The purpose of watermain cleaning is to remove iron and manganese
build up in the watermains. The iron and manganese cause discolouration in the water.
Although iron and manganese are naturally occurring and not health related, discoloured
water causes a public perception of issues with the drinking water. Provincial health
related regulations are anticipated for iron and manganese.
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d
Scheduled 2020 1atrmain Cleaning
01.
rIV
F63
SCHEDULED
- IN PROGRESS
17-1 COMPLETED
17-1 NOT SCHEDULED
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DWQMS Management Review
• A valve turning/exercising program was completed for 1,110 valves — the majority of
valves were operated in the watermain cleaning area with additional valve operation in
areas of reconstruction.
• Hydrant maintenance — spring maintenance was completed on all hydrants and hydrants
were dipped in the fall, as required.
• Hydrants are flushed to maintain chlorine residuals was completed in spring and fall.
• New development areas are flushed until the subdivision is built-up.
• There were 45 broken or failing water valves replaced.
• Leak detection survey — 1/3 of city completed each year. Follow-up is completed on
potential leaks. Approximately 300km of mains were surveyed resulting in the
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DWQMS Management Review
identification of possible leaks: 2 possible watermain breaks — one at Mill Park Drive (no
leak found) and the second at Martinglen Cres and Primrose Path (leaking water valve
was replaced). There were 31 possible hydrant leaks — the majority of which were
repaired by tightening the nuts of the hydrants
• Staff continue to inspect new connections and cut and caps for reconstruction and new
development. Staff complete all new service tappings for development as well as witness
old service abandonment. This work requires 48 hours to schedule and is driven by new
development and watermain replacement work.
• Dechlorination procedures for hydrant flushing were developed and rolled- out to staff.
• Anodes are installed on existing watermains whenever they are exposed (e.g. watermain
breaks, valve repairs, hydrant repairs).
• Pressure Reducing Valves (PRVs) were inspected.
• An auto flusher was installed on Morrison Road to maintain water quality until future
pressure zone changes can be made.
• Chamber inspections/pump outs for chambers containing air relief valves — approximately
130. Air reliefs are a potential risk to the system if they become submerged and there is a
watermain break or incident in the distribution system. Five chambers have been
identified for replacement in 2021 with boulevard configurations, eliminating the
chamber.
• Staff continue to use the watermain break app for reporting breaks, which improves
customer communication for breaks
• Rolled out the mobile valve operating checks
• New valve turning equipment allows for better valve exercising and less chance of
breaking
• Changed hydraulic valves to switch automatically between guillotine and pump. The
faster switching to pump is anticipated to decrease the number of Category 2 watermain
due to faster excavation.
• Hydrant painting was not completed.
• Website was updated.
Action: No further action required — for information only
Effectiveness of Maintenance
The effectiveness of the maintenance program is determined by the following factors:
• Number of Adverse Water Quality Incidents
• Water loss/unaccounted for water
• Water quality complaints
• Number of watermain breaks
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DWQMS Management Review
• There were 42 AWQIs.
• Water loss/unaccounted for water was 9.1%.
• The number of quality complaints was at 142, 30% of which were related to discoloured
water and 38% pressure (largely internal issues). The remainders included complaints
relating to hard water (new residents are not always familiar with hard water), and
general safety concerns. The watermain cleaning program has decreased the number of
complaints. A map of discoloured water locations is included at the back of the report. It
is anticipated that the Strange Street upgrades will decrease the volume of discoloured
water complaints and reactive flushing.
• There were 62 watermain breaks in 2020, which is lower than the 5 -year average of 79
breaks/year.
Action: No further action required — for information only
Operational Plan Currency, Content and Updates
• A significant number of work instructions were reviewed/modified in anticipation of the
various training programs
• The Operational Plan is updated annually
Action: No further action required — for information only
Staff Suggestions
Staff suggestions are included under the new Continual Improvement section of the report.
Other
• Water Meter Replacement - 3750 aging water meters were replaced. There are 68,714
meters in the system with a backlog of approximately 13,700 meters to be replaced
(replacement is targeted at 15 years for residential meters).
• Development growth is anticipated to continue with both new subdivision, site plans and
redevelopment, which creates on -demand inspection requirements for final connections,
tappings and cut and caps.
• Water Consumption Trends — water consumption has increased in 2020 likely due to a
hot summer and more customer use throughout COVID (e.g. gardens).
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Kitchener City of Kitchener Water Distribution
Utilities
23,500,000
23,000,000
22,500,000
m
22,000,000
L
21,500,000
21,000,000
20,500,000
20,000,000
DWQMS Management Review
Water Purchased (m3f year)
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Year
• Locates - Kitchener Utilities and their Locate Service Provider physically locate gas and
water infrastructure for contractors prior to construction and excavation work.
Approximately 14,403 locates were completed in 2020, which is comparable to 2019
levels. Locate volumes are driven by customer requests and construction. Approval for
two additional locating FTEs was provided in 2020.
Action: No further action required — for information only
27
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r6 City of Kitchener Water Distribution
DWQMS Management Review
Appendix
Water Distribution System Map
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