HomeMy WebLinkAboutCIS Agenda - 2023-03-061
KiTc�ivER
Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
Agenda
Monday, March 6, 2023, 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Council Chambers - Hybrid
City of Kitchener
200 King Street W, Kitchener, ON N2G 4G7
People interested in participating in this meeting can register online using the delegation registration
form at www.kitchener.ca/delegation or via email at delegation(a)kitchener.ca. Please refer to the
delegation section on the agenda below for registration in-person and electronic participation
deadlines. Written comments received will be circulated prior to the meeting and will form part of the
public record.
The meeting live -stream and archived videos are available at www.kitchener.ca/watchnow.
*Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. If you require
assistance to take part in a city meeting or event, please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994.*
Chair: Councillor M. Johnston
Vice -Chair: Councillor D. Schnider
Pages
1. Commencement
2. Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and the General Nature Thereof
Members of Council and members of the City's local boards/committees are
required to file a written statement when they have a conflict of interest. If a
conflict is declared, please visit www. kitchener. ca/conflict to submit your written
form.
3. Consent Items
The following matters are considered not to require debate and should be
approved by one motion in accordance with the recommendation contained in
each staff report. A majority vote is required to discuss any report listed as
under this section.
3.1 Uncollectable Miscellaneous Receivable Accounts Write -Off December 3
2022, FIN -2023-032
3.2 Uncollectable Utility Receivable Account Write -Off December 2022, FIN- 6
2023-033
4. Delegations
Pursuant to Council's Procedural By-law, delegations are permitted to address
the Committee for a maximum of five (5) minutes. All Delegations where
possible are encouraged to register prior to the start of the meeting. For
Delegates who are attending in-person, registration is permitted up to the start
of the meeting. Delegates who are interested in attending virtually must register
by 8:30 a.m. on March 6, 2023, in order to participate electronically.
4.1 None.
5. Discussion Items
5.1 Drinking Water Quality Management Standard 15 m 9
(DWQMS) Re -Endorsement of the Operational
Plan, INS -2023-012
(Staff will provide a 5 -minute presentation on items 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3)
5.2 Drinking Water Quality Management Standard 5 m 37
(DWQMS): Management Review Summary for
2022, INS -2023-011
5.3 Summary Water Report - 2022, INS -2023-010 5 m 73
6. Information Items
6.1 Inclusionary Zoning for Affordable Housing: Status Update, DSD -2023- 78
071
7. Adjournment
Marilyn Mills
Committee Administrator
Page 2 of 119
Staff Report
r
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Financia( Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: March 6, 2023
SUBMITTED BY: Saleh Saleh, Director, Revenue, 519-741-2200 ext. 7346
PREPARED BY: Marcy Ignor, Manager, Utility billing and Customer Service, 519-741-
2200 ext. 7460
WARD(S) INVOLVED: ALL
DATE OF REPORT: January 6, 2023
REPORT NO.: FIN -2023-032
SUBJECT: Uncollectable Miscellaneous Receivable Accounts Write -Off December
2022
RECOMMENDATION:
That uncollectable Miscellaneous Receivable Accounts amounting to $8,781 be written
off against the Allowance for Doubtful Receivables.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
• As per council policy, approval from Council approval is required for accounts to be written -
off and sent to an outside collection agency for third party collection efforts.
• Staff have worked diligently in attempting to collect on these accounts but have not been
successful in the process.
• This report recommends that accounts totalling $8,781 be written off and forwarded to an
outside collection agency.
BACKGROUND:
As per council policy FIN -FEE -517 Utility and Miscellaneous Receivable policy, approval from
Council is required for accounts to be written -off and sent to an outside collection agency for
third party collection efforts.
This report represents Miscellaneous Receivables accounts that are deemed to be uncollectable
by collections staff. Miscellaneous Receivables represent services that are generally billed
through the City's financial system (SAP). Examples of miscellaneous receivables include Direct
Detect for alarm monitoring, Parking and Cemetery sales. Property tax and utility accounts are
not included in miscellaneous receivables.
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
Page 3 of 119
REPORT:
Staff are recommending that accounts totalling $8,781 be written off and forwarded to a
collection agency. Staff have worked diligently in attempting to collect on these accounts but
have not been successful in the process.
The collection procedures staff have undertaken include:
• Sending customers statements and demand letters.
• Verbal request by telephone or in person.
• Negotiating revised payment terms.
• Applying any deposits held to the outstanding amounts.
• Transferring uncollectable items to the customer's property tax account were permitted
by the Municipal Act.
The current amount being recommended to be written off relates to 20 customer accounts for
services provided in the following areas:
Cemeteries
1,398
Fire
69
Parking
6,039
Operations
333
Utilities
942
Tota I
8,781_
The cumulative amount of write-offs identified in this report equal $8,781 and relate to the years
2021 and 2022. The cumulative write-offs are shown in the table below and the average is well
below the targeted upper limit for write-offs set at 0.3% previously approved by Council.
Page 4 of 119
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the city's strategic vision through
the delivery of core service.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The uncollectable accounts will be written off against the Allowance for Doubtful Receivables
account.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM — This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of the
council / committee meeting.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
• FIN -FEE -517 Collections- Utility and Miscellaneous Receivable
APPROVED BY: Jonathan Lautenbach, Chief Financial Officer, Financial Services
Page 5 of 119
Cumulative
Write-offs for the Year
Total $ Invoiced
Year to Date
Write-offs as a
% of Sales
2022
$
12,791
$
30,280,755
0.0422%
2021
$
38,573
$
27,380,864
0.1409%
2020
$
55,769
$
23,088,516
0.2415%
2019
$
44,077
$
26,057,740
0.1692%
2018
$
54,464
$
23,132,498
0.2354%
Tota 1
$
205, 674
$
129, 940, 373
0.1583%
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the city's strategic vision through
the delivery of core service.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The uncollectable accounts will be written off against the Allowance for Doubtful Receivables
account.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM — This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of the
council / committee meeting.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
• FIN -FEE -517 Collections- Utility and Miscellaneous Receivable
APPROVED BY: Jonathan Lautenbach, Chief Financial Officer, Financial Services
Page 5 of 119
Staff Report
r
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Financia( Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: March 6, 2023
SUBMITTED BY: Saleh Saleh, Director, Revenue, 519-741-2200 ext. 7346
PREPARED BY: Marcy Ignor, Manager Utility billing and Customer Service, 519-741-
2200ext 7460
WARD(S) INVOLVED: ALL
DATE OF REPORT: January 6, 2023
REPORT NO.: FIN -2023-033
SUBJECT: Uncollectable Utility Receivable Account Write -Off December 2022
RECOMMENDATION:
That uncollectable utility accounts amounting to $80,371 be written off against the
allowance for doubtful utility receivables.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
• As per council policy, approval from Council is required for accounts to be written -off and
sent to an outside collection agency for third party collection efforts.
• Staff have worked diligently in attempting to collect on these accounts but have not been
successful in the process.
• This report recommends that accounts totalling $80,371 be written off and forwarded to an
outside collection agency.
BACKGROUND:
As per council policy FIN -FEE -517 Utility and Miscellaneous Receivable policy, approval from
Council is required for accounts to be written -off and sent to an outside collection agency for
third party collection efforts.
Utilities receivable represent invoices generally billed through the City's SAP utility billing
System. The majority of these invoices relate to usage for Gas and Water. The current report
represents write-off of utility accounts which have been deemed to be uncollectible up to the
end of December 31, 2022.
REPORT:
Staff are recommending that accounts totalling $80,371 be written off and forwarded to the
collection agency. Staff have worked diligently in attempting to collect on these accounts but
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
Page 6 of 119
have not been successful either due to the customer declaring bankruptcy or having no
forwarding address. Any tenant deposits previously received on the uncollectible accounts
have been applied to reduce the debt outstanding. A total of 162 customer accounts are being
recommended to be written off and transferred to a third -party collection agency.
The collection procedures staff have undertaken include:
• Sending customers statements and demand letters.
• Verbal request by telephone or in person.
• Negotiating revised payment terms.
• Applying any deposits held to the outstanding amounts.
• Transferring uncollectable items to the customer's property tax account where permitted
by the Municipal Act.
The cumulative amount of utility write-offs identified in this report equal $80,371 and relate to the
years 2020, 2021 and 2022. The cumulative write-offs are shown in the table below and the
average is well below the targeted upper limit for write-offs set at 0.3% previously approved by
Council.
A five-year summary of write-offs is included in the table below.
Utility Accounts Write-off
Cumulative
Total $ Invoiced
Write-offs as a
Write-offs for the Year
Year to Date
% of Sales
2022
101,429
$ 233, 620, 592
0.0434%
2021
$ 156,012
$ 216, 217, 805
0.0722%
2020
$ 219,812
$ 213, 604, 976
0.1029%
2019
$ 216,675
$ 202, 658, 095
0.1069%
2018
$ 261,616
$ 211, 483, 209
0.1237%
Tota 1
$ 955,544
$ 1, 077, 584, 677
0.0887%
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the city's strategic vision through
the delivery of core service.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Page 7 of 119
The uncollectable accounts will be written off against the Allowance for Doubtful Utility
Receivables account.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM — This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of the
council / committee meeting.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
• FIN -FEE -517 Collections- Utility and Miscellaneous Receivable
APPROVED BY: Jonathan Lautenbach, Chief Financial Officer, Financial Services
Page 8 of 119
Staff Report
Infrastructure Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: March 6, 2023
SUBMITTED BY: Greg St. Louis, Director, Utilities, 519-741-2600 ext. 4538
PREPARED BY: Angela Mick, Manager — Quality Management and Water Programs, 519-
741-2600 ext. 4408
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All Wards
DATE OF REPORT: January 18, 2023
REPORT NO.: INS -2023-012
SUBJECT: Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS) Re -
Endorsement of the Operational Plan
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Drinking Water Quality Management
attached to report INS -2023-012 be re -endorse
Water Act, 2002 and Regulation 188/07.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
Standards (DWQMS) Operational Plan
d in accordance with the Safe Drinking
The purpose of this report is to obtain written re -endorsement of the Drinking Water Quality
Management Standard (DWQMS) Operational Plan as per the requirements of the DWQMS
This report supports the delivery of core services.
BACKGROUND:
The DWQMS, under 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. One
of the licensing requirements is the preparation of a Quality Management System (QMS) and
Operational Plan.
The QMS is based on a "Plan -Do -Check -Improve" methodology that is similar to other
international quality standards. The "Plan" requirement of the QMS specifies policies and
procedures that must be documented in the Operational Plan for the drinking water system and
the "Do" requirements specifies the policies and procedures that must be implemented. "Check":
and "Improve" requirements of the standards are reflected in the requirements to conduct
internal audits, management reviews and to continually improve the system.
Kitchener has obtained a Municipal Drinking Water Licence and has the required elements in
place: Drinking Water Works Permit, Financial Plan, accreditation as an Operational Authority,
and an audited Operational Plan.
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
Page 9 of 119
One of the requirements of the DWQMS is for the Owner to provide a written endorsement of
the Operational Plan. The Operational Plan was initially endorsed by Council in 2008 (FIN -08-
1130) and re -endorsed in 2015 (INS -15-023) and 2019 (INS -19-007). It is recommended that
the Operational Plan be periodically brought forward to Council for re -endorsement, with
endorsement to align with each new term of Council.
The Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 includes a statutory Standard of Care for individuals who
have oversight responsibilities for municipal drinking water systems that can extend to municipal
councillors. There are legal consequences for negligence, including possible fines or
imprisonment.
REPORT:
The Operational Plan documents the QMS, essentially outlining how regulatory requirements
are met. The Operational Plan consists of 21 elements including: risk assessment, review and
provision of infrastructure, emergency management, audits, and continual improvement. A
series of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been developed as part of the DWQMS.
The SOPs are generally high level documents which describe the "who, what and when". The
SOPs refer to Work Instructions, which explains the "how". Internal and external audits are
regularly completed to evaluate the conformity of the DWQMS to confirm that "we say what we
do and do what we say."
The Operational Plan (attached) is a living document with references to approximately 300
associated standards operating procedures, work instructions, forms, and documents. The
Standard requires continual improvement of the effectiveness of the DWQMS. Continuous
improvement is completed by the creation of new work instructions, training programs and
revisions to existing documents.
On an annual basis, council is informed of the results of the annual management review, which
may include changes that can affect the DWQMS and Operational Plan. Council receives the
results of the DWQMS Management Review on March 6, 2023 (INS -2023-011).
There have been no material changes to the Operational Plan since the last re -endorsement;
however, the document is reviewed and updated at least annually to reference infrastructure
changes, new SOPs, work instructions, etc., to ensure the plan is kept current.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports the delivery of core services.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The recommendation has no impact on the Capital or Operating Budgets.
Page 10 of 119
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
Kitchener Utilities Website.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
There are no previous reports/authorities related to this matter; however, re -endorsement
occurred most recently in 2019 (INS -19-007)
APPROVED BY: Denise McGoldrick, General Manager, Infrastructure Services
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A — DWQMS Operational Plan
Attachment B — Top Management Endorsement of Operational Plan
Page 11 of 119
r6
Kitchener
Utilities
Re -Endorsement of Operational Plan
Top Management re -endorses the Kitchener Utilities City of Kitchener Drinking
Water Distribution System DWQMS Operational Plan. Original endorsement was
November 10, 2008.
Denise McGoldrick
General Manager, Infrastructure Services
Greg St. Louis, P.Eng.
Director, Gas and Water Utilities
Tammer Gaber, P.Eng.
Manager, Operations (Gas and Water)
So,, /2, Zo Z 3
Date
Page 12 of 119
xitcbenerCity of Kitchener Water Distribution
Utiwes['
DWQMS Operational Plan
Kitchener
Utilities
The Corporation of the City of Kitchener
Kitchener Utilities
Municipal Drinking Water System:
Kitchener Distribution System
DWQMS Operational Plan
Operational Plan Number 019-401
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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Page 13 of 119
xltcbener� City of Kitchener Water Distribution
Ut;`it`e DWQMS Operational Plan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PartA - Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 3
Purpose...............................................................................................................................................
3
Scope..................................................................................................................................................
3
Permitsand Licences............................................................................................................................
3
References...........................................................................................................................................
3
Definitions and Acronyms...................................................................................................................
4
PartB - Operational Plan........................................................................................................................
5
QualityManagement System...............................................................................................................
5
Quality Management System Policy....................................................................................................
5
Commitment and Endorsement..........................................................................................................
5
QMSRepresentative...........................................................................................................................
6
Document and Record Control...........................................................................................................
6
Drinking Water Distribution System.....................................................................................................
6
Risk Assessment Procedures and Outcomes.........................................................................................12
Organizational Structure, Roles, Responsibilities and Authorities.........................................................12
Competencies....................................................................................................................................19
PersonnelCoverage...........................................................................................................................19
Communications................................................................................................................................19
Essential Supplies and Services...........................................................................................................
20
Infrastructure Review and Provision..................................................................................................20
Infrastructure Maintenance, Rehabilitation and Renewal...................................................................
20
Sampling, Testing, and Monitoring....................................................................................................
20
Calibration........................................................................................................................................
20
Emergency Management...................................................................................................................
20
InternalAudits.................................................................................................................................
211
ManagementReview.........................................................................................................................21
ContinualImprovement.....................................................................................................................
21
Historyof Changes............................................................................................................................21
Subject System Description Form..........................................................................................................
23
Appendices...........................................................................................................................................
24
Water Distribution System Map............................................................................................................
25
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Page 14 of 119
xltcbener�City of Kitchener Water Distribution
Ut;`it`es DWQMS Operational Plan
PART A - INTRODUCTION
Purpose
The purpose of this Operational Plan is to describe the comprehensive Drinking Water Quality
Management System (DWQMS) developed and implemented by Kitchener Utilities for the
operation and maintenance of its water distribution system.
This DWQMS Operational Plan includes references to all components of the DWQMS.
scope
This Operational Plan covers the activities and personnel associated with all operational aspects
of the drinking water distribution system for Kitchener Utilities, identified by waterworks number
260001458.
This Operational Plan, the procedures, work instructions and other DWQMS documentation that
are referenced herein are complementary to the legislated requirements for safe drinking water in
the Province of Ontario.
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.
Permits and Licences
The waterworks system has the following permits and licences:
• Municipal Drinking Water Licences, Number 019-101
• Drinking Water Works Permit, Number 019-201
• Financial Plan, Number 019-301
• Operational Plan, Number 019-401
For Form 1 Review, the City of Kitchener reviews/approves for City owned watermains and the
Region completes the review/approval for Regional owned watermains. For those watermains
that are dual owned, it is the proponent's responsibility to contact the other owner so that both
parties sign -off. Interconnections between the two systems are documented by both parties.
References
• Drinking Water Quality Management Standard
• Applicable Ontario Safe Drinking Water Legislation
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Page 15 of 119
xitcbenerCity of Kitchener Water Distribution
Utilffies['
DWQMS Operational Plan
Definitions and Acronvms
• AOP
Advanced Oxidation Process
• CAO
Chief Administrative Officer
• Distribution
Watermains and related items (i.e. Hydrants, valves)
• DWQMS
Drinking Water Quality Management Standard
• GAC
Granulated Activated Carbon
• GIS
Geographic Information System
• ML
Mega Litre
• MECP
Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks
• OIC
Operator in Charge
• ORO
Overall Responsible Operator
• Primary Response Vehicle
Under the Ontario Energy Board distributors are secondary
/263/Emergency Response
responders; the primary response to emergencies is provided
Vehicle
by the 911 Emergency Response service. In Kitchener Utilities
documents, Primary Response Vehicle refers to the
Construction and Maintenance Kitchener Utilities vehicle/staff
equipped and responsible to respond to emergencies.
• QMS
Quality Management System
• RMOW
Regional Municipality of Waterloo
• SCADA
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
• UV
Ultraviolet
• Waterworks
Kitchener Utilities Drinking Water Distribution System
• WTP
Water Treatment Plant
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Page 16 of 119
xltcbener�City of Kitchener Water Distribution
Ut;`it`es DWQMS Operational Plan
PART B - OPERATIONAL PLAN
Quality Management System
This Operational Plan describes the QMS which covers the drinking water distribution system that
is owned and operated by Kitchener Utilities.
Kitchener Utilities receives treated water from the Regional Municipality of Waterloo (RMOW).
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 you with safe drinking
water. We work together with 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.
Commitment and Endorsement
The Owner (Mayor and Council) and Top Management endorsement of the Operational Plan
shall be demonstrated by a copy of the council meeting minutes where the Operational Plan is
accepted and endorsed (see Appendix).
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Page 17 of 119
xltcbener�City of Kitchener Water Distribution
Ut;`it`es DWQMS Operational Plan
QMS Representative
The Manager, Quality Management and Water Programs is appointed by Top Management to
the role of QMS Representative for the Kitchener drinking water distribution system QMS.
The QMS Representative has the responsibilities and authorities listed in the section of this
Operational Plan called `Organizational Structure, Roles, Responsibilities and Authorities'.
The appointment is documented and filed with the QMS Specialist and on Laserfiche.
Document and Record Control
Procedures are in place for Document Control and Record Control (attached in the Appendix).
These procedures describe how QMS documents and procedures are controlled, including
instructions related to currency, legibility, retention, and storage. All QMS system documentation
is controlled. Methods of control are defined in the referenced procedures.
Records are maintained as objective evidence of conformance to the DWQMS and compliance
with all applicable Safe Drinking Water Regulations.
The Master List of Documents is a complete list of all system components. The most current
version of the Master List of Documents is also available.
Drinking Water Distribution System
The scope of the waterworks begins at the point where treated water enters the watermain from
the Regional 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.
As of the end of 2022, the waterworks consists of approximately:
• 924.6 km of distribution watermain — 792 km Kitchener owned, 23 km Dual owned and
109 km Regional owned (20 km is untreated)
• 70,572 water meters in service
• 4,717 hydrants (not including private hydrants)
• 8,005 valves (not including service valves or hydrant valves) — 7,445 Kitchener owned,
130 Dual owned and 430 Regional owned
Hard copy maps are updated annually along with stats, however digital mapping changes are
made daily (available electronically to field staff via laptops in the field). Electronic maps are
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Page 18 of 119
Kitchener City of Kitchener Water Distribution
Utahties r
DWQMS Operational Plan
updated daily are available internally and externally via Open Data. A copy of the map is
included at the end of the Operational Plan.
Process Flow Chart
INCOMING
WATER
from RMOW
(various
sources)
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
Owner — Kitchener Utilities
Operating Authority -Kitchener
Utilities
KITCH EN ER
DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEM
RIVER RIDGE
BRESLAU
DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEM, in
TOWNSHIP OF
WOOLWICH
I I I
I
I
I
I
CITY OF
I
WATERLOO
BOARDWALK
A map of the distribution system is available on Laserfiche and is filed with the Manager, Quality
Management and Water Programs on an annual basis.
General Description
The supply system consists of multiple RMOW pumping stations, treatment systems and wells.
Not all systems are required to be in operation at the same time to deliver adequate water supply.
The waterworks also provides distribution to the neighbourhood of River Ridge (commonly
referred to as Falconridge). The City of Waterloo Distribution System supplies water to this
community, but Kitchener Utilities owns, operates and maintains the distribution to River Ridge.
The City of Kitchener supplies water to the City of Waterloo in the Boardwalk area.
The waterworks has a direct connection feeding water to Breslau, including a meter chamber.
Breslau is a distribution system within the Township of Woolwich, which is owned and operated
by the Township of Woolwich. The distribution system is not owned or operated by Kitchener
Utilities.
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Page 19 of 119
xltcbener�City of Kitchener Water Distribution
Ut;`it`es DWQMS Operational Plan
Some watermains are shared with the RMOW (Dual owned) but are maintained by Kitchener
Utilities. The RMOW is back -charged for the maintenance activities performed by the waterworks.
The RMOW may participate in watermain repair, however Kitchener Utilities is the first
responder.
Description of Water Source
The Kitchener Drinking Water Distribution System is part of the RMOW's Integrated Urban
System. All drinking water is supplied by the RMOW's various water treatment plants; the
location of these RMOW assets can be found in GIS via Arc Reader.
The water supplied by RMOW is controlled by the RMOW, who owns and operates the
treatment plants and equipment, pumps and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
system which controls the quality and pressure of the supply.
The Kitchener Water Distribution System is supplied by the following RMOW Water Supply
Systems:
1. Greenbrook Well Supply System
2. K34 Well Supply System
3. Mannheim Water Treatment Plant
4. Parkway Well Supply System
5. Strange St. Well Supply System
6. Woolners (K80's) Well Supply System
More details regarding the above can be found at: www.regionofwaterloo.ca/water-reports
1. Greenbrook Well Supply System
The Greenbrook Well System is comprised of five ground water wells K1A, K2A, K413, K5A and
K8. These wells pump directly into the Greenbrook Treatment Plant and Pumping Station.
Iron and manganese removal is achieved through the use of three pressure filters. Following
filtration, treatment for 1,4 -dioxane is accomplished by an advanced oxidation process (AOP)
using 50% hydrogen peroxide and Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation.
Treated water from the UV reactors proceeds through upflow Granular Activated Carbon
(GAC) contactors before being transferred to 2 storage reservoirs with capacities of 2 million
gallons (approximately 10,000 cubic metres) and 500,000 gallons (approximately 2400 cubic
metres).
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Disinfection is achieved through Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and by the use of a sodium
hypochlorite system consisting of a solution tank complete with spill containment and
protection and a metering pump dispensing commercial 12% sodium hypochlorite solution.
20% ammonium sulphate is added to the water at the discharge header of the pumping station
prior to the water leaving the station. The purpose of the ammonium sulphate is to convert
free chlorine to the combined form, creating a more stable distribution disinfectant.
Continuous analyzers monitor the levels of chlorine, turbidity, UVT and UV dosage prior to
the water being discharged. The analyzers are connected with the Mannheim Water Treatment
Plant SCADA system which is monitored by an operator 24 hours per day.
There is no emergency standby power at this site.
2. K34 Well Supply System
The K34 well supply is a groundwater supply consisting of two wells, K34 and K36, a treatment
facility and an in ground clear well/reservoir. The total storage capacity of the reservoir is 90
cubic meters. Two high lift pumps are used to discharge the treated water into the distribution
system. The treatment facility has five closed pressure filters used for removal of iron and
manganese.
Disinfection is achieved by the use of a sodium hypochlorite system consisting of a solution tank
complete with spill containment and protection and two metering pumps dispensing
commercial 12% sodium hypochlorite solution. The sodium hypochlorite is also used as an
oxidizing agent prior to filtration. Upon discharge to the distribution system, 20% ammonium
sulphate is injected. The purpose of the ammonium sulphate is to convert free chlorine to the
combined form, creating a more stable distribution disinfectant.
Continuous analyzers monitor the levels of chlorine and turbidity. The analyzers are connected
with the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant SCADA system which is monitored by an operator
24 hours per day.
There is no emergency stand-by electrical power at this facility.
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Kitchener
Utilities
City of Kitchener Water Distribution
DWQMS Operational Plan
3. Mannheim Water Treatment Plant
The Mannheim Water Treatment Plant receives raw water from the Hidden Valley Low Lift
Station located at the Grand River. The raw water entering the WTP is treated with coagulation,
flocculation, sedimentation, ozonation and filtration. Immediately after filtration, the water is
disinfected prior to entering the clearwells/reservoirs. There are two clearwells/reservoirs that
have a combined total usable volume of 15.28 ML.
Disinfection is achieved through ozonation, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation followed by
chlorination via a gas chlorination system. Continuous analyzers monitor the levels of ozone,
chlorine, turbidity, UVT and UV dosage prior to the water being discharged. The analyzers are
connected with the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant SCADA system which is monitored by
an operator 24 hours per day.
The water from the Mannheim Aquifer Storage and Recovery Facilities (ASRI, ASR2, ASR3,
ASR4, RCWI and RCW2) can be mixed with the treated water and then stored in the
clearwells/reservoirs. This water is then directed to the Mannheim Pumping Station Reservoir,
where it blends with seven other ground water wells (K91, K92, K93, K94, K21, K25, and K29).
Treated water from the Mannheim Village wells (K22A, K23, K24 and K26) and Shingletown
wells (K50 and K51) can also indirectly supply the Mannheim Pumping Station Reservoir. This
reservoir has a total storage capacity of 101.3 ML. Prior to the treated water being pumped into
the distribution system, anydrous ammonia or 20% liquid ammonium sulphate is injected to
convert free chlorine to the combined form, creating a more stable distribution disinfectant.
This facility has emergency standby power available.
4. Parkway Well Supply System
The Parkway Well System is comprised of three ground water wells, K31, K32 and K33. These
wells pump directly into the Parkway Reservoir and Pumping Station. The Parkway Reservoir
has a capacity of three million imperial gallons (14,000 cubic meters).
Disinfection is achieved by the use of a sodium hypochlorite system consisting of a solution tank
complete with spill containment and protection and a metering pump dispensing commercial
12% sodium hypochlorite solution. Ammonium sulphate is added to the water at the discharge
header of the pumping station prior to the water leaving the station. The purpose of the
ammonium sulphate is to convert free chlorine to the combined form, creating a more stable
distribution disinfectant. These chemical systems are located at Parkway Reservoir and Pumping
Station.
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Continuous analyzers monitor the levels of chlorine and turbidity prior to the water being
discharged. The analyzers are connected with the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant SCADA
system which is monitored by an operator 24 hours per day.
This site has no emergency standby power available on site.
5. Strange St. Well Supply System
The Strange Street Water Treatment System is comprised of five ground water wells, K10A,
K11A, K13A (Currently out of service), K18 and K19. The wells feed into a 450 mm diameter
raw water main to the Strange Street Water Treatment Plant (WTP) located at 25 Strange Street
in the City of Kitchener, Ontario. The incoming well field water is injected with Sodium
Hypochlorite before feeding into the Pre -Oxidation Tank (total volume: 116 m3). Low Lift
Pumps situated in the Pre -Oxidation Tank are used to pump the water to three Iron and
Manganese Pressure Filters. Each pressure filter contains 3 filter cells. The filtered effluent water
is then injected with Sodium Hypochlorite before entering the Treated Water Reservoir (total
volume: 250 m3). Disinfection is achieved by the use of sodium hypochlorite systems consisting
of solution tanks complete with spill containment and protection and metering pumps
dispensing commercial 12% sodium hypochlorite solution. Booster Pumps are then utilized to
pump water out of the Treated Water Reservoir towards being discharged from the WTP.
Before discharging the water, Ammonium sulphate is added to the water downstream of the
Booster Pumps. The purpose of the ammonium sulphate is to convert free chlorine to the
combined form, creating a more stable distribution disinfectant.
When the Pressure Filters require cleaning, Backwash Supply Pumps feed the Filters with filtered
water from The Backwash Supply Tank (total volume: 340 m3). Wastewater from the
Backwash Procedure is sent to two Backwash Waste Tanks (total volume: 442m3 each). Solids
from inside these Waste Tanks is pumped into a Sludge Tank (total Volume: 84 m3) using two
Sludge Pumps. Supernatant Pumps in the Backwash Waste Tanks are used to either recycle the
supernatant water back to the Pre -Oxidation Tank or discharge it to a manhole outside the
WTP depending on either Recycle or Waste modes.
Continuous analyzers monitor the levels of chlorine and turbidity prior to the water being
discharged. The analyzers are connected with the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant SCADA
system which is monitored by an operator 24 hours per day.
This site has no emergency standby power available on site.
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6. Woolners (K80's) Well Supply System
The Woolners Well Supply system is comprised of three wells: K80, K81, and K82. These wells
combine in a common header prior to entering the Ebydale UV Building. The water from the
three wells is injected with sodium hypochlorite located in the well houses of K81 and K82. The
systems consist of solution tanks complete with spill containment and protection and metering
pumps dispensing commercial 12% sodium hypochlorite solution. The water entering the
Ebydale UV Building is then passed through an Ultraviolet (UV) system, which provides primary
disinfection. Ammonium sulphate is then added to the water at the discharge header prior to
the water leaving the station. The purpose of the ammonium sulphate is to convert the free
chlorine residual to a more stable combined chlorine residual.
Continuous analyzers monitor the levels of chlorine, turbidity, UVT and UV dosage prior to
the water being discharged. The analyzers are connected with the Mannheim Water Treatment
Plant SCADA system which is monitored by an operator 24 hours per day.
In November 2019, the well houses and treatment plant buildings were decommissioned and
the connection to the Kitchener Distribution System was removed.
There is no emergency standby power available at this site.
Common fluctuations
There are known seasonal issues with the water supply:
• Summer — increased water usage can result in pressure challenges in some areas of the system
• 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
Risk Assessment Procedures and Outcomes
The Risk Assessment Procedure is provided in the Appendix.
The Risk Assessment Table shows the identified hazards and hazardous events, ranked risks,
control measures, and reference to monitoring and response procedures.
The Critical Control Points identified in the Risk Assessment are:
• Asset operation and maintenance:
o to reduce water adverses
o to reduce backflow / siphonage hazards including water chambers full of water with
air relief valves
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o to reduce chambers full of water with air relief valves
o to reduce valves accidentally left closed after watermain cleaning
Organizational Structure, Roles, Responsibilities and Authorities
A basic overall organization chart is shown below. A detailed Organizational Chart that includes
all key waterworks staff is provided in the Appendix. A list of backup or designated contacts in
case of absence is available on the Kitchener Utilities Important Numbers List.
Mayor and Council (Owner)
Chief Administrative Officer
(CAO)
General Manager of
Infrastructure Services (Tarp
Management)
Director of Utilities (Top
Management)
Manager of Dperat ons, Manager, Quality Manager, Business
Gas & Water (Top Management and Development and
ManaRement) Water Programs Customer Experience
Construction and
Responsibilities*
Authorities
City of Kitchener
Dispatchers,
Maintenance Supervisors,
Council and
Water Meter Shop,
obligations for the operation of
Marketing, Business
Utility Distribution
the waterworks
Cross Connection
necessary
Development,
Technicians, Toad Quality
• Represent the waterworks to end users and the
ControlSupport
Services
Services
and Training Specialist
infrastructure, as necessary
General Managers of
Community Service and
DCAO, Corporate Services,
Development Services, and
Financial Services
Manager, Training and
Programs
Quality Management
System Specialists,
Drafting Technician,
Locators
Key waterworks roles are listed as follows, with associated responsibilities and authorities. This
information is communicated to staff as per the Communication Procedure.
Role
Responsibilities*
Authorities
City of Kitchener
e Prescribe requirements and monitor operations
• Prescribe requirements and
Council and
of the waterworks
obligations for the operation of
Mayor (Owner)
e Provide resources and system infrastructure, as
the waterworks
necessary
e Ensure a continual supply of safe
• Represent the waterworks to end users and the
drinking water
public
• Provide resources and system
infrastructure, as necessary
• Designate responsibilities as
appropriate
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Role
Responsibilities'
Authorities
General Manager,
e Obtain and provide resources as required for
• Approval of hiring of all
Infrastructure
operation of the waterworks
waterworks personnel
Services (Top
e Attend meetings with Council and senior
• On -Warn Assistance declaration
Management)
leadership teams
• Report issues to the CAO and Council, as
necessary
• Participate in Management Review
• Member of Emergency Operations Centre
Management Team
Director, Gas and
e Responsible for the day-to-day leadership and
• Allocation of provided resources
Water Utilities
operation of the Utilities division. Develops
e Administration of labour
(Top
and implements Utilities programs, policies,
agreement(s)
Management)
budgets, rates, and strategies that are aligned
e Oversees utilities water assets
with Council's priorities and corporate strategic
e Monitors expenditures, expenses
direction and Regulatory requirement.
and controls costs through the
Accountable for ensuring regulatory
budget year to ensure high levels
compliance
of financial, operational and
• Supervises Utilities Managers
service integrity on a day-to-day
• Overall responsibility for the operation of the
basis
waterworks
e Recommends rate structures for
• Attend meetings with Council as required
water
• Ensure QMS is in place
e Designate responsibilities as
• Ensure Operating Authority staff are aware of
required
applicable legislation
• Determine, obtain and provide resources
required for QMS
• Report issues to the General Manager
Infrastructure Services, as necessary
• Participate in Management Review
• Designates On -Call Manager as per On-call
Schedule
• Declares Emergency exemptions for Hours of
Service (MTO), or designate
Manager,
e Manages the safe and reliable distribution of
• Direct supervisors and staff
Operations (Gas
water
e Develop/improve departmental
and Water) (Top
e Maintain regulatory compliance
practices
Management)
e Supervise Construction and Maintenance
• Designate responsibilities as
Supervisors
required
• Schedule work assignments
• Work safety program
• Reporting of deviation from critical limits to
the Manager of Quality Management & Water
Programs, appropriate
• Report issues to the Director of Utilities as
necessary
• Hire waterworks personnel
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Role
Responsibilities'
Authorities
• Determine, obtain and provide resources
required for Operations
• Participate in Management Review
• Develops On-call schedule and designates ORO
as per On-call Schedule
• Response to deviations, as required
Supervisor,
e Supervise Utilities Construction & Maintenance
• Direct staff in day-to-day
Utilities
staff in the daily operation of the City's water
operations and maintenance
system, to respond to and direct staff during
activities
water emergencies.
e Schedule construction activities as
• Reporting of deviation from critical limits to
they affect operations
the Manager of Operations, as appropriate
e Recommend to the Manager of
• Overall Responsible Operator (ORO) when
Operations ways to improve
on-call
operational effectiveness
• OIC when not on-call
• Designate responsibilities as
• Response to deviations, as required
required
• One Supervisor is designated to support
training and complete training on equipment
Manager, Training
e Reporting of deviation from critical limits to
• Recommend to the Manager of
and Programs
the Manager of Operations, as appropriate
Operations ways to improve
• Manages QMS Specialist, Locator and Drafting
operational effectiveness
Technician
• Designate responsibilities as
• Responsible for organizing maintaining all
required
training needs for staff directly affecting
e Ensure training of supervisors and
drinking water quality
Construction and Maintenance
• Training and development
staff meets requirements
• Backup for the Manager, Quality Management
and Water Programs
• Participates in Top Management Review
• Maintain Utilities Training Matrix
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Role
Responsibilities'
Authorities
Manager, Quality
• Ensures the distribution of a safe supply of
• Designate responsibilities as
Management and
drinking water to customers, including meeting
appropriate
Water Programs —
regulatory requirements, developing related
• Arrange for corrective actions for
Designated as
standards and enforcement
water quality adverse
QMS
• Perform specified duties as per training and/or
• Completes reporting for adverses
Representative
direction of superiors
• Report of adverse water quality
• Maintain operational parameters of the
incidences to Top Management
waterworks
• Prepare Annual Regulatory Reports,
Management Reviews and communication to
Top Management
• Prepare and present reports to council
• Represent the waterworks in communication
with the RMOW
• Compiling/Reporting waterworks performance
operations data to council
• Review and Approval of Form 1 includes
review of Construction drawings for new
construction/ reconstruction
• Review and approval of commissioning plans
• Review of water quality reports and approval
to connect
• Communicate QMS as per communication
• Monitor water quality & demand
• Ensure Operating Authority are aware of
applicable legislation
• Supervises Cross Connection group and Water
Meter Shop
• Preparation and provision of training as related
to QMS
• Communicates to operations/supervisors for
water quality related response
• Preparation of budget documents as related to
QMS, Capital works
• Supports continual improvement
• Sits on Regional Best Management Practices
committees for standard development
Designates for this position (portions) may be:
• Manager, Training and Programs
• On -Call Manager
• QMS Specialist
On Call Manager
• Perform back-up to the Manager, Quality
• Same as Manager, Quality
Management and Water Programs for specific
Management and Water Programs
water quality related items requiring immediate
response
• Declares emergency for Hours of Service MTO
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Role
Responsibilities'
Authorities
Construction and
• Perform specified duties as per training/work
• Operate and maintain the
Maintenance Staff
instructions/procedures and/or direction of
waterworks under direction of
— Utilities
superiors
OIC/ORO/Manager
Distribution
• Complete all paperwork/supplemental work
Technician or
orders — Cityworks and associated paperwork
Operator -in
are considered to be MECP regulatory
Training
requirements
• Maintain operational parameters of the
waterworks
• Maintain and repair equipment where qualified
• All staff must maintain Internal Responsibility
System (Safety as per Occupational Health and
Safety Act)
Construction and
• The OIC is the Crew Leader or the Temporary
• Direct crews
Maintenance Staff
Crew Leader
• Enforce all applicable Ontario
- Utilities Staff —
• Constructor's representative, all duties
Regulations (MECP, MOL)
Utility Crew
associated with Ministry of Labour
• Enforce all applicable City policies
Leader/Temporary
requirements
Crew Leader
• Duties as outlined in Utilities Staff — Utilities
Distribution Technician
• Rotation on 263 Emergency Response Vehicle
— secondary response
• Complete all paperwork/supplemental work
orders — Cityworks and associated paperwork
are considered to be MECP regulatory
requirements
• Perform all regulatory requirements of an OIC
Construction and
• Maintain and repair equipment and
• Purchase equipment/supplies
Maintenance Staff
Owner's/Manufacturer's manuals
• Maintain tools/equipment in
- Tool Quality
• Ensure equipment is in good working order
accordance with manufacturer
Support and
• Verification/Calibration of equipment
specs
Training Specialist
• Training staff on equipment use
• Contacting
• Maintenance of equipment/sign-out logs
suppliers/manufacturers/
calibration companies
Utilities Assistant
• Support operational/construction related
and Operational
activities including scheduling, follow-up,
Services Support
invoicing, communication
Person
• Creation of work orders
Cross Connection
• Implements, administers and enforces the Cross
• Determine hazards and
Control Specialist
Connection Control/Backflow Prevention By-
appropriate device selection
law
• Commencement of enforcement
• Inspection of new devices
activities (e.g. fines, water shut-
off) in consultation with superiors
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Role
Responsibilities'
Authorities
Manager, Business
• Provides leadership and direction to Dispatch
• Develops operating procedures,
Development and
staff/marketing staff
policies, manuals and training
Customer
• Manages the collection and reporting of
related to customer service
Experience
information regarding citizen inquires,
complaints
• Oversees marketing, communications and
branding strategies to ensure consistent
messaging
Dispatcher
• Receive and process incoming calls from the
• Follows established procedures
public and internal staff for general inquires,
and makes calm decisions as
appointments, complaints and emergencies
required in an emergency services
• Dispatch Construction & Maintenance Staff
environment
• Provides general information and direction on
• Deploy resources, as required
the services, procedures, practices, policies and
• Refers escalated issues to the
programs provided by the City through public
supervisor and/or on-call
and internal inquirers
manager, when applicable
QMS
• Develop, implement and maintain the QMS
• Delegate duties as necessary
Representative —
• Report on the performance of the QMS to Top
designated as
Management
Manager -Quality
• Identify needs for improvement in the QMS
Management and
• Ensure that the current versions of documents
Water Programs
required by the QMS are in use at all times
• Ensure that all personnel are aware of all
applicable legislative requirements that are
relevant to the operation of the works
• Stay up to date on changes to relevant
legislative and regulatory requirements
• Promote the QMS throughout the Operating
Authority
QMS
• Manages the development, implementation
• Delegate duties as necessary
Specialist
and maintenance of the DWQMS
• Arrange for corrective actions for
• Develop, implement and maintain the QMS
adverse water
• Identify needs for improvement in the QMS
• Completes reporting for adverses
• Ensure that the current versions of documents
required by the QMS are in use at all times
• Ensure that all personnel are aware of all
applicable legislative requirements that are
relevant to the operation of the works
• Promote the QMS throughout the Operating
Authority
• Assists with the preparation of water quality
related reports
• Prepares and submits data for benchmarking
• Review of water quality data
• Review of water quality tests and provides
approval to connect
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xitdenerCity of Kitchener Water Distribution
Utiwes['
DWQMS Operational Plan
Role
Responsibilities'
Authorities
Drafting
• Processing records for operational staff (e.g.
• Record changes
Technician
valve replacements)
• Updating/correcting attribute info
• Completing/processing records for engineering
related record changes
• Map tentative as -built watermains based on
red -line
Job duties are as related to the DWQMS, detailed job descriptions are developed in conjunction with Human
Resources for CUPE 791 and non-union management staff. Job postings may include additional information.
Additional Resources Outside of Kitchener Utilities
Engineering — Development Engineering, Engineering Design and Approvals and Building, Engineering
Construction - design, construction and inspection of new installation and reconstruction of watermains as well
as provision of as-builts
Technology Innovation and Services- mapping as-builts and maintenance of GIS system and maps
Asset Management and Business Solutions — develops the annual 10 year Road & Utility Capital Forecast using
water asset condition information developed via the Infrastructure Maintenance, Rehabilitation and Renewal
procedure.
Corporate Contact Centre (CCC) — some Dispatch duties after hours
Competencies
The Competencies Procedure describes the process for identifying, developing and maintaining
required competencies for personnel performing duties directly affecting drinking water quality.
The procedure also describes activities to ensure personnel are aware of the relevance of their
duties.
Records show evidence of activities to meet and maintain the competencies described in the
procedure, and to ensure personnel awareness. The Procedure is provided in the Appendix.
Personnel Coverage
The Personnel Coverage Procedure describes the process for ensuring personnel are available for
duties. The Procedure is provided in the Appendix.
Communications
The Communications Procedure describes the process for ensuring relevant aspects of the QMS
are communicated between Top Management and the Owner, waterworks personnel, suppliers
and the public. The Procedure is provided in the Appendix.
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Essential Supplies and Services
The Essential Supplies and Services Procedure describes the process for identifying essential supplies
and services, and ensuring quality requirements and procurement methods are established and
communicated. The Procedure is provided in the Appendix.
Infrastructure Review and Provision
The Infrastructure Review Procedure describes the process for the review of the infrastructure
adequacy. This Procedure is provided in the Appendix. The procedure also describes the provision
of infrastructure, and the communication of review findings to the Owner. The Procedure is
provided in the Appendix.
Infrastructure Maintenance, Rehabilitation and Renewal
The Infrastructure Maintenance, Rehabilitation and Renewal Procedure describes the maintenance
programs undertaken by Kitchener Utilities, and how the system is rehabilitated and renewed.
The Procedure is provided in the Appendix.
Sampling, Testing, and Monitoring
The Sampling, Testing and Monitoring Procedure describes procedures used to maintain chlorine
residual in the Distribution System by sampling, testing and monitoring at the waterworks.
Maintenance programs including dead end main flushing and new development flushing maintain
chlorine residuals within the distribution system. The procedure outlines requirements for
bacteriological testing within the distribution system, including temporary watermains. Additional
sampling requirements as per regulatory requirements are also included in the procedure (see
Appendix).
Calibration
The Calibration Procedure describes procedures for maintenance and calibration of
measurement and recording equipment. The Procedure is provided in the Appendix.
Emergency Management
An emergency is considered to be a potential situation or service interruption that may result in
the loss of the ability to maintain a supply of safe drinking water to consumers.
The Emergency Management procedure describes the process of maintaining a state of
emergency preparedness at the waterworks. It refers to applicable emergency response
procedures. The procedure is provided in Appendix.
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Internal Audits
The Internal Audits Procedure describes the procedure for internal audits, including audit criteria,
frequency, scope, records, methodology and schedule. The Corrective Action Procedure describes
the process of initiating, investigating, performing and documenting corrective actions. Both
procedures are provided in the Appendix.
Management Review
The Management Review Procedure describes the procedure for management review, including
review items, reviewers, outcomes, and documentation. The Procedure is provided in the
Appendix.
Continual Improvement
Kitchener Utilities strives to continually improve the effectiveness of its QMS through the use of
corrective actions, especially from the annual internal audits (as per the Internal Audit
Procedure), staff suggestions and management reviews (as per the Management Review
Procedure). The procedure can be found in the Appendix.
History of Changes
Revision
Date
Description
By
24.0
January 30, 2019
Updating infrastructure summary,
Steve Young
deleting outdated information.
25.0
September 30, 2019
Filing of approval of QMS Rep,
Steve Young
new element 15 procedure,
updating job titles
26.0
March 5, 2020
Update of Drinking Water
Dean Chapman
Distribution System section and
other sections as a result of the
Kitchener Utilities Re-org.
27.0
April 17, 2020
Updated Description of Water
Ras Sonthisay
Source section to be consistent
Region of Waterloo's Water
Quality Report.
28.0
March 3, 2021
Updates to the Drinking Water
Dean Chapman
Distribution System section.
29.0
January 12, 2022
Updates to the Drinking Water
Dean Chapman
Distribution System stats and
Strange St Well Supply system.
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30.0
September 29, 2022
Primary response vehicle added
Angela Mick
to definitions section.
31.0
January 10, 2023
Updates to the Drinking Water
Angela Mick, Dean
Distribution System and
Chapman
Sampling, Testing and
Monitoring sections.
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,r6 City of Kitchener Water Distribution
DWQMS Operational Plan
SUBJECT SYSTEM DESCRIPTION FORM
t/��Ontario
Ministry ofthe Environment
and Climate Change
Fields marbed with an asterisk ;`j are maanda Dry -
C urrer of Municipal Residential Dmbing Water System '
The Coiporattoo of the City of Kitchener
Ham of Municipal Resider►tial Ddnkkq Water System
Kitchener Di=l uham System
Print Form
Schedule D - Director's Directions for
Operational Plans (Subject System
Description Form)
Municipal Residential drinking Water System
Subject' systems.
Q Check here if the MuniCipal Pesidentral Drirbing Water Systern s op4E-raied 0 o^e operat -g aut^o ,i. Eller the narne of the operating
arthimly in the tellmtable-
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Contact Information
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Utilities Water Engineer
angela.mick,'AA- itchener.ca
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Revision 31.0
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Page 35 of 119
Kitchener!; City of Kitchener Water Distribution
Ut'" 1 DWQMS Operational Plan
APPENDICES
WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM MAP
Appendix 1 Endorsement
Appendix 2 Document Control Procedure
Appendix 3 Record Control Procedure
Appendix 4a Risk Assessment Procedure
Appendix 4b Risk Assessment Table
Appendix 5 Critical Control Point Procedure
Appendix 6a Current Position/Employee List
Appendix 6b Organizational Chart
Appendix 6c Construction and Maintenance Staff
Appendix 7 Competencies Procedure
Appendix 8 Personnel Coverage Procedure
Appendix 9 Communications Procedure
Appendix 10 Essential Supplies and Services Procedure
Appendix 11 Review and Provision of Infrastructure Procedure
Appendix 12 Sampling, Testing and Monitoring Procedure
Appendix 13 Emergency Management Procedure
Appendix 14 Maintenance and Calibration of Measuring & Recording Equipment Procedure
Appendix 15 Internal Audits Procedure
Appendix 16 Corrective Action Procedure
Appendix 17 Management Review Procedure
Appendix 18 Continual Improvement Procedure
Appendix 19 Infrastructure Maintenance, Rehabilitation and Renewal Procedure
Appendix 20 Drinking Water Works Permit
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Revision Date: January 10, 2023 page 24 of 24
Page 36 of 119
Staff Report
Infrastructure Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: March 6, 2023
SUBMITTED BY: Greg St. Louis, Director, Gas & Water Utilities, 519-741-2600 ext. 4538
PREPARED BY: Angela Mick, Manager, Quality Management and Water Programs,
519-741-2600 ext. 4408
WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward(s)
DATE OF REPORT: February 2, 2023
REPORT NO.: INS -2023-011
SUBJECT: Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS): Management
Review Summary for 2022
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City of Kitchener Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS):
Management Review Summary for 2022 Report be received for information.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
• The purpose of this report to inform the decision-making authority about the status of the
drinking water system
• The key finding of this report is that the Kitchener distribution system meets the requirements
under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
• There are no financial implications of this report
• This report supports the delivery of core services.
BACKGROUND:
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. The licence was
renewed in 2019.
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. Part of the standard of care includes requiring system owners to undertake financial
planning and implement the Drinking Water Quality Management System (DWQMS). The
following link is a guide for municipal councillors to help understand their responsibilities under
the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 and provides information on how Ontario's drinking water is
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
Page 37 of 119
safeguarded: Taking Care of Your Drinking Water: A Guide for Members of Municipal Councils
I ontario.ca
Three things to remember as a municipal councillor (as outlined in the above Guide):
• It's your duty. There are legal consequences for not acting as required by the standard of
care, including possible fines or imprisonment.
• Be informed. Your decisions can have an impact on public health. You don't have to be
an expert in drinking water operations, but you do need to be informed about them.
• Be vigilant. It is critical you never take the drinking water safety for granted or assume all
is well with the drinking water systems under your care and direction.
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 Water Act. 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 2022 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:
• The Summary Water Report -2022 (INS -2023-010) confirmed that the drinking water
system was in compliance with regulatory water sampling requirements during 2022. The
DWQMS Management Review confirms the continuing adequacy and effectiveness of
the quality management system which includes compliance, customer feedback,
operational performance, audit information etc. as outlined in this report.
• COVID restrictions were minimal and largely did not impact 2022 operations; however,
construction and operating costs increased.
• Year Five Water Infrastructure Program (WIP) maintenance end of year achievements
(specific areas of improvement identified by WIP):
o Cleaned approximately 168km of watermain. 2022 was the final year of the 6 year
program to complete all main cleaning over 6 years. In 2023 the program will
restart with the area previously cleaned in 2017.
o Water quality complaints continue to decrease. There were 105 complaints total
with 28 discoloured water complaints for 2022; which has greatly decreased from
pre-watermain cleaning/pre-treatment plant upgrade levels in 2016 (395
complaints total with 147 discoloured water).
Page 38 of 119
0 21 broken valves and/or failing valves were either replaced or removed which
allows for quicker isolation for water emergencies. Broken valves are tracked in
real time and the majority are addressed within weeks (except for winter).
o Approximately 1,873 valves were proactively operated (23%); the majority were
within the watermain cleaning area and the 2022 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 (17,885 locates completed;
representing the largest number of locates completed over the past 10 years).
o Approximately 3,300 services are protected by Backflow Prevention (BFP) — the
focus is on high risk use.
o Regulatory reliefs were provided by the Ministry to decrease the number of monthly
samples and 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 2023
lead testing program (hydrants only).
• An inspection of approximately 130 air relief valves in chambers was completed. No air
reliefs were replaced in 2022. A study was commenced to determine which air reliefs
require replacement and which may be removed.
• There were 93 watermain breaks in 2022, which is above than the 5 -year average of 84.
• Approximately 6,065 aging/problem water meters were replaced.
• Hydrant painting program for corrosion protection was re -started with 450 hydrants
painted, painting will continue in 2023. Hydrants are also stencilled with the watermain
diameter for the Fire Department.
• Unaccounted for water was 10% (At the 10% industry target). The unaccounted for water
generally fluctuates around 10% (9-12%, with 10% being the approx. 10 year average).
• Pressure reducing valve maintenance was completed.
• The Water Utility Asset Management Plan was completed in 2022. The water assets have
a value of more than $1 Billion and are generally in very good condition. Overall,
watermains are more than halfway through their useful life. This is being addressed
through the WIP.
• Staff training programs included: Ethics for Drinking Water Operators, Water Quality for
Distribution System Operators and New Watermain Commissioning Course. DWQMS
Awareness training occurred for new staff.
• Replaced watermains as outlined in the 2022 City of Kitchener Engineering & Water Utility
Capital Forecast.
• External audit determined that the management system is effectively implemented and
maintained and recommended continued certification of accreditation for the municipal
drinking water system.
• Increased erosion and sediment control procedures during watermain breaks to minimize
sediment from entering storm sewer and to provide rehabilitation steps if sediment does
enter storm sewer or watercourses. Sediment control/rehabilitation costs associated with
watermain breaks can be significant.
• Locate related costs are expected to increase significantly in 2023 due to new regulatory
requirements. Locating costs are split between gas and water. A Locate Review is
Page 39 of 119
currently being led by the City's Internal Auditor to evaluate the service level, risk and
resourcing needs associated with new legislative requirements.
Continuing Areas of Focus are:
• Continue with tasks associated with the next WIP review.
• Re -endorsement of the DWQMS Operational Plan by Council.
• Approval of the Water Distribution System Financial Plan as part of Application for
Renewal of Licence due later this year.
• Proceed with improvements to the As -built process in conjunction with Engineering,
specifically hiring the additional resource approved through the budget process. There
has been difficulty filling this position. Hiring staff is the last outstanding item related to
the 2020 MECP inspection which flagged that The owner did not have up-to-date
documents describing the distribution components as required. As-builts and GIS
mapping is required within 12 -months from when a new watermain is commissioned. A
number of process changes have been completed over the last 2 years to improve turn-
around time.
• Development and roll out AMANDA solution for better tracking of Backflow
Prevention/Cross Connection program.
• Development of a water disruption communication tool. The existing Watermain Break
App provides for updates to the website and email for emergency watermain breaks but
there is no notification for planned water outages or emergency outages associated with
other infrastructure (valves, services).
• Check valves along the LRT. The valves are largely new but are deemed to be critical
due to potential impacts to the LRT.
• Hydrant mobile field inspections are anticipated to be rolled out in spring 2023. It is
anticipated that the solution will provide efficiencies by minimizing data entry and provide
faster deficiency follow-up.
• Proceed with OnPoint roll-out to replace ArcReader infrastructure mapping.
• Proceed with filling technical water position approved as part of the 2023 budget process.
• Participation in locates review with Internal Auditor.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports the delivery of core services.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The recommendation has no impact on the Capital or Operating Budgets.
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:
Page 40 of 119
There are no previous reports/authorities related to this matter; however the Management
Review Summary Reports are provided on an annual basis with the last report being INS -
2022 -038
APPROVED BY: Denise McGoldrick, General Manager, Infrastructure Services
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A — Drinking Water Quality Management Standard Review - 2022
Page 41 of 119
Kitchener
Utilities
Kitchener Utilities
City of Kitchener Drinking Water Distribution
System
Drinking Water Quality Management
Standard
Management Review — 2022
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.
Page 42 of 119
xit�ner6l � City of Kitchener Water Distribution
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PartA - Introduction...............................................................................................................................
3
Purpose..............................................................................................................................................
3
ExecutiveSummary...........................................................................................................................
3
Background........................................................................................................................................
5
Other Related Water Quality Reports.................................................................................................
6
Quality Management System Policy...................................................................................................
7
Part B — Management Review...............................................................................................................
8
SystemDescription............................................................................................................................
8
Water Infrastructure Program.............................................................................................................
8
COVIDImpacts..................................................................................................................................
8
Incidents of Regulatory Non Compliance............................................................................................
9
Incidences of Adverse Drinking Water................................................................................................
9
Deviations from Critical Control Points Limits and Response...........................................................
11
Effectiveness of the Risk Assessment Process................................................................................
16
Results of External and Internal Audits.............................................................................................
17
OFI's, Non -Conformances, Non -Compliances by Year.....................................................................
19
Operational Performance.................................................................................................................
20
Raw Water Supply and Drinking Water Quality Trends.....................................................................
20
Follow-up on Action Items from Previous Management Reviews ......................................................
20
Status of Management Action Items Identified Between Reviews .....................................................
20
Changes That Could Affect the Quality Management System..........................................................
20
ConsumerFeedback........................................................................................................................
21
Resources Needed to Maintain the Quality Management System ....................................................
22
Results of the Infrastructure Review.................................................................................................
23
Summary of Maintenance.................................................................................................................
23
Effectiveness of Maintenance...........................................................................................................
26
Operational Plan Currency, Content and Updates............................................................................
27
StaffSuggestions.............................................................................................................................
27
Other................................................................................................................................................
27
2
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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:
• The Summary Water Report -2022 (INS -2023-010) confirmed that the drinking water
system was in compliance with regulatory water sampling requirements during 2022.
The DWQMS Management Review confirms the continuing adequacy and effectiveness
of the quality management system which includes compliance, customer feedback,
operational performance, audit information etc. as outlined in this report.
• COVID restrictions were minimal and largely did not impact 2022 operations; however,
construction and operating costs increased.
• Year Five Water Infrastructure Program (WIP) maintenance end of year achievements
(specific areas of improvement identified by WIP):
o Cleaned approximately 168km of watermain. 2022 was the final year of the 6
year program to complete all main cleaning over 6 years. In 2023 the program
will restart with the area previously cleaned in 2017.
o Water quality complaints continue to decrease. There were 105 complaints total
with 28 discoloured water complaints for 2022; which has greatly decreased from
pre-watermain cleaning/pre-treatment plant upgrade levels in 2016 (395
complaints total with 147 discoloured water).
0 21 broken valves and/or failing valves were either replaced or removed which
allows for quicker isolation for water emergencies. Broken valves are tracked in
real time and the majority are addressed within weeks (except for winter).
o Approximately 1,873 valves were proactively operated (23%); the majority were
within the watermain cleaning area and the 2022 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 (17,885 locates completed;
representing the largest number of locates completed over the past 10 years).
o Approximately 3,300 services are protected by Backflow Prevention (BFP) — the
focus is on high risk use.
3
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o Regulatory reliefs were provided by the Ministry to decrease the number of
monthly samples and 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 2023 lead testing program (hydrants only).
• An inspection of approximately 130 air relief valves in chambers was completed. No air
reliefs were replaced in 2022. A study was commenced to determine which air reliefs
require replacement and which may be removed.
• There were 93 watermain breaks in 2022, which is above than the 5 -year average of 84.
• Approximately 6,065 aging/problem water meters were replaced.
• Hydrant painting program for corrosion protection was re -started with 450 hydrants
painted, painting will continue in 2023. Hydrants are also stencilled with the watermain
diameter for the Fire Department.
• Unaccounted for water was 10% (At the 10% industry target). The unaccounted for
water generally fluctuates around 10% (9-12%, with 10% being the approx. 10 year
average).
• Pressure reducing valve maintenance was completed.
• The Water Utility Asset Management Plan was completed in 2022. The water assets
have a value of more than $1 Billion and are generally in very good condition. Overall,
watermains are more than halfway through their useful life. This is being addressed
through the WIP.
• Staff training programs included: Ethics for Drinking Water Operators, Water Quality for
Distribution System Operators and New Watermain Commissioning Course. DWQMS
Awareness training occurred for new staff.
• Replaced watermains as outlined in the 2022 City of Kitchener Engineering & Water
Utility Capital Forecast.
• External audit determined that the management system is effectively implemented and
maintained and recommended continued certification of accreditation for the municipal
drinking water system.
• Increased erosion and sediment control procedures during watermain breaks to
minimize sediment from entering storm sewer and to provide rehabilitation steps if
sediment does enter storm sewer or watercourses. Sediment control/rehabilitation costs
associated with watermain breaks can be significant.
• Locate related costs are expected to increase significantly in 2023 due to new
regulatory requirements. Locating costs are split between gas and water. A Locate
Review is currently being led by the City's Internal Auditor to evaluate the service level,
risk and resourcing needs associated with new legislative requirements.
Continuing Areas of Focus are:
• Continue with tasks associated with the next WIP review.
• Re -endorsement of the DWQMS Operational Plan by Council.
4
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• Approval of the Water Distribution System Financial Plan as part of Application for
Renewal of Licence due later this year.
• Proceed with improvements to the As -built process in conjunction with Engineering,
specifically hiring the additional resource approved through the budget process. There
has been difficulty filling this position. Hiring staff is the last outstanding item related to
the 2020 MECP inspection which flagged that The owner did not have up-to-date
documents describing the distribution components as required. As-builts and GIS
mapping is required within 12 -months from when a new watermain is commissioned. A
number of process changes have been completed over the last 2 years to improve turn-
around time.
• Development and roll out AMANDA solution for better tracking of Backflow
Prevention/Cross Connection program.
• Development of a water disruption communication tool. The existing Watermain Break
App provides for updates to the website and email for emergency watermain breaks but
there is no notification for planned water outages or emergency outages associated with
other infrastructure (valves, services).
• Check valves along the LRT. The valves are largely new but are deemed to be critical
due to potential impacts to the LRT.
• Hydrant mobile field inspections are anticipated to be rolled out in spring 2023. It is
anticipated that the solution will provide efficiencies by minimizing data entry and
provide faster deficiency follow-up.
• Proceed with OnPoint roll-out to replace ArcReader infrastructure mapping.
• Proceed with filling technical water position approved as part of the 2023 budget
process.
• Participation in locates review with Internal Auditor.
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 originally submitted in July 2010.
Renewals of the Licence and Financial Plan were complete and brought forward to Council in
2014 and 2018, and every 4-5 years thereafter prior to each Drinking Water System License
5
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renewal. The Financial Plan will be brought forward to Council in 2023 and an application for
licence renewal will be made in late 2023.
Section 19 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 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.
The following link is a guide for municipal councillors to help understand their responsibilities
under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 and provides information on how Ontario's drinking
water is safeguarded: Taking Care of Your Drinking Water: A Guide for Members of Municipal
Councils I ontario.ca
Three things to remember as a municipal councillor (as outlined in the above Guide):
• It's your duty. There are legal consequences for not acting as required by the standard
of care, including possible fines or imprisonment.
• Be informed. Your decisions can have an impact on public health. You don't have to be
an expert in drinking water operations, but you do need to be informed about them.
• Be vigilant. It is critical you never take the drinking water safety for granted or assume
all is well with the drinking water systems under your care and direction.
Other Related Water Quality Reports
The City of Kitchener Summary Water Report for 2022 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
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 (80%),
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.
6
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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.
7
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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 2022, the waterworks consists of approximately:
• 924.6 km of distribution watermain — 792 km Kitchener owned, 23 km Dual owned (joint
ownership between Kitchener and Region) and 109 km Regional owned .
• 70,572 water meters in service.
• 4,717 hydrants (not including private hydrants).
• 8,005 valves (not including service valves or hydrant valves) — 7,445 Kitchener owned,
130 Dual and 430 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 5 of
maintenance -related work were achieved, included:
• Watermain cleaning program - cleaned 168km of the City.
• Valve maintenance and replacement programs — operated approximately 1,873 valves
and replaced 21 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 (17,885 locates completed).
• Approximately 3,300 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 2023.
COVID Impacts
M
Page 49 of 119
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• COVID impacts were lessened in 2022, however there were ongoing difficulties with
parts/supplies on back order and cost increases. There are indications that the cost
increases and supply chain issues will continue into 2023 and may impact
reconstruction project costs. Staff are monitoring trends closely to determine
appropriate mitigation actions.
• A regulatory relief was provided for the spring and fall lead sampling program —
hydrants were only sampled, no internal sampling. A request for relief from the spring
2023 program has been granted.
Incidents of Regulatory Non Compliance
A Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) completed an announced
inspection on June 23, 2023, and covered June 23, 2021, to June 23, 2022. There were no
notices of non-compliance.
A notice of violation was created by the MECP on September 16, 2022, relating to three
watermain breaks which occurred on September 14, 2022. Due to a lack of erosion and
sediment control measures, significant sediment was discharged to Sandrock Creek.
Corrective action included hiring a third party to assess the creek, completion of recommended
remediation activities, creation of new procedures to prevent future issues and training staff on
the procedures.
Incidences of Adverse Drinking Water
There were 15 Adverse Water Quality Incidences (AWQI) during the year. One self-imposed
Boil Water Advisories (BWA) was initiated in 2022 and one Drinking Water Advisory (DWA)
was initiated. The volume of AWQIs decreased from 2021, the majority of the decrease was
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 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 was made over the 2022
construction season. These communication efforts will continue for 2023 and beyond.
• Low chlorine AWQIs (8 total)
9
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o Six 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 (5 total)
0 4 were at temporary main sampling locations.
0 1 was at a distribution sampling location.
• Boil Water Advisory (BWA — 1 total)
o E -Coli present in distribution sample for KID 129 Victoria Hills Community
Centre.
• Drinking Water Advisory (DWA — 1 total)
o Non -Potable Grease found on Fitting at 2 services
• Lead:
o No lead adverses were reported in 2022. Due to COVID, the spring and fall lead
program was reduced to sampling for lead at hydrants (relief was granted by
MECP). No exceedances were reported.
In general, corrective actions include reporting, flushing and resampling. The above AWQIs
were all resolved. The Summary Water Report for 2022 discusses water quality compliance
and corrective actions further.
Action: No further action required — for information only
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Adverse Water Duality Incidents (AWDIs)
Deviations from Critical Control Points Limits and Response
• There were 93 watermain breaks in 2022, which is slightly higher than the 5 -year
average of 84. Of the 93, 17 were deemed to be Category 2. Category 2 watermain
breaks require bacteriological sampling upon completion. The 5 -year average increased
slightly due to an increase in watermain breaks in 2022 over 2021 as well as the
removal of a low break year (2017 was 79 breaks). Watermain breaks are influenced by
the watermain age/condition, material type, and is also heavily weather dependent due
to the frost movement with colder winters resulting in more breaks. Incident debriefs are
completed for watermain breaks and break history is included as part of asset condition.
This information helps to determine priorities for replacement due to condition.
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DWQMS Management Review
Number of Watermain Breaks by Year
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Mainbreaks - 5 year average
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
-A,__ 6A
Number of Watermain
Breaks per 100 km
18.0
16.0
14.0
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Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Breaks/100 km 7.7 14.2 16.1 15.8 7.8 8.9 10.7 10.0 6.9 8.5 10-1
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• Unaccounted for water for was 10%; 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). The 10 -year average for Kitchener is 9.9%, although the
percentage fluctuates.
• Infrastructure Leak Index (ILI) is a performance indicator which is the ratio of the level of
Current Annual Real Losses (CARL) to the Unavoidable Annual Real Losses (UARL).
The UARL considers the total length of watermain in the distribution system, number of
hydrants, average pressures, number of service connections, length of service and
hydrant connections. The UARL is the theoretical low limit of leakage that could be
achieved if all the current best leakage management could be implemented. The URAL
is specific to each water system. For example, the UARL for a large system with high
pressure will be higher than a small system with low pressure. Leakage in any water
system can never be totally eliminated. One caveat is that the calculation is made
based on an average pressure. Kitchener has several pressure zones with a great deal
of variation across the city. As part of the National Water and Wastewater
Benchmarking Initiative (Benchmarking), Kitchener recently began reporting ILI and
trending will be established as more data is generating. Benchmarking is completed on
the previous year's data. The 2021 ILI value was 1.75 meaning the current level of real
losses is 1.75 times greater than the theoretical low level losses. The ILI graph is a
comparison to other Cities participating in 2021 benchmarking.
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Percentage Unaccounted For Water
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Displaying: Infrastructure Leakage Index - Non Outliers
•ILI ■Related KPI
4
3
a
7
7 2
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Action: No further action required — for information only
Effectiveness of the Risk Assessment Process
• A risk assessment was completed on September 22, 2022. For 2022, attendees
included staff from the Region of Waterloo and City of Kitchener. 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 and added the following new potential risks:
■ Cyber Security.
■ Telecommunications provider outage.
■ OnPoint GIS mapping system to replace existing ArcReader system (not
scored — additional info required).
■ Equipment and Supplies shortages.
■ Cost of chemicals, construction costs, etc. due to inflation.
o Preventive / Control measures and risk score updated for several existing risks
and added for the new risks above.
Action: For Information Only
Results of External and Internal Audits
The DWQMS Standard is divided into Plan, Do, Check, and Improve sections. Audits are
completed to analyze processes to confirm that what is stated in the procedures and work
instructions is what is being done. External Audits are completed by a third party while Internal
Audits are completed by accredited City saff.
External:
• In 2022, two audits were conducted and completed by a certified external auditor (SAI
Global) — Certificate of Accreditation achieved.
o Systems Audit — October 5 — October 6, 2022. No non -conformances were
found. One opportunity for improvement was identified.
o Reaccreditation Audit — November 1 — November 2. 2022. No non -conformances
were found. Three opportunities for improvement were identified.
Internal:
• 5 Field audits were conducted in 2022:
o New Development Flushing
o Tool Room
o Water Tapping
o Water Service Cut-offs
o Curb Stop Repair
• 4 Element audits were conducted in 2022.
• 17 opportunities for improvement were identified from internal audits in 2022. As of
December 31, 2022,
0 5 (29%) of these opportunities have been acted upon and implemented;
0 2 (11%) of these opportunities could not be implemented; and
0 10 (60%) of these opportunities are still being investigated.
• Zero nonconformances and zero non -compliances were found during the internal
audits.
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• Seven nonconformances were found outside of the internal audits. All have been
resolved with follow-up completed:
o Plug style main stop with non -NSF grease
o Chlorine residuals above 2.Omg/L need to be reported since equipment does not
accurately read above this level
o Notice of violation relating to sediment release
o Digital sign -off was delayed on weekly chlorine residuals
o Categorization of watermain break was incorrect
o Water sample was not taken immediately after a main break
o Low chlorine residual adverse was not called in by staff member immediately
A previous 2020 non-conformance is still outstanding (CAR 42). The Owner did not
have up-to-date documents describing the distribution components as required. At the
time of the inspection, the City was in the process of updating the distribution map
which is referenced in Table 1 of the DWWP. 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. A number of process improvements
were made. The remaining item is to fill a dedicated AutoCAD resource position to
complete as -recorded drawings/submissions for internal projects as well as process
those completed by consultants on City reconstruction projects. Process improvements
have been made over 2020/21 include:
o A First Submission Asset Drawing Checklist was developed for consultants
o Kitchener Utilities will not conduct final water inspections until as-builts have
been received and mapped in GIS
o Letter of Credit is not reduced until the As -Recorded information has been
accepted
o GIS boundaries to flag projects under construction, until as-builts have been
received.
o New Water As -Built Drawing Work Instruction Procedure with monthly email
alerts
o Regional mapping of projects where City infrastructure is replaced
o Development Storyboard as a reference for consultants to fill out as -built
information
o Revised attribute template to streamline data connection
o Topology fixer to minimize errors back to consultant
o Attribute checker to allow consultants to check their own data
o Entering red -line construction documents
Continuous Improvement
1s
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Continual Improvement is a key element of all quality management systems and we are
regulated to have a process to identify and implement preventative actions to eliminate the
occurrences of potential non -conformities. Opportunities for improvement can come from many
sources, such as external audits, staff suggestions, public concerns, management reviews,
debriefs, or the risk assessment meeting. In total for 2022, excluding the results from internal
audits, there were:
• 98 opportunities for improvement, of which:
0 51 (52%) were acted upon and implemented;
0 6 (6%) could not be implemented; and
0 41 (42%) are still being investigated.
OFI's, Non -Conformances, Non -Compliances by Year
120
100
80
60
40
20 ' 2 1 I
4 0 2 4
2019 2020 2021
■ Audit OFI's ■ Other OFI's ■ NonConform- ■ NonCompliance-
2022
Action: The Continual Improvement Log is updated monthly to discuss new items, track
process and circle back to determine the effectiveness of implementation. The log is be
reviewed annually with Top Management as part of the Management Review.
Results of the Emergency Response Training/Testing
• New On -Call Management Staff took the IMS -100 Introduction to the Incident
Management System (IMS) for Ontario training
• Water Emergency — Management training was provided to supervisors and
management in January 2022.
• 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
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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. The section between Strasburg Road and Robert
Ferrie Drive is awaiting the completion of the Environmental Assessment for the Road
extension.
• 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 to Strasburg Rd. The watermain was brought into
service on January 23, 2023.
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:
• 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
Action items were completed as part of the revised report and associated council report.
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
Changes That Could Affect the Quality Management System
• 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 were complete in
anticipation of this regulatory change.
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• 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 streets 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.
• Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 and Bill 109, More Homes for Everyone Act,
2022. It is anticipated that changes in the Development Charge (DC) Framework and
decreased DC revenue could hamper the City's ability to supply infrastructure in a
timely and coordinated manner to support grown (e.g., Strasburg Road South &
Watermain project).
o Kitchener does not have surplus funds in the DC reserve fund that are not
allocated to a future project.
o It is anticipated that the Province's investment to help unlock and build housing
supply will increase the volume of subdivision and site plan review and
processing for Drinking Water Works Permits.
o Bill 23 may impact the Region's Official Plan update and the existing urban
boundary.
o Bill 93 — "An Act to amend the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021 and the
Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012" which is
related to locating infrastructure, has set out several new requirements that the
City of Kitchener (the infrastructure owner) must meet. The first being a strict
adherence to a 5 day locate completion timeframe. Locates not completed within
this timeframe are now subject to an Ontario One Call fine and it is now possible
for excavators to seek compensation from a loss or expense incurred due to the
locate being late. It is expected that locating costs will increase significantly in
2023. A Locate Review is currently being led by the City's Internal Auditor to
evaluate the service level, risk and resourcing needs associated with new
legislative requirements.
Action: No further action required — for information only
Consumer Feedback
• The number of customer water complaints continues to decrease. Dispatch staff guide
customers through a number of questions to determine whether the problem is
suspected to be internal (plumbing) or external (distribution system).
• The problem, cause, and remedy are tracked for each complaint.
• 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.
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• 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. We are seeing more residents moving into Kitchener
who may not be familiar with water hardness and education is a component of resolving
the concerns.
• 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)
Distribution of Customer Water Complaints
450 450
400 400
350 350
300 300
250 . ■ 250
200
15500 ■ ■ ■ ■ 150
100 100
50 50
0 0
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Customer Water Complaints 395 242 279 295 142 148 105
■ Other 167 63 65 83 52 42 31
■ Low Pressure 81 96 101 107 47 66 46
■ Discoloured Water 147 83 113 105 43 40 28
Action: Continue with proposed watermain cleaning area in 2023.
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 implemented 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 2023.
• An Issue Paper requesting a technical position to address the growing demand on the
water utility was submitted for the 2023 budget.
Action: Proceed with posting for the position following approval of 2023 budget process.
22
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Results of the Infrastructure Review
• The Water Utility Asset Management Plan was completed and captured watermains,
valves, hydrants, and meters. Asset Management Plans are required for all core and
non-core asset classes (roads, storm, parks, facilities etc.), prepared in accordance with
Ontario Regulation 588/17 — Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure.
The water assets have a value of more than $1 Billion and are generally in very good
condition. Overall, watermains are more than halfway through their useful life. This can
be attributed to an increase in infrastructure investments made between the 1950s and
1970s. These assets may be beginning to deteriorate and could require replacement or
rehabilitation. This is being addressed through the WIP.
• 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).
• 2022 reconstruction projects were largely completed as per the 2022
Engineering/Storm/Sanitary/Water Capital Forecast
• The Region replaces some Kitchener infrastructure as part of their projects (Kitchener
funded).
• 2023 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 — Approximately 168kms of watermain was cleaned in 2022. The
2022 watermain cleaning area map is shown below. The next map shows the proposed
2023 area in pink/red. The 2023 area was previously cleaned in 2017 thus re -starting
the 6 -year cleaning cycle. 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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Completed 2022 Watermain Cleaning Area (light green)
Kitchener Utilities Watermaln Cleaning Schedule Kitchi,—Utihties wa
Either zoom to your address or type in your address in the search (using the magnifying glass near the top left corner of the map), then click on the avaternna n cleaning area that covers your address to identity the
status o£work in your area, This data is updated every mooning.
ls�+vasr-s
Petersburg
aAo
oP
0
4 l
Proposed 2023 Watermain Cleaning Area
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Kitchener Utilities Watermain Cleaning Schedule
Either zoom to your address or type in your address in the search (using the magnifying glass near the top left corner of the snap), tt
of work in your area. This data is updated every morning.
�e Gsave Rd. 38
Rio�r�ida
Park �;Pre-st�n_
• Hydrant maintenance — spring maintenance was completed on all hydrants and all
hydrants were dipped in the fall.
• Hydrants are flushed to maintain chlorine residuals was completed in spring and fall.
• New development areas are flushed monthly until the subdivision is built-up.
• A valve turning/exercising program was completed for 1,863 valves — the majority of
valves were operated in the watermain cleaning area with additional valve operation in
25
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areas of reconstruction. Operating valves ensures that they will work when they are
needed in an emergency or for construction activities.
• There were 21 broken valves and/or failing valves were either replaced or removed
which allows for quicker isolation for water emergencies. Broken valves are tracked in
real time and the majority are addressed within weeks (except for winter). At the end of
2022 there were 11 broken valves remaining, 7 of which will be replaced as part of
future reconstruction work.
• 450 hydrants were painted.
• Leak detection survey — 1/3 of city completed each year. Follow-up is completed on
potential leaks. Approximately 330km of mains were surveyed resulting in 4 possible
hydrant leaks — the majority of which were repaired by tightening the nuts of the
hydrants. No leaks were found.
• 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.
• Erosion and sediment control procedures 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.
• 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. A
study was commenced in 2022 to determine which air reliefs could possibly be
removed.
• Staff continue to use the watermain break app for reporting breaks, which improves
customer communication for breaks
Action: No further action required — for information only
Effectiveness of Maintenance
Completion of numerous maintenance programs associated with the water and the
infrastructure are essential for the delivery of safe drinking water, although not all maintenance
programs have been identified. The effectiveness of the maintenance program is determined
by the following key factors:
• Number of Adverse Water Quality Incidents
• Water loss/unaccounted for water
• Water quality complaints
• Number of watermain breaks
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The system performance has demonstrated effectiveness by achieving:
• There were 15 AWQIs (downward trend and an indication of water quality).
• Water loss/unaccounted for water was 10% (at the target of 10%).
• The number of quality complaints was at 105, 26% of which were related to discoloured
water and 44% 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.
• There were 93 watermain breaks in 2022, which is a bit higher than the 5 -year average
of 84 breaks/year.
Action: No further action required — for information only
Operational Plan Currency, Content and Updates
• 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 — 6,065 aging water meters were replaced. There are 70,572
meters in the system. There are currently water meter supply issues. An Advanced
Metering Infrastructure (AMI) option will be brought forward as part of the WIP report.
Given the meter shortages and potential of meter change outs as part of AMI, there are
no large-scale meter replacement plans for 2023.
• Development growth is anticipated to continue with both new subdivision, site plans and
redevelopment, which creates technical demands for Drinking Water Works Permit
approvals, commissioning plan approvals and on -demand inspection requirements for
final connections, tappings and cut and caps.
• Water Consumption Trends — water consumption has increased since 2018 as
population growth demands increase. Average residential daily consumption values
were decreasing prior to the pandemic but increased in 2020. The 2021 values
decreased slightly; however 2022 benchmarking values are not yet available. Kitchener
average residential daily consumption levels are lower than many comparison
municipalities (around the 25th percentile).
The Region of Waterloo is initiating an update to their Water Supply Strategy, to look at current
water supply sources, assessing future water demands and investigating possible new water
27
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sources. The previous Water Supply Master Plan was completed in 2015. The Strategy will
develop and evaluate recommendations to meet future water supply needs in Waterloo Region
to 2051. The Water Supply Strategy will build on previous master plans, and will look at:
• Current sustainable water supply sources and water demands.
• Population growth and how it impacts future water demands.
• The gap between today's water supply and tomorrow's needs and resourcing that gap in
a sustainable, efficient way.
• The effect of climate change on our water supply resources.
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Iffilities
25,000,000
tI1�lIlIl�IIlI1:
E 15,000,000
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41
41
10,000,000
5,000,000
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DWQMS Management Review
Water Purchased (m3/year)
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Year
Displaying: Average Residential Daily Consumption (L / Cap / day)
•KIT *25th Percentile •Median A75th Percentile
300
250
200�'_-
-_____�
d__________ Ift_—__
_ aC1ii
7 150 — "-- -___V111[
ii
100
50
0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
kaiE'. Pero values will have data labels above the respective year. If data labels are missing then the value is missing! blank.
29
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• Locates - Kitchener Utilities and their Locate Service Provider physically locate gas
and water infrastructure for contractors prior to construction and excavation work.
Approximately 17,885 locates were completed in 2022, which is up from 2021 levels
and the highest levels ever experienced. Locate volumes are driven by customer
requests and construction. Bill 93 will likely create additional financial impacts (see
Changes That Could Affect the Quality Management System section).
Action: No further action required — for information only
20,000
18,000
16,000
14,000
N
12,000
V
d
J
0 10,000
L
7 8,000
Z
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
Locates
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
30
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AnnPndiv
31
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Staff Report
Infrastructure Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: March 6, 2023
SUBMITTED BY: Greg St. Louis, Director, Gas & Water Utilities, 519-741-2600 ext.
4538
PREPARED BY: Angela Mick, Manager, Quality Management and Water Programs,
519-741-2600 ext. 4408
WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward(s)
DATE OF REPORT: January 19, 2023
REPORT NO.: INS -2023-010
SUBJECT: Summary Water Report - 2022
RECOMMENDATION:
That the 2022 City of Kitchener Summary Drinking Water Report be received for
information as required by O.Reg. 170/03 Schedule 22 of the Safe Drinking water Act;
and,
further that the City of Kitchener provide a copy of the Summary Drinking Water
Report to the Township of Woolwich and the City of Waterloo as required by Schedule
22 of O. Reg. 170/03.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
The key finding of this report is that the City of Kitchener is in compliance with regulatory
water sampling requirements of the reporting period of January 1, 2022 to December
31, 2022.
There are no financial implications of this report.
The report supports the delivery of core services.
BACKGROUND:
As outlined in Schedule 22 of the Drinking Water Systems Regulation (O.Reg.170/03) of
the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, a Summary Report is to be prepared and given to the
members of the municipal council. The following information is required to be included in
this report:
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(a) list the requirements of the Act, the regulations, the system's approval and any order
that the system failed to meet at any time during the period covered by the report and
specify the duration of the failures; and
(b) for each failure referred to in (a), describe the measures that were taken to correct the
failure.
The report must also include a summary of the quantities and flow rates of the water
supplied during the period covered by the report.
REPORT:
The following matters are reported to Council in accordance with the requirements of the
Safe Drinking Water Act, for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2022:
• 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 operation of a trunk water network to distribute treated water to
Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo, Woolwich, and Wilmot. The Region provides
annual summaries for each supply and the information is available on their website
with a link from the Kitchener Utilities (KU) website. Reports from the connected
systems have been or will be received.
• 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. The City of
Waterloo's water quality report is available on their website.
• The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) completed an annual
inspection on June 23, 2022, which covered June 23, 2021 to June 23, 2022. There
were no non -compliances found.
• There were 3,943 chlorine residual samples taken and 2,311 bacteriological
samples taken within the distribution system. Of these, there were 15 Adverse
Water Quality Incidents (AWQI's) reported in this time period (see Table 1) and all
resamples were clear.
• The Lead Sampling program was minimal due to a pandemic related sampling relief,
however all lead samples taken were below the limits.
Summary of AWQIs
An AWQI does not necessarily mean that the water is a risk to the customer. It means that
a potential problem has been identified and corrective actions must be taken to resolve the
problem. City staff work with ministry staff and the local public health unit to resolve the
issue, which generally includes resampling.
Low Chlorine Residual AWQIs
• Low chlorine AWQIs can occur in areas of new subdivisions with no houses yet built.
Along with dead end watermains, KU proactively flushes areas with new watermains
until there are homes built and water is being used.
Page 74 of 119
• Dead end watermain and new development flushing is a proactive approach to
increase the levels of chlorine in the distribution system. The water is initially
disinfected (primary disinfection) at the treatment plant and sufficient chlorine is
added to protect the water from microbiological contamination as it travels through
the pipes in the distribution system (secondary disinfection). Low chlorine does not
pose a threat to human health; to have an impact to human health, there must be
microbiological contamination and no, or extremely low, chlorine.
Bacteriological AWQIs
• The presence of total coliform on a test does not necessarily mean the water is
unsafe to drink. Coliform bacteria can be found in many different environments.
There are several different strains of coliform bacteria. Most are harmless and do
not cause illness. Coliform bacteria are used as an "indicator organism" to assess
the possibility of other disease -causing organisms, and their detection would
prompt further investigation and/or corrective action. It is different than E.coli, which
is a bacteria only associated with human or animal faecal matter.
• When total coliform is found, a resample is done using a different technique, which
provides a number of total coliforms to analyze in consultation with Public Health
and the MECP. Based on a risk assessment of a number of factors including the
coliform count, chlorine residuals, and upstream/downstream coliform counts, the
requirement for a boil water advisory is determined.
• Four (4) total coliform AWQIs were at temporary sampling locations within
reconstruction projects. 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 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.
• Six (6) Total Coliform AWQIs were related to flushing within new development
areas.
• There was one Boil Water Advisory as a result of a positive E.Coli sample at a
community centre. Resamples showed the area was free of contamination
Drinking Water Advisory
• There was one Drinking Water Advisory on two addresses related to manufacture
supplied fittings with non -potable grease. The fittings were removed from the
system and will no longer be used. Sampling completed before and after the fittings
were removed both showed oils and grease and semi -volatiles below lab detection
limits. No further action was required.
Page 75 of 119
Table 1 — Adverse Water Quality Incident Summary —
January 1 to December 31, 2022
#
Adverse Type
AWQI Date
AWQI #
Site Name
Site Location
Results/Notes
(verbal)
1
Low chlorine
Jan 12/22
157573
Hydrant 13252
332 Broadacre
Free=0.00mg/L
Dr.
Total=0.21 mg/L
New development
2
Low chlorine
Jan 13/22
157589
Hydrant 12972
20 Nathalie St.
Free=0.01 mg/L
Total=0.04mg/L
New development
3
Low Chlorine
Feb 8/22
157789
Hydrant 13395
332 Broadacre
Free=0.04mg/L
(hydrant was
Dr
Total=0.26mg/L
remapped and
New development
given new number)
4
Total Coliform
Feb 11/22
157827
KID 103
3111 King St E
Total Coliform
Present
Present
5
Low Chlorine
March 8/22
157948
Hydrant 13444
912 Nathalie
Free=0.04mg/L
Crt
Total=0.11 mg/L
New development
6
Total
May 11/22
158359
KID 129 Victoria
10 Chopin DR
Boil Water Advisory
Coliform/E.Coli
Hills Community
May 11-13
present
Centre
Total Coliform/E.Coli
Present
7
Total Coliform
May 31/22
158541
SP -1A-1
115 Heather
Total Coliform
present
Cambridge Ave
Ave —
Present
Temp main
Cambridge
Temp main
8
Low Chlorine
June 30/22
158951
KID139 Stanley
175 Indian Rd
F=0.04mg/L
Park Library
T=0.26mg/L
C=0.22mg/L
9
Total Coliform
Sept 1/22
159812
S2 Lot 66 -
66 Traynor Ave
F=0.03mg/L
present
Greenfield Ave &
— Traynor
T=0.71 mg/L
Traynor Ave Temp
Temp main
C=0.68mg/L
Main
10
Total Coliform
Sept 1/22
159822
Temp 3-3 - 66
66
F=0.01 mg/L
present
Franklin St. South
Franklin St S —
T=0.96mg/L
Franklin Temp
C=0.95mg/L
main
11
Low Chlorine
Sept 7/22
159875
Hydrant 13479
213 Forestwalk
F=0.04mg/L
St
T=0.10mg/L
C=0.06mg/L
New development
12
Total coliform
Sept 22/22
160106
1105 King St E
Ottawa/King
F=0.04mg/L
present
Temp main
T=1.19mg/L
C=1.15mg/L
13
Low Chlorine
Nov 7/22
160583
Hydrant 14046
115 Forestwalk
F=0.02mg/L
St
T=0.01 mg/L
C=-0.01 mg/L
New development
14
Low Chlorine
Dec 6/22
160902
4553 King St E
4553 King St E
F=0.00mg/L
T=0.03mg/L
C=0.03mg/L
15
Drinking Water
Dec 15/22
160986
22 and 23 Nipigon
22 and 23
Non -Potable Grease
Advisory
Place
Nipigon Place
on Fitting
Page 76 of 119
A summary of the quantities of the water supplied by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo
during the period covered by the report is noted in Table 2. Overall water volumes were up
slightly from 2021 volumes; however, there are some monthly differences, largely due to
weather.
Table 2 - Kitchener Distribution System
Volume of Water Conveyed from the Region of Waterloo Supply System
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports the delivery of core services.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Capital Budget — The recommendation has no impact on the Capital Budget.
Operating Budget — The recommendation has no impact on the Operating Budget.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM — This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of
the council / committee meeting. Water Quality information is posted on the Kitchener
Utilities website.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
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 -2022-039
APPROVED BY: Denise McGoldrick, General Manager, Infrastructure Services
Page 77 of 119
2022 Monthly
Total (m)
Average
Day (m3)
2021 Monthly
Total (m)
Variance from
Previous Year
January
1,828,218
58,975
1,757,181
4%
February
1,682,407
60,086
1,608,412
5%
March
1,843,857
59,479
1,797,763
3%
April
1,790,389
59,680
1,741,837
3%
May
2,005,562
64,696
2,050,462
-2%
June
2,116,758
70,559
2,058,790
3%
July
2,202,117
71,036
1,978,721
11%
August
2,068,490
66,725
2,043,450
1%
September
1,936,868
64,562
1,819,106
6%
October
1,920,074
61,938
1,809,145
6%
November
1,790,295
59,677
1,723,132
4%
December
1,847,662
59,602
1,790,483
3%
Purchases
from
Waterloo
160,633
157,983
2%
Total
23,193,330
22,336,466
4%
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports the delivery of core services.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Capital Budget — The recommendation has no impact on the Capital Budget.
Operating Budget — The recommendation has no impact on the Operating Budget.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM — This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of
the council / committee meeting. Water Quality information is posted on the Kitchener
Utilities website.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
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 -2022-039
APPROVED BY: Denise McGoldrick, General Manager, Infrastructure Services
Page 77 of 119
Staff Report
r
NJ :R
Development Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: March 6, 2023
SUBMITTED BY: Garett Stevenson, Interim Director, Planning Division, 519-741-2200
ext. 7070
PREPARED BY: Tim Donegani, Senior Planner, 519-741-2200 ext. 7062
WARD(S) INVOLVED: Wards 3, 9, 10
DATE OF REPORT: February 22, 2023
REPORT NO.: DSD -2023-071
SUBJECT: Inclusionary Zoning for Affordable Housing: Status Update
RECOMMENDATION:
For information.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
• The purpose of this report is to update council on intermunicipal work on inclusionary
zoning, share the results of community engagement, and outline next steps.
• There are no financial implications arising from this report
• Community engagement included in person and digital meetings with potential
occupants of inclusionary zoning units, the for-profit and non-profit housing
development industry, and the community at large. Asynchronous engagement was
undertaken on engageWR
• This report supports A Caring Community.
BACKGROUND:
The City's strategic plan, and Housing for All recognize the importance of using a broad
range of tools to advance critical housing affordability objectives. Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) is
a tool that allows municipalities to require market residential developments to include some
affordable housing units.
IZ works by leveraging increases in value achieved through increased density, development
approvals, investment in the ION light rail transit system and, increasing demand for
centrally located housing to provide affordable housing. In this way IZ programs can be
designed to work without government subsidies. IZ is one tool that can be used along side
investments from all levels of government, non -profits and the private sector to help deliver
new affordable units required to address the city's critical affordable housing needs.
Because IZ results in lower rental or sale price revenue than without an IZ policy, IZ
requirements need to be carefully crafted so as not to stifle market housing development in
Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs).
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
Page 78 of 119
Inclusionary Zoning has been used extensively in the United States and some Canadian
cities. Several other Ontario municipalities are working to advance inclusionary zoning.
Mississauga's IZ regulations came into effect on January 1, 2023. Toronto's implementation
of IZ is awaiting Provincial approval of Protected MTSAs.
In September 2020 staff provided an update to council regarding a financial impact analysis
of IZ through report DSD -20-150. The analysis by N. Barry Lyon Consultants (NBLC) tested
several IZ policy options at MTSAs across the region. Potential IZ polices were developed
using the principles of:
• partnership with the development industry;
• capturing value in new density and directing it toward affordable housing;
• long term policy sustainability without financial subsidies;
• targeting moderately affordable units; and
• minimizing land market disruption.
Key findings of that report were:
• a modest but meaningful number of affordable units can be secured through IZ in the
short term with a possibility for future growth;
• different market characteristics across the MTSAs result in differing abilities to deliver
affordable units;
• incentives could be used to deliver more affordable units than under the base policy;
• IZ policies should be introduced slowly to minimize land market disruption;
• IZ implementation should be aligned with updating planning frameworks in MTSAs;
• regional coordination, frequent monitoring and policy adjustments are recommended.
Work on inclusionary zoning is being undertaken in collaboration with the cities of
Cambridge and Waterloo, and the Region of Waterloo (the partners). Consulting services
have been cost shared though a joint services agreement.
In December 2022, through its consideration of report DSD -2022-501 regarding Bill 23,
council expressed an interest in accelerating work on inclusionary zoning and asked staff to
report back in Q1 2023. The purpose of this report is to explain work to date, provide
community engagement highlights and outline next steps.
REPORT:
Regulatory Framework and Bill 23
IZ can only apply to multi -residential developments with 10 or more units within Major Transit
Station Areas. Prior to approving an inclusionary zoning by-law, municipalities must:
Requirement
Status
Prepare a housing assessment report to understand local
Complete
demographics and housing supply and demand
Obtain an independent review of the impacts of IZ on the housing
Complete.
market and the viability of development; and
Updates
underway
Establish Official Plan policies and zoning for Protected Major Transit
In progress
Station Areas that include, boundaries, density targets measured in
persons and jobs per hectare, permitted uses, and minimum site -level
density permissions
Page 79 of 119
On November 28, 2022, Bill 23 received royal assent. Bill 23, and related regulations, among
other things, propose changes to inclusionary zoning requirements which are not yet in
effect. A summary of the changes and the City's response are included in report DSD -2022-
501. Specifically, the proposed regulatory changes for inclusionary zoning would:
set an upper limit of 5% of the total proportion of units/floor area in a development
that can be required to be affordable;
set a maximum affordability period of 25 years, and;
prescribe the lowest price/rent that can be required for inclusionary zoning units at
80% of the average market rent for rental units and 80% of average resale price for
ownership units.
What we've done
1. 2020 HOUSING ASSESSMENT - Council received a Housing Needs Assessment as
background to Kitchener's Housing for All strategy (DSD -20-006).
2. 2020 FINANCIAL MODEL - NBLC tested various policy parameters that affect both
achievement of affordable housing objectives, and development feasibility
including:
• "set aside" rate (proportion of units or floor area in a building required to be
affordable);
• duration of affordability (how long affordability must be maintained);
• depth of affordability (the discount in price or rent as compared to the market);
• the tenure of affordable units (rental vs. ownership).
The implications on land market dynamics and financial viability were explored considering
prototypical developments in MTSAs in all three cities. Details are included as appendices
B and E to report DSD -20-150.
3. 2022 FINANCIAL MODEL UPDATE - NBLC updated the model to reflect significant
changes to the housing market since 2020 and to enable further updates to reflect
contemporary market conditions and test other policy options. This work will be
shared with council in late Q2 2023.
These three pieces of work together satisfy the assessment report and financial impact
assessment prerequisites for IZ outlined in the Planning Act.
4. POLICY AND PROGRAM RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Over the past few years the partners have been researching best practices, meeting with
key stakeholders and analysing policy and program options. This work has informed the
following initial draft policy directions that were presented as part of community engagement.
The draft policy directions were presented for discussion purposes and to obtain thoughts
from stakeholders and the community. Input obtained will be used to inform recommended
policy directions anticipated to be tabled for further discussion with the community and
Council in late Q2 2023.
Page 80 of 119
Policy
Set aside rate — what
percentage share of units or
floor area in a building
should be secured as
affordable housing?
Depth of affordability -
how much lower the rents or
prices are than the market?
Duration of affordability -
how long affordability is
secured for?
Tenure of affordable units
- are the affordable units
rented or owned?
Unit type/mix/design —
should there be unit type,
size or design requirements
set on affordable units?
Offsite units - should the
policy allow affordable units
to be located in another
building nearby?
Incentives — should the city
provide financial or non-
financial incentives for the
development of IZ units)?
Administration — who,
owns and operates units,
and who monitors and
ensures ongoing
affordability?
Initial Direction
• Start low, transition slowly to higher rate that is
supported by the market conditions
• Appropriate set aside in each MTSA determined by
the financial model
• A maximum set aside 5% is proposed to be mandated
by the province
• Set aside to increase with building height/density
• Exempt smaller buildings to encourage missing
middle and midrise built forms (e.g., exempt < 50-60
units)
• Moderate affordability 80%-100% of Average Market
Rent
• In 2022 Average Market Rent was $1,454/month for
a two bedroom
• A maximum 25 -year term is proposed to be mandated
by the province
• Rental a priority in both condominium and purpose-
built rental projects
• Encourage range of unit size/types/designs
comparable to market units
• Require functional equivalency of market and IZ units
• Enable developers to use flexible approaches to meet
affordability and financial feasibility objectives subject
to strong guarantees
• Provide the mandatory exemptions from
Development Charges, Community Benefits Charges
and Parkland dedication
• No additional financial incentives
• No parking required for IZ units
• Exploring opportunities to shift ongoing IZ
administration away from condominium developers
and boards
• Regional or not-for-profit implementation
5. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
In 2022 the partners retained LURA Consulting to facilitate community engagement on
inclusionary zoning as described in the Community Engagement section of this report and
in Attachment A.
Next steps
Page 81 of 119
The partners are continuing to work together to develop a consistent policy framework
across the three cities. Each City expects to implement IZ requirements through adoption
of official plan policies and zoning regulations in coordination with updated MTSA panning
in their respective jurisdiction. The following is anticipated timing of next steps for Kitchener's
IZ process:
Q1 -Q2 2023 Additional policy analysis and key stakeholder meetings
Q2 2023 Discussion paper, recommended policy directions and draft
implementation guidelines considered by council
Q4 2023 Official Plan and zoning by-law amendment considered for approval
alongside updated planning framework for all MTSAs except for Block
Line, Fairway and Sportsworld
Early 2024 New development applications to which IZ policy applies must include
affordable units
2024+ IZ requirements for Block Line, Fairway and Sportsworld to be
considered together with updated MTSA planning frameworks
The timing of the steps outlined above is contingent on a decision by the Province on the IZ
regulation tabled in October 2022. At this time, it is unknown when IZ regulation revisions
will be in effect.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports A Caring Community.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Capital Budget — The IZ work is anticipated to be completed with existing resources and
approved budgets. Consultant costs were cost shared among the partners as a Joint
Services Initiative, and were supported by provincial Streamline Development Approvals
Funding.
Operating Budget — The recommendation has no impact on the Operating Budget.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM — This report along with project materials have been posted to the City's website
with the agenda in advance of the committee meeting and on engageWR .
CONSULT — The partners have engaged with stakeholders and the community at large both
online and in person since 2020. In 2022, the partners retained LURA Consulting to assist
with developing plain language communication and videos to explain the inclusionary zoning
concept. LURA also helped plan, deliver, and facilitate digital and in-person community
engagement. Details on engagement and what was heard are included in Attachment A.
Since 2020, the Inclusionary Zoning engageWR project page was visited 3,300 times with
over 1,000 engaged visitors. Four synchronous engagements, both online and in person,
were attended by over 100 people.
Page 82 of 119
It is recognized that community engagement to date does not reflect the full depth of diversity
and the demographics of Waterloo Region. Households earning less than $60,000 per year,
people younger than 30, and those without post -secondary qualifications were
underrepresented in meeting attendance and through the engageWR platform. Renters and
moderate -income households, both groups expected to benefit from IZ, were well
represented. Some engagement tactics targeted key stakeholders such as industry and
housing providers and as such were not expected to be reflective of the Region's
demographics. Furthermore, the consultations were technical in nature, and policy options
fall within tight regulatory bounds. Staff identified the likelihood of retraumatizing people with
lived experience of homelessness or poverty, as well as reputational and trust risks of
engaging intensely with these populations in such technical work, and so did not proactively
or intensely engage with them. A concerted and generally successful effort was made to
engage with moderate income people who are anticipated to benefit directly from
inclusionary zoning. Nevertheless, there is significant room for improvement in pursuit of
equity in community engagement through future affordable housing work. The community
engagement results should be interpreted with this in mind.
In general, we heard broad support for an inclusionary zoning policy. Support was expressed
for flexibility within the policy without `watering down' the delivery of affordability objectives
or unit quality. There was no consensus on how to manage the trade-offs between set-aside
rate, depth of affordability and duration of affordability. A general preference for the provision
of two bedroom or larger units was identified.
While no consensus emerged on the appropriate price or rents for affordable units,
participants expressed a desire to see an IZ program that delivers moderately affordable
units complemented by other policies and programs beyond IZ that target the creation of
many more deeply affordable units.
Participants encouraged the partners to consider additional zoning measures such as
eliminating parking minimums and allowing more low and mid -rise development within
residential neighbourhoods to help increase housing supply more broadly through variety of
built forms.
Participants expressed the desire for continued advocacy to the Province for the expansion
of where inclusionary zoning can be used, and continued municipal discretion on maximum
set aside rates and duration of affordability.
The development community indicated the need for all of society to work to provide more
affordable housing units. Many support the development industry playing a part in the
creation of affordable housing in the Region. They emphasized the need to maintain project
viability and not putting undue price pressure on market rate units. Most condominium
developers' business model does not align with administering units in the long term;
partnerships are needed to fill this gap.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
• DSD -20-006 Affordable Housing Strategy Phase 2: Housing Needs Assessment
• DSD -20-150 Inclusionary Zoning for Affordable Housing: Background and Fiscal
Impact Analysis
• DSD -2022-501 Bill 23 More Homes Built Faster Act — Kitchener Comments
Page 83 of 119
• Planning Act
REVIEWED BY: Natalie Goss, Manager, Policy Planning and Research
Michelle Lee, Senior Policy Planner, City of Waterloo
Matthew Blevins, Senior Planner - Reurbanization, City of Cambridge
Judy Maan Miedema, Principal Planner, Region of Waterloo
APPROVED BY: Justin Readman, General Manager of Development Services
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A — Region of Waterloo and Tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Study: Engagement
Report
Page 84 of 119
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Table of Contents
Project Background
3
Engagement Summary
4
Engagement Methods and Participation
5
Engagement and Reach
6
Who Participated
7
What We Heard
10
Engage Digital Consultation Summary 11
Inclusionary Zoning Beneficiaries Workshop Summary 13
Online Survey Summary 16
Development Industry Meeting Summary 21
Public Meeting Summary 26
Conclusion and Next Steps 35
Page 86 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 2
Project Background
In 2019 the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge and the Region of Waterloo started to
investigate the development of an inclusionary zoning policy in each of the tri -cities within the
framework of the Official Plan for Waterloo Region.
Inclusionary zoning allows cities to require private developers to include a certain percentage of
affordable units within new, multi -unit housing developments of ten units or more. The tool can be
applied to areas around ION stations - called Protected Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs.)
Figure One: Map of ION route where intensification is planned.
In partnership, the tri -cities and the Region contracted N. Barry Lyon Consultants Ltd. (NBLC), a land
economics firm, to carry out an assessment of the economic feasibility and financial impact of a potential
inclusionary zoning framework for selected MTSAs throughout the region. The results of the NBLC
financial impact assessment, a peer review of the NBLC report, and a summary of stakeholder feedback
was then presented to respective city councils between Fall 2020 -Spring 2021.
In Fall 2022 the project shifted to begin consideration of Official Plan and Zoning by-law
amendments to implement inclusionary zoning. The tri -cities retained LURA Consulting to develop
and implement a public engagement strategy. The goal of the engagement was to seek specific
feedback on policy direction questions from a variety of perspectives. Participants included those
who could potentially benefit from an inclusionary housing policy, not-for-profit and for-profit
housing providers, and the community at large. This report presents a brief overview of earlier
engagement activities and a detailed review and synthesis of the feedback gathered since Fall
2022.
Page 87 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 3
Engagement Summary
The engagement process identified a general, broad level of support for further developing and
implementing an Inclusionary Zoning Policy. It identified a strong desire to create a flexible policy to
achieve the goal of providing more affordable units as soon as possible. Engagement participants
suggested limits to the height and density trade-offs that might be allowed to secure affordable units
through the tool, while at the same time indicating a willingness to be flexible in support of the goal
of new affordable homes.
Early Awareness and Beneficiary Preferences
One engagement challenge was to ensure that participants understood that the level of affordability
offered by an IZ program without additional incentives was not the deep level of affordability required
for those receiving social assistance. This challenge was met by providing additional context,
guidance and explanation in on-line postings as well as at in-person meetings.
Builder Comments
The development community was concerned about the effect of the policy regulations on the
financial impact to future projects. In particular, impacts on project viability, impacts on the price of
market rate units, financing horizons, aligning with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
(CMHC)'s Rental Construction Finance Initiative, and CMHC average market rent definitions were
highlighted as areas to review. The development community indicated a strong preference for
flexibility to deliver requirements off-site and encouraged the tri -cities to have a unified approach to
the policy for the administration of IZ units.
Priorities and Flexibility
Through the on-line survey and the in-person feedback, some policy preferences were clear with
more nuance and lukewarm support in other policy areas.
The following priorities were clearly indicated in engagement with the general public:
• A general preference that the policy focus on the provision of two bedroom or larger
units
• Support for IZ units to be incorporated into the new buildings along the corridor
• A high degree of support for financial incentives to off -set development costs where
the incentives helped meet the goals of additional affordable units or increased
duration and affordability of the units
• Support for targeting rental units within the policy
Participants were not united in their support for additional height and density allowances.
Some identified little concern for allowing additional heights to meet the end goal of additional
affordable units, while others were more hesitant to make too many trade-offs in built form. As
well, no clear consensus emerged with regards to recommendations on the appropriate
price/rental point for the IZ units.
A slight preference for prioritizing the greatest level of affordability in new units was identified
over duration of affordability and set aside rates.
Feedback from all sources outlined concerns about the limitations of Inclusionary Zoning as a
policy to address affordability. This new policy tool was identified as a further option alongside
more established tools and supports such as social housing. An additional common thread was
the idea that partnerships and flexibility are needed to ensure a successful program.
Developers, affordable housing providers, regulators and the community at large will need to
seek out new partnership opportunities in order to meet the goal of providing additional
affordable housing in the region.
Page 88 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 4
LURA
Engagement Methods and Participation
In order to reach a broad spectrum of the public in Waterloo Region, a variety of methods were used
throughout the project lifecycle. The use of multiple engagement tactics lowers barriers to
participation and recognizes different preferences and opportunities for citizen engagement. The
following are the methods of engaged used during the project. Engagement -specific summaries can
be found in subsequent sections.
Digital Engagement: EngageWR (https://www.engagewr.ca/inclusionary-zoning). The project page
was housed within the Engage Kitchener Hub on the regional EngageWR site, but was also available
directly through a link on each of the area municipalities' Engage hubs.
Interest Group Sessions: The project team held listening -based facilitated meetings, both -in person
and virtual, focused on generating dialogue from not-for-profit housing providers, the development
industry community and future beneficiaries of an IZ policy.
Online Survey: An online survey was posted on the Engage project page.
Public Meeting: A broad community meeting was hosted at a location accessible to residents from
any of the three municipalities.
Email/Phone: Contact information for the project team was posted on the Inclusionary Zoning
Engage page. Names and photos of project team members were included.
Jan. 23 public meeting on inclusionary zoning
Ob Jan 2023
91 W ® u
Rgm The Waterloo Region partners want
your input on an inclusionary zoning policy. Learn more, ask
• questions and shape the recommended policy.
Day: January 23, 2023
J`
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
!! New Location!! :101 Father David Bauer Drive, Waterloo.
Rooms 200 and 201
Please register at: Eventbrite
The Cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge and the Region of Waterloo are exploring a new tool to increase
the supply of affordable housing. Inclusionary zoning would allow the Cities to require private developers to
include a certain percentage of affordable units within new, multi -unit housing developments along the ION
transit corridor.
The Waterloo Region partners are hosting an engagement and feedback meeting for members of the community
who have an interest in this housing affordability tool. The tri -cities are seeking input on an inclusionary zoning
policy that could successfully secure new affordable housing while meeting other growth and density goals.
The meeting will offer an opportunity to learn about how inclusionary zoning works, ask questions of municipal
staff, and shape the recommended policy.
Figure Two: Screen shot from Eventbrite Public Notice
Educational Videos
Given the complexity of the subject matter and technical language involved in the work, the tri -cities
also commissioned the development of two educational videos for posting online. The theme of the
first video was affordable housing and it included an introduction to Inclusionary Zoning as a tool
within the spectrum of policies to create affordable housing.
Page 89 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 5
The second video focused on the specific meaning and facets of the Inclusionary Zoning policy is
forthcoming.
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Figure Three: Still from Video #1
Engagement and Reach
The following tables summarize the reach, or participation rates, of the various methods of
engagement used.
EngageWR Inclusionary Zoning Page
The EngageWR portal served as an active driver of participation in the project with over 3,300 visits
to the site. In addition to serving as a source of information about the project, the site generated
active engagement from over two hundred participants who left comments or filled out a survey on
the site as of January 31, 2023.
EngageWR IZ Project Pages March 24,2020 -January 31, 2023
Website visitors who viewed at least one page
3,330
Ideas Page Visits
267
Ideas Page Commenters
109
Online Survey Page Visits
175
Online Survey Responses
89
Guest Book Page Visits
341
Guest Book Commenters
22
Document Downloads from the site
924
Page 90 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 6
The primary sources of traffic to the EngageWR page are indicated below. Search engine
inquiries and links to the page generated through the EngageWR electronic newsletter drove most
traffic to the site. Social media also generated considerable traffic to the site with a lower number
of traffic coming from the municipal web page and traditional news media website.
Inclusionary Zoning Engage Page: Top Sources of Traffic
Downloads
Google
972
Engage Newsletter
579
Twitter
187
Facebook
148
Kitchener Citynews.ca
69
Kitchener. ca/MyKitchener. ca
49
Members of the public demonstrated confidence in the capacity of the EngageWR page to serve as
a source of official documents and a repository of project information. Over 900 documents were
downloaded from the site as outlined in the table below.
Document Name
Downloads
Kitchener staff report to council -September
2020
303
Inclusionary Zoning stakeholder engagement
session presentation -March 2020
226
Evaluation of potential impacts of an
affordable housing inclusionary zoning policy
203
Frequently asked questions
105
Waterloo staff report to council Dec 7, 2020
103
Total
940
Who Participated
As outlined in the Engagement Methods and Participation section above, the tri -cities Inclusionary
Zoning engagement strategy used several techniques to reach different audiences. To lower
barriers to participation- such as time constraint challenges, or the need to secure childminding- both
digital and in-person engagement were part of the program. Other intentional actions taken to seek
out and encourage feedback from different audiences included:
Specific meetings with interest groups, including individuals with moderate incomes who might
benefit from an inclusionary zoning program
Invitations worded to provide context for the outreach and with an invitation to ask questions about
the event from the organizers
• Direct invitations to participate to agencies and associations serving:
• Students
• Participants with accessibility needs
• Age friendly city proponents
• Indigenous community members
• Newcomers and refugees
• Multicultural groups
• Renters
The project team also made sure to host meetings within an MTSA to reduce reliance on car travel
and reduce the need to have home access to the internet.
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Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 7
These efforts were made to support the goals of broad awareness and participation from a
population reflective of the residents of the tri -cities. They were also taken out of an awareness that
in general, organized civic associations and participants in public meetings tend to over -represent
citizens with higher levels of education, more leisure time, higher incomes and with better access to
technology. Participation is always voluntary and, as reflected in the gap between the number of
respondents who indicated that they would participate (took actions to register or RSVP) and the
lower number of attendees, municipal engagements compete for attention with the other activities,
obligations and realities of citizen participation. Intentional outreach and deliberate care can yield
benefits over the longer term as a message from the municipalities that all are welcome and different
points of view are wanted.
The Inclusionary Zoning team also collected demographic information from respondents to the
online survey as well as attendees at the December 2022 and January 2023 Meetings. Completion
was not a requirement of participation. However, it did provide some data to measure against the
goal of an inclusive engagement process. The collection of demographic information supports the
goal of identifying which individuals and groups were represented through the engagement process
thereby allowing an evaluation of methods and lessons learned for future engagement efforts by
the municipalities in Waterloo Region. The charts below indicate self -declared responses from three
data sets: participants at the public meetings in December 2022 and January, 2023, online survey
respondents and 2021 Canada census data for the Region of Waterloo. Unfortunately, not all
variables in the City of Kitchener's standard demographic questionnaire used for this project are
comparable to variables used in the census. Additional information collected in the participant
surveys included: language, race/ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation and disability but
are not reported here.
The age of participants in the engagement process indicates a lower participation rate in the online
survey for people in the lowest age category and 40-49 year old category. An overrepresentation of
responses from participants over aged 60 is indicated. Age distribution for the public meeting was
underrepresented for 30-39 year olds and 60-64 year olds. As a whole, there was a general
distribution of ages in participants.
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
What is your age?
18-29 years old 30-39 years old 40-49 years old 50-59 years old 60-64 years old 65 years and
above
■ In person meetings ■ Online survey ■ Region of Waterloo (2021 Census)
Prefer not to
answer
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Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 8
Despite deliberate efforts to facilitate participation from a reflection of the population of the tri -cities
area, there was an over representation of residents with higher levels of education. Further attempts
to rectify this could include a campaign to promote the videos to ensure broad awareness and help
underrepresented communities better understand the relevance of IZ to their issues and concerns.
What is the highest level of education you have completed?
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10% .
0%
Apprenticeship or High Sch000l Diploma College Certificate or University University Post -
other Trades or equivalent Diploma Undergraduate Graduate Degree
Qualification Certificate, Diploma or (Masters or PhD)
Degree
■ In person meetings ■ Online survey ■ Region of Waterloo (2021 Census)
The feedback indicates an underrepresentation in online participation from those with household
incomes of $60-$89,000. However, this cohort was well -represented at the public meetings. Specific
effort was made during the outreach period ahead of the in-person events to identify interested civic
groups who serve potential future beneficiaries of the IZ policy and encourage them to promote
participation. In general, the income distribution of participants indicates fair participation in different
categories. Moderate income households, who are likely beneficiaries of IZ, were well represented.
This is a positive finding for the engagement. Incomes under $60,000 were underrepresented across
online and in person engagement.
25%
20%
oN
What was your total family income before taxes last year?
$0 to $29,000 $30,000 to $60,000 to $90,000 to $120,000 to $150,000 to $200,000 or Prefer not to
$59,000 $89,000 $119,000 $149,000 $199,000 more answer
■ In person meetings ■ Online survey ■ Region of Waterloo (2021 Census)
Page 93 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 9
As outlined above, an effort was made to create awareness of the policy and program development
in newcomer communities in the region; despite these efforts, participation in both the online survey
and the in-person meeting indicates low participation among first generation immigrants. Additional
connections with agencies serving newcomer communities can be pursued to address this gap as
the process moves forward, building on the outreach done during the engagement phase.
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Yes
Were you born in Canada?
NMI
Prefer not to answer No
N In person meetings ■ Online survey 119 Region of Waterloo (2021 Census)
Affordable housing is needed in both ownership and rental tenures; however, renters were slightly
under -represented in the engagement. Additional efforts to increase awareness for renters should
continue to be made. The previously identified public advertising could be part of this effort.
Is your current home rented or owned?
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0% _
Owned Rented Other
■ In person meetings ■ Online survey ■ Region of Waterloo (2021 Census)
What We Heard
The following section provides detailed summaries of the feedback received during each phase of
engagement for the project. Feedback is summarized based on themes pulled from responses. The
summaries are not intended as verbatim accounts but rather a synopsis of the major takeaways from
the engagements.
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EngageWR Digital Consultation Summary
Summary:
The project team collected public feedback through a virtual engagement platform. The platform was
hosted through the Kitchener Engage website and linked from the engage pages of the other
municipal partners. It collected feedback around the question, "What do you think about Inclusionary
Zoning?"
The platform collected public feedback from March 24, 2020 to January 31, 2023 with the highest
traffic to the site occurring in September 2020, coinciding with the Kitchener staff report to Council.
Objectives:
• Introduce the Inclusionary Zoning project and policy concepts
• Invite members of the public to connect with project team members
• Encourage participants to share their ideas around the development of the policy
and comment on the ideas and comments of others
Participants:
Between March 2020 -January 2023 period, 608 visitors reviewed the "Ideas" and "Guest Book"
pages of the site. Here, a total of 131 contributors left comments, responses and guest book
entries.
Key Themes:
The following is a summary of the main themes that emerged through an analysis of the ideas,
comments and guest book entries received through the virtual engagement platform. The majority
of ideas and responses received (over 90%) date from the early part of the project in 2020 and 2021.
The comments reflect a reaction to the initiation of the project and a desire to understand the
specifics of the project better.
1. The development community has a role in affordable housing.
Many commenters expressed their desire to have more strict requirements for developers (such as
increasing the percentage of units that must be affordable and a call for those units to remain
affordable permanently.)
An opinion was conveyed that the public paid for the development of the ION through taxes, and
developers who benefit from the increased land value should be obligated to provide a public good.
Some participants expressed that putting excess pressure on developers regarding affordable
housing could lead to development companies not investing in the region and cautioned not to lose
sight of the goal to create the greatest number of units possible.
2. Taking steps to drive down cost pressures by encouraging development
Participants indicated that parking minimum requirements were a financial burden for developers
and supported their elimination in order to support opportunities to build affordable housing.
Some participants expressed support for the concept that increasing the permitted density of
developments can be a tool to accommodate more affordable units.
A number of commenters wished to refocus the conversation toward other planning priorities. Many
noted the elimination of Exclusionary Zoning as a goal; these commenters called for the removal of
single residential zoning and outlined that such a policy would positively impact regional housing
supply and affordability.
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So me'pariici'parifs commented that development in the region is booming, and intensification efforts
within existing residential neighbourhoods should be prioritized, rather than a focus on units in higher
built forms along the ION route.
3. IZ should advance city -building goals beyond affordability
Many participants expressed that an Inclusionary Zoning policy should include regulations around the
size of affordable units. Affordable family sized units or units for individuals sharing larger units would
provide opportunities for rent sharing making further affordability more likely.
Several participants called for new developments to be mixed-use to support walkability in the
community. Non-profit agency tenancies, grocery stores and other community needs as well as
ground floor retail were identified as preferences.
Some concern was expressed by participants about the focus of Inclusionary Zoning on providing
housing affordability for moderate income households rather than low-income households with deep
affordability needs.
Concern was expressed by some participants about whether the potential number of units that could
be delivered by the program would be too small to have a meaningful impact on the shortage of
affordable units.
4. Clarifying the meaning and intention of Inclusionary Zoning
Likely owing to the majority of the comments and feedback received through the virtual engagement
platform being received during an early stage of the engagement, several participants expressed
confusion about the level of affordability that could be offered through an Inclusionary Zoning
program and the type of housing it offered within the wider affordable housing spectrum.
Many comments indicated an assumption that the affordable housing units provided through IZ would
be deeply affordable subsidized housing units. Continued explanation of the concept in plain
language as a tool for the provision of moderate level affordability is encouraged.
The video resources developed as part of the engagement can be used to further support clarification
and education in this regard.
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nclusionary Zoning Beneficiary Group Workshop Engagement Summary
December 13, 2022
6:30-8:00 p.m. City of Kitchener Downtown Community Centre, 35B Weber St W
Summary:
Members of the project team hosted an in-person focus -group style discussion with individuals
associated with groups that could benefit from an IZ policy. The session was held at a centrally
located venue in Downtown Kitchener. Fifty-one invitations were issued by email on December 2,
2022 with 27 RSVPs received through a designated EventBrite page issued to invitees. Invitations
were issued to a list of groups drawn from the Affordable Housing master contact list with a focus on
groups whose clients/users could ultimately benefit from the policy. Care was taken to draw
awareness to groups serving middle-income clients since any IZ program is anticipated to be of
direct benefit to moderate income households. Groups who received the invitation were encouraged
to share the invitation with their networks.
The meeting began with a presentation by Tim Donegani, Senior Planner- City of Kitchener who
introduced the project and gave an overview of the Inclusionary Zoning project process to date. A
video was shown that explained how housing has become less affordable in recent years and how
IZ is one option to increase the amount of affordable housing. Following this, LURA facilitated two
break-out group discussions with participants and members of the tri -cities project team that invited
meeting participants to provide feedback and ask questions.
Project Team:
Tim Donegani
Senior Planner- City of Kitchener
J. Matthew Blevins
Senior Planner Reurbanization-City of Cambridge
Judy Maan Miedema
Principal Planner -Region of Waterloo
Michelle Lee
Senior Policy Planner -City of Waterloo
LURA
Liz McHardy, Partner
Franca Di Giovanni, Senior Engagement Specialist
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LIST=N-UNrFESTANp RELATEADVANCE
Objectives:
The objectives of the meeting were to:
• Introduce the Inclusionary Zoning policy concept
• Reach community members through the process who will benefit from such a policy but who
may not have awareness of efforts and dialogues established to date
• Promote awareness of the concept and the potential it has to provide new options for
creating affordable housing for residents with moderate incomes
• Identify next steps
Participants:
There were 13 participants in the focus group style session.
Questions:
The discussion focused around thoroughly explaining the concept of inclusionary zoning and getting
feedback on the specific themes and questions noted below.
• Seeking Affordable Housing: How many units, for how long and for what cost of housing?
• Affordable rental or affordable ownership: Should the cities target securing affordable rental
units or ownership units or a mix?
• Ensuring a viable program: What are the trade-offs, such as heights and densities that are
needed to encourage a viable program? Should the cities use financial and/or non- financial
incentives to further advance affordability objectives?
• Location trade-offs discussion: Should developers be permitted to provide the affordable
units in other buildings within the area?
Key Themes:
The main themes that emerged from discussions with stakeholders at the session included:
A preference for larger units (2 or more bedrooms)
Participants expressed a wide variety of opinions around the need for or uses of three-bedroom units.
It was acknowledged that the cost of larger units in new multi -unit buildings is high, both for the
builders, renters and buyers, compared to one- bedroom units. However, newcomers and post-
secondary students with families coming to the tri -cities to study or work were cited as needing larger
homes and therefore benefiting from larger affordable units.
Other participants from the real estate and supportive housing fields identified inconsistencies in the
desirability of three-bedroom units citing that they are either highly coveted or languish on the market.
The concept of three-bedroom units as shared space for a larger number of people, but not
necessarily from one family or household, was discussed. The question of whether offering larger unit
sizes through the program could support the greatest number of people was posed.
In general participants agreed that while it was difficult to identify the ideal unit size for the program,
more than one bedroom was the preferred unit size.
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LISIEN �NnERSTAND RELATE ADVANCE
2. Ownership or rental
There was a general consensus on the need to prioritize rental units as the form of tenure supplied
through an Inclusionary Zoning program.
3. Incentives and trade-offs
Participants in this group did not express a great amount of concern for the financial impact of IZ
requirements on new developments. A general feeling that sufficient profit margins could still be
attained was expressed.
There was no specific consensus reached on the trade-offs to be provided. Participants expressed
a variety of opinions around the concept of forgiving development charges. Flexibility around
development charges was supported if the charges stood in the way of getting something built. Some
support for eliminating parking minimums and being more flexible in terms of height was expressed,
citing the example that "a 24 storey building versus the 27 storey building doesn't make a difference."
One participant expressed a strong desire not to waive the fees for inclusionary zoning and instead
supported redirecting fees toward other housing programs. Another cited empty units in downtown
Kitchener as evidence that "it's not true that every one bedroom unit is needed". While another
conveyed that "being flexible might dilute what we get". Although the intention was to seek feedback
on what cost of housing should be targeted through the policy, no strong discussion and no clear
preference was articulated in this regard.
Questions of Clarification
Question: Do we have good numbers on how many units are actually required at each price
point?
Answer: Many low and moderate income households are experiencing housing affordability issues. The
need is greatest at the lowest incomes. The information we do have is provided in the Housing Data
and Needs assessments completed or being completed by each area municipality.
Question: How long will it take to get IZ in place?
Answer: The policy is expected to be in place by 2023 with implementation in 2024.
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Inclusionary Zoning Consultation Online Survey Summary
Summary:
An online survey was added to the IZ Engage page on December 19, 2022. The survey remained
online from December 19, 2022 -January 31, 2023.
Objective:
The survey focused on collecting feedback about preferences in response to questions about:
• Overall support for an IZ policy
• Preferences for on-site requirements versus flexibility for off-site units
• Opinions about the trade-offs around financial incentives
• Feedback on additional flexibility in height and density allowances
• Priorities in terms of depth of affordability, length of affordability and number of units
created
Participants:
Over the timeline previously indicated, the survey had 175 visitors to the page with 89 contributors
completing the survey.
Survey Questions and Responses:
1. Do you think the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge should require
private developers to include some affordable housing within new, multi -unit housing
developments near ION stops?
Survey respondents indicated a high level of support for the development and implementation of the
policy.
Yes
No
Require Affordable Units?
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
21
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LIS7EN NDE AND ATE
2. How important is it that affordable housing units are located only within a mixed
income building rather than in a building that contains all affordable units?
Survey respondents expressed a strong preference for the affordable housing units delivered through
the program to be located within the new mixed income building(s.)
Located within new mixed -income buildings
Extremely important
Somewhat important
Neither important nor unimportant
Somewhat unimportant
Extremely unimportant
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
M.
12
11
22
3. Under what circumstances should financial incentives (such as waiving fees or
charges) be considered as a way to support an inclusionary zoning program?
Survey respondents indicated a high degree of support for the allowance of financial it
off -set development costs where affordable units were being provided above and beyc
would be required in base inclusionary zoning requirements.
Financial Incentives
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
No circumstances warrant municipal financial 3
incentives
Incentives should be considered if they can help 26
ensure the delivery of affordable units within...
Incentives should be considered if they are used
to increase the number of required affordable...
Incentives should be considered if they are used
to help make affordable units more deeply...
Incentives should be considered if they are used
to help increase the duration that affordable...
Other (please explain)
31
3
centives to
nd what
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4. Recognizing that enabling developers to build more units on the same site could help
them offset the reduced revenue they receive for the affordable units- do you think the cities
should allow more height and density if it means more affordable units can be provided?
Despite indicating a strong desire for flexibility regarding financial off -sets to support an IZ program,
survey respondents were not united in stating their support for additional height and density
allowances.
Yes
No
Not sure
Height and Density
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
54
5. What is the most important to you when considering the various policy
requirements and tradeoffs? Rank the following from most important to least important.
(Where 1 is most important, 3 is least important)
Survey results indicated a slight preference for providing the greatest level of affordability in new
units. However, the margin between depth of affordability, length of affordability and number of
affordable units was less than half a percent. Respondents are seeking a balanced approach to
these three policy objectives.
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Requirements and Trade-offs
Greatest number of units that are affordable (i.e.,
higher percentage of affordable units is required)
Longer time frame that units remain affordable before
being released to market rate
Greatest level of affordability (providing the most
affordable level of housing)
Affordability Stories:
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
1.
1.98
2.2
The survey also included an open text component for participants to write four or five sentences
outlining their current experience, or that of someone close to them, affected by housing
affordability in Waterloo Region.
The following is a summary of the key themes emerging from the open text section as well as some
direct quotes.
1. High proportion of income being spent on rent
Contributors noted the challenges faced by their family members, and reflected on what their own
circumstances would be if faced with current housing costs.
Some expressed concern for what the near future would bring should there be a change in
circumstances:
I work a full time job and two part time jobs ... my mother shares our rental to help offset high
prices ... we can still barely afford the rent we pay
My partner and I recently moved to Kitchener and were unable to find appropriate housing within
our financial means without relying on help from our families. Because we don't drive, it was vital
for us to live near an ION station and within walking distance of our daily necessities (grocery,
pharmacy, etc). Fortunately, we were able to find a place near downtown that met our needs, but
the majority of our combined income is going to housing costs now.
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Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 19
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LI STEN' UNDERSTAND -RELATE ADV&NCL
2. High levels of regional demand
A few contributors self -identified as employers or landowners and highlighted the demand for
housing and the lack of affordable supply.
I am a landlord and even with recent turnovers in my units (wherein the rent was increased) I was
overwhelmed with demand. I feel for the many who are seeking affordable housing.
I'm struggling to hire professional employees because they can't afford to move to the region.
3. Housing costs limiting mobility
Several contributors outlined that, despite a desire for new housing, they felt stuck due to the fear
of losing an existing affordable arrangement.
For some this meant the prolonged presence of adult children at home or the need to share
housing with multiple generations of the family.
Our 3 generation family is underhoused in a reasonably priced 2 bedroom ... to move ... will not be
possible for us.
My daughter is a university graduate with a full time job, unable to afford moving out on her own.
My daughter is currently living in off campus housing that was opened up for rent when COVID shut
down the Universities. She continues to lease (one room with bathroom) but is not a student.
Additional Comments for the Project Team
Respondents were also given the opportunity to leave text comments for the project team. Below is
a short summary of the main themes of comments.
Inclusionary Zoning is part of the solution, but other programs are also needed
Several participants noted support for the policy but expressed concern about the number of units
that could be delivered through the program. Participants offered their support for other affordable
housing solutions in addition to IZ. A general sentiment was expressed that delivering the maximum
number of units was the goal.
Inclusionary zoning is a very much imperfect solution to this problem... However, it is the best tool
we have at the moment within the framework provided by the province, and should be used.
2. IZ holds strong possibilities for partnership opportunities
One respondent expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to develop new partnerships with not -for -
profits to deliver the maximum number of units.
If two projects like this pooled their off-site resources and provided them to a non-profit, the $5 million
in revenue could also be leveraged with funds from CMHC and/or the Region, and could reasonably
be expected to bring 40 to 50 new units.
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Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 20
Development Industry Meeting Summary
Thursday January 19, 2023 10-11:30 Via Zoom
Summary:
Members of the project team hosted a virtual meeting with individuals in the development industry.
The virtual focus group session was held using the Zoom meeting platform and forty-seven
invitations were issued by email Friday January 6, 2023. The list was drawn from the tri -cities
Affordable Housing Interested Parties Master List that included all known development industry
stakeholders operating within the tri -city area.
The meeting began with a presentation by Michelle Lee, Senior Policy Planner -City of Waterloo. It
consisted of an overview of the Inclusionary Zoning work carried out by the cities to date, including
some detail from the NBLC study of 2020 and an acknowledgement that this work is being updated.
Following this, LURA facilitated a group discussion that invited meeting participants to provide
feedback and ask questions. The presentation was circulated to participants after the meeting.
Project Team:
Tim Donegani
Senior Planner- City of Kitchener
J. Matthew Blevins
Senior Planner Reurbanization-City of Cambridge
Judy Maan Miedema
Principal Planner -Region of Waterloo
Michelle Lee
Senior Policy Planner -City of Waterloo
Franca Di Giovanni, Senior Engagement Specialist
Sesvin Josarosa, Community Engagement Specialist
Objectives:
The objectives of the session were to:
Re -introduce the Inclusionary Zoning project to the development community
Identify the current direction of policy guidelines
Solicit feedback from the development community around the following questions:
• What is an appropriate initial set aside rate for strong markets? (between 1 and 5%)
• What would be an appropriate unit number/building size to exempt from IZ (with a view to
removing disincentives for missing middle)?
• Do you have any preferences for a mandatory vs voluntary vs hybrid program?
• Do you want to share any thoughts on the possibility of offsite units?
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Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 21
Participa
Participants
There were 33 participants in attendance, representing approximately 25 development firms.
Key Themes:
The discussions with stakeholders identified concerns about impacts on project feasibility as well
as impacts on the price of market rate units. These concerns were captured under the following
themes.
1. Importance of the average market rent definition
Several participants remarked on the discrepancy between the average market rent figures seen by
looking at rental listings in the tri -cities and the CMHC definition of average market rent for the area.
The fact that the CMHC Average market rent definition was so much lower was cited as a significant
discrepancy leading to a much too low definition of affordable from a developer point of view.
The project team identified its use of the CMHC-posted average market rent as required by the
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, noting that these numbers take into consideration the
global supply. This averaging results in a number that looks lower than typical rents for new rental
units.
Several participants offered suggestions for how to address the gap or shortfall between these figures.
Suggestions included capital investments and funding from senior levels of government, and tax
levies specifically geared toward Affordable Housing.
Several participants noted a shared responsibility between developers, municipalities, and
taxpayers.
The project team cited that the 2020 NBLC study used a model of residual land value and also
outlined that the Region has invested a significant amount of tax dollars into developing the LRT.
This in turn has had the effect of pushing up land values. The idea of the IZ policy is to capture some
of that increased land value and redirect it toward affordable units. Local, regional, provincial and
federal governments investing capital for affordable housing will be part of the solution but the
development industry and existing landowners will also need to be part of the solution.
The project team acknowledged that if there is too much burden on developers, the viability of
certain projects will be at risk. That is why the tri -cities have done the updated financial impact
analysis. Parkland dedication at the municipal level and Development Charge exemptions at the
municipal and regional levels are now mandatory. Reductions in parking requirements were
identified as a helpful incentive for affordable units and could also be considered a form of subsidy.
In response to suggestions that the cost of affordable housing should be borne by the whole of society
through a tax levy, it was noted that the Region of Waterloo currently has a 1.4% tax levy specifically
earmarked for Affordable Housing. One participant noted that the question of a portable market
rent definition is critical because banks are not going to support financing for projects without
CMHC involvement.
2. Limitations of IZ as a policy to address affordability
Concern was expressed about meeting the targets for affordable housing development within
Waterloo Region during a period of uncertainty and high costs for the development industry. With
immigration and local population
Page 106 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 22
increases expected, a participant issued a caution to not lean too heavily on Inclusionary Zoning for
the delivery of affordable units.
The project team indicated an awareness that if market economics don't support new builds the
delivery of both market and affordable units will certainly be affected. The team acknowledged that it
might be necessary at times to adjust the parameters to reflect evolving market conditions and move
between different policy tools.
3. Rent to Own and fractional ownership programs
A few participants wondered where rent -to -own or other programs that fall in between rental and
ownership fit into the equation. It was expressed that CMHC is actively encouraging rent -to -own;
however, Inclusionary Zoning appears to recognize only rental tenancies or ownership and nothing
in between. Other ownership models such as fractional ownership should be considered.
The project team expressed a position that this is something that warrants further conversation in
order to better understand how such programs could fit into the IZ policy.
4. Purpose-built rental
One purpose-built rental developer expressed a general opposition to Inclusionary Zoning as a
concept to address affordability because it increases rents and prices of market units. It was cited
that CMHC financing with a 10 year horizon as opposed to the 25 year affordability horizon for IZ
units leads to an inconsistency between financing and the horizon of the IZ financial model.
Differences in the quality of finishes as well as maintenance and restoration costs for the units were
cited as additional financial concerns.
Tri -city project staff stated that the financial modeling that had been carried out did identify that
purpose-built rental is financially more challenging to achieve than condo development. I n
recognition of the different site economics, IZ policy in Toronto has identified different rules for
purpose-built rentals and condos. The possibility of lower Inclusionary Zoning requirements for
purpose-built rentals is being considered. The alignment with CMHC financing was identified as a
situation that would have to be considered.
5. Challenges around the administration of affordable housing units
Several participants discussed administration of the units. Citing the usual process of closing a
condominium development company down at the close of the build -out, participants identified
challenges related to any continued responsibility of condominium developers to monitor, administer,
and maintain affordable units within the buildings.
It was suggested that the administration and oversight of the affordable units should be the purview
of the Region and its not-for-profit partners.
Tri -city project staff expressed the importance of working out administration details early on in the IZ
policy development process.
With regards to providing units off site, developers expressed that while on the one hand integration
of affordable units through the community is beneficial, from a practical point of view it would be
easier to create specific buildings where the units could be centrally administered.
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Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 23
One participant suggested that in developments that happen over a longer period of time,
consideration could be given to phasing. At a certain point a critical mass would develop and a
purpose-built "missing middle" sized affordable housing building could fulfill the IZ requirement.
A preference for flexibility in the policy to allow off-site provision of units was a common theme.
Participants saw value in encouraging the Provincial government to allow IZ in areas other than
MTSAs.
6. The need for effective and innovative partnerships
One nonprofit developer participant expressed an openness to new opportunities for partnership with
the for-profit development community in order to meet IZ requirements. Developers expressed the
desire for flexibility around the development of affordable units outside of the MTSAs and flexible
partnerships to maximize affordable housing .
Partnering between different developers in a specific area was also cited as an easier way to
administer and build the units. If a purpose-built affordable rental building was constructed in
partnership with a not-for-profit provider, the affordability factor could be retained forever.
Questions of Clarification
The following are questions of clarification that the project partners provided responses to during the
meeting.
Q1: Will the Inclusionary Zoning policy be implemented at the regional or municipal level?
A: Inclusionary Zoning will be a municipal by-law.
Q2: According to Bill 23, the Regional Official Plan has to get downloaded to the various
municipalities- including the defined MTSA areas. Wouldn't that happen first before this
process would be implemented?
A: Yes, we are planning any inclusionary zoning policy framework at the same time as updates to
various Official Plans that incorporate the new MTSA requirements.
Q3: What is the proposed parking ratio for the units?
A: Staff are contemplating a variety of options to offset the impact of inclusionary zoning, and one of
these options could be a reduced parking ratio or the elimination of a parking requirement for IZ
units. Our hope is to bring forward a parking ratio of 0 although that must be vetted and approved
through the various municipalities. This recognizes the high cost of creating parking structures.
Q4: Can we get a copy of the NBLC modeling and the presentation from today?
A: The presentation from today will be shared. The updated NBLC model will be shared once it has
been completed.
Q5: Everyone is waiting for the specific regulations on Affordable Housing within the new Bill
23 which will have an impact on this program. Can the cities arrange an updated meeting of
this sort when all of the regulations have been identified?
A: Further points of contact can be arranged.
Q6: With regards to landholdings held by the municipality and the region, will they be
rezoning their own land for the purpose of inclusionary zoning?
A: The Region has an existing program for using Regionally -owned lands for affordable housing.
The City of Waterloo has done some initial work looking at its land holdings to meet various
Page 108 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 24
community objectives including how best to use surplus lands for affordable housing. The Region
and the tri -cities are likely to want to maximize their land offerings for more deeply affordable units.
Surplus public lands that are redeveloped will need to meet certain requirements.
Policy Questions
A question was also posed by the facilitator and project team within the chat box of the meeting and
elaborated on by the senior planner from the City of Waterloo. One participant provided a specific
response.
Q: Do you have any preferences for a mandatory/voluntary/hybrid program?
Voluntary means if you are asking for additional height and density, IZ requirements would set in.
The hybrid approach would be a sliding scale, the higher the height and density, the higher the set
aside rate.
A: There is an understanding that there is a gap between what zoning currently allows and what the
industry thinks should be allowed in terms of density. The request for increased density is practically
a given on any site that will be redeveloped. Figuring out these numbers is likely to be complicated.
Other than increased expenses, the development industry does not like uncertainty and calculating
the requirements is likely to be very difficult. A mandatory system could be preferred to voluntary or
sliding scale type of approach from a complexity and certainty perspective.
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Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 25
ALU R A115T11LA1E-A➢YANC[
Inclusionary Zoning Public Meeting Engagement Summary
Monday January 23, 6:30-8pm
Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex, 101 Father David Bauer Drive
Summary:
Members of the project team hosted an in-person public meeting at a community centre in Waterloo,
accessible to residents from the region and in a different municipality than the December, 2022
meeting in Kitchener. Invitations were issued by email to both subscribers of the Inclusionary Zoning
Engage page, and a contact list assembled over time by the project team. The event was promoted
on the Engage project page and also listed as a public event on EventBrite.
The meeting began with a presentation by Michelle Lee, Senior Policy Planner -City of Waterloo who
gave an overview of Inclusionary Zoning and the work done by the project team to date. A short
question and answer session with attendees was arranged followed by small group question answer
sessions directly with project team members. Participants could also leave comments and feedback
on posterboards affixed to the walls. Stickie dots and notes were distributed.
The presentation from the meeting was subsequently posted on the Engage page.
Project Team:
Tim Donegani
Senior Planner- City of Kitchener
J. Matthew Blevins
Senior Planner Reurbanization-City of Cambridge
Judy Maan Miedema
Principal Planner -Region of Waterloo
Michelle Lee
Senior Policy Planner -City of Waterloo
LURA
Franca Di Giovanni, Senior Engagement Specialist
Sayan Sivanesan, Community Engagement Specialist
Page 110 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 26
tk
LISTEN UNDERSTAND RELATE ADVANCE
Objectives:
The objectives of the Public Meeting were to:
• Share the latest information on the status of the Inclusionary Zoning policy development project
• Present an overview of the benefits of the project
• Create opportunity for reaction and discussion
• Seek feedback on priorities for depth of affordability, duration of affordability and set-aside rates
• Explain the concept of trade-offs in new builds
Participants:
Approximately fifty (50) residents attended the session with forty-two (42) signing in and leaving
demographic information.
Dotmocracy responses
The following is a summary of the responses collected on the posterboards displayed in the two
adjacent rooms. Project team and engagement team members circulated through the rooms to
ensure that participants understood the questions and had the supplies necessary to participate.
1. Do you think the Cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge should require private
developers to include some affordable housing within new, multi -unit housing developments
near ION stations?
Respondents at the public meeting indicated strong support for the policy concept.
Yes No/Unsure
12 1
Do you think the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge should require private developers to include some affordable
housing within new, multi -unit housing developments near ION stops?
Please place a dot in either the "YES" or "NO" box
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Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 27
tk
LISTEN UNDERSTAND RELATE ADVANCE
Notable Comments:
One participant encouraged the definition of major transit station areas to include bus routes.
2. How important is it that affordable housing units are located only within a mixed
income building rather than in a building that contains all affordable units?
In response to this question, the single option with the highest number of responses was the
preference for IZ units to be incorporated into the new build.
Extremely unimportant
2
Unimportant
0
Neither important nor unimportant
5
Somewhat important
2
Extremely important
9
MOW important is it that affordable housing units are located within each building rather than some units being provided it
another building offsite?
Piace a dot in the appropriate section, with 1 being Yeast important and 5 being most fmporrant
3. Do you think the cities should allow more height and density on a site if it means
more affordable units can be provided?
A strong consensus response to this question indicated comfort with flexibility in height and density
allowances in order to increase the number of units provided.
Yes 18
Other 1
No 0
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Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 28
�
I
I
IIII
SII
� • I
5•
�
-- �� 1 -Least Important
II
1l
'I •
3. Do you think the cities should allow more height and density on a site if it means
more affordable units can be provided?
A strong consensus response to this question indicated comfort with flexibility in height and density
allowances in order to increase the number of units provided.
Yes 18
Other 1
No 0
Page 112 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 28
Enabling developers to build more market rate units could help them offset the costs of providing affordable units.
)o you think the cities should allow more height and density on a site if it means more affordable units can be provided?
Please pVace a dot in either the "YES' or "NO" box and use a sticky note if you wish to explain
YES
40 4040
Notable Comments:
4040 4040
• •
NO
Two respondents identified that the elimination of parking requirements would support cost off- sets.
One respondent identified limited support for off-site flexibility, depending on the off-site location.
4. Under what circumstances should financial incentives (such as forgiveness of
development charges) be considered as a way to support an Inclusionary Zoning program?
A slight preference from respondents supported the prioritization of incentives to support units with
deeper levels of affordability (compared to market rent). Support for incentives to increase the
duration of affordability ranked second and some support for incentives to support a higher number
of affordable units was also indicated.
If they are used to help make
9+3 that are shared with duration of
affordable units more deeply
affordability
affordable
If they are used to help increase the
6+3 that are shared with affordability
duration that affordable units remain
level
affordable
If they are used to increase the
7
number of affordable units
No circumstances
2
If they can help ensure the delivery
0
of units in weak markets
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Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 29
In I
Under what circumstances should financial incentives (such as waiving fees or charges for new developments) be
considered as a way to support an inclusionary zoning program.?
Place dots in the spaces you agree with
rcumstances
Notable Comments:
If they can help ensure If they are used to
the delivery affordable ncrease the number
units in weak markets of affordable units
•
i
•
If they are used to
If they are used to
help make affordable help increase the
units more deeply duration that
affordable uni
affordable
remain affordabl
i • ii•i•
•
One respondent expressed that new provincial regulations provide enough financial incentives
through waived fees and that additional incentives are not required.
One participant identified parkland fees as requiring safeguarding against incentive trade-offs.
5. Which typical two bedroom rents should the program target for affordable units?
A lower number of respondents supplied a response to this question, with a mild preference for
supporting units in the $1001-$1200/month rental range and incomes in the $44-$48,000 range. The
lower number of responses indicates a lack of consensus on an appropriate rent rate at which to focus
the program.
$90041000 2
$100141200 4
$1201-$1400 1
$2000-$2100 1
Page 114 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 30
LURA
LISTENUNDERSTAND':.
Notable Comments:
A participant identified that the rents and incomes indicated on the chart did not appear to match up
to existing market and income ranges.
6. When considering the balance needed to ensure the project remains viable for the
builder, which consideration is most important to you?
The vast majority of responses to this question fell on the side of the pyramid listing delivery of the
greatest number of units and the longest period of affordability as the most important considerations.
The single most important consideration was the number of affordable units.
Greatest number of units that are
7
What typical two bedroom rents should the program target for affordable units?
OSP
Full time
2021 median Community
2021 median
Units remain affordable for longest
shelter
minimum
renter HH housing max
Il HHS
0
allowance wage
'income income
w.
32,000 36,000 40,000 4 000 48,000 52,Q0 56,000 60,00 64,000 68,000 72,000 76,000 80,000 84,000 88, 0
Combination number -depth
Annuallncome($)t
affordability
Equal Importance
1
2021 CKW
"
braft 2021 PPS 2021 Vacant
2021 CKW
median rent
,.,
Provincial l2 Affordahle unit asking
Reni
8 0
i
900 1,000 1,100 1,2 0 1,
00 1,400 1,500
1,600 1,700 1,800 1,900 2,000 2,100 2,200
Notable Comments:
A participant identified that the rents and incomes indicated on the chart did not appear to match up
to existing market and income ranges.
6. When considering the balance needed to ensure the project remains viable for the
builder, which consideration is most important to you?
The vast majority of responses to this question fell on the side of the pyramid listing delivery of the
greatest number of units and the longest period of affordability as the most important considerations.
The single most important consideration was the number of affordable units.
Greatest number of units that are
7
- Gi€cvs
Combination number -period
11
affordable
Units remain affordable for longest
3
period possible
Combination period affordable-
0
depth affordable
Most affordable versus market rent
32,000 36,000 40,000 4 000 48,000 52,Q0 56,000 60,00 64,000 68,000 72,000 76,000 80,000 84,000 88, 0
Combination number -depth
Annuallncome($)t
affordability
Equal Importance
1
2021 CKW
"
braft 2021 PPS 2021 Vacant
2021 CKW
median rent
,.,
Provincial l2 Affordahle unit asking
average candy
(zumpercom)
,.
minimum (CMHC AMR) rent (CMHC)
rent(CMHC)
if households are to CMHC Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
AMR: average market rent acro -ss all
curren[ry
tAnnual income required
spend 30% of their income on housing Cambridge-Kitchcner-waterloo
occupied units
II: In, sianery zoning
JZ
HH: household
Notable Comments:
A participant identified that the rents and incomes indicated on the chart did not appear to match up
to existing market and income ranges.
6. When considering the balance needed to ensure the project remains viable for the
builder, which consideration is most important to you?
The vast majority of responses to this question fell on the side of the pyramid listing delivery of the
greatest number of units and the longest period of affordability as the most important considerations.
The single most important consideration was the number of affordable units.
Greatest number of units that are
7
affordable
Combination number -period
11
affordable
Units remain affordable for longest
3
period possible
Combination period affordable-
0
depth affordable
Most affordable versus market rent
0
Combination number -depth
2
affordability
Equal Importance
1
Page 115 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 31
41)ADVANCLISTEN UNDERSIAND-RELAT_jEww", -
Inclusionary zoning programs set out a range of
requirements, including: the number of units identified as
affordable, how long units are required to be affordable
and how affordable the units are versus market r
Each requirement has a financial impact on the pr
When considering the balance needed to ensure
project remains viable for the builder, which
consideration is most important to you?
Greatest number
that are affor
(Maximum
Units remain affordable for the
longest period possible
(Maximum 25 years)
e place a dot showing
e you think we should
ce the competing
ties.
Most affordable
versus market rent
(Minimum 80%
market rent)
Inclusionary zoning programs set out a range of
requirements, including: the number of units identified as
affordable, how long units are required to be affordable
and how affordable the units are versus market rent.
Each requirement has a financial impact on the project.
When considering the balance needed to ensure the
Project remains viable for the builder, which
consideration is most important to you?
I'1
Greatest number of uni
that are affordable
(Maximum 5%)
Units remain affordable for the
longest period possible
(Maximum 25 years)
se place a dot showing
re you think we should
ice the competing
Ides.
3
Most affordable
versus market rent
(Minimum 80%
market rent)
Page 116 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 32
a
mrN9oaary roueg pmg—, set out a range of Units remain affordable fat the
remevr,lndodln;. the numherot unitsidentiRed as longest period possible
zduidxhle, howlang units arerequlred to be aflordahI (Mas num 25 years)
and Haul ei.d le the—hare vecsus market rent. IL
m'hen moauetlngNehalance needed to ensure the
malecgemalosviable far the bonder, which
_inemtion'ts-mostimpoctanttopul
Please place a dot showing
-h.-, think we should
the competing
es.
Notable Comments:
Most affordable
versus market rent
!Minimum gp%
market rent)
Multiple respondents encouraged the municipalities to advocate for the 5%+ set-aside rate as a
minimum,
Questions of Clarification
The following is a synopsis of the questions and responses given during the Q and A portion of the
meeting . It is not intended as a verbatim record but to capture the main themes and responses
given.
Q: It's very disappointing that Bill -23 changed the definition for affordability. Would
like to see the region push -back more. Would like to see a duration increase in the future —
start with 25 years for now but increase it in the future. There is still a significant percentage
of people that can't afford 80% of market rate.
A: The tri -cities have individually submitted comments to the Province. We do have the opportunity
to review in 2 years and see if the Province can give greater flexibility to municipalities.
Q: Targeting middle-income earners does not address the needs of low-income
residents. What is being done for those with low-income?
A: Inclusionary Zoning is only one approach of many that the cities have implemented or are
considering with regards to affordable housing. Inclusionary Zoning would help out those with
moderate incomes, which would help free up more deeply affordable units to those who need them —
the goal is to move people up the spectrum.
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Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 33
Ak
Q: How does this program work for rent control?
A: Affordable units would be governed by a legal agreement that will include additional requirements
beyond the Residential Tenancies Act's rent -controls.
Q: What protections are in place to protect affordability for the duration of the tenure
and ensure that units are designed equitably?
A: During the implementation phase the program will develop agreements and parameters for
building design standards.
Q: How does off-site unit provision work — is it possible for all affordable units of a
development to be in one building?
A: An Inclusionary Zoning program would set out rules and conditions for the provision of off-site units.
This means that the program could enable units to be provided within a single building.
Q: How do unhoused people living in encampments fit within the concept of
affordable housing?
A: The Region receives funding from the Federal Government specifically geared towards
addressing the housing needs of the unhoused. Inclusionary Zoning is one tool to provide a level of
affordability and it does not replace the need to also provide deeply affordable housing. We are still
working to address deeply affordable housing needs.
Page 118 of 119
Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 34
41)
Conclusion and Next Steps
The engagement identified overall support from engaged citizens within the municipalities of
Waterloo Region for the implementation of an Inclusionary Zoning Policy. Participants expressed
support for flexibility within the policy as long as the flexibility did not result in a `watering down' of
the standards that would affect the quality of the future affordable homes.
Moving forward, additional educational opportunities should be considered to continue to help
members of the public distinguish between Inclusionary Zoning affordable units operating with no
on-going subsidy, as opposed to social housing programs geared toward lower income earners. The
desire to see the IZ tool complemented by other policies geared toward the creation of many more
deeply affordable units should be kept in mind as the cities continue to advance, or begin to develop,
their Affordable Housing Strategies.
Participants in the engagement also sought reassurance that additional planning by-laws changes,
such as the elimination of parking minimums and continued efforts to implement upzoning, would
continue. Therefore, as IZ is implemented in MTSAs, care should be taken to broadly identify and
engage on other intensification policies and plans. The engagement feedback expressed a position
that affordability concerns in Waterloo Region were best addressed by maximizing the use of all
tools available for supporting the supply of additional housing stock in a variety of built forms. A
base of support for growth in the Waterloo Region is evident.
A summary of engagement participation indicates that the efforts made during the engagement
phase to seek out participation and input from the newcomer community, renters, diverse
perspectives and a spectrum of ages should continue. Additional feedback from these segments of
the population can provide additional insight that could benefit the end users of the policy.
The development community indicated support for playing a part in the creation of affordable housing
in the Region while emphasizing the primacy of partnerships. Concern was expressed about being
able to deliver the units without adversely affecting typical project viability with resulting reduction in
new supply. A preference for allowance of off-site purpose-built residences was expressed by this
group. Joint advocacy with the province to expand the allowable areas for Inclusionary Zoning can
be considered. Future developer focused meetings should be convened when specific details
emerging from Bill 23 are available and when the specifics of the IZ policy are determined.
Following this phase of the project, the tri -cities intend to draft a Discussion Paper for their respective
City Councils expected in Spring. Following this, the policy regulations could be developed for
implementation in 2024.
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Region of Waterloo and tri -cities Inclusionary Zoning Engagement Report 35