Champlain council will decide on solution to River Lane sewage problem

Posted by James Morgan | Aug 28, 2023 | Environment, Local Politics, News, Top Stories | L’Orignal

When Champlain Township Council meets in September, it will decide on a solution for a recurring problem with sewers backing up into basements on River Lane in L’Orignal.

At the August 24 council meeting, François Lafleur of EVB Engineering presented a report explaining the problem, identifying the sources, and offering potential solutions.

Lafleur said River Lane was built in the early 2010’s and sanitary sewer backups have occurred in some, or all of the homes on the street in 2014, 2017, 2019, and in 2023 during periods of high-water volume such as spring thaw or after following severe weather events. The sewage backing up into basements makes it unable for residents to discharge the sewage produced in their own homes for prolonged periods. Backflow prevention devices exist in all of the homes, but the problem occurs anyway.

Lafleur said a previous infiltration and inflow study in 2020 examined the issue of water getting into sewers that should not be there.

“We know we have an infiltration and inflow issue in L’Orignal in the sewer system,” he said.

A 2017 study identified that following a heavy summer rainfall, the flow in the system went from the dry weather average of below three litres per second to 22 litres per second.

Possible sources of the infiltration and inflow into the sewer system are cracked or broken pipes, faulty maintenance holes, illegal roof drain or sump pump connections, tree root intrusion, or cross-connections between sanitary and storm sewers. However, in 2022, while preparing the design of the new sewers currently being installed along King Street in L’Orignal, EVB found no obvious sources of infiltration and inflow except for some activity in sanitary lateral pipes which may have been due to sump pump or gravity drain connections from homes to the system. EVB could not confirm if sump pumps are indeed draining into the system because the firm does not have the authority to enter and inspect private buildings.

Computer modeling done by EVB identified that the flooding is occurring in the River Lane homes when the water level in the pipes exceeds the elevation of the basement floors.

“There’s too much water in the existing L’Orignal system. The system is not keeping up, the water level rises, and then it starts impacting River Lane,” Lafleur said.

He explained how most newer homes, including those on River Lane, have deeper basements than older houses.

“Those basements are probably the lowest ones in town,” he said.

Lafleur also told council that EVB ran a closed-circuit television camera through the sewer pipe on River Lane itself and did not find anything serious inside it beyond it being very dirty.

“There’s nothing suspicious in there,” he said.

The EVB report lists a series of possible solutions the township could choose to solve sewage backup problem on River Lane. One is to disconnect all sump pump and gravity drain connections to the sewer system throughout L’Orignal. A second possible solution is to make repairs to both sanitary and storm sewer maintenance holes and pipes throughout the village. In June 2023, repairs were already made to broken sewer mains at three locations along Front Road and one location on Aime Street in L’Orignal.

A third possible solution is to construct larger sewers and a larger sewage pumping station, and a fourth possible solution is to install sewage pumps in every home on River Lane so the wastewater could be removed even during times of increased flow.

The fifth possible option, which could be implemented quickly, would be to increase the discharge of untreated sewage into the Ottawa River from the L’Orignal wastewater treatment plant during peak times.

“Is this a township issue? Is this a builder issue?” asked Councillor Sarah Bigelow.

Lafleur said he does not think it is fair to put blame for the situation on the developer and builder of the homes.

Councillor Paul Burroughs said Lafleur seemed to be encouraging a solution of having the main overflow pipe reduced in height so it would take all of the sewage or excess that would benefit not only the River Lane residents, but the other users of the system. Lafleur concurred.

“By moving that pipe to a lower elevation, we’re helping protect those basements, essentially,” he said.

“It’s just that the problem has existed quite a few years. We need an answer and get it done now,” Councillor Paul-Emile Duval said.

Lafleur said activities involving the sewer system everywhere else in L’Orignal are impacting River Lane residents.

“It’s always going to be the houses on River Lane flooding first,” he said, adding that he is not aware of other homes in L’Orignal being affected.

Mayor Normand Riopel asked if the rate at which treated sewage is released from the treatment plant could be accelerated.

“That would alleviate the pressure out of those pipes instantly,” he said.

Lafleur suggested modifications should instead be made to the elevation of the pipe to prevent it from backing up and into the homes on River Lane.

Burroughs questioned if it is legal to go into private homes and find out if their sump pumps are illegally connected to sanitary sewer system.

“If someone is illegally connected, we have the authority to disconnect,” responded Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Tessier.

Councillor André Roy asked if anything could be done as a fast, short-term solution.

Tessier said the township would have to demonstrate to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks that a temporary discharge measure was necessary to allow untreated sewage to be discharged.

Council will receive recommendations at its next meeting with a view to choosing a solution to solve the sewage backup problem on River Lane. The next regular council meeting takes place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 28 in the United Counties of Prescott-Russel Council Chamber in L’Orignal.

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