Outfall Pipe Assembly at Lora Bay Park

Staff Report OPS.25.015 was presented to Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, March 18. The report provided an update on the staging site for the construction of the new Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant Outfall pipe. Given multiple factors, staff have identified Lora Bay Park as the location for the assembly of the new outfall, and Council has approved this location. The outfall will be assembled at Lora Bay Park in segments, and then towed across Georgian Bay for installation north of the Grey Street road allowance in Thornbury. The report includes a communications plan, along with a set of Frequently Asked Questions covering how Lora Bay Park was selected and what the impacts to the public will be. Committee voted in favour of the staff recommendations, and this direction was adopted by Council at their meeting on Monday, March 24.

Presentation of the report begins at the 1:24:10 mark of the Committee meeting recording.

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Contractors are expected to be on site at Lora Bay Park on Tuesday, March 18 to begin topographical surveying. This information will be used to assist with the development of a site plan for the future construction work. 

Staff Report CSOPS.22.025 was presented at a Special Committee of the Whole meeting on May 3, 2022. The report provided an update on the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion project, and requested Council approval for an increase to the project budget and for the design of the new outfall line to be awarded to IBI Group. Committee of the Whole voted 4-2 in favour of the recommendations. This was adopted by Council at their meeting on May 24, 2022. 

Committee discussion of the Staff Report begins at the 4:07:00 mark of the meeting recording. 

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On May 3, 2022, Staff Report CSOPS.22.025 was brought to Council identifying that the existing outfall pipe for the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant would not have sufficient capacity to meet the needs of the current plant expansion works. Council approved budget for the engineering of a new outfall pipe which would allow the plant to meet its full capacity.

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The outfall is part of the greater Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion. The expansion is replacing end-of-life equipment and ensuring that the plant is capable of providing reliable service in line with the forecasted growth of the community. 

The current outfall has a maximum diameter of 406mm, which does not meet the capacity requirements for the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant following its expansion. A minimum piping size of 500mm will be required. The new outfall also provides an opportunity to remove the current outfall from the Beaver River, a cold-water fishery, to a more suitable location further offshore, and in deeper water.

No, there will be no permanent installation at Lora Bay Park. The new effluent outfall will extend from the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant north on Grey Street, to the shoreline located on the unopened section of Grey Street, then proceed an additional 1.5 km offshore into Georgian Bay. Lora Bay Park will only be used as a temporary staging site for the construction of the pipe required for the outfall.

Town Staff, along with the Town’s engineering consultant, completed a wide-ranging search of potential waterfront staging sites for construction of the outfall pipe throughout the South Georgian Bay region. This included all Town-owned waterfront land and unopened road allowances.

Potential sites were evaluated based on accessibility, site security, water depth, protection from severe weather, and space for storage, assembly and construction equipment/facilities. Lora Bay Park fulfills all of the needs, while also allowing for costs to be reduced by minimizing the distance to the outfall installation site and not requiring a separate lease for use of the land.

Construction of the outfall will require the full park for material storage, construction equipment, and assembly facilities. Opening a portion of the park to the public during construction would not be possible due to public and worker safety concerns.

Any work in Georgian Bay must be completed between July 15 and September 30. The shoreline has a restricted activity window for the protection of spawning fish. Pre-construction preparation will be conducted before July 15 to ensure that work on the shoreline can be completed on time. Additional work may be conducted upon completion of the outfall for park revitalization. Town staff plan to present a report to Council asking for a noise by-law exemption to allow for construction to take place seven days a week.

Increased noise levels are expected at intermittent times during construction. There will be heavy equipment, vehicles, generators and welding on-site. 

Following the completion of the construction of the outfall, restoration work for the park could potentially include additional amenities, based on Council’s direction. The park will reopen to the public following the completion of all work and restoration to original condition.