Outfall Pipe Assembly and Installation

August 12, 2026 - Transition to barge dredging underway

The Town's contractor has reached the stage of the dredging where they have begun to transition to excavating from a barge. A temporary in-water berm has been constructed from clear stone to serve as a work platform for the dredging up to this point. This berm has allowed the machinery to stay out of the water while completing the shallow dredging, minimizing contamination from grease and other foreign substances that might be present on the excavator. The contractor is currently completing the work associated with the temporary berm, and it is anticipated that the dredging operation will fully transition to the barge within the next week. 

The clear stone used to construct the berm will be removed following completion of this portion of the work, and the recovered stone will be reused as part of the required pipe bedding. Additional material will be placed on top of the bedding to prevent it from washing up onto the shore. Following installation of the new outfall, the shoreline and work area will be restored in accordance with the project requirements.

August 7, 2026 - Dredging resumes along with stockpiling of clear stone

The Town's contractor has completed installation of the modified turbidity curtain layout, and has resumed dredging operations. They have also begun stockpiling clear stone and are using it to build a temporary in-water berm. The clear stone will be used for bedding and backfilling around the buried section of the new outfall pipe when it's installed. Clear stone deliveries are expected to continue until the beginning of September at both Lora Bay Park and the Grey Street North site. 

The contractor expects to work extended hours from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday with site maintenance being completed at Lora Bay Park, and dredging continuing at the Grey Street North site, pending water and weather conditions.

July 31, 2026 - Limited weekend work plan

In accordance with Council's direction, the Town's contractor will be limiting working hours this weekend to those allowed by the Town's Noise By-law. They plan to work 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, and a full day 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 4. Planned work activities for Saturday include pipe fusing and site maintenance at Lora Bay Park, and turbidity curtain installation off the Grey Street road allowance. In-water dredging is currently expected to resume on Monday, August 4, weather and water conditions permitting.

July 30, 2026 - Water sampling results and pipe sinking in Lora Bay

The Town has received analysis results of water samples taken on Monday, July 20 from two locations at the Grey Street North installation site. The analysis measures total suspended solids which is a standard gauge of turbidity and water quality. Measured quantities were 15 mg/L north of the dredging zone and 35 mg/L south of the dredging zone. The Town is working with an independent Environmental Consultant to provide the review and feedback of the analysis. 

View Results 

At Lora Bay Park, Deepsix has partially filled the staged pipe with water to position it just below the water surface. This is a planned measure designed to reduce the effects of wave action by allowing wave energy to pass over the pipe rather than be resisted by it. Additional visual markers and buoys are being installed to clearly identify the pipe's location for residents and recreational watercraft operating in the area.

July 30, 2026 - Approval of amended construction plan

The amended construction plan formulated by the Town's contractor has been reviewed and approved by the Town’s engineering consultant, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and local Conservation Authorities.

The turbidity curtain will be redeployed in a modified configuration to support completion of the remaining dredging work. The revised configuration will place remaining, usable curtain sections along both sides of the dredging corridor. The offshore end will remain open to reduce pressure from wind and waves, improving the system’s resilience during changing lake conditions. The contractor plans to begin reinstalling the turbidity curtain system and resuming dredging as early as Thursday, July 30, pending suitable weather and water conditions. 

Maintaining environmental and public health remains paramount in the amended plan. Continuous turbidity monitoring will remain in place during dredging. If the monitoring system detects turbidity levels in exceedance of approved thresholds, response actions will be implemented, up to and including temporary suspension of dredging. The Town has also engaged a third-party consultant to complete water quality testing periodically along the shoreline outside the dredging corridor. 

More details can be found in the full media release linked below.

View Media Release

July 24, 2026 - Update on next steps and weekend work plan

Following the weather incident that occurred on the weekend of July 18, the Town continues to work with its contractors and engineering consultant to formulate a plan to resume installation of the new outfall without impacting the overall project deadline. The Town has been in contact with the Ministry of Natural Resources, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Conservation Authorities and other agencies that will need to review and approve the amended plan. Details will be shared once the plan has been finalized and approved at all levels. 

The contractor expects to work extended hours from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday to continue pipe fusing at Lora Bay Park and to perform general maintenance at the Grey Street North site. Water quality testing was completed at the Grey Street North site earlier this week. Results will be shared to the project page when available.

July 17, 2026 - Extended Saturday hours for shoreline dredging

The contractor expects to work extended hours from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday to continue shoreline dredging, weather and water conditions permitting. They currently have approximately 70 metres of the dredging completed. Pipe fusing is also expected to restart at Lora Bay Park next week following delivery of materials.

July 10, 2026 - Turbidity monitoring alert

Earlier today, the Town's contractor was alerted of excess turbidity in the water in the area around the dredging site. They inspected the turbidity curtains and identified a minor failure which was immediately secured. The turbidity curtain installation includes a monitoring system which will continue to alert staff of any future issues.

July 9, 2026 - Extended Saturday hours for shoreline dredging

The contractor expects to work extended hours from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. this weekend to continue shoreline dredging from the Grey Street North road allowance, weather and water conditions permitting. In accordance with Council's direction, no work will be conducted on Sunday.

July 8, 2026 - Shoreline dredging to begin this week

Dredging for the installation of the offshore section of the new outfall pipe at the Grey Street North road allowance is expected to begin on Thursday, July 9. Turbidity curtains have been installed in the Bay to prevent sediment from drifting in the currents once dredging begins. A subcontractor was on site today completing fish rescues from within the curtained area. At Lora Bay Park, pipe fusing activity will temporarily pause as the contractor waits on delivery of additional materials. 

July 2, 2026 - In-water Work Permit window opens and weekend work at Lora Bay Park

The Town's permitted window for in-water work has opened as of July 1, and the marine work contractor has begun placing anchors and equipment in the water off the north end of the Grey Street road allowance. The contractor has also informed the Town that they will be working extended hours from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Lora Bay Park to complete pipe fusing on July 4, July 11 and July 18. No work will be conducted on Sundays over these weekends.

June 1, 2026 - Contractor mobilizing to Lora Bay Park

Clearway Construction has begun mobilizing to Lora Bay Park to start the assembly of the new outfall pipe for the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant. They will be working this week to install security fencing and place equipment.

The Town has scheduled a Community Information Sessions to provide an overview and update on the installation of the new treated eflluent outfall pipe for the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Town’s engineering consultant, Arcadis, will be giving a presentation outlining the outfall installation process and the planned site restoration activities. Time will be held for a Question & Answer Session at the end of the meeting. The meeting will be recorded and posted to the project page for anyone unable to attend in person. If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, but have questions that you would like asked on your behalf during the Q&A, please email them to communications@thebluemountains.ca. 

Date: Friday, August 28, 2026 
Time: 1-2 p.m. 
Location: Town Hall, 32 Mill Street, Thornbury

View Notice

The Town of The Blue Mountains is responding to an incident involving the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant Outfall Project, including a detached section of outfall pipe at the Lora Bay staging area and damage to a turbidity curtain at the offshore construction site near Grey Street North and Bay Street East.

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A Staff Report is scheduled to be presented at a Special Meeting of Council on Wednesday, July 8. Details can be found in the Staff Reports section of this page.

View Staff Reports

The Town has issued the Construction Notices for the assembly and installation of the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant's new treated effluent outfall pipe.

View Assembly Construction Notice (Lora Bay Park)

 View Installation Construction Notice (Grey Street North)

The contractor has provided the Town with an updated schedule. They currently plan to mobilize to Lora Bay Park during the first week of June to begin site preparation. Consistent activity at the Grey Street road allowance in Thornbury is expected to begin in mid June.

A Staff Report is scheduled to be presented to Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, April 28. Details can be found in the Staff Reports section of this page.

View Staff Reports

The Town has awarded the construction contract for the assembly and installation of the offshore portion of the new outfall to Clearway Construction Inc. Unfortunately, the Town faced unexpected delays in the pre-qualification and tendering process. These delays made it impossible to complete the in-water work within the timeframe allotted for 2025 by the Ministry of Natural Resources. The Town plans to proceed with the work in 2026.

The construction tender for the assembly and installation of the new Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant outfall pipe is now open on the Town's Bids and Tenders website. Three contractors were identified through the pre-qualification process, and final bids will be accepted until Thursday, July 3, 2025. Once a contractor is retained, they will provide a more detailed schedule for the work and the Town will send out a construction newsletter. Ongoing updates will be posted to the project web page as information becomes available.

Staff Report OPS.26.041 was presented at a Special Meeting of Council on Wednesday, July 8. The report is an update to a previous request of Council to grant relief from the Town's Noise By-law to complete work on the assembly and installation of the new treated effluent outfall pipe for the Thornbury Wastewater Treatment Plant. 

Council previously approved relief from the By-Law for a total of three weekends, excluding long weekends, during the summer construction period. Since that approval, the contractor has requested that the Town reconsider the relief granted. The Contractor has advised that they would prefer to have the flexibility to work full days on Saturdays as needed, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This would improve construction efficiency and help maintain the project schedule. While the Noise By-Law currently permits construction only until 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays, this report seeks Council's approval to extend the permitted construction hours from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays for the duration of the project. In turn, the contractor could avoid work on Sundays for the duration of the project.

Council heard the report and voted in favour of the following motion:

THAT Council receive Staff Report OPS.26.041, entitled “Outfall Noise By-Law Relief”; 

AND THAT Council grant relief from Noise By-Law 2002-09 from July 11, 2026, to September 30th, 2026, for Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding long weekends, for work related to the construction of the Effluent Outfall; 

AND THAT Council direct Staff to continue to communicate real time updates with Residents on the work being completed; 

AND THAT approval of this request be subject to construction works not occurring on Sundays.

Presentation of the report begins at the 12:40 mark of the meeting recording.

View Meeting Recording

Staff Report OPS.26.024 was presented to Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, April 28. The report provides an update on the status of the Outfall Assembly and Installation project, and requests that Council grant relief from the Town's Noise By-law to allow for work to be completed on weekends as required to remain within the in-water construction window allowed by the MNRF. Committee heard the report and passed a motion that will allow for work to be completed on a maximum of three weekends over the exemption period between May 15 and September 31. The Town will be utilizing the project email lists for this page and the Bay Street East Reconstruction project to notify the public of the specific weekends when additional work will be occurring. 

Presentation of the report begins at the 1:42:40 mark of the meeting recording. The Committee motions were adopted by Council at their meeting on Monday, May 11.

View Meeting Recording

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. 

View Meeting Recording

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.

View Staff Report

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 1 and September 30. The shoreline has a restricted activity window for the protection of spawning fish. Pre-construction preparation will be conducted before July 1 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.