Effective management of municipal water and wastewater services requires planning for the future. A common primary consideration is, how will projected growth affect water and wastewater infrastructure requirements? In some communities, growth is steady and Master Planning is largely about preparing a strategy to maintain existing levels of service. In other areas, growth may be aggressive for a variety of reasons ranging from economic development and job creation, to significant residential development interest.
A Water and Wastewater Master Plan (WWWMP) will investigate the water supply, distribution and storage requirements as well as the wastewater collection and treatment requirements for a specified planning period, providing a long-term vision for municipal servicing needs. BMROSS can provide services required for all elements of the Master Planning process. Specific activities will vary based on municipal needs, and have included:
- Establishing reserve capacities for water treatment and storage, and wastewater treatment.
- Determining the potential scale of development related to servicing, based on various sources of growth forecasts.
- Developing water distribution and wastewater collection models, which continue to be valuable beyond the conclusion of the Master Plan.
- Establishing projected infrastructure upgrade or expansion requirements, including probable costs and identifying triggers to initiate construction of works.
- Mapping and database creation and management for use in ongoing Asset Management Planning.
- Completing detailed infrastructure review to assist with specific Asset Management Plan elements.
- Consultation with government agencies and public during the Master Plan process.
- Where appropriate, integrate the Master Plan study process with the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment planning process.
BMROSS has worked with municipalities to establish their first WWWMP, and to assist with updating existing WWWMPs.