Stormwater Management Master Plan

Stormwater Management Master Plan

The City of Hamilton has undertaken a city-wide comprehensive stormwater (Quantity/Quality) servicing master plan to develop policies and strategies for its stormwater system for the next 30 years. The study area is generally described as areas serviced by separate storm sewers that include areas south of Mohawk Road, the former Towns of Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough, the former Township of Glanbrook and the former City of Stoney Creek. The Stormwater Master Plan will be used during the City’s Official Plan review and the development charges bylaw review as well as for preparation of the City’s capital works and operating budgets. It will also assist with the operation of the existing stormwater system and allow for optimization of the existing infrastructure, and future improvements and enhancements to the system.
 
The Stormwater Master Plan process was undertaken as part of the City’s long term growth management strategic planning initiative called GRIDS (Growth Related Integrated Development Strategy). The principle objectives of the stormwater master plan are to:

• Study and review existing storm sewer infrastructure and operating strategies to identify system upgrades.
• Establish appropriate stormwater management practices to maintain/ enhance the existing stream system water quality.
• Develop a stormwater quality management program for the City (other than for lower Stoney Creek, which has recently been completed as part of a separate Master Plan).
• Identify system requirements based on preliminary and final GRIDS growth scenarios.
• Identify the preferred alternatives through consultation with potentially affected parties and systematic and comprehensive evaluation of the alternatives in terms of their advantages and disadvantages.
• Develop a recommended implementation program for the preferred alternatives in the master plan.
• Develop a monitoring plan for the recommended program and for the existing system.

This Stormwater Master Plan is being integrated with the Transportation Master Plan and Water and Wastewater Master Plan, all of which will be the supporting documentation to the City’s new Official Plan.

The new Stormwater Master Plan was completed in three (3) stages, as illustrated.

Stage 1 Baseline Study / Identify Opportunities and Constraints / Optimization Review

• Calibrate the storm sewer model, based on historical data.
• Baseline study of the existing stormwater management system.
• Assess the performance of system to meet existing demands, identify constraints, available capacity and provide recommendations to optimize the existing infrastructure.
• Other baseline work – quality, fisheries, etc.
• Evaluate/ assess the performance of existing stormwater management facilities.
• Evaluate stormwater quality requirements as per legislation, mandates and policies.

Stage 2 Development of Policy

• Development of management strategies.
• Determine strategies for implementing policies.
• Incorporate City’s Storm Drainage Policy, Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan (RAP), VISION 2020, Source Protection Planning, Green Belt Planning and other applicable policies to guide and develop master plan process.

Stage 3 Integrated Master Plan

• Initiate the Class Environmental Assessment process with public consultation for the Stormwater Master plan, being integrated with the Transportation and Water / Wastewater Master Plan and other City initiatives as well as the preparation of a new Official Plan for the City of Hamilton.
• Identify constraints and opportunities on a resources and infrastructure basis and generate alternative servicing solutions that will address a series of integrated objectives and environmental targets.
• Develop a stormwater master plan, to address the servicing needs for future growth based on different alternatives of the GRIDS growth options.
• Develop stormwater servicing options for the growth scenarios identified and presented to the various stakeholders for their inputs
• Identify the preferred scenario through the process of evaluation and elimination and generate preliminary design concepts for the preferred alternatives.
• Provide an implementation plan, capital planning estimates and potential funding mechanisms.

There will be a number of Public Information Centres (PIC) and workshops during the Class Environmental Assessment process to provide the public an opportunity to review the information and provide their comments.

Notices providing the time and location of the PICs will be published in the local newspaper and posted on this web site.

Stormwater Master Plan - Class EA Final Report (City-Wide)

Syeda Basira Banuri, M.Eng
Project Manager
Strategic and Environmental Planning Division
Public Works Department
905-546-2424 ext. 4101
eplanning@hamilton.ca

Dave Maunder, M.Sc., P.Eng. Project Manager
Aquafor Beech Limited
8177 Torbram Road
Brampton, ON L6T 5C5
Tel: 905-790-3885 ext 290
maunder.d@aquaforbeech.com