Crews have begun berm and steel sheet work to protect the Greenway Wastewater Treatment Plant from flooding in London, Ontario.
It is one of two flood protection and climate change mitigation projects set for the new year as London officials invest some $50 million to protect the Greenway plant and the Adelaide Wastewater Treatment Plant — two of the five local wastewater plants.
At the Greenway plant, many essential components are located within the floodplain, according to municipal officials, who are concerned about equipment damage from rising water levels in the Thames River as well as the environmental impacts associated with the bypass of untreated or partially treated wastewater for several days after intense rainfall.
An effluent pumping station is also set to be added to the Greenway facility to allow discharge even during a flood.
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“The current elevation of the outlet pipe conveying treated effluent from the WWTP is located significantly below the elevation of the regulatory storm flood level,” states a 2022 flood protection report by Matrix Solutions Inc.
The typical flood depth at the Greenway plant is 0.5 m.
Similar plans for berms and a pumping station are set for the city’s Adelaide facility, which is within the regulatory floodplain of the nearby Thames River.
A flood barrier was constructed at the city’s Vauxhall Wastewater Treatment Plant several years ago.
In April 2019, London declared a climate emergency to deepen its commitment to protecting its economy, ecosystems, and communities from climate change through adaptation and mitigation initiatives.
London secured federal funding through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund for the WWTP flood protection upgrades.
