Questions and Answers - Waterloo Row Water Treatment Plant

Proposed Water Treatment Plant Designed To Fit Into Neighbourhood May 3, 2007

 Questions and Answers

  

Q. - Is the new plant's design going to fit into the neighbourhood?

 A. - It's a very impressive design that reflects the historical and architectural character of the neighbourhood. Emphasis has been placed on designing the building with consideration for the mass, scale and character of the surrounding structures. Street set backs, height of eave lines and roof slopes respect adjacent residences while the choice of brick and arrangement of masonry detailing is in keeping with the institutional character of the area, and, in particular, the nearby UNB campus.

 

Q. - What will the building look like?

 A. - The brick design is appropriate from a historical as well as architectural perspective. It is quite similar to our existing Water Treatment Plant at the west end of St. Anne's Point Drive and compatible with the historic brick buildings of the UNB Campus which overlook the proposed site to the south as well as the more recent apartment buildings on Forest Hill Road to the east.

 

Q. - What about landscaping?

 A. - Daniel K. Glenn Ltd., a Fredericton company that specializes in landscape architecture and park planning, has proposed a landscape concept utilizing various planting schemes which consider the more formal residential character of Waterloo Row as well as the informal and naturalistic view of the university hill area. All the plants in the proposed landscape scheme are hardy and relatively low maintenance and were chosen to provide a four-season display to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic while showcasing the new water treatment building.

 

Q. - Why is a new water treatment plant required?

 A. The overall objective is to ensure a safe, good quality water supply for Fredericton now and in the future.  There are three basic reasons why Fredericton requires more water:

  ·        Increased capacity:  We are presently short of reserve capacity for emergencies and high demand periods.  New plant and wells will provide extra capacity for future growth and economic development;

 ·        Redundancy:  New plant and wells will provide redundancy in mechanical equipment to allow for proper maintenance of equipment and ensure reliability of supply, and the wells will provide alternate supplies in the event of a groundwater contamination issue;

 ·        Sustainability:  New plant and wells will allow a more reasonable removal of water at the existing Wilmot Park Wellfield, improving water quality and reducing long-term damage to wells and aquifer caused by present high withdrawal rates. 

 

Q.        What factors went in to selecting a site for the Water Treatment Plant?

 A. - Many factors were considered, including:

 ·          Availability of a large enough parcel of land

·          Proximity to water distribution trunks

·          Proximity to future potential well sites

                       

Q. Why was 300 Waterloo Row chosen? 

 A. The property is large enough, vacant, and available.

 ·        It is between the supply (the new wells that have been developed in the Queens Square area) and the large distribution mains (located in the Morrell Park);

 

·        It is beside City-owned property, such that the consolidated lot is large enough for our purposes, including setbacks, building, and room for truck movements.

 

·        It is on a major arterial, just off a major collector, allowing the truck deliveries to be done with minimal neighbourhood impact.

 

·        It will allow for a quality building and grounds in which  the citizens of Fredericton, can take pride. 

 

Q.  Were sites other than 300 Waterloo Row considered?

A.  Yes.  Many other sites were evaluated.

 ·        A site at the end of Churchill Row was considered but was ultimately found to be too small and too constrained.

·        Properties along McLeod Avenue were identified by the City's Secondary Plan for other purposes.

·        Other sites were eliminated because of the distance from distribution trunks and for other technical reasons. 

 Q. - How will the new water treatment plant fit into the St. Anne Point Heritage Preservation Area?

 A.  The architect has proposed a design that will be compatible with its neighbours and with the preservation area.  Respected Fredericton authorities on heritage and design are being consulted.  The proposed budget is expected to accommodate the quality of building expected by the community.  The Preservation Review Board will review the project.  It should be noted that the present water treatment plant is in a heritage building, and the Utility does an excellent job of maintaining the building and grounds.

 

Q. - This site was a service station.  Has the site been cleaned up?

 A. The New Brunswick Department of the Environment has issued "closure" of the file, having determined that the site has been cleaned up as required and can be used for this purpose.

 

Q. - What traffic will the water treatment plant generate?

 A. Deliveries by larger trucks are expected to be limited to one per month.   Although tours are provided for educational purposes to science and university students, these are infrequent and small groups.  Other traffic will be limited to the operators who monitor the treatment process.

 

Q. - The area is considered an entryway to both a heritage area and the City's downtown.  What will it look like to visitors?

 A.  Funding is budgeted to professionally design and install landscaping to appropriately accent the building and property.

 

Q.  - Will the new water treatment plant cause noise in the neighbourhood?  What about dust issues during construction?

 A. No noise problems are anticipated.  The building will enclose all parts of the process, as well as the indoor air-handling equipment.   Deliveries will occur only during the normal working day.  Measurements of sound outside the existing Smythe Street water treatment plant were below the background level of the sounds of traffic measured at the proposed site.    There is no significant escape of any dust during the operation or deliveries at the Plant.

 

 Q. - Is the local community at risk because of chemical use in the building?

 A. Both lime and chlorine are added to the water before filtration, as in the Smythe Street water treatment plant.  The lime process is designed to be dust-free.  Chlorine arrives in robust, industry-inspected cylinders that are stored in a monitored environment.  Both the Water Operators and the Fire Department are specially trained to deal with any possible emergency situations, and proper emergency response equipment will be maintained at the new building.  Modern gas chlorination has been safely in use in Fredericton for water treatment since 1950.

 

Q. - Will the property be properly maintained by the Utility?

 A. The Water & Sewer Utility maintains more than 70 properties in the City.  The Wilmot Park wells and the existing Water Treatment Plant are examples of how well the Utility maintain Utility property.

  

Media Contact: John White, Communications, City of Fredericton (506) 460-2227.