Brockton Water & Wastewater System

operational

Opportunity The Municipality of Brockton includes the former Township of Brant, Township of Greenock and Town of Walkerton. In May 2000 the water supply in Walkerton was contaminated with E. coli, killing seven people and causing more than 2,000 to become sick.  The Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA)—a Government of Ontario agency— took over operations of the water and wastewater system from the former Walkertown Power and Utilities Corporation. In anticipation of the contract with OCWA ending in mid-June 2006, and without sufficient internal resources to operate the system itself, the Municipality decided to issue an RFP for a private partner to manage the water supply. The project was an early public-private partnership, structured using the Maintain-Operate model. Innovations The Services Agreement transfers the risk for compliance responsibilities, emergency response, asset management and performance to the private sector. Following the contract expiration in 2011, the Municipality of Brockton and Veolia Water Canada entered into a five year Services Agreement which the municipality may choose to extend for an additional five years. Results Three water treatment plants serve 2,000 customers and one wastewater plant serves 5,000. The community complies with the Safe Drinking Water Act regulations, which dictates constant testing of the town’s drinking water at the source as well as in the distribution system. Veolia engages in additional testing above and beyond provincial regulations. Brockton continues to maintain ownership of all land, buildings and permanent equipment associated with the water and wastewater system. The wastewater system accepts waste from other communities to increase digester gas production and generate an onsite fuel source to reduce reliance on natural gas.

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