2015 ANNUAL REPORT Engineering & Regional Utilities
VIBRANT ECONOMY
COMPLETE COMMUNITY
FISCAL DISCIPLINE
ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT
HUB of the Fraser Valley
ENGINEERING AND REGIONAL UTILITIES Engineering and Regional Utilities is responsible for planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, operating and renewing the engineering infrastructure of the City of Abbotsford.
• Fleet • Municipal Buildings • Geomatics • Soil Removal and Deposit
ENGINEERING • City Sewer • Regional Sewer
EN ERING
WAT E
R
NE GI
As one of the largest departments in the City, the department has over 250 staff that strive to provide excellent customer service in three service areas: engineering, water and sewer services.
• Administration • Drainage • Solid Waste • Transportation • Transit
SEWER • City Water • Regional Water
for: drainage, solid waste, transportation, transit, fleet, roads,
SEWER
WATER
2015 Expenditures*
Annual Operating Budget*
Engineering expenditures account for 30% of the annual city budget.
$49,454,000 fire rescue 9%
other protective services 2%
parks, recreation & culture 18%
transit 6% engineering 8% solid waste 5% storm drainage 1% dyking, drainage & irrigation 2% waterworks 4% sanitary sewer 4%
police 28% planning & development 2%
general government 9%
airport 2% *Note: these are preliminary unaudited financial results.
2015 Annual Report 2015, the Engineering and Regional Utilities Department Ithencontinued to provide excellent customer service and “go extra mile”, when it came to delivering city services on time and on budget. Most noteabley, our water team rose to the challenge of the hottest and driest summer on record and ensured residents had a reliable and safe source of water to their taps, 90,000 m3 per day, during the highest consumption rate since 2009. Our dyking and drainage team also ensured uninterrupted supply of irrigation water in both Matsqui and Sumas Prairies to sustain crops and support agriculture, one of our community’s important economic drivers. The drainage team completed a detailed Fraser River Bank Erosion Study in order to understand the causes of the erosion issues, develop mitigation options, and encourage senior governments to take ownership of the problems. It is an important study to reduce the risk of flooding in Matsqui Prairie and Abbotsford due to a dyke breach, which would significantly impact the vibrant economy in Abbotsford and the region. Our roads team spent 458 hours sanding roads, 120 hours plowing snow and 424 hours on production and application of brine on roadways to ensure the travelling public is safe throughout the winter months. We replaced nearly four kilometers of aging water mains in order to support economic vitality and ensure minimal impacts on our fire fighting capabilities. Our regional sewer team visited 351 businesses in Abbotsford and Mission and conducted Code of Practice inspections to ensure local industry is complying with sewer discharge requirements and materials handling so our sewer system continues to operate efficiently and safely for the environment. The Geomatics team introduced a Webmap upgrade for the entire City that improves access to GIS data and development related information, which has been popular with our external customers.
Building a better
COMMUNITY
one customer at a time! On Sunday we found the leak outside by our water meter and a gentleman came out to the house to see if the leak was on City property or ours. He came out Sunday night at dinner time he was amazing to deal with. He did not rush out right away and gave us a few different suggestions on how to deal with the leak. It was just really nice to be talking to people that were compassionate and truly cared, this level of customer service is hard to find now a days! Fabulous service we got in a very stressful situation on Friday afternoon. We had our sewer backup and although it was dark and too late in the day to safely attend to our problem the gang of cordial professional workers showed up to rectify the blockage on time the next morning. Your waste water manager was very helpful in letting us know what was happening and put us at ease knowing that the problem would soon be fixed. It's lovely to know our tax dollars are spent on such great employees. Thanks. I came home today to a mowed intersection. We certainly appreciate the work that your crews do. I'm sure that sometimes it seems like it goes unnoticed, but we are very thankful for the work that your crew does to make our city a better place.
We created over 1,330 orders and 110 requisitions to support staff in managing our City finances with exceptional care. The City fleet inventory was reduced by 13 vehicles and our fleet insurance achieved higher discounts, for the third year in a row, because of the reduction of accident claims. This is just a small sample of some of our accomplishments over the past year which illustrates the diverse range of services our team provides for the City of Abbotsford. A detailed statistical year in review follows on the next page.
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ENGINEERING AND REGIONAL UTILITIES ADMINISTRATION Staff talked to 5,000 households about water conservation, processed 500 toilet rebates and 200 high-efficiency washing machine rebates.
The Operations Yard processed 7,200 service requests from residents.
Administration provides department support, as well as delivers front line customer service to residents.
DRAINAGE maintenance and repair
by kms
maintenance and repair The Drainage Division collects and conveys storm water runoff from roads, private and other public properties through pipes, ditches and creeks in an environmentally friendly way.
by #
32.6 km dykes
creeks
ditches
401 11,100 storm
detention systems
176 km
457 km
catch basins
98
irrigation control structures & weirs
509 km
gravity mains
15
storm pump stations
20,000 associated structures
They also operate and maintain storm water pump stations, dykes and provide irrigation services to Matsqui and Sumas Prairies.
SOLID WASTE
H
Serviced 26,000 properties with curbside collection of garbage, recycling and compostable waste.
Diverted nearly 70% from garbage to composting and recycling!
Program Highlights The Solid Waste Division is responsible for garbage, compostables and recycling from single family residents and management of waste diversion programs.
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Gladwin Road Net Zero Waste Composting Facility
Abbotsford Mission Recycling Depot
ICI Composting program expansion for food services and processing sectors
2015 Year in Review TRANSPORTATION maintenance and repair
by kms
135 traffic
by #
traffic signs
street lights
gravel roads
mowing routes
9,777 19,000
signals
28 km
1,022 km
bike lanes
sidewalk
paved roads
maintenance and repair
The Transportation Division provides the City with a safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation system for all modes of travel.
90 km
400 km
913 km
47
80
bridges
crosswalks
TRANSIT maintenance and repair
300 bus
by #
2.6 M riders
service hours
FLEET The City’s first electronic vehicle was ordered in
27
bus shelters
63
buses
$3.4 M*
GOAL:
revenue
to have 8% transit use in the City.
v
*Note: these are preliminary unaudited financial results.
2015.
407
The Fleet Division provides, outfits and maintains equipment to all City departments as well as Abbotsford Fire Rescue Services, Abbotsford Police Department and Abbotsford/Mission Water and Sewer Commission.
bus stops
benches
135,000
The Transit Division provides a safe, efficient, public transit system in collaboration with BC Transit.
500
p 102
City
Police
$19 M
f
$3.9 M
47
Fire
$9 M
37
Airport
19
AMRD
$3.5 M $150,000
Fleet staff provide preventative maintenance scheduling, regulated maintenance/repair records and coordinate future equipment and vehicle needs between departments, including right-sizing and greening the organization’s vehicle fleet. 5
ENGINEERING AND REGIONAL UTILITIES PERMITS & INSPECTIONS
101
new files
165
79
‘
active permits
deposit permits
$2.3 M*
The Permits and Inspection Division regulates, monitors and enforces the aggregate removal and soil deposit activities within the City, according to the Soil Bylaw.
33
compliance notifications
revenue from soil fees
165
18
active permits
deposit infractions
*Note: these are preliminary unaudited financial results.
GEOMATICS
Management & Coordination of: 3O,000
GIS parcel records
50,000
property & taxation records
10,000
drawings for City assets
3,000
BC ONE call requests
The Geomatics Division is responsible for all GIS and asset management data, WebMap development, mapping production, and survey and drafting services.
MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS
188 buildings
Protective Municipal Public Services Services Facilities
3
Police Buildings
9
The Municipal Buildings Division is responsible for the operation, maintenance, repair and greening of civic buildings.
Fire Halls
City Hall Works Yard Court House
* $ ANNUAL Operating Cost:
$6,775,400
Recreation Centres TRADEX
by the numbers
5 ice surfaces 2 NHL size, 1 Olympic size, 1 Ice Pond & 1 Curling Rink 7 pools 680,000 gallons of water
Museums
2,934 maintenance work requests
Convention Centre
2,500 preventative maintenance tasks
*Note: these are preliminary unaudited financial results.
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Maintenance & Repair
158,000 kwh reduction in energy for annual savings of $18,600
2015 Year in Review WATER
City Water
$*
ANNUAL
26,000 26,595 service connections
water meters
7,108 valves
Operating Cost:
City infrastructure by the numbers
$4.619 M
issued
4,035 910 fire hydrants km
3,500
leak notices
of water main
23
The Regional Water Division oversees water treatment and supply to Abbotsford and Mission to meet or exceed Canadian Drinking Water Standards.
12
pressure reducing stations
The City Water Division provides water for domestic use and fire protection to the City of Abbotsford.
2
1
soda ash facility
reservoirs
* $ ANNUAL
Regional infrastructure by the numbers
Regional Water reservoirs
10
pump stations
19 wells
1
1
(+ 2 mitigation wells)
Cannell Lake UV system (under construction)
water treatment plant
Operating Cost:
$2.880 M
95 km of
water main
5
bulk water meters
*Note: these are preliminary unaudited financial results.
SEWER
City Sewer
$*
24,242 sewer connections
City infrastructure by the
8,475 561 manholes km
numbers
The City Sewer Division collects and conveys wastewater from Abbotsford homes and businesses and is responsible for operating, maintaining and replacing the infrastructure and pipes to the JAMES treatment plant. The Regional Sewer Division provides secondary wastewater treatment services to the urban areas of Abbotsford, Mission and Sumas, WA to meet and/or exceed the Provincial and Federal regulations.
pipes
ANNUAL Operating Cost:
$2.861 M
33
pump stations
Regional Sewer Regional infrastructure by the
numbers * $ ANNUAL
7mg/L 48,000 m /d Effluent average 3
annual flow
BOD
8Effluent mg/L 5,600 TSS
wet tonnes of biosolids
Operating Cost:
$3.893 M
*Note: these are preliminary unaudited financial results.
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BUILDING A COMPLETE COMMUNITY
The City of Abbotsford is a community of inclusive, safe and green neighbourhoods, connected to convenient and affordable transportation and vibrant commercial centres, built on the foundation of our cultural heritage and natural beauty.
DRAINAGE • Initiation of Willband Creek Integrated Stormwater Management Plan as an important step towards the completion of a City-wide Drainage Master Plan. • Completion of Ash and Woodbine Drainage improvements to improve local flooding issues. • Removal of an old dam at Poignant Creek to meet the Provincial requirements and ensure public safety. • Replacement of an old culvert at Blatchford Way in order to prevent flooding and ensure public safety for the entrance to Fraser Elementary.
TRANSPORTATION • Re-lamped 2,053 street light poles to ensure uninterrupted service. • Inspected and maintained all 135 traffic signals during the annual preventative maintenance program to ensure customer safety. • There were 458 hours spent sanding roads, 120 hours plowing snow and 424 hours on production and application of brine on roadways to ensure public safety throughout the winter months. • Completed 427 kilometers of yellow centerline painting,155 kilometers of white lane line painting and 34 crosswalks to improve driving at night and during inclement weather.
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TRANSPORTATION
GEOMATICS
Operations installed 774 new signs and repaired or maintained 6,525 signs, which includes 539 call outs for vandalism.
Geomatics produced over 250 maps, performed over 200 surveys and created over 100 drawings for construction projects.
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FACTS
CITY WATER
FLEET
Repaired 156 broken or leaking services to prolong the useful life of the existing system, minimize lost water costs, and avoid washouts/flooding.
Purchased alternate fuel/energy vehicles (two propane trucks and one fully electric car) to reduce our carbon footprint by 6,600 kgs of Co2.
CITY SEWER
MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS
• Completed bylaw revision on water and sewer leak adjustments; the bylaw amendments provided fair and equitable utility adjustments to water and sewer customers.
• Replaced Tradex roof (138,000 sq.ft.) to support economic activity for community/trade show events (90% complete).
• Flushed 114 kilometers of sanitary sewer main to ensure the system operates without sewer backups. • Completed 87 sanitary sewer repairs to maintain functionality and prolong the life of the existing piping.
• Operated and maintained 98 (out of 188) buildings to ensure a reliable, clean, safe and comfortable environment for customers who use these facilities. • Installed UV water treatment for MRC pool to reduce energy use and improve water quality in addition to refurbishing the entire pool area for customer enjoyment. • Replaced scoreboard lights and added speed drives on pump motors at MRC to enhance customer experience and save energy. • Installed a new de-humidifier for the ARC Arena to reduce the humidity, provide a high quality ice for customers and protect the facility infrastructure.
REGIONAL SEWER • Completed the 2015 Outfall Monitoring Program to meet the Municipal Wastewater Regulations requirements for protecting the environment and public safety. • Issued 50 (47 in Abbotsford, 3 in Mission) Wastewater Discharge Permits to ensure the products released into the sewer system did not damage the infrastructure or impact the environment. • Completed the Solids Contact Tanks Aeration System Diffusers Replacement to ensure that the JAMES Plant effluent meets regulations. • Completed repair work in Digester #2 to extend the life of this asset in the treatment process. • Remediation of the Outfall Vent Stack to ensure the JAMES Plant outfall, which discharges treated effluent to the Fraser River, is safe and reliable. 9
ACHIEVING
FISCAL DISCIPLINE
The City of Abbotsford is transparent and accountable to citizens, information is easily accessible and residents are well informed on Council’s priorities.
DRAINAGE
TRANSPORTATION
• Cleaned 10,561 catch basins to minimize the likelihood of flooding and debris build up in the sewer mains.
• Replaced 45 street light poles due to either structural deficiencies or motor vehicle accidents to keep up with asset renewal.
• Initiation of Uplands Culvert Replacement/Assessment Program to assess the conditions of the culverts and plan for replacements so that assets are renewed and replaced in a timely fashion to ensure safe and reliable infrastructure. Assessment of approximately 15% of the larger diameter culverts are completed since initiation of the program. • Initiation of new Storm Sewer flushing program to remove debris from pipe, prolong usefulness and minimize the likelihood of flooding to ensure safe and reliable infrastructure.
• Roads Operations team provided project management and staff services for the 30 kilometers of paved capital projects for major and local roads and came in under budget. • Completed maintenance and repairs to 25 bridges, including one bridge deck replacement, to extend the life and prolong the need for full replacement. • Replaced Clayburn Road bridge over Matsqui Slough to replace aged infrastructure and improve safety. • Received ICBC grants totaling $68,500 for road improvement and safety projects.
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FACTS
FLEET GEOMATICS Gained efficiencies in combining survey and drafting functions for City construction projects reducing overall costs for engineering design and construction.
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The City Fleet inventory was reduced by 13 vehicles/equipment, which saved the City $50,000. Achieved higher discounts in insurance (for the third year in a row) due to reduction of accident claims.
ADMINISTRATION Created over 1,330 orders and 110 requisitions to support staff in managing our City finances with exceptional care.
CITY WATER Replaced nearly four kilometers of aging watermains.
REGIONAL WATER
CITY SEWER
• Supplied 90,000 m3 of water per day to Abbotsford and Mission customers during the highest consumption month since 2009.
• Completed CCTV/Sonar inspection of five kilometers of sewer mains. • Inspected sewer mains to ensure safe and reliable infrastructure which provides good value for our customers. • Completed Huntingdon study to review previous blockages and mitigation options to ensure safe and reliable infrastructure.
CITY WATER • Processed 824 notifications to meet customer inquiries and operational needs. • Exercised 6,984 valves to ensure functionality during system operation, modification or failure.
MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS • Reduced 158,000 kwh of energy, which resulted in a savings of $18,600 annually.
REGIONAL SEWER • Completed 2,596 preventative work orders to keep the system operating at the lowest possible cost. • Consumed 7,202,259 kwh of power to provide secondary treatment services to wastewater from residential, commercial, institutional and industrial customers in Abbotsford, Mission, and Sumas, WA to meet Municipal Wastewater Regulations (MWR) and the Federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER).
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Applied for 3 Strategic Planning Priority Gas Tax Fund Grants for: • JAMES UV Disinfection Plant ($4.3 M) • UDistrict Project ($6 M) • Master Plans ($1.1 M)
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BUILDING A
VIBRANT ECONOMY
The City of Abbotsford is a regional hub of creativity and innovation where talent, investment and business thrive.
DRAINAGE • Ensured an uninterrupted supply of irrigation water in both Matsqui and Sumas Prairies to sustain crops and support agriculture. • Maintained 32.6 kilometers of dykes to prevent the flooding of Matsqui and Sumas agricultural land. • Operated and maintained 15 drainage and irrigation pump stations (including Barrowtown, which is one of the largest storm drainage stations in Canada) to ensure that drainage and irrigation needs of flood plain customers were met. • Maintained 33 kilometers of fish sensitive watercourses (including 20 sediment traps) and approximately 370 kilometers of ditches to provide drainage for highly productive agricultural land in the Sumas and Matsqui Prairies. • Completed the Fraser River Bank Erosion Study in order to understand the causes of the erosion issues, develop mitigation options, and encourage senior governments to take ownership of the problems. It is an important study to reduce the risk of flooding in Matsqui Prairie and Abbotsford due to a dyke breach, which would significantly impact the vibrant agricultural economy in Abbotsford and the region. • Installed a backup circuit breaker at the Barrowtown Pump Station to improve redundancy and ensure adequate flood protection in Abbotsford and in the Sumas Prairie. The Barrowtown Pump Station protects a major transportation corridor and infrastructure, and provides drainage to prime agricultural land in the Sumas Prairie. • Continued work on Clayburn Creek Improvement (berm work) to minimize flooding impact at Clayburn Village for both private and City properties. It also supports the heritage elements of the community.
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PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS
TRANSPORTATION
• Completed amendments to Soil Bylaw and Official Community Plan to refine Soil Removal Eligibility Area on Sumas Mountain. The amendments provide certainty to permit holders and local residents regarding ultimate quarry development to 170 m elevation.
• Graded 88 kilometers of gravel roads. • Filled 1,261 potholes. • Patched 13,392 m2 of failed road surface. • Sealed 125,049 meters of cracks. • Completed 179 hours of brush cutting along road edges and ditch sides to improve sight lines in rural areas. • Mowed 2,145 kilometers of roadside during the spring and summer. Spent 150 hours mowing in urban areas by request. • Spent 850 hours mowing in the fall. • Swept 8,329 kilometers of road in urban areas and spent 350 hours sweeping in rural areas. • Replaced 150 m2 of sidewalk.
CITY SEWER • Completed East Delair pump station and forcemain upgrades. The new East Delair station and forcemain replaced a 37 year old pump station. The new pump station will support vibrant growth by providing sewer capacity for 25 years of future growth and development.
• Provided efficient movement of goods, services and people through 90 kms of marked bicycle lanes, 135 traffic signals and 400 km of sidewalk.
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FACTS
REGIONAL SEWER Treated 17,289,500 m of raw sewage in 2015. Efficient and effective treatment helps sustain the local natural environment. 3
GEOMATICS Completed a WebMap upgrade to improve access to GIS data and development related information. Processed 3,000 BC One Call tickets and over 100 record drawings sets for utilities and transportation teams.
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MAINTAINING ORGANIZATIONAL
ALIGNMENT
The City of Abbotsford has a strong, consistent governance and aligned operations.
ADMINISTRATION • Created over 9,500 notifications to advise staff of customer concerns and repair maintenance issues to provide excellent customer service and a positive customer experience. • Processed 280 reports to support staff in the efficient and effective delivery of City services and programs. • Processed 950 permits in order to meet the needs of our customers and provide excellent customer service and a positive customer experience. • Processed 137 Safe Work Procedures and organized 55 Safety Training sessions to support a safe, engaged workforce.
REGIONAL SEWER • Performed 17,499 Laboratory tests to satisfy regulatory requirements and make operational adjustments. • Completed 351 (298 in Abbotsford, 58 in Mission) Code of Practice Inspections as checks to ensure industry is complying with wastewater discharge requirements and materials handling.
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Reviewed 160 development files as well as attended numerous development related meetings throughout the year.
MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS Reorganized recreation maintenance staff to efficiently service the complete facility.
GEOMATICS Processed over 300 legal survey plans in GIS including related GIS Zoning revisions.
REGIONAL WATER
PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS
• Excellent service provided throughout the worst drought on record history (+100 year).
• Established an ongoing monthly monitoring program for unauthorized soil deposit activity.
• New Cannell Lake Ultraviolet Water Treatment Plant, to increase the water quality for Mission and Abbotsford, on track to be completed ahead of 2017 completion target. • Provided water conservation tips to over 5,000 households. • Issued 1,500 rebates for replacement of inefficient toilets and 200 rebates for high efficiency washing machines. • Provided 20 irrigation and landscape assessments. • Sold hundreds of indoor and outdoor water savings kits and 60 rain barrels. • School education program was delivered to 40 schools, reaching over 1,200 children. • Responded to 250 water conservation phone calls. • Attended 8 public events, interacting with over 400 people. • Provided over 3,500 leak notifications to customers.
• Issued 122 Highway Excavation Permits and 166 Highway Use Permits. • Coordinated with Communications Department on 49 Special Event permits. • Provided inspection services to over 150 Highway Use/Excavation Permits. • Reviewed and inspected 133 design proposals for acceptance and construction on City lands and road dedications for franchise utilities (BC Hydro, Telus, Fortis and Shaw Cable). • Provided inspection services for 139 development permits (building permits, subdivision, rezoning, environmental development permits) and capital projects which included monitoring of active construction, substantial completion and final acceptance inspections, service requests, and compliance and enforcement processes.
DRAINAGE • Initiated the Willband Creek Integrated Stormwater Management Plan. • Completed Ash and Woodbine Drainage Improvements. • Continued Clayburn Creek flooding Improvements. • Completed the Fraser River Bank Erosion Study in order to understand the causes of the erosion issues, develop mitigation options, and encourage senior governments to take ownership of the problems.
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THE CITY OF ABBOTSFORD 32315 South Fraser Way Abbotsford, BC V2T 1W7 604-853-2281 www.abbotsford.ca