volume 1 - Halifax Regional Municipality

Halifax Water Integrated Resource Plan
Appendices
TOR Requirement
6. IRP process, along with the current Asset Management
Assessment, and ongoing Halifax Water asset and data
management activities, will identify what activities need
to be undertaken to improve overall stormwater system
knowledge, policy, and practices (e.g. developing asset
inventory, conducting condition assessments, ensuring
data is available in GIS and any future work management
system that Halifax Water may implement, and analysis
related to overall storm system operations and
optimization).
7. Halifax Water will provide approximate information on
length of stormwater piped systems, length of ditched
infrastructure, number of driveway culverts, a high level
estimate of the number of cross-culverts owned by
Halifax water, and general assumptions on condition and
capacity constraints.
IRP Reference
Sections
4.2.2, 4.3.4,
5.4.2, and 7.8
Section
3.4.3
The proposed review of existing policies and regulations that affect the planning, design and
approval of stormwater management system elements is an opportune time to examine the
existing jurisdiction and roles of Halifax Water, HRM, Nova Scotia Environment, and other
regulators as they relate to stormwater management and systems overall. Such a review would
serve to clarify roles and responsibilities, and identify where better integration of activities may
be warranted, including opportunities for enhancing effectiveness and efficiencies.
Section 7.8 recommends clarifying role and mandate of Halifax Water in stormwater planning
and management.
New separated stormwater systems would be developed at the same time as the new growth
areas. The impact on existing stormwater infrastructure would likely be small. However, with
growth, the length of the stormwater network (both piped and ditches) will be expanded and
therefore impact the ongoing asset management and operational programs over time.
The main regulatory compliance concerns related to stormwater runoff are the impacts on
receiving water quality and the impacts related to flow volumes and velocity (i.e. flooding and
erosion). A report commissioned by HRM noted that stormwater runoff could negatively affect
both the quality and quantity of area water resources. The Regional Municipal Planning
Strategy commits HRM to preparing a Regional Stormwater Functional Plan (RSWFP).
Based on a risk analysis a composite asset renewal program was developed. The composite
program specifies and individual level of renewal (i.e. A, B or C) for each individual asset class
rather than using an “across the board” level for all assets (e.g. all asset classes treated at level
B). The estimated cost of the composite program corresponds to expenditures between the A
and B levels for the stormwater system.
Based on the above information the IRP recommends in Section 7.8:
• Assess stormwater quality compliance requirements.
• Clarify role and mandate of Halifax Water in stormwater planning and management.
There are over 790 km of stormwater pipe and an estimated 8 km of culverts in Halifax Water’s
stormwater system. In addition, there are approximately 37,000 manholes and 17,000 catch
basins throughout the HRM. Halifax Water is responsible for the operation, repair, maintenance,
and cleaning of all stormwater pipes (culverts and open ditches), manholes and catch basins. The
locations of the stormwater system features are presented in Volume 1 Appendix D.
The stormwater system data gaps identified are presented in Volume 3 Appendix D and are
summarized in Table 4.5, Asset Data Gaps.
Condition and capacity data was unavailable for the stormwater network. The expected
Regional Stormwater Functional Plan (to be prepared by HRM), should address these issues.
Revision: 2012-10-29 Integrated Resource Plan –Appendices G-13
October 31 2012 Page 225 of 272