FINAL REPORT - International Joint Commission

ANNEX 2
Summary of Key Findings
• Municipal, industrial and domestic water use is generally not vulnerable to water level changes.
The Study found that the Montreal system could be at risk later in the century, assuming that climate
change induces the dry, hot scenario modeled in the Study.
• Other exceptions are the Russell and Ginna power generating stations and the County of Monroe potable
water pumping and treatment plant on the south shore of Lake Ontario in New York state. The two
power generating facilities report critical low water elevations for their cooling water intakes at levels
within the historical record under the current regulation regime. However, the Study Board was
informed that Russell is closing and Ginna would take measures to deal with this design flaw.
• The Monroe water pumping and treatment plant experiences flooding problems at Lake Ontario
elevations within the historical maximum range.
• Shoreline wells, groundwater contamination and sewage overload were evaluated in terms of the recurrence
of water levels likely to induce these problems, but not in economic terms, since impacts were either
small relative to other categories or because plant operators were unable to estimate the impacts.
Participants
Municipal, Industrial and Domestic Water Uses Technical Work Group
Skip Shoemaker, U.S. Lead NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NY
Denis Peloquin, Cdn Lead Montreal Metropolitan Community, Montreal, Quebec
Benoit Barbeau
Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec
Annie Carriere
Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec
John Strepelis
NYS Department of Health
Christian Gagnon
Environment Canada, Montreal
Steven Gould
Monroe County Water Authority
Brian Kaye
Ministry of Environment and Energy, Kingston, Ontario
Eva Opitz
Planning & Management Consultants, Inc.
Stuart Norvell
Planning & Management Consultants, Inc.
Board Liasions Paul MacLatchy City of Kingston, Ontario
André Carpentier
Quebec ministère du développement durable,
de l’environnement et des parcs, Quebec City
Tony Eberhardt
U.S. Secretariat, Buffalo, NY
PIAG Liaisons Ed Eryuzlu Canadian Secretariat, Ottawa, Ontario
Michel Gagné
Montreal, Quebec
Marcel Lussier
Brossard, Quebec
References
CDM, Impacts of Changes in Source Water Elevation on Water Supply Infrastructure: Lake Ontario and the
St. Lawrence River, April 2005.
École Polytechnique de Montréal, Impacts of Level Fluctuations in the St. Lawrence River on Water
Treatment Plant Operation, December 2003.
École Polytechnique de Montréal, Integrated Report of All Findings on the Lake and the St. Lawrence River,
June 2004.
Planning and Management Consultants Ltd., Impacts of Changes in Source Water Elevation on Municipal
Water Supply Infrastructure: Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River – Phase I Report, May 2003.
Planning and Management Consultants Ltd., Impacts of Changes in Source Water Elevation on Municipal
and Industrial Water Supply Infrastructure: Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River – Phase II Report,
June 2003.
Planning and Management Consultants Ltd., Impacts of Changes in Source Water Elevation on Water
Supply Infrastructure: Lake Ontario and the Upper St. Lawrence River – Phase III Report, Shorewell
Survey Results and Other Findings to Date, October 2003.
130 Options for Managing Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River Water Levels and Flows