Chapter 1: Legislative Framework

This chapter provides a brief introduction to some federal and provincial Acts and regulations applicable to the design of drinking-water systems.

1.1 General

The designer (and proponent) of a drinking-water system are responsible not only for understanding and incorporating all relevant federal and provincial requirements in the planning, design, construction and operation of drinking-water systems, and obtaining professional legal advice with respect to this, but also for being as aware as possible of any pending legislative requirements that may impact design considerations. It is also essential to confirm any legislative requirements with the most up to date version.

1.2 Applicable legislation administered by the ministry

The Environmental Assessment Act (EAA), the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 (SDWA), the Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA), the Clean Water Act, 2006 (CWA), the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) and the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) are statutes administered by the Ministry of the Environment (ministry). These statutes and their regulations apply or may apply to drinking-water systems. All can be accessed from the Ontario e-Laws website or the ministry website.

The designer should determine which statutes and regulations apply to the proposed drinking-water system or alterations to an existing system and ensure that he/she is familiar with the treatment and design requirements and approvals/permits needed. The designer or municipality/owner should contact the ministry Safe Drinking Water Branch for information regarding applicability of statutes/regulations and applications for approvals/permits.

Where a proposed drinking-water system or alterations to an existing system are a municipal undertaking, it would normally follow the planning processes in the approved Municipal Engineers Association Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) and thereby meet the requirements of the EAA.

1.3 Drinking water regulations & support documents

The Drinking-Water Systems regulation, O.Reg. 170/03 (Drinking-Water Systems) made under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 (SDWA) outlines minimum requirements for treatment, sampling and monitoring, and other issues which may affect the design of drinking-water systems. The designer should refer to O.Reg. 170/03 and the latest edition of the Procedure for Disinfection of Drinking Water in Ontario (Disinfection Procedure) (which is adopted into O.Reg. 170/03 by reference) for more information.

Treated water should also meet the Ontario Drinking-Water Quality Standards regulation (O.Reg. 169/03) under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 and the aesthetic objectives and operational goals described in the latest edition of Technical Support Document for Ontario Drinking Water Standards, Objectives and Guidelines (Technical Support Document).

For drinking-water systems which are not governed by O.Reg. 170/03, refer to the applicable regulation(s).

1.4 Other applicable legislation

As of December 1, 2008, five categories of drinking-water systems that were regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 and O.Reg. 252/05 (Non-Residential and Non-Municipal Seasonal Residential Systems that Do Not Serve a Designated Facility) are now regulated under the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA) and its regulations for small drinking water systems [Transitional - Small Drinking Water Systems (O.Reg. 318/08) and Small Drinking Water Systems (O.Reg. 319/08)].

The categories of systems being transferred include large municipal non-residential systems, small municipal non-residential systems, non-municipal seasonal residential systems, large non-municipal non-residential systems and small non-municipal non-residential systems, provided that the system does not serve a designated facility as defined in O.Reg. 170/03 made under the SDWA (e.g. a daycare, nursing home, hospital, school). For details about the requirements for these systems, please see the HPPA and its regulations.

If a drinking water system in one of the above categories does serve a designated facility, it would still be regulated under O.Reg. 170/03 and the SDWA. In addition, some sections of the SDWA will continue to apply to the transferred systems.

Drinking-water systems may be subject to planning-oriented legislation such as the Planning Act, the Municipal Act 2001, the Ontario Municipal Board Act and others. In addition, it may be necessary to obtain approval from a number of other organizations which have jurisdiction over all or part of the project, primarily involving the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Approvals may be necessary from public bodies and authorities such as Ontario Power Generation, municipal plumbing and/or building departments, conservation authorities and the Federal Government (Parks Canada, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans). Liaison with utilities such as telephone, power and gas companies and railways may also be required. Designers should familiarize themselves with the requirements of all legislation dealing with drinking-water systems, including relevant sections of the Building Code, the Electrical Safety Code, the Fire Code and labour health and safety regulations. Existing Ontario legislation may be found at the following e-Laws website. Additionally, although not in force, the Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act, 2002, is a provincial statute which many municipalities reference when preparing drinking water business plans and when considering the economic viability of proposed projects. The Financial Plans regulation (O.Reg. 453/07) under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, requires financial plans to be prepared in certain circumstances with respect to drinking-water systems, before a municipal drinking water licence is issued.

1.5 Ministry approvals for drinking-water systems

The ministry approvals program is designed to ensure that all undertakings requiring approval under the legislation administered by the ministry are carried out in accordance with that legislation (i.e., Acts and Regulations) and the ministry environmental guidelines and procedures developed to ensure consistency of approach to various aspects of environmental protection throughout the Province.

With the proclamation of section 33 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 in May of 2007, the ministry began a transition from an approvals process referred to as the Certificate of Approval (C of A) Program for municipal drinking water systems to the new Municipal Drinking Water Licensing Program (the Licensing Program). This transition will occur over a period of approximately five years starting in late 2007.

Under the Licensing Program, the authority to establish and alter a drinking-water system will be provided by a Drinking Water Works Permit (DWWP) and the authority to operate such a system will be provided separately through a Municipal Drinking Water Licence (Licence).

The requirement to obtain a Licence and a DWWP applies to owners of large and small municipal residential drinking-water systems as defined in O.Reg. 170/03. Owners of these systems must submit to the Director an application for a Licence, an application for a DWWP and completed operational plans on or before the dates prescribed by the Licensing of Municipal Drinking Water Systems regulation (O.Reg. 188/07).

Once a Licence has been issued for a drinking-water system, authority for further alterations to the system will occur through the processes and procedures associated with the Licensing Program. Until a Licence is issued for a system, approvals for any alterations to the system will occur through the existing C of A process.

Reference should be made to the ministry’s Drinking Water Ontario website for further summary information regarding the Licensing Program.

Further information regarding applications for Cs of A can be found in the ministry’s publication Guide on Applying for Approvals Related to Municipal and Non-Municipal Drinking Water Systems Revised November 2003 (PIBS 4467e). The guide describes the approval process in general, clarifies the information required by the respective application forms, and outlines the technical information that may be required in support of various applications.

Further information respecting the applications for the first DWWP and Licence, as well as amendments to these instruments to authorize alterations to a municipal residential drinking-water system once a DWWP and Licence have been issued, will be available on the ministry website as they are developed.

1.6 Legal considerations

The designer should determine which statutes and regulations apply to the drinking-water system and ensure that he/she is familiar with the treatment and design requirements and any approvals/permits needed. There is a wide range of legislation that may apply to the planning, design, construction and operation of drinking-water systems. While some legislation is referenced here no attempt is made to be complete, and the user of the guidelines must obtain legal advice, and understand and abide by any applicable legal requirements.

Chapter 2: Project design documentation

This chapter provides recommendations regarding documentation associated with the design and construction of drinking-water systems. The planning and the engineering design of water works varies with the size and complexity of the undertaking and therefore not all documents listed in this chapter may be relevant for a particular project.

The terms used are consistent with the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) Guideline Engineering Services to Municipalities (1998).

The description of technical information and documentation needed to support applications for approvals is provided in the ministry publication Guide for Applying for Approvals Related to Municipal and Non-municipal Drinking-Water Systems - Parts V and VI of the Safe Drinking Water Act and Drinking-Water Systems Regulation (O.Reg. 170/03), July 2003 (PIBS 4467e). Information and guidance documents regarding applications for a Drinking Water Works Permit (DWWP) under the Municipal Drinking Water Licensing Program (the Licensing Program) will be available on the ministry website as they are developed.

2.1 General

The process of planning and design involves the preparation of a number of separate documents in several stages. The number and complexity of the documents depends on the complexity of the works. The planning and design of new water treatment plants, for instance, requires the preparation of several reports, technical specifications and many drawings. On the other hand, the design of a watermain extension may only require preparation of a single engineering drawing with the basis of design and specifications included on its face.

Stage 1 - Special Services include feasibility and pre-design investigations to determine the best alternative approach to meet the project objectives. Normally, Stage 1 will include feasibility studies, master plans and other special services. For municipal undertakings, the terms of the Municipal Engineers Association Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA), a planning document approved under the EAA for use in planning municipal water works, should be referred to and followed throughout the initial planning process, as and if applicable.

Stage 2 - Preliminary Design and Reports, should include preliminary design information and reports in the form of drawings and documents outlining the nature of the project, a summary of the basis of the engineering design, a preliminary cost estimate and a description of the extent of services and recommendations. In some cases, Stage 2 documents may be prepared as part of the Environmental Study Report (ESR) under the MCEA. This work is also sometimes identified as the preliminary 'engineering report', but should not be confused with feasibility studies which are completed in Stage 1.

Stage 3 - Detailed Design, Final Drawings and Specifications, includes preparation of a design brief; final plans (detailed engineering drawings); specifications (construction requirements, materials and equipment); a final cost estimate; and documents required for approval or permit applications (e.g., permits to take water and for construction, liquid waste and air discharges, stream crossings etc.). A report outlining operational requirements may also be required.

2.2 Stage 1 documents

Most designs will require feasibility or pre-design investigations. If the project is subject to the EAA, the planning and Stage 1 documents should be completed in accordance with the requirements of the MCEA. For projects that do not fall under the EAA, feasibility studies, treatability and pilot studies, pre-design reports and other special services may still be needed, and may consist of the following:

  • Geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations;
  • Investigations that would locate and identify all potential sources of pollution which could affect source water quality or contaminate the treated water being distributed;
  • Preparation of feasibility studies comparing alternatives in terms of factors such as capital, operational and maintenance costs, land requirements, operating efficiency, energy conservation;
  • Obtaining topographic plans or photogrammetric mapping; and
  • Other special services which may precede the preliminary design and detailed design services described in Stage 2 and Stage 3.

Where the proposed system incorporates processes for which established guidelines are not available, or include equipment and materials where no reliable data from full scale operation are available (e.g., processes that are new or in development refer to Section 3.3 Technology Development), the following information may also be provided, depending on the scope and risks involved in the project:

  • All available data pertaining to the proposed process, equipment or material;
  • Results of any testing programs which have been undertaken by groups such as independent testing agencies, research foundations, or universities;
  • Identification of any known full-scale applications of the proposed process, equipment and/or material, including a description of the type of application and the name and address of the person who could be contacted for technical information on the application;
  • Discussion of the risks and impact of a potential failure of the proposed process/equipment/material and the identification of the measures proposed to be undertaken to preclude any health hazard or non-compliance as a result of such a failure; proposed contingencies to modify or replace the proposed process/equipment/material in case of their failure;
  • Description of the monitoring, testing and reporting program proposed to be undertaken during the experimental period; and
  • The proposed duration of the experiment.

2.3 Stage 2 documents

If a Preliminary Design Report is being prepared for the proposed works, it should present the following information, where applicable:

  • Description of the proposed works, and where applicable, a description of the associated existing drinking-water system which is intended to be part of the new/expanded system;
  • Extent, nature and anticipated population of the area to be serviced, facilities proposed to serve the area (including identification of the sources of water supply), and provisions for future expansion of the system to include additional service areas and/or population growth;
  • Itemization and discussion of present and future domestic water consumption figures, commercial and industrial usages, and fire flows used in sizing various components of the water works system;
  • Discussion of raw water quantity requirements and its availability from the proposed source of supply based on a source study. The extent of a study to determine availability of water will depend on the type and size of the water source, and should be completed in association with the application for a Permit to Take Water (PTTW) issued by the appropriate Director appointed under Section 34 of the Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA). For all groundwater wells, the source study should be a hydrogeologist’s report establishing the wells' perennial yields, maximum short-term yields (i.e., 1 day, 7 days, 90 days) and recommended pump sizing based on a hydrogeologist’s rating of the long term yields of the wells. The hydrogeologist’s report should also deal with possible interference with other existing wells in the area and other natural environmental issues/impacts;
  • For systems using or intending to use groundwater wells as a source of raw water, an assessment of the source with respect to it being deemed a groundwater under direct influence of surface water (GUDI) in accordance with the criteria set out in O.Reg. 170/03 should be undertaken and, if required, a report prepared under the ministry document Terms of Reference for Hydrogeological Study to Examine Groundwater Sources Potentially Under Direct Influence of Surface Water (PIBS 4167e). The designer should refer to O.Reg. 170/03 under which some groundwater supplies are deemed to be GUDI, unless a report prepared by a professional hydrogeologist or professional engineer concludes otherwise; and
  • Discussion of raw water quality with respect to treatment requirements to meet the Ontario Drinking-Water Quality Standards regulation (O.Reg. 169/03) under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 and the ministry document Technical Support Document for Ontario Drinking Water Standards, Objectives and Guidelines (Technical Support Document), supported by a raw water characterization of parameters listed in the Technical Support Document on a number of raw water samples appropriate for the type of source.

In case of a groundwater source, it is usually sufficient to base the study on several samples obtained during the well pumping tests conducted to establish the yield of the well(s). In order to establish a reliable database for a surface water source, it is generally necessary to undertake a water sampling and analysis survey extending over a sufficiently long period of time to account for seasonal variations in the water quality.

Normally, the source water analyses should include, at a minimum, all physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters identified in Tables 1, 2 and 4 of the Technical Support Document, and the gross alpha and gross beta screening procedure to determine if it is necessary to undertake further analyses to identify individual radionuclides responsible for the detected radiation (Table 3 of the Technical Support Document). Where general knowledge and/or historical data indicate that particular substances are consistently absent or below the level of concern, these substances/ parameters need not be included in the raw water characterization, provided that the designer documents evidence in support of such exclusion.

The raw water evaluation may also need to include parameters such as conductivity, water stability index, which are not listed in the Technical Support Document, but may be essential in establishing the raw water treatability or other special treatment needs.

  • Discussion of the proposed water treatment facilities for the treatment of the raw water in terms of the minimum treatment requirements of Drinking-Water Systems regulation (O.Reg. 170/03) under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 and the Procedure for Disinfection of Drinking Water in Ontario (Disinfection Procedure) adopted by O.Reg. 170/03 through reference, and the treated water quality standards and objectives of O.Reg. 169/03 and the Technical Support Document, and a description of treatability work completed. This discussion should include a summary of basic process design parameters of all major components of the treatment facilities, including those such as chemical addition, equipment capacities, retention times, surface settling rates, filtration rates, filter-to-waste capability, and backwash rates as well as the operational reliability of key process units, unit redundancy and back up reliability;
  • Evaluation of treated water characteristics and their potential for accelerated corrosion of pipes and appurtenances in the existing or proposed distribution system and plumbing. Refer to Section 5.1.1 Blending of Dissimilar Waters/Treatment Changes if more than one water source is being considered;
  • Discussion of all waste streams generated in the water treatment process, including their volumes, composition, proposed treatment and points of discharge, in terms of effluent criteria established by the proponent in concurrence with the appropriate Regional Office of the ministry;
  • Discussion of the proposed instrumentation and control strategy and level of automation;
  • Discussion of the proposed flow metering, sampling and monitoring program, including monitoring of any waste streams;
  • Description of the proposed pumping facilities (well pumps, and lowlift, highlift and booster pumping stations), including the number and capacities of duty and standby pumps, and discussion of the ability of the system to supply water during power failure events through either standby power facilities and/or elevated storage facilities;
  • Discussion of the system storage requirements, including disinfection capabilities and chlorine contact concentration/time (CT) requirements, if applicable, and the ability of the proposed facilities to satisfy these requirements;
  • Brief discussion of the locations of all significant water works structures with respect to proximity to sources of potential water supply contamination (e.g., sewage treatment plant discharges, sewer overflows, septic systems, impact of major storm events, tributary run-off impacts, runoff from agricultural/livestock rearing areas) and susceptibility to flooding;
  • Discussion of the design criteria used for proposed watermains including design flows, minimum and maximum distribution pressures, minimum depth of cover, and minimum separation distance from sewers and other utilities;
  • Discussion of the planning for any future extensions and/or improvements to the water supply and distribution system;
  • Preliminary design plan(s), all bearing the project title, name of the municipality/owner, name of the development or facility with which the project is associated, name of the design engineer and preparation date, and where applicable, the plan scale, north point, land surveying datum, and any municipal boundaries within the area shown, and providing the following information (where pertinent):
    • General layout and sizes of existing and proposed watermains, and location of major components of other existing and proposed water works and sources of water supply, and points of potential source or system contamination (e.g., sewage treatment plant discharges, sewer overflows, septic systems, runoff from agricultural/livestock rearing areas); and
    • General layout (line diagram) of the works (except for watermains).
  • Process flow diagrams for the water treatment processes, showing all process components, the direction of flow of all raw and treated water, recycle and waste streams, the location of all chemical addition points, and the maximum flow of all streams entering and leaving each component of the process and a mass balance for all parameters around each process component; and
  • A drawing showing the hydraulic profile through the entire facility including each treatment process.

If these issues were addressed in the ESR, reference should be made to that document.

2.4 Stage 3 documents

2.4.1 Design Brief/Basis of Design

A design brief, summarizing the design criteria and presenting the design calculations used in sizing individual components of the system, should be prepared along with final plans and specifications. Where a preliminary report was not prepared or where some part of the information in the preliminary report is no longer valid or applicable, the design brief should include the applicable information outlined in Section 2.3 Stage 2 Documents as well as the applicable information outlined below.

2.4.1.1 Design Brief Major Facilities

Major facilities would include, but not be limited to, water intakes and low lift pumping stations, groundwater wells, water treatment plants, high lift pumping stations, re-chlorination facilities, water storage facilities and booster pumping stations.

  • Basic data on the estimated water demand from the population and area to be served, including:
    • Design period;
    • Design service population and area (hectares), and population density;
    • Design per capita water consumption, and industrial and commercial water demand;
    • Fire flow requirements; and
    • Total design water demand (minimum hour, average day, maximum day and peak hour).
  • Design flows used in sizing of individual components of the drinking-water system (water intakes, pumps, treatment process units, storage, and distribution facilities);
  • Summary of the raw water quality information and the treatment requirements;
  • Description (types, number and sizes) of all proposed facilities, process units and equipment, including waste stream treatment and disposal facilities, and identification of their process design parameters (e.g., intake velocity in the intake, mixing energy in rapid mix and flocculation tanks, surface settling rates and retention times in settling tanks, filtration and backwash rates in filters, and chemical feed rates);
  • Disinfection concentration and contact time (CT) information, as well as expected flow characteristics related to CT assessments (e.g. T10) where applicable;
  • Detailed process and hydraulic design (or sizing) calculations, including surge analysis (where required) for all facilities, treatment units and equipment;
  • Hydraulic profiles through facilities such as water intake, treatment plants, and pumping stations, prepared for minimum and maximum flow conditions to a vertical scale adequate to clearly show the elevations of tank tops, channel and trough inverts, weirs and other features directly affecting the hydraulic gradient (for water intake facilities, normal, maximum and minimum water levels of the water source and their effects on low-lift pumping station should be shown);
  • Process flow diagrams (PFD) showing all process components (including type, size, pertinent features, and rate capacity of process units and major equipment, e.g., tanks, reactors, pumps, and chemical feeders), direction of flow of all process, recycle, backwash and waste streams, and the location of all points of chemical addition and treated water and waste stream effluent sampling and monitoring; and indicating the minimum and maximum flow rates of all streams entering and leaving each process component as well as a mass balance for all parameters around each process component;
  • Proposed flow metering system, including raw water supply, backwash water flows, individual unit filtration rates, treated water production quantity;
  • Proposed chemical flow metering systems, where applicable;
  • Proposed treated water and waste stream effluent quality monitoring program, including provision of continuous automatic water quality analyzers, identification of sampling points, frequency of sampling and calibration procedures;
  • Proposed system automation and back up procedures (Section 9.6 Automated/Unattended Operation); and
  • Proposed rated capacity of the new or expanded water treatment plant (Section 3.6 Plant Capacity Rating).
2.4.1.2 Design Brief Watermains
  • Nature and population of the area served (current and design);
  • Maximum water demand, including fire flows;
  • Hydraulic grade line profile;
  • Design data and calculations for individual watermains, including the required capacity; and
  • Capacity of the existing (or proposed) drinking-water system to meet the additional water demand without compromising the system minimum pressure requirements. In cases of minor watermain extensions, where the minimum sizing requirement dictates the use of 150 mm (6 in) diameter pipes, such calculations are generally not required. However, the information is essential where (a) the designer proposes the use of pipe diameter smaller than 150 mm (6 in) for watermains not required to carry fire flow, (b) the uncommitted water supply capability of the existing system is marginal or (c) the proposed water main extension is extensive.

2.4.2 Final Plans & Support Documents

All final plans should bear the project title, name of the municipality/owner, name of the development or facility with which the project is associated, and name of the design engineer, including a signed and dated imprint of his/her Professional Engineer seal, and where applicable, also the plan scale, north point, land surveying datum, and any municipal boundaries within the area shown.

Detailed engineering plans should include plan views, elevations, sections and supplementary views which, together with the specifications and general layout plans, would provide the working information for finalizing the construction contract for the works. These drawings should show dimensions and elevations of structures, ground elevations, the location and outline of equipment, location and size of piping, liquid/water levels, 1:100 year flood line, where applicable, and groundwater levels.

2.4.2.1 Plans of Major Facilities

Major facilities would include, but not be limited to, water intakes and low lift pumping stations, groundwater wells, water treatment plants, high lift pumping stations, re-chlorination facilities and water storage facilities.

General Plan

A comprehensive general plan of the existing and proposed water works should be prepared for all projects involving new major water works. This plan should show:

  • Location of the proposed system and the area to be serviced by the system, if applicable;
  • All major topographic features including drainage areas, existing and proposed streets, watercourses, contour lines at suitable intervals, municipal boundaries, and land surveying datum used (or assumed bench mark); and
  • Location and nature of all existing and proposed major components of the drinking-water system associated with the proposed facilities, including wells, intakes, treatment plant, reservoirs and pumping stations, together with their individual geo-reference coordinates (UTM Easting and Northing).
Site Plans

Individual site plans should be provided for all proposed major facilities of the drinking-water system and modifications/upgrades of such facilities. Each site plan should show:

  • The entire property where the facility is to be or is located, including the property lines, and identification of the nature of the adjoining lands;
  • Topographic features of the property and adjoining lands, including existing and proposed streets, contour lines at suitable intervals, drainage areas, watercourses, the elevation of the highest known flood level, where applicable, municipal boundaries, and the land surveying datum (or assumed bench mark) used;
  • Layout, size and nature of the existing, proposed and future structures on the property showing distances from property lines, and location of residences and other structures on adjoining properties; and
  • The location of wells, test borings and groundwater elevations within site limits may be shown on the site plan, depending on the consulting engineer. The geotechnical report is usually a separate document and a reference should be provided.
General Layout & Detailed Engineering Drawings

The following general layout and detailed engineering drawings should be provided for all new major facilities of the drinking-water system and modifications/upgrades of existing major facilities:

  • For each groundwater well, a schematic diagram showing details of well construction including proposed pump installation level, and well screen data including well screen entrance velocities;
  • General layout plans for all major facilities of the works (e.g., layout of all filters together) including all associated process flow channels and piping (show direction of flow), process and ancillary equipment, air and chemical feed lines, points of chemical addition, and filter-to-waste;
  • Construction scale plan and profile drawings (with dimensions and elevations) of all facilities proposed to be constructed or modified, including any additional descriptive specifications and information not included in a separate specifications document; and
  • Process and instrumentation diagrams (P&ID) showing the inter-connection and operational control arrangements for all process and ancillary equipment and appurtenances.
2.4.2.2 Plans of Watermains
General Plan

A comprehensive plan of the existing and proposed components of the drinking-water system should be prepared for projects involving new water distribution systems or substantial additions to existing systems. This plan should show:

  • All major topographic features including existing and proposed streets, contour lines at suitable intervals, drainage areas, watercourses, municipal boundaries, and land surveying datum used (or assumed bench mark);
  • Location and size of existing and proposed watermains;
  • Location and nature of all existing and proposed components of the drinking-water system associated with the proposed watermains; and
  • Location of any existing sewer overflows.
Detailed Engineering Drawings

Detailed plan and profile drawings should be provided for the proposed and adjacent existing watermains. The profiles should have a horizontal scale of not more than 1:1000 and a vertical scale of not more than 1:100. The plan view should be drawn to a corresponding horizontal scale. Detailed engineering drawings should show:

  • Location of streets and watermains;
  • Existing and proposed ground surface;
  • Size, material and class of pipe, location of hydrants, valves, blow-offs, meter chambers and other appurtenances;
  • Location of all known existing structures which might interfere with or affect the proposed watermains, especially any sewers and other sewage works;
  • Details of elements such as watermain bedding and anchoring, hydrant connections, service connections, bridge crossings, stream crossings, support structures for existing structures in the path of construction, trench bracing, thrust blocks, air release valve and blow-off valve installations, and corrosion control measures; and
  • Any additional descriptive specifications and information not included in a separate specifications document, but required to inform the contractor of all project requirements regarding the type and quality of construction materials and prefabricated components, quality of workmanship, testing of structures and materials to meet design standards, and acceptance testing for the completed works and component units (e.g., disinfection and pressure testing of watermains).
2.4.2.3 Specifications

Detailed technical specifications should be provided for all water works projects. In the case of minor works such as minor watermain extensions, these specifications can generally be noted on the final plans. For more extensive works, separate specification documents should be prepared.

The specifications should include all construction and installation information not shown on the drawings and required to inform the contractor of all project requirements regarding:

  • Type and quality of construction materials and prefabricated components;
  • Quality of workmanship and audit procedures/methodology;
  • Type, size, rating, operating characteristics, and quality of mechanical and electrical equipment and installations (e.g., process and ancillary equipment and appurtenances, valves, piping and pipe joints; electrical apparatus, wiring, and metering and monitoring equipment, laboratory fixtures and equipment, and special tools);
  • Type and quality of process materials (e.g., filter media) and chemicals, as well as applicable American National Standards Institute (ANSI), American Water Works Association (AWWA), NSF International (NSF) and Canadian Standards Association (CSA) requirements;
  • Testing of structures, materials and equipment necessary to meet design standards;
  • Instrument accuracy and calibration frequency necessary to meet the performance criteria of residual analyzers required by O.Reg. 170/03);
  • Acceptance testing for the completed works and component units (e.g., pressure testing of watermains and other piping);
  • A program for keeping existing water works facilities in operation during construction of additional facilities so as to minimize interruption of service;
  • Laboratory facilities and equipment;
  • The number and design of chemical feeding equipment (Section 6.2.6 Chemical Feed Equipment and Control);
  • Procedures for flushing, disinfection and testing, as needed, prior to placing the project in service; and
  • Materials or proprietary equipment for sanitary or other facilities including any necessary backflow or backsiphonage protection.