City of Toronto Wet Weather Flow Management Master Plan

16. Conclusions

An overview of the development of a 25 year Wet Weather Flow Management Master Plan and the long term (100 year) Preferred Strategy for managing wet weather flows in the City of Toronto has been presented. The overall goal of the Preferred Strategy is to meet Provincial Water Quality Objectives within the City of Toronto surface waters. Through the implementation of the Master Plan, the City is expected to fulfil its legislative requirements and meet corporate objectives of ensuring health & safety, infrastructure protection and accommodating future growth. Further, the Plan recommendations are flexible and can be implemented and adjusted to meet changing corporate priorities and new and emerging technologies.

The measures contained within the Master Plan include: an enhanced public education and community outreach program, enhanced municipal operations, shoreline management, source controls, conveyance controls, end-of-pipe controls, basement flooding protection works, stream restoration works and environmental monitoring and plan review. Overall benefits expected to be derived through the Plan include: swimmable waterfront beaches; control of combined sewer overflows in compliance with legislative requirements; basement flooding protection; protection of the City’s infrastructure from stream erosion; restoration of degraded local streams and aquatic habitat and the reduction of algal growth along the waterfront and improved stream water quality in area watercourses.

The cost of implementing the Plan over the 25 years is estimated to be $1.047 billion. The implementation of these new capital works will generate operational and maintenance costs estimated to be $233 million over the 25 years with an estimated $16 million per year by the end of the 25 year plan. The financial impact on the average home owner is projected to be between $30 and $70 per year depending on the funding option implemented.