Learn about the advantages of communal water and wastewater services

Communal water systems provide water and wastewater treatment to clusters of residences or businesses. At the June 2019 Council meeting, the Council for the Corporation of the County of Frontenac approved the Communal Services Study. The main purpose of the study was to demonstrate that the perceived obstacles — engineering, financial, risk management, planning — are just that, and to equip Frontenac with the tools necessary to enable redevelopment and new development on the basis of communal services approaches. Communal services have the potential to support more compact, land-efficient development than is possible with private servicing, at a lower cost than is possible with centralized municipal services, and to enable revitalization of the Frontenacs' communities. WSP Consulting was retained to complete the study and employed a team comprised of planners, engineers and financial risk analysts.

The Communal Service Governance/Operation Model Review Committee was established, comprised of the Mayors from all four Townships as well as citizens with expertise in financial management, communal servicing engineering, and land development, to assist and advise on the best approach the County and its member municipalities should take in terms of a governance model for communal services in Frontenac. Watch video of committee proceedings in the widgets column or by clicking HERE.

The Frontenac Municipal Services Corporation (FMSC) was incorporated on November 7, 2023. The inaugural FMSC board meeting was held in Sydenham on January 15, 2024.

WHAT ARE COMMUNAL SERVICES?

Communal services approaches and technologies are shared drinking water and sewage systems that provide water and wastewater treatment to clusters of residences and businesses. The approach is increasingly called "communal services" among professional planners and municipal leaders in Ontario. The approach is also sometimes referred to as "distributed water systems" in engineering circles, and variously as “cluster systems,” or included in the broader "decentralized systems," definition in the U.S. and elsewhere depending on the use case and audience. While operating on the same basic principles as conventional municipal services, communal water and wastewater systems are not connected to a single central facility. Instead, ‘right-sized’ facilities treat water and wastewater close to where it is needed or created. Communal services can be less expensive than centralized municipal services and reduce the need to pipe water or wastewater over long distances. They are also more environmentally-friendly than private on-site services (i.e. well and septic).

The three types of systems are shown schematically below:

Many different options exist within the broad category of communal services. Systems may be municipally- or privately-owned, using several different ownership and operation models. There is a growing range of treatment technologies that can be used for communal servicing. The distinguishing feature is that communal systems provide for water and wastewater treatment close to where it is needed.

COMMUNITY BENEFITS

A key benefit of communal systems is that they represent alternative water and wastewater servicing approaches that can provide the County and Townships with the innovative technology and flexibility to accommodate growth and achieve planning, environmental, and economic development objectives.

Communal services can provide numerous community benefits and opportunities:

• New development on smaller lot sizes that are a better ‘fit’ into the existing fabric of a village or hamlet;

• Developments within villages or hamlets that are dense enough to promote walkability, lower-carbon lifestyles, and efficient use of other municipal services and infrastructure;

• More housing within walking distance of mainstreets and commercial cores, to assist in strengthening the local economy;

• Infilling and redevelopment along mainstreets, to promote vibrant community hubs, and on brownfield sites;

• Commercial or industrial development and possible creation of a business park;

• Development of a broader range of housing types, such as seniors’ Communal System homes and outdoor lifestyle communities to support aging in place;

• Increased opportunities for mixed-use development, and for home-based businesses; and

• Rural and waterfront development that protects the County's water quality and natural heritage.