Study will assess the Smiths Falls sewer system and identify infrastructure needs to support future development
Smiths Falls is moving ahead with a comprehensive review of its sewer system aimed at determining where future growth can occur and identifying areas that may require infrastructure upgrades.
During its June 8 committee of the whole meeting, council supported awarding a contract to CIMA Canada Inc. to complete a Sewer Hydraulic Capacity Modelling Study and update the town’s Pollution Prevention Control Plan.
The contract, valued at $145,810 excluding HST, covers the administration and preparation of both initiatives.
“The town is completing a municipal Sewer Hydraulic Capacity Study to ensure the municipal sewer collection system can accommodate current and future projected development growth,” Manager of Water and Wastewater Andrew MacNaughton wrote in his report to council.
According to MacNaughton, the last comprehensive review of the town’s sewer system was completed in 2007.
This time, the town is taking a more detailed approach.
“What we’re looking to do is expand that model,” MacNaughton said. “We’re really looking at the different tributaries that feed into those main collectors and those main lines.”
The study will examine how the sewer collection system responds during inclement weather events and help determine the maximum flow rates the system can accommodate without violating environmental regulations.
According to the report, the findings will help identify areas of the collection system that may require upgrades to support projected growth, while also assisting with long-term infrastructure planning, operational decision-making and regulatory compliance.
As part of the project, the town has deployed six monitoring units throughout the community to collect flow data during the spring melt and early rainfall events.
“We ensured that we deployed ours in different areas in Smiths Falls to capture what it looked like with the melt and for those early rainstorms that we received,” MacNaughton said.
He said all six monitors remain in place, with a seventh unit expected to be redeployed once repairs are completed.
“We currently still have all six units deployed right now,” he said. “Once we get our seventh one repaired, it will be deployed as well.”
MacNaughton said the study is expected to continue through the rainy season, with completion anticipated in early 2027. The timeline aligns with the scheduled renewal of the town’s Pollution Prevention Control Plan.
The Pollution Prevention Control Plan update will review the municipality’s strategies for minimizing wastewater pollution, protecting water quality and managing environmental risks associated with the sewer system.
The contract was awarded through a competitive request for proposals process that attracted five submissions. CIMA Canada Inc. received the highest overall score during the evaluation process, earning 90.31 points out of 100. The company submitted a bid of $145,810, the second-lowest proposal received by the town.
Council approved $175,000 in the 2025 budget and an additional $175,000 in the 2026 budget for the Sewer Hydraulic Capacity Modelling Study. Another $10,000 was allocated for the Pollution Prevention Control Plan update.
“Once we get an idea of that, it’s going to help support where we can support development and which areas of Smiths Falls can continue to grow the way they are,” MacNaughton said.
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