The Town of Bradford-West Gwillimbury is making two significant investments through the 2024 Budget towards local environmental sustainability. Two innovative infrastructure projects are slated for this year to help protect the Holland River.
Snow Disposal Facility
To be constructed on the Town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant property at 225 Dissette Street, the new Snow Disposal Facility (SDF) has been approved for design and construction through the 2024 Budget.
The future facility will replace BWG’s existing ad-hoc snow storage locations in its residential areas safely storing, filtering, and disposing of excess snow from municipal parking lots, narrow streets, and courts/cul-de-sacs.
The Snow Disposal Facility (SDF) will consist of a large asphalt or concrete pad where the snow will be stored. The pad will minimize the infiltration of meltwater into permeable ground, allow staff to easily remove debris, solids, and salts that are left behind, and reduce operational costs as unpaved surfaces often require regrading.
Bio-swales will be constructed around the pad’s perimeter to collect run-off from the meltwater and remove suspended solids. The swales will convey the meltwater through an oil and grit separator to assist with the removal of fine solids, oil, and grease.
“We have an important role on Council to be community and environmental stewards. These projects play a significant role in improving our local environment and build on our ongoing commitment to operate a safe, healthy, and sustainable BWG for all,” said Bradford- West Gwillimbury Mayor James Leduc.
A Storm Water Management (SWM) pond will also be constructed to provide water quantity control a reduce chloride concentrations prior to discharge into the Holland River. The SWM pond will be designed for Enhanced Level of treatment (80 percent Total Suspended Solids) removal as defined in the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks’ Environmental Design Criteria.
Detailed design will begin in Spring 2024, followed by construction in summer/fall.
LittaTrap
The LittaTrap pilot project is a two-year program (with possible extension) that was also approved through the 2024 Budget.
BWG will soon install LittaTrap filters at 30 older stormwater catch basins throughout the town’s east-end. These filters will be inserted into catch basins to collect litter and debris over 5mm from stormwater runoff, which would otherwise make their way through municipal drains and into the Holland River.
This pilot project will cost $35,000, which will also come from BWG’s reserve funds.
“Protecting nature helps preserve key economic strengths in our region, like agriculture and tourism, and ensures we are showing moral leadership to steward this planet for future generations,” said Jonathan Scott, Ward 2 Councillor and Chair of the Green Initiatives Advisory Committee.
“Reducing pollution in the Holland River through these projects is so important to the health of our watershed. Investing in retrofitting older stormwater basins and filtering stored snow will see a huge reduction in litter and pollution entering our local water streams,” added Leduc.
