NEWCASTLE WASTEWATER COLLECTION AND TREATMENT SYSTEM RISK AND CRITICALITY ASSESSMENT

During the weekend of April 2 and 3, 2005, a combination of heavy rainfall and a partial blockage of the outfall sewer for the Newcastle Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) resulted in the flooding of basements in a number of nearby homes. As a result, the Regional Municipality of Durham (Region) retained R. V. Anderson Associates Limited (RVA) to complete a review of the entire wastewater collection and treatment system for the Community of Newcastle to identify points of significant risk in the systems, to assess the risks and to identify remedial/mitigation measures to reduce the risks.A high-level potential problem analysis approach was applied to this project which was conducted in three phases. The final deliverable was a report which identified the potential significant risk factors in the Newcastle system prioritized as to overall risk rating, together with preliminary cost estimates for implementing risk mitigation measures. The document will be a valuable operational planning and management tool for the Region to reduce the potential of emergencies in the future.