On this page
Environmental Services
Wastewater Services
What we do
Environmental Services is made up of three divisions: Wastewater Services, Water Services, and Solid Waste Resources and our mandate is to protect the environment through compliance with provincial regulatory requirements.
Our Wastewater Services delivers reliable sanitary services through the collection and treatment of wastewater, and we respond to spills and proactively monitor businesses and industries.
Why we do it
The Strategic Plan Sustaining our Future priority guides our protection of the quality and quantity of Guelph’s groundwater and its efficient use; as well as our climate change mitigation efforts to reduce Guelph’s carbon footprint through the diversion of waste and use methane gas, a wastewater bio-solids by-product, as a source of energy.
Our team takes a collaborative approach to the delivery of environmental services with a highly skilled workforce and financial oversight that supports the vision of Working Together for our Future priority.
We maintain water, wastewater systems and solid waste assets in good working conditions through proactive maintenance programs and aging asset replacements to sustain current levels of service to our customers, thereby contributing to the strategic priority of Building our Future.
2021 to 2024+ initiatives
- Advance continuous improvement projects and investment in data management software to drive operational efficiencies through improved mobile access of critical information as well as cross-departmental corporate access.
- Ensure that Environmental Services staff remain highly trained professionals with water and wastewater operators licensed by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.
- Deliver Community Outreach programs that are critical in water, wastewater and solid waste to inform residents and businesses about how they can contribute to protecting the environment.
- Continue to plan and implement energy efficiency initiatives to support Council direction on zero carbon
Budget details
Operating budget—Revenues and expenses
2021 budget impacts
- $1,136,200 increase in user rate revenues due to growth as well as a proposed rate increase of 1.0% in 2021.
- $375,000 decrease in revenue related to the removal of the transfer from the Wastewater Operating Contingency Reserve which provided rate relief in 2019 and 2020.
- A net zero budget adjustment to remove to debenture financing expenses that is now paid. This includes expense reductions of $700,975 and an offsetting reduction in revenues of $700,975.
- $233,000 increase in purchased goods related to inflationary contractual obligations for chemicals.
- $246,900 decrease in utilities due to the continued energy efficiency initiatives and being registered as a Class A facility in the Global Adjustment Program.
- $308,000 net increase in purchased services mainly related to contractor repair and maintenance that reflects the need for contractor support to conduct Wastewater operations.
- $301,000 increase in the transfer to Wastewater Services Capital Reserve Fund to maintain capital infrastructure renewal sustainability
- Other budget changes are inflationary in nature.
2022 to 2024 budget impacts
- Forecasted rate increase of 2.6%, 3.5% and 1.9% over the three years.
- Inflationary cost pressures related to compensation and contractual chemical increases.
- Annual increase to the transfer to Wastewater Capital Reserve Fund to maintain sustainable infrastructure funding.
- Addition of a Wastewater Operations Analyst to support growing service requirements.
- Addition of two Project Manager positions to assist with capital projects and addressing infrastructure growth. These positions will be funded through the capital budget that results in a net zero impact to the operating budget.