ISSUE #1 • 2017

FEATURED ARTICLES:Mountain Highway Interchange | 5 Environmental Site Assessments | 7 Bermuda Water & Wastewater Master Plan| 9

Glycol-contaminated stormwater retention pond and blower building at Calgary International Airport

The Calgary Airport Authority, which manages operation of the Calgary International Airport, has undertaken significant improvements at the airport, with the construction of the new 17-35 runway and the international terminal. The Airport Authority wished to treat stormwater contaminated with glycol de-icing fluid to meet environmental standards for stormwater discharge. Glycol is used to de-ice aircraft in the winter. The Airport Authority retained Associated Engineering as the lead consultant for project management, design, and construction services for the Glycol Treatment Facility, including civil, electrical, structural, and process/building mechanical systems. We also prepared the standard operation procedure and emergency response plan for the facility.

The Glycol Treatment Facility includes a large stormwater diversion chamber and pump station that are more than 10 metres deep. The diversion chamber intercepts glycol-contaminated stormwater discharged from the apron, and the pump station transmits the glycol-contaminated stormwater to a large aerated retention pond with 350,000 cubic metres of storage. The retention pond contents are aerated to provide primary treatment and address odours. Four 250 horsepower

blowers in the adjacent Blower Building provide air for the retention pond. The Blower Building also houses a nutrient management system, and a programmable logic controller (PLC) system that monitors and controls over 200 inputs to the treatment process. The system is designed so that treated water can be recirculated through the pond for additional treatment, discharged to a secondary treatment process, or, during an emergency, discharged to the City of Calgary’s sanitary sewer system.

A second, 13 metre deep pump station with three pumps receives commands from the PLC system and controls the flow to the secondary treatment process. At the secondary treatment process, two attached growth reactor trains further treat the glycol-contaminated stormwater. Three 150 horsepower blowers in the Blower Building are dedicated to the secondary treatment process. The glycol concentration in the glycol-contaminated stormwater is continuously monitored through online instrumentation. Once the treated water quality meets City of Calgary guidelines, the treated water is discharged to the City’s stormwater system.

(continued on page 3)

Treatment for glycol-contaminated stormwater at Calgary Airport reduces environmental impact of discharge

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IN THIS ISSUE1 Treatment for glycol-contaminated stormwater at

Calgary Airport reduces environmental impact of discharge

2 Associated appoints Matthew Eades as General Manager of Ontario operation

Associated once again named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies

3 Associated wins Consulting Engineers of Alberta Awards

4 ViewPoints - Building the business case for energy efficient buildings

5 Upgrades to the Mountain Highway Interchange on Highway 1 in North Vancouver will improve access and safety

6 Staff Profile: Tracey Kucheravy

7 Successful Environmental Site Assessments pave the way for delivering successful infrastructure projects

8 Wolf statues help create unique gateway and focal point for Lethbridge’s new BlackWolf subdivision

9 Water and wastewater servicing for St. George’s Parish considers level of service needs and climate change

10 2016 Service Awards

11 Associated showcases climate change leadership at BCWWA Climate Change Conference

Employee News

12 On-site, high-voltage power system supplies power to Fort Hills Oil Sands Project in Northern Alberta

AE Today is published for employees and friends of the Associated Engineering group of companies.

Visit our web site at www.ae.ca for past issues of AE Today and for office contact information.

If you would prefer to receive AE Today via email, please email aetoday@ae.ca.

Associated appoints Matthew Eades as General Manager of Ontario operationKerry Rudd, President & CEO, is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Eades, C.Eng., MICE as General Manager of our Ontario operation. In this role, Matthew will provide organizational and business development leadership to our Ontario operation and our growing team of 125 staff in Markham, St. Catharines, and Kitchener.

Matthew has 25 years of experience in a wide range of sectors, including water, wastewater, infrastructure, buildings, and transportation, in Canada and the UK. A civil engineer, Matthew began his career with Southern Water, one of Britain’s major water companies, where he participated in capital planning, asset management and integration, and project delivery.

Since moving to Canada in 2011, Matthew has held senior project delivery and project management roles, and worked closely with clients such as the City of Toronto, City of Hamilton, Region of Peel, Region of Durham, and Metrolinx.

Matthew’s predecessor, Herb Kuehne, will continue his role as Senior Vice President, Civil Infrastructure. In this role, Herb will continue to provide support and technical guidance to staff across the country on civil infrastructure projects.

Associated once again named one of Canada’s Best Managed CompaniesFor the ninth consecutive year, Associated Engineering has been named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies, retaining our status as a Platinum member of this prestigious program. The Best Managed Companies program recognizes Canadian-owned and managed firms for their demonstrated technical excellence, contributions to the community, and commitment to sustainable growth. This award places us in an elite group of companies recognized as Platinum members of the Canada’s Best Managed Companies program. In a highly competitive industry, Associated Engineering has continued to be a stable, successful company and a consultant of choice for clients, a reliable partner in our industry, and a sought-after employer.

This past year, we opened a new office in Prince Rupert, BC; created and delivered an online training course (the first-of-its-kind) for water and wastewater systems operators in Alberta; established a goal for designing net zero buildings; and worked to integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation measures on our projects.

We partner with communities to deliver and maintain sustainable infrastructure. Recently, we received awards of excellence from the Consulting Engineers of Alberta for our design of the Main Street Revitalization for the Town of Rocky Mountain House, and for our emergency response services to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo during the Fort McMurray wildfires.

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Project Manager, Joseph Chen, tells us, “The challenge for this project was completing the preliminary and detailed design and tender package within an aggressive 3.5-month schedule, followed by construction and commissioning in 7.5 months. The $20 million project had to be completed by October 31, 2016 to coincide with the opening of the new international terminal.”

We provided a dedicated team and developed a project management approach to meet the aggressive schedule. We used Autodesk Civil 3D and Plant 3D to facilitate a dynamic design environment, promote team communications, and help manage intricate design changes. We held a number of workshops, which included our technical team and the Calgary Airport Authority’s operation and maintenance, environmental, and engineering teams, as well as the construction manager. These workshops provided forums for collaboration to discuss issues, identify solutions, and develop a creative design to

meet the accelerated schedule.

Joseph adds, “We considered the impact of climate change in our design. The pond is sized to handle a back-to-back, 1-in-100 year storm event, based on today’s standards, with capacity to accommodate more intense future storm events.”

Although the facility resides on airport crown land, as part of the design, we evaluated potential impacts to the general public at the project boundary. Working with the construction manager, we developed solutions to minimize the impact on the public during construction, and to keep the pedestrian pathway open. We designed a pathway system that connects beyond the project site, resulting in an integrated and connected pathway system for the public.

Our key personnel on this project included Joseph Chen, Dave Anderson, Daniel du Toit, Joe Lisella, Scott Witzke, Zhong Di, Joe White, Corinne Arkell, and Mark Ingalls.

Associated wins Consulting Engineers of Alberta Awards

Design of retention pond considers climate change impacts (continued from page 1)

On February 24, the Consulting Engineers of Alberta hosted their annual Showcase Awards Gala. Associated Engineering was honoured with Awards of Excellence for the Fort McMurray Wildfire Emergency Response and Water System Recovery Project, and the Town of Rocky Mountain House Main Street Rehabilitation Project.

In May 2016, a wildfire caused the evacuation of all 88,000 Fort McMurray residents, and damage to over 2,000 structures. Associated Engineering quickly responded to assist the community and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. We provided technical support to the water treatment plant operators, ensuring the supply of firefighting water. Once it was safe to re-enter the community, we provided on-the-ground teams to fast-track development and execution of the

Water System Recovery Plan for disinfecting and flushing the water system, and providing safe drinking water for residents returning home.

The Town of Rocky Mountain House had a vision to revitalize its Main Street to develop a welcoming, fully accessible street, and help transform its downtown into a vibrant hub. Main Street’s steep grade and cross slopes made designing an accessible, pedestrian friendly streetscape a challenge. The project team designed terraced, roadside boulevard walkways, linked by ramps and stairways, making each business fully accessible. By integrating new pathways with eye-catching planters, public seating, and ornamental lighting, the designers created spaces that enhance the downtown experience for residents and tourists.

(l-r) Danielle Schreiner, Rod Fraser (Rocky Mountain House), Chris Parfitt, Diego Mejia with award for Main St. project

(l-r) Jeff Fetter, Jason Vanderzwaag, Steve Justus with award for Fort McMurray Wildfire Emergency Response project

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Building owners and tenants tend to treat the expense of energy improvements for a new building or a renovation as a cost rather than an investment. The term cost is associated with a onetime expense with no consideration of future recovery, while an investment would consider the future benefit and potential financial return. By reframing the evaluation, energy efficiency can be proven to be a good investment.

In a recent study prepared by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and presented at Canada’s provincial Energy and Mines Ministers’ Conference in August 2016, several barriers to financing energy efficient building projects were identified. Examples of barriers include a lack of understanding about the environmental and economic benefits of energy efficiency upgrades; different interests when landlords are responsible for the improvements and tenants pay the energy bills; the cost of low carbon energy sources; and limits on debt levels.1

Notwithstanding variations between regions and risk tolerances, the NRCan study summarized that establishing a strong business case is one of the biggest challenges to increasing the uptake of energy efficient building projects.

A common way to evaluate the merits of energy efficient design elements has traditionally been the Payback Method: the fewer years it takes to payback the capital cost, the better. While it may be suitable for short-term investments, there are drawbacks to using the Payback Method for longer term investments. In the Payback Method, there is no consideration for inflation, or the return that is earned after the cost of borrowing the money is repaid. As an example, adding extra insulation to the walls and roof of a building will reduce energy costs to heat and cool the building compared to a building designed to minimum code requirements. Assume the

payback is calculated to be 15 years. The decision on whether to invest in additional insulation is made on the basis of the 15-year payback period. But what about the positive cash flow created by the energy savings after 15 years? The cash flows may be substantial and could be important in evaluating a project.

An alternative method to evaluate the merits of investing in energy efficient design elements is to use the Net Present Value Method. The Net Present Value Method incorporates inflation into future cash flows to today’s dollars so that we can compare different future scenarios to the initial investment. Again, using the example of adding additional insulation to the walls and roof of a building, in year 16 and for the rest of the life of the building, the energy bill savings will start to contribute a positive cash flow. The building with additional insulation and lower energy consumption is found to have a lower Net Present Value, i.e. be more affordable, than the building designed to minimum code requirements.

The true value of energy efficient buildings is measured not only on economics, but also social and environmental performance. However, with Canadian electricity rates rising, and carbon taxes and levies becoming more widely implemented, the economic benefits of energy improvements are increasing. Now is the time to become well versed in Net Present Value calculations in order to evaluate the affordability and profitability of energy efficient building design and renovation projects.

1 NRCan. August 2016. “Financing Energy Efficiency Retrofits in the Built Environment.” https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/emmc/pdf/Financing%20Report-acc_en.pdf

About the Author

Carma Holmes is Manager, Buildings Structural Engineering in our Edmonton office. Carma has 19 years of experience, focused on design and project management in the municipal and industrial sectors. She has participated in several sustainable initiatives at Associated, including the Sustainable Discipline Interest Group, Office Design Guidelines committee, implementation of our Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines, and, recently, our Climate Change Advisory Group. She is a past Director of Construction Specifications Canada and a member of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).

ViewPoints - Building the business case for energy efficient buildings by Carma Holmes, MBA, P.Eng., LEED AP

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Rendering of new Mountain Highway Interchange

In its “BC on the Move: A Ten-Year Transportation Plan”, the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure prioritized upgrades to the Mountain Highway Interchange on Highway 1 in North Vancouver. The Province of BC, Government of Canada, and the District of North Vancouver are investing $198 million to improve access to-and-from Highway 1 in the Lower Lynn area to increase safety and reliability, and reduce congestion. The Mountain Highway Interchange project is the first of four phases of the Lower Lynn Interchange Improvements.

The BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure retained Associated as prime consultant for the Mountain Highway Interchange upgrades. Key features of the project include a new partial diamond interchange and on/off ramps on Highway 1; a new five-lane Mountain Highway underpass; median and outside shoulder widening on Highway 1; realignment and widening of Mountain Highway from two to four lanes; and municipal roadwork improvements on the adjacent Keith Road and Brooksbank Avenue in North Vancouver. New on- and off-ramps to Highway 1 will better distribute traffic, and relieve pressure on neighbouring roads and interchanges.

Design Manager, Ron Gratz, tells us, “One of our challenges was to develop a design which accommodates future widening of Highway 1, an eastbound on-ramp, and other traffic movements, which will be implemented in subsequent phases of the Lower Lynn interchange improvements.”

To determine the future requirements, a future/ultimate interchange geometric and laning design concept was developed based on high-level conceptual options provided by the Ministry. The new five-lane Mountain Highway Underpass includes provisions to accommodate the addition of a future southbound to eastbound left-turn lane and future six-laning of Highway 1.

Major improvements to cycling and pedestrian facilities are incorporated in the design, including approximately 500 metres of sidewalks, one kilometre of on-road bike lanes, 400 metres of multi-use paths, and a new 5.2 metre-wide underpass beneath Mountain Highway, connecting existing trails to the east and west. The upgraded intersection at Keith Road/Brooksbank Avenue/Mountain Highway will separate pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles, improving safety.

Significant upgrades and replacement of the existing utility crossings beneath Highway 1 using trenchless technology are also required. The road widening on Keith Road and Brooksbank Avenue is heavily constrained by the proximity of private properties and steep grades of existing driveways and accesses. Three cast-in-place retaining walls with a concrete privacy screen fence are proposed on Keith Road and Brooksbank Avenue to minimize impacts to private properties. Environmental enhancements are incorporated in the culvert and creek design to enhance fish passage. These include fish baffles in the two, new, large culvert crossings under Highway 1 and Mountain Highway, and a series of boulder weirs with large woody debris and wood wads in the realigned Keith Creek, as well as riparian revegetation plantings.

The design of drainage infrastructure, including major culverts, storm sewers, and catch basins, consider climate change impacts. “Climate Change Resilience Design Criteria” were developed and submitted to the Ministry for signoff as part of the design process. The design of the new Mountain Highway Underpass, pedestrian tunnel and retaining walls also consider a potential increase in temperature due to climate change.

The team developed construction staging and advance works plans--key tasks for this busy section of Highway 1. Early completion of the new Mountain Highway Underpass is critical to maintaining the construction schedule. The project was tendered in February 2017 with construction completion scheduled for late 2018.

Upgrades to the Mountain Highway Interchange on Highway 1 in North Vancouver will improve access and safety

Highway 1 at existing Mountain Highway Interchange

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Tracey Kucheravy with her son

Growing up in Manitoba, Tracey Kucheravy loved drawing. Today, she is an accomplished artist, as well as a successful bridge technologist and project manager, mother, pet owner, and outdoors enthusiast.

Tracey’s career as a bridge technologist started with her love of drawing, which led her to take a drafting course in high school. She discovered she liked the organization, creativity, and perspective of drafting, which when Tracey started drafting, was all by hand.

After high school, Tracey considered a career in physical education, but found she did not enjoy the courses. So, turning to her love of drawing and drafting, she enrolled in Red River College’s drafting diploma program.

After working for several years, Tracey discovered her aptitude for project coordination. Wanting to take on more responsibility on projects, she returned to Red River College and completed the structural technology program.

As a structural technologist, Tracey has specialized in the design, coordination, and management of bridge and structural projects. She has worked on projects across Canada and in the US. Tracey tells us, “One of my career highlights is managing and delivering a $45 million project in Winnipeg. The project was 2½ years long, on which I was on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The hours were challenging, but I learned so much.”

Tracey’s approach to project delivery is to be organized, fully understand the drawings and specifications, and be open to change. She implements processes to help with time management, and incorporates lessons learned from

past experiences on site to enhance project success. Her philosophy is to minimize potential site issues that can result in extra costs. She works to understand our clients’ pressures, and to keep clients informed throughout a project.

Tracey credits Red River College’s former Dean of the Drafting Department, W.D. Sutherland, for helping to shape her career development, encouraging Tracey to get involved in the Certified Technicians and Technologists Association of Manitoba (CTTAM). Tracey went on to serve on the CTTAM Board for 10 years, and as President for two years, from 2011-2013. Tracey says, “Volunteering has opened a lot of doors and helped to advance my career.”

Tracey also credits a number of engineers who have helped advance her career, challenging her with new responsibilities. One mentor who stands out is James Betke, Manager of the Transportation Group in our Winnipeg office. “James is the reason I came to Associated,” Tracy advises. “I like the feel of our small office in Winnipeg, and being part of a larger company.” She adds, “I like Associated’s philosophy of sharing work across the company. I have the privilege of working with our bridge engineers across the company. At Associated, I have had more opportunities to blend my personal strengths of project coordination and assembling tender submissions.”

She reflects, “It takes a special person to work in consulting as it is demanding--the deadlines and long hours. But I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Tracy says. “Being a part of infrastructure projects across Canada is pretty amazing.”

Outside of work, Tracey is an accomplished artist. Her work is featured in galleries in Winnipeg. When she is not painting, she enjoys spending time with family and friends.

As for what advice she’d provide to young professionals, she says, “Take on responsibility; push yourself. Take on work to expand your expertise. This will make you more marketable. Always be open to learning something new.”

Tracey Kucheravy’s creative and organizational skills contribute to her successful career as a bridge technologist

Tracey’s painting, “Shoal Lake Study 2”

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Successful Environmental Site Assessments pave the way for delivering successful infrastructure projectsAn Environmental Site Assessment is a process which typically has up to four well-defined steps, although most projects do not progress through all four steps. The process begins with a qualitative assessment of the likelihood that a site is contaminated, and of the nature of the potential contamination (Phase 1); to obtaining and testing samples of soil and water, and possibly soil vapour for contamination (Phase 2); to fully delineating and describing contamination and developing a remediation plan (Phase 3); and finally, to remediating the contamination (Phase 4). Provincial and federal contaminated site regulations govern the various steps of the assessment process. Knowledge of the relevant regulations, and of the jurisdictional differences across Canada, is required to deliver effective assessments. Associated has completed all phases of the Environmental Site Assessment process for a wide variety of infrastructure projects across Western Canada. Our current projects include roads and highways in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, as well as the Valley Line for the City of Edmonton, and pipelines for Metro Vancouver.

Many infrastructure projects in developed urban areas are adjacent to, or bisect, industrial or commercial properties with some history of contamination related to historic waste management practices or incidental, continuous, or repetitive chemical releases, such as fuels or shop waste streams. Although qualitative, a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment provides valuable input near the beginning of an infrastructure development project because it casts a wide net and considers all potential forms of contamination (such as hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and salt). The key objective of a Phase 1 assessment is to identify and assess all areas of potential environmental concern, such as properties, buildings, and infrastructure, that could contaminate the soil, vapour, and groundwater underlying the project footprint. Finally, a Phase 1 report provides a recommendation on whether any follow-up Phase 2 sampling of soil, groundwater, or soil vapour is required; and on the optimal methods of obtaining soil samples (e.g. using a drill rig, hydro vac, backhoe or excavator, or manually using a hand auger or shovel). We

also advise whether the quantitative sampling and testing can be ‘piggy-backed’ on the geotechnical investigation, which typically occurs prior to construction, thereby saving costs.

Information derived from a Phase 2 assessment provides more quantitative information upon which to develop an understanding of the environmental status of the site, and of the contamination that may be encountered during a project’s construction phase. These assessments pave the way for successful project delivery, helping owners with planning and financing, and providing baseline information and knowledge of the potential environmental liabilities associated with a project site. This information helps owners plan and prepare for potential construction constraints, costs, and the time needed to manage issues related to contamination.

To be successful at the Phase 1 stage, the project team must recognize business practices that may contribute to site contamination, and be able to identify surface clues that suggest subsurface contamination. Our experts are trained in these issues, and understand the pathways to human and environmental receptors, and how contaminants travel to points of exposure.

Finally, contaminant migration can be influenced by climate change. For example, increases in the rate of contaminant movement can occur during floods or intense storms. Pathway distances from contaminant sources to aquatic receptors can change over time as river banks erode, and high winds can cause contaminated dust particles to migrate to neighbouring sites. Melting permafrost in northern Canada may change patterns and rates of vertical or lateral movement of contaminants. An awareness of the potential implications of a changing climate for contaminant migration can influence our conclusions during the assessment process.

Our contaminated sites experts bring experience, intuition, and judgment to bear on Phase 1 assessments, to first consider a wide range of potential sources of contamination, then zero in on potential problem areas. Good judgments made at this stage provide the foundation for a wise allocation of funding and effort during subsequent assessment stages. A successful Environmental Site Assessment identifies and reduces project risks, and increases the likelihood of successful project delivery.

For more information, contact Rob Kupchanko at kupchankor@ae.ca.

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Wolf statues help create unique gateway and focal point for Lethbridge’s new BlackWolf subdivision

(L to R) Bud Hogeweide (Hogeweide Management & Consulting Inc.), Garth Sherwin (City of Lethbridge) , Chris Spearman (City of Lethbridge), Gerry Simons (Avonlea Homes), John Wickey (Avonlea Homes), Michael Kelly (City of Lethbridge), and Travis Jensen and Dale Loewen (Associated Engineering)

Avonlea Homes’ BlackWolf community in the City of Lethbridge is a unique, pedestrian-oriented subdivision that features multi-use pathways connecting open spaces, parks, and ponds. Ultimately, the community will house over 600 residential homes. Avonlea Homes wanted a unique entrance to the community, that would act as a gateway, welcoming residents and visitors. Avonlea envisioned a gateway that highlights the community theme, and would become a destination within the pathway system, as well as a focal point for residents, visitors, and passing motorists and pedestrians.

Avonlea Homes engaged Associated Engineering in 2007 to provide planning, engineering, landscape architecture, project management, and construction administration services for the 120 acre, BlackWolf community development. As Associated Engineering was completing the subdivision design, our project team offered to help with the design of the community entrance feature.

The Associated project team provided project management services, including retaining and coordinating subconsultants and subcontractors. The subconsultant team included a 3D modeller, a local artist/3D printer specialist, and a local granite supplier.

Avonlea Homes provided photos of wolves to show how they imagined the art piece. With these concepts, we retained an

artist to prepare computerized renderings of wolves in 3D software. From the renderings, a scaled-down 3D print of each statue was created. We shared the 3D prints with the granite supplier, who sent them to their sculptors in China. The sculptors carved the wolf statues out of one, solid piece of granite. Once completed, the statues were sent by barge to Vancouver where they were placed on a train to Calgary and then trucked to Lethbridge. This process took approximately three months to complete.

Associated designed the foundation for the statues. Once the statues arrived in Lethbridge, an anti-graffiti coating was applied and a crane was used to place the statues on the prepared foundation.

Wolf statues are a feature of the entrance to the BlackWolf community in Lethbridge

Project Manager, Travis Jensen, tells us, “The timing of the wolf statue unveiling was critical. The statues needed to be in place for the start of the Lethbridge Parade of Homes.” The Parade of Homes is an event for developers to showcase their communities to the public. The wolf statues were installed, and landscaping completed before the Parade of Homes. The project was completed in September 2016.

Our key personnel on this project were Travis Jensen, Ben Leusink, and Emilee Kaupp.

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Typical white painted roofs on homes and businesses collect rainwater for drinking water in Bermuda

Bermuda is an idyllic country with a population of approximately 65,000 people, located in the North Atlantic Ocean. St. George’s Parish, one of Bermuda’s nine districts, is situated at the northeast end of the country’s chain of islands. St. George’s Parish has a population of approximately 6,400 residents living on the two islands, St. George’s Island and St. David’s Island.

In 2016, the Government of Bermuda embarked on a project to prepare a strategy for sustainable water and wastewater servicing for St. George’s Parish, and retained Associated Engineering to assist in preparing the strategy, with financial assistance from a local firm.

Currently, three separate entities, the Government of Bermuda, the Bermuda Land Development Company Limited, and the Corporation of the Town of St. George, own and operate water and wastewater infrastructure in the parish. The Parish’s water and wastewater infrastructure requires repairs, and wastewater treatment is required. Funding is required for capital works, and operations and maintenance.

A large percent of the parish’s drinking water comes from rainwater. All buildings are required to collect rainwater from rooftops, which are connected to in-ground cisterns that provide drinking water and water for household needs. In addition, two existing water treatment plants in the parish treat brackish water, and provide additional drinking water to residents, and commercial and institutional users.

The parish’s existing water infrastructure is operating at capacity, with no reserve capacity to handle an expanded user base. However, several new developments are planned,

and will require water and wastewater service, including a 220-unit hotel and golf resort on St. George’s Island, cruise ships, and the 70-unit St. George’s club. In addition, the Government wishes to expand its piped water distribution network; currently only servicing the Town of St. George and Southside, a part of St. David’s Island, have piped water service.

Project Manager, Rick Gabel, tells us, “One of our challenges is finding existing system data, drawings, and information, as well as financial data, which is needed to document the current system and status, and to develop capital and operational expenditures.”

Our project team has produced a preliminary base model of the sewage collection system in order to understand the needs for pumping stations and forcemains. The terrain is hilly with a pronounced elevation rise from the shores.

As part of the development of the strategy, we have held three workshops with key stakeholders to determine the Government’s level of service expectations, roles and responsibilities, and servicing strategies. The first of two planned Public Information Centres was held to present work completed to date and the potential servicing options. These include water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, re-use of treated wastewater effluent for toilet flushing and irrigation, and potential governance models. The goal is to connect the two islands’ water and wastewater distribution systems, and have a unified wastewater collection system and wastewater treatment facility to share storage and capacity in the parish.

The water and wastewater management servicing strategy for St. George’s Parish will consider climate change impacts

The second Public Information Centre will present the financial plan and preferred servicing alternatives. The Final Report will present the proposed systems, proposed governance model and regulatory body, a high-level financial plan, recommendations on water and wastewater modelling software and GIS platform, and proposed next steps.

Rick says, “We will consider climate change impacts when evaluating future needs, including treated water requirements during periods of low rainfall.”

Key staff on the project include Rick Gabel, Stan Mathew, Owen James, and Lindsay Mooradian.

Water and wastewater servicing for St. George’s Parish considers level of service needs and climate change

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Congratulations to our 2016 Service Award recipients!

ALBERTA5 YearsLily AlmedillaMarlyne ArboledaRichard BeltranSheila BlouinJoseph ChenKevin DanylukMatt FreemanJason GrahamMargaret-Ann HegdahlNicholai KristelJed LimChristel LopeAdam McDonaldLisbeth Medina Escobar

Klas OhmanGlenn PaoneOz PodolskiRose SchneiderAymee SmithRandy StevensonRajkumar SubramanianBruce ThurberJocelyn TiguloMarina TuftsArt VandermeerSara WadlowBrett Wynnyk

10 YearsEdith AsselinRyan BattyElizabeth FloresRobert HagenTravis JensenAled JonesDes KernahanDavid KirkpatrickNadeer LaljiWarren McKaySandra MeidingerTerry MitchellSean NicollKristi Stickel-BurkeAndrew Winter

15 YearsJudy ArychukJeff FetterChad MakiAlan MillerDenys Plamondon20 YearsChris BredoMichelle Dufrat-JarvisNancy GreenDale LoewenSutha Suthaker

30 YearsGreg Kaupp40 YearsRod Karius

BRITISH COLUMBIA5 YearsMark FleischhakerHeather HansenEvan JohnsonAmanda MillerNicole PennerLee PoettckerJames ReesHamish RobertsonFawn RossGwenda SulemPriscilla TsangJermyn Wong

Jase Zwarich10 YearsTim AucottJeff BallAudrey FilgateMarta GreenJack JiaoLewis MacraeMichelle MaynardBrenda MiskimminAndrew Wiens

15 YearsShaun BidulkaLouis De LangeDieter DiedericksMichael MacLatchyGuillermo QuijanoAnthony Shewan20 YearsJamie FitzgeraldJohn FussellJulien HenleySean Towers

25 YearsDennis Desjardins30 YearsLarry Martin35 YearsDale HarrisonDave Winter

SASKATCHEWAN5 YearsKen AndersonKyle BarthLisa BrodtJosh BuniakKris FisherAlyson GobeilleBob HergottAngela Hickie-MillerChase Kehrig

Leia KohlrussDanielle MakariStephanie McRaeAdam MolyneauxJaylyn ObrigewitschJeff O’DriscollDesiree PastorinStephanie ReidDavid ShymkoLyndon Stepp

Gina StilbornChris Turner10 YearsMonique KealeyEdwin KlassenChristopher ReeseVictoria RitcoAndrew StevensonDerrick TannahillDoug Thomson

15 YearsKveta TumaJoe Wyszomirski20 YearsMarvin Akister

ONTARIO5 YearScott BarbackiRick Gabel

Dave HarrisAnthony Shang

10 YearDavid HolyerVincent LaplanteJimmy Looi

20 YearGeoff Burn

Associated Engineering congratulates the following individuals who reached service milestones in 2016.Our service recognition program honours our staff’s contributions to our continued growth and company success.

Rod Karius

Nancy Green

Dale Harrison

Kveta Tuma

Dave Winter

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Employee News

Mohamed Aly, M.Sc., P.Eng. has joined our Saskatoon office as a Structural Engineer. He has over 12 years of experience in structural analysis and design, structures assessment and restoration, and design optimization.

Nathan Sherwood, P.Eng. has joined our St. Catharines office as a Project Manager. He has ten years of experience in wastewater pump station and forcemain design, biosolids management projects, and wastewater treatment plant process upgrades.

Vincent Lam has joined our Burnaby office as a Senior CAD Technologist. He has over 35 years of experience encompassing highway, bridge, building, and civil engineering projects. His experience ranges from conceptual to detailed design, as well as provincial and municipal design guildelines and bylaws.

Eben Kruger, PMP. has been appointed Manager, Roadways in our Edmonton office. He has over 20 years of experience in engineering project management, focused on large-scale, multi-disciplinary civil, building, and transportation projects.

Tonderai Chakanyuka, MBA, P.Eng., PMP, C.Eng. has been appointed Manager, Northern Region in our Edmonton office. He has 14 years of experience on multi-disciplinary projects including stormwater, water, wastewater, containment, roads, and rail projects.

Chris Poirier, C.E.T. has joined our Lethbridge office as a Project Manager. He has 15 years of experience in functional, preliminary, and detailed design of pedestrian and bicycle facilities and roadways. He also brings expertise in traffic analysis.

The BC Water and Waste Association (BCWWA) is a non-profit organization with a focus on water, wastewater, and stormwater management. On January 23 and 24, BCWWA hosted a conference on Climate Change Adaptation in Vancouver. The event’s theme was moving beyond climate change science and models towards practical climate change adaptation solutions. The conference featured 17 presentations, as well as a tour of the Southeast False Creek neighbourhood energy utility.

Associated’s Brian Guy, Owen James, John van der Eerden, and Andrew Wiens were invited speakers at the conference. Their topics included how climate change is influencing water management in the BC Okanagan and Similkameen watersheds, integrating climate change into municipal management, how urban flood risks are impacted by climate change, and the use of hydraulic modelling to quantify potential economic losses during extreme rainfall events. For more information on these presentations, contact Brian Guy at guyb@ae.ca.

Associated showcases climate change leadership at BCWWA Climate Change Conference

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A CARBON NEUTRAL COMPANY

associatedengineeringassociatedeng associated-engineering

Main Substation structural steel

The $17 billion Fort Hills Oil Sands Project owned by Fort Hills Energy Limited Partnership, which is located about 90 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, is expected to pump 194,000 barrels of bitumen per day, when developed. As part of the project, Fort Hills Energy Limited Partnership needed to design and construct an on-site, high-voltage power system, including two 260 kilovolt power lines, a connection to the utility substation and two new generators. As part of the multi-discipline team retained for the project, Associated Engineering completed design of the civil and structural works.

The high-voltage facilities on-site include six yard substations and ten skid-mounted substations. For the yard substations, our scope included site grading, drainage, fencing, structural steel supports, oil containment basins for electrical transformers, and performance specifications for the protection and control buildings. One of these buildings also had a basement that was used as a cable vault under the building.

Two screw-piling contractors supplied the foundations. We coordinated the screw pile foundations with our design of the structural steel. In addition, Associated assisted with underground cable sizing and cable routings. For the skid substations, Associated provided site grading.

Project Manager, Greg Walker, tells us, “We were subconsultants to Sinai Engineering, who designed the high voltage electrical components of the project. Our challenge was developing civil and structural designs for the specified electrical elements that considered the local geotechnical conditions, as well as the meteorological factors, such as wind, rain, and snow.”

Our key personnel on this project were Greg Walker, James Armstrong, Renee Arlow, Tara Alexander, Alan Miller, Caitlin Luo, Scott Friel, Luc Blanchette, and Matt Somes.

On-site, high-voltage power system supplies power to Fort Hills Oil Sands Project in Northern Alberta

Main Substation transformer being delivered