Developers in Picton could be facing a wastewater treatment capacity crisis, the scope of which won’t be known until the completion of the Master Servicing Plan (MSP).

With a slate of approved developments on the horizon, and 3000 new homes planned for Picton alone by 2032 — seven years away — expansion of its wastewater treatment infrastructure is an urgent priority.

CIMA Canada started an analysis in early 2023 to determine how much servicing capacity is needed to accommodate the growth. 

According to a 2022 Watson and Associates study, the population of Picton and Bloomfield is expected to reach over 20,000 by 2047.

In November 2024, Council passed an Interim Control Bylaw, pausing all new development applications in Picton, Wellington, and Bloomfield while it undertakes a Development Charges Study. 

County Spokesperson Mark Kerr noted that while the MSP is near completion, the municipality is assessing the impact of the Development Charges study on its recommendations. 

When the Interim Control Bylaw was introduced, there were 340 available units of wastewater treatment capacity remaining in Picton. The municipality has allocated 125 units to the first phase of the Queen Elizabeth housing development.

With the timeline for new wastewater treatment infrastructure unknown, the County may have to consider a short-term alternative.

Newterra, an American company with a plant in Brockville, manufactures small-scale, decentralized wastewater treatment facilities that can work for up to 500 units.  

They have the  benefit of quick installation, but the County does not consider it a long-term solution in more densely populated areas where centralized wastewater plants are already in operation. 

“The municipality is open to exploring the possibility of permitting “package” wastewater treatment technology like the Newterra system as an interim, likely privately-owned, solution while centralized treatment expansion is being contemplated,” Jeff Shortt, a Project Manager with the County, said.

“However, operating and maintaining small individual wastewater systems on a permanent basis is not considered an efficient and cost-effective solution.”

Quinte’s Isle Campark in Cherry Valley and Young’s Cove in Quinte West both employ Newterra wastewater treatment technologies. The Young’s Cove wastewater equipment is designed to be scalable as it goes through phases of development from 125 to 500 homes.

While the County is open to developers pursuing this route, it is not interested in addressing its capacity needs with decentralized plants.

Mr. Shortt noted that the cost of maintaining and operating several decentralized systems would drive up utility rates. 

The municipality’s priority remains an expanded central wastewater plant to accommodate new growth.