Oxford County, Town of Tillsonburg and City of Woodstock update water and wastewater service agreements

Updated agreements enhance service, ensure long-term sustainability of systems

The Councils of Oxford County, Town of Tillsonburg and City of Woodstock have approved updated service contract agreements that will ensure the continued long-term safety, reliability, and sustainability of water and wastewater services.

The new separate agreements include a plan for enhanced service delivery and reliability of water and wastewater services; commitments to updated best practices and key performance tracking; and an increase in staff in each of the Town and City to support service provided at the local level. The responsibility for approximately 37 kilometres of trunk sewers has been assumed by the County as part of the agreement to ensure the proactive maintenance, repair and replacement of this critical infrastructure.

Under the updated agreements, residents will also see ongoing engineering coordination on road improvements. This means road work carried out by the local municipality and construction work on Oxford County’s underlying water and wastewater infrastructure will be carried out in a way that maximizes cost-effectiveness and reduces community traffic disruptions.

Under the renewed service contract agreements, the Town and Tillsonburg and City of Woodstock continue the management of the day-to-day operations and maintenance of a portion of the County’s water distribution systems, encompassing watermains, valves, fire hydrants and water meters, as well as a part of the County’s wastewater collection systems, which include gravity sewers and manholes. Oxford County continues to operate all water supply wells, water and wastewater treatment facilities, and parts of the water distribution and wastewater collection systems (transmission watermains, wastewater forcemains, pumping stations, water towers, water reservoirs). 

As the water and wastewater infrastructure owner, Oxford County continues to hold the municipal authority, oversight and responsibility for the supply, treatment, storage and distribution of water, as well as the collection and treatment of wastewater sewage. Oxford County also carries out long-term system planning for water and wastewater to meet the needs of current and future populations through the 2024 Water and Wastewater Master Plan and the 2022 Asset Management Plan.

Water and wastewater operational services and infrastructure within the Town and City are wholly funded through County area-specific water and wastewater rates (utility charges), which, beginning in 2024, are set annually by Oxford County through each budget planning process.

Quotes

“The Town of Tillsonburg would like to extend a thank you to the County throughout the negotiating process which resulted in maintaining a partnership where the Town of Tillsonburg and our local personnel who have the knowledge and expertise will continue to oversee the operations under the authority of the County to ensure all provincial standards are met. Maintaining local operations is paramount to delivering quality services to our community.”

- Deb Gilvesy, Mayor, Town of Tillsonburg / Councillor, Oxford County

“Under the new agreements, we’re pleased to see our highly skilled City staff continue to support the delivery of safe, clean drinking water to our community through the daily operation and maintenance of the County’s water systems. I look forward to continued collaboration and coordination so that all those living and working in the City of Woodstock and across Oxford County receive high quality, efficient water and wastewater services.”

- Jerry Acchione, Mayor, City of Woodstock / Councillor, Oxford County

“As our communities grow and the demands on municipal infrastructure increase, new approaches are a way to ensure we can continue to meet the servicing challenges of the future while delivering value and results for the community today; in fact, collaboration with our partners and communities is a goal of the new Strategic Plan for this reason. In this case, all parties put forward a great effort in reaching a model for moving forward that delivers excellent service and long-term sustainability for our growing communities.”

   - Marcus Ryan, Warden, Oxford County / Mayor, Township of Zorra

BACKGROUND 

• In Ontario, municipalities are responsible for water and wastewater service delivery and must report on the performance of their systems to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. As the regulating body, the Ministry registers, licenses, authorizes operators, and issues work permits for municipal systems.
• Across all eight of Oxford’s area municipalities, Oxford County is the water and wastewater system owner and holds municipal authority and responsibility for the supply, treatment, storage and distribution of water, as well as the collection and treatment of wastewater sewage. The County also operates all water supply wells and water/wastewater treatment facilities.
• The County operates the water distribution and wastewater collection systems (transmission watermains, wastewater foremains, trunk sewers, pumping stations, water towers, water reservoirs) in Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Ingersoll, Norwich, South-West Oxford and Zorra, and parts of these systems in Tillsonburg and Woodstock.
• Town of Tillsonburg and City of Woodstock are contracted by Oxford County as system operators under service agreements. Together with Oxford County, the municipalities ensure safe, reliable water and wastewater systems for the residents and businesses of Tillsonburg and Woodstock that protect public health and the environment. The Town and City are responsible for the operation and maintenance of a portion of the County’s water distribution and wastewater collection systems within their local municipality limits.