Water Conservation

Water, in its many forms, is significant with respect to its impact on communities. As surface or groundwater is treated for health protection through the multi-barrier systems at water treatment plants then distributed to users, there is embedded energy, which in its many forms contributes to GHG emissions.

Similarly, the collection and treatment of sanitary sewage includes greater energy inputs than for potable water, in particular within the treatment plants. Some of the energy required may be offset by the solids treatment process at both of Kingston’s main waste water treatment plants where biogas is generated and currently used for heating and some combined heat and power generation.

Storm water, with exception of that collected within the combined sewage areas, has minimal energy inputs. However, GHG emissions result from maintenance of catch basins and ponds to ensure runoff impact on receiving waters is minimal, but also from deleterious materials that decompose in our waterways.