Georgina Water Treatment Plant

Mussel Control, Intake-Outfall Pipe and Site Rehabilitation

York Region is working in your community, rehabilitating the Georgina Water Treatment Plant. The Georgina Water Treatment Plant provides clean and safe treated water to the Keswick and Sutton communities in the Town of Georgina. The work includes health and safety upgrades at the water treatment plant, installing a second watermain along Kennedy Road, repairing the damaged outfall pipe and the invasive mussel control system located in Lake Simcoe.

We are currently conducting field studies along Kennedy Road in Willow Wharf Park and in Lake Simcoe. The field study work has begun and is expected to be completed by fall 2022. The work at each field study location will take between one to four days to complete. Multiple field and ecological studies are being done to make sure the rehabilitation work does not impact Lake Simcoe’s ecology.

map of work area

Project Updates and News

Frequently Asked Questions

What is happening at the Georgina Water Treatment Plant?
York Region is doing rehabilitation work to extend the life and service of the Plant. Work includes:

  • In-water work in Lake Simcoe to repair the damaged outfall pipe and repair the mussel control system
  • Improving health and safety features in the water treatment plant and the management of stormwater
  • Construction of a second watermain along Kennedy Road, between the Low Lift Pumping Station and the Georgina Water Treatment Plant
     

What is the purpose of the field studies?
During the field study work, York Region is drilling boreholes along Kennedy Road between the Georgina Water Treatment Plant and the Low Lift Pumping Station to examine the ground conditions and locate existing utilities. The work in Lake Simcoe will evaluate the coastal conditions.
 

What was that piece of pipe that was removed from the water in the winter of 2019?
The Georgina Water Treatment Plant outfall pipe detached from its anchors and floated to the surface of Lake Simcoe. The pipe has been properly secured to the lakebed using temporary anchors. A permanent replacement pipe will be installed as part of this project.
 

Will Willow Wharf Park be affected?
Willow Wharf and the park may need to be used as a staging site and to store construction equipment. At this time we do not know how much of the park we will need to use; more information will be provided.
 

When will the work take place?
You will see work take place in two phases:

  • Field Studies: Various field studies will be conducted on Kennedy Road, Willow Wharf Park and in Lake Simcoe from February 2021 to fall 2022
  • Construction: Rehabilitation and construction work will take place between summer 2023 and fall 2024
     

What are quagga mussels and what is the impact?
Quagga mussels are an invasive species that reduce the amount of food for other native species in water, spread disease to fish and waterfowl and can damage in-water infrastructure. A single female mussel can produce over a million eggs each year; quagga mussels build up on pipes, buoys, boats and anything that is in the water. These mussels are clogging the intake pipe to the Georgina Water Treatment Plant.
 

What has York Region been doing to control the quagga mussels?
York Region protects the in-water infrastructure from quagga mussel infestations by annually having a diver clean and inspect the intake pipe and through the chlorine dosing program. At the Georgina Water Treatment Plant the chlorine line in the intake pipe has been damaged and is not reducing the quagga mussel growth effectively and it needs to be replaced.
 

What are the next steps to control quagga mussels?
York Region is replacing existing damaged chlorine lines with a new delivery system. The new lines will help prevent the quagga mussels from growing around the intake pipe. We will also install new testing lines to allow us to try new mussel control options as they become available.
 

Will this work upset the ecology of the lake?
This work will not affect the ecology of the lake. The field study work being completed is to ensure construction work is done in an environmentally sensitive manner.

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