Ottawa City Council addressed drinking water safety, including lead in school drinking water and older homes, and heard an update on a delayed Lemieux Island water plant intake project. Council also debated options for commemorating Ottawa’s 200th anniversary through tree planting, and carried a motion affecting tree-removal applications in a Barrhaven neighbourhood built on sensitive marine clay (Leda clay). The meeting also raised an accessibility issue in assisted waste collection, where recycling may be set out with help but garbage and organics are not covered by a comparable city service.

Topics Discussed

Lead in Drinking Water and School Safety

Council discussed lead in drinking water in schools and older housing stock. Paul Montgomery, the city’s Acting Director of Drinking Water Facilities and Services, said the city’s supply is not the source of lead: “Our drinking water that is supplied is lead free. But what can happen is plumbing inside those schools can affect the quality of that water which includes the solution of lead in drinking water under certain circumstances.”

Staff said schools are responsible for their own sampling protocols. Staff also referenced roughly 30,000 homes built before 1955 with lead service pipes, and reiterated the city’s advice that residents can flush taps “for up to one minute before use,” and that homeowners can replace their portion of the service line during city upgrades.

Lemieux Island Water Plant Intake Project Delayed

Council heard that the $38 million project to replace the Lemieux Island plant intake has been delayed due to difficulties obtaining approvals from Quebec’s environment ministry (MELCC). Staff said: “We were not able to obtain approval with the MELCC. That process has gone on for a couple of years back and forth sharing information providing technical details.” Another staff update added that “it’s proving to be more challenging than we’d hoped to get approval.”

Staff said the city will move away from the Quebec-side intake approach and instead pursue options on the Ottawa side to improve resiliency against ice-related issues.

Tree Removal Exemption for Barrhaven Neighbourhood (Marine Clay/Leda Clay)

Council carried a motion affecting a Barrhaven neighbourhood where residents say municipal trees are contributing to foundation damage in sensitive marine clay (Leda clay). Councillor Low said residents “bulked at the eyewatering estimate of almost $20,000 for the geotechnical investigation,” adding that this cost comes “on top of the tens of thousands of dollars affected homeowners have already spent on repairs and the preliminary investigation.”

Staff described the context as a neighbourhood built before current planting policies for sensitive clay soils: “The neighborhood was built at a time prior to city policies being in place with respect to tree planting in areas of sensory clay.”

During debate, councillors raised concerns about whether changing requirements could create a broader precedent. One speaker warned: “I still think that there’s the possibility of it being precedent setting,” and added that it could be “very convenient” for developers if similar arguments were used when “a tree is in the way.”

Ottawa’s 200th Anniversary Tree Planting

Council debated how to mark Ottawa’s 200th anniversary through tree planting. Councillor Curry summarized staff’s costing and feasibility: “Staff had recommended or someone had recommended 200 trees in 24 wards, $750,000. Can be done, but expensive and not till 2028.” Curry contrasted that with the alternative: “instead, how about you do one per ward? We can do that. 50,000 bucks.”

Councillor Divine argued that distributing one tree per ward would not improve outcomes, saying: “I just think understandably you hit a wall of can’t implement that. Let’s come up with another plan. And I think the plan serves 24 individual interests… but that doesn’t improve the overall outcome.” Divine ultimately withdrew his motion, saying he wanted “to work offline with staff after this meeting… [which] may ultimately result in a more formal direction at a different meeting.”

Assisted Waste Collection Service Gap

Council discussed an accessibility gap in assisted waste collection. The issue raised was that some residents can receive help setting out recycling through Circular Materials, but there is no comparable city service for garbage and organics set-out, despite all streams being collected on the same day. Staff were asked to look at accessibility implications and what would be required to provide consistent assisted set-out across waste streams.

Motions

• Municipal Responsibility Agreement - 1491 Manitic Station Road (Item 5.1): Carried by committee
• Bytown 200th Anniversary Tree Planting (Brockington Motion): Carried — directs planting of one commemorative tree per ward (24 trees total) in the 2026 fall planting season at a cost of $50,000
• Alternative Tree Planting Motion (Divine): Withdrawn — Councillor Divine said he would “work offline with staff after this meeting” on a separate initiative
• Geotechnical Review and Tree Removal Exemption (Low Motion): Carried, with dissents from Councillor Carr on operative clauses 2 and 3 — directs staff to complete a geotechnical review of the Barrhaven neighbourhood with sensitive marine clay, removes the requirement for homeowners to pay for geotechnical reports when claiming tree damage, and provides that where trees cannot be replaced in front of affected properties, the city will consider replacement elsewhere in Ward 24

Attendees

The transcript does not provide a complete attendance list. Councillors and officials referenced during discussion included: - Councillor Tierney
- Councillor Hill
- Councillor King
- Councillor Curry
- Councillor Divine
- Councillor Low(e)
- Councillor Johnson
- Councillor Kavanagh
- Vice Chair Carr
- Paul Montgomery (Acting Director, Drinking Water Facilities and Services)
- Former Councillor Brockington (motion read on their behalf)