Norton Engineering Inc.
We love sewers
(See LinkedIn for the latest sewer research)
Norton's corporate goal is to make sewers better for the residents of Canada.
Norton has Made Substantial Contributions to National Standards and Specifications
Changing the face of Sewers in Canada
Barbara chaired this important standard published by CSA. This Guideline covers measures to reduce the risks of basement flooding, and to mitigate the adverse effects on property, public safety, and public health in case of a flood event. It covers existing, new, rebuilt, and renovated houses in rural and urban settings. Barbara has been consulting with SCC and CSA on an update to this Standard.
This is the first national sewer guideline published in Canada. Barbara identified the need for the Standard, prepared the draft, and worked with a national stakeholder committee to revise and finalize this seed document, which has since developed into a National Standard of Canada (BNQ, 2023)
This is the second national sewer guideline published in Canada. Barbara conceived of the need for, drafted and brought it to fruition at the federal level. Barbara chaired the national stakeholder committee that worked together to finalize the document, which was published in 2021. This document is being developed into a National Standard of Canada from 2023 -2025 (BNQ).
Barbara was a key contributor to this guide. The guide provides detailed and practical information on foundation drainage systems, sump pump systems, backwater protection for foundation drainage systems, and private-side sanitary sewer connections. This document covers components found in Part 9 of the National Building Code of Canada.
Barbara's First Discovery: Unacceptable I/I in a New Subdivisions, 2005
Following this discovery, Barbara worked with Woolwich Township to begin flow monitoring all new subdivisions. The next four subdivisions were also leaking (all for different reasons). The fifth, however, was leak-acceptable. Developers in the area had become aware that new subdivisions were being flow monitored, and had improved installation practices.
This was the first project initiated by Norton, building on a discovery that Barbara had made in 2007, and had continued to research since then. She "accidentally discovered that a new subdivision in St. Jacobs, Ontario, was contributing substantial sewage flows to the existing sewer system. Further investigation revealed that connections at property line were leaking. The issue was corrected and the sewers were assumed by the Township of Woolwich.
Following that, the Township (Rod Kruger, Manager of Engineering) agreed to flow monitor additional new subdivisions, and they were all delivering unacceptable flows to existing systems. The Region of Waterloo and the Township of Woolwich co-funded a ten-year program to reduce I/I in Woolwich.
This Best Practice by the Township of Woolwich has saved their residents millions of dollars, and saved the Region of Waterloo taxpayers millions on treatment, over the lifetime of these sewers.
Norton's First Sewer Publication (2015)
Once Norton was founded, the first step was to determine whether observations made in Woolwich were happening elsewhere in Ontario.
Norton set about securing direct assignment funding from municipalities in Ontario, and worked with Regional Public Works Commissioners Ontario (RPWCO) to provide input and direction to the project.
This project involved surveying and summarizing data collected from across Ontario, and the interviewing of hundreds of engineering, operations, building, plumbing and regulatory staff. Not surprisingly, subdivisions are leaking everywhere, an environmental, social and climate change disaster.
This report starts to look at the causes and conditions behind this alarming situation.
A Comparison of Public vs. Private Side Standards, 2018
Norton's next publication was an excruciatingly detailed comparison (checking all referenced specifications direclty) between guidelines and standards on the public side of the property line (used by engineers) versus the Building Code Regulations on the Private Side (used by Building Officials).
Barbara discovered dozens of areas in the Codes that are not protective of sewer integrity, including gaps, misapplication, out of date information, conflicting clauses and outright errors.
The Report was intentionally organized to be useful to both engineering and building types - and includes how to reduce the risk of leakage using existing Codes, along with changes that need to be made.
Barbara has been working with building officials at all levels (municipal, provincial and federal) work to get the Codes modernized.