About the OPS Drainage Committee
Ontario Provincial Standards for Roads and Public Works (OPS) is owned jointly by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the Municipal Engineers Association. Of equal importance is the involvement and support of many other organizations representing contractors, consulting engineers, manufacturers, and their associations.
OPS have been in use since 1984. Alliances between the noted organizations and the OPS Advisory Board have allowed OPS to evolve into an excellent model of construction standards development, now characterized by consistently well built, cost-effective, safe, and dependable highways and roads in the province.
The Ontario Provincial Standards Unit, part of the ministry’s Design and Contract Standards Office of the Provincial Highways Management Division, manages the development and production of construction drawings, construction and material specifications, and contract tendering documents for road works. Additionally, the unit has responsibility for channeling Ontario road products evaluation through external agencies and liaising with an external sources registry holder.
The OPS Drainage Committee is responsible for standards related to drainage such as: sewer and culvert pipes; drainage structures (e.g., maintenance holes); jacking and boring; tunneling; rip-rap; and gabions. Some standards overlap with some of the responsibilities of the OPS Watermains Committee.
Key Volunteer Responsibilities:
- Support the terms of reference of the OPS SMC
- Provide technical expertise for development of construction and material specifications, and drawings within the specialty division with a focus on municipal (MUNI) standards and specifications
- Develop and maintain a work plan covering standards review, revision and development; work on specifications should be concurrent with the addition or revision of related drawings
- Recommend priorities for standards revision and development to SMC in March of each year
- Review and revise existing standards
- Develop and prepare new standards
- Solicit input to prepare or revise any standards from other OPS Specialty Committees, outside agencies, interest groups, and individuals and incorporate appropriate changes into the standards
- Prepare standards along with a Publication Request form for submission to, and comment from, members of SC’s, and review comments received
- Review standards on a cyclical basis with a goal of having a renewal period within five years
- Support the OPS Standards Management Committee in the promotion, knowledge, acceptance, and use of OPS
- Ensure standards meet the needs of users and are current with technology, materials, and construction practices
- Attend all committee meetings
Volunteer Commitment:
- Representatives serve for a minimum of two (2) years
- Meeting duration is approximately three (3) hours, once each month
- Additional time may be spent between meetings on Action Items
- Meetings are currently virtual
- No meetings in July or August
Volunteer Qualifications:
- An Engineer with drainage design experience on municipal and provincial contracts preferred
- Must be an employee of an ACEC-Ontario member firm
Value:
- Opportunity to directly contribute to important industry standards within the Province of Ontario that will prove beneficial to all stakeholders and the industry as a whole.
- Eligible to receive volunteer recognition and appreciation benefits from ACEC-Ontario
- Expand your network with key industry stakeholders and other colleagues who hold ACEC-Ontario membership.
Open Vacancies
- One (1) vacancy currently open