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The Government of Ontario announced the first round of investments through its House-Enabling Water Systems Fund, that will see $970 million invested in 54 projects across 60 municipalities to help develop, repair, rehabilitate and expand drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
In response to the high demand for funding, the government is also announced it is allocating an additional $250 million for a second round of applications starting on August 14, bringing the total amount in the fund to $1.2 billion.
“Our government’s historic investments in infrastructure are helping to tackle Ontario’s housing supply crisis and get more homes built across the province,” said Premier Doug Ford. “The investments we are announcing today alone will help get more than half-a-million homes built, including nearly 47,000 here in Peel Region. We’re going to keep working with our municipal partners to make the dream of homeownership a reality for more families across Ontario.”
As part of the first round of funding, the province is providing the Regional Municipality of Peel with $35 million to support the expansion of the G.E. Booth Water Resource Recovery Facility. This project will enable 46,784 housing units in the Region of Peel and includes the extension of water systems and installation of new features, such as an aeration tank and filtering systems. Additional projects that have been approved for funding will be announced in the coming weeks.
“Peel Region welcomes the Government of Ontario’s $35 million dollar investment in G.E. Booth Water Resource Recovery Facility, as part of the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Funding announced today. G.E. Booth currently processes an average of 518 ML of wastewater per day. Earlier this year, Peel Region council approved an investment of $130 million to increase flow capacity. The province’s additional investment in G.E. Booth will help achieve our goal of increasing wastewater capacity by 40 million litres per day. This increased flow capacity will support the province’s goal of helping build more homes, including up to an additional 47, 000 housing units in Peel Region,” said Nando Iannicca, Peel Regional chair and CEO.
In this year’s budget, the province announced more than $1.8 billion in housing-enabling infrastructure funding through the $825 million Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and the $1 billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program that complements funding announced previously through the province’s Building Faster Fund. In response to the significant demand for investments in water and wastewater infrastructure to enable the construction of more homes and after consulting with municipalities, the province is transferring $275 million from the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund in order to meet this demand. In addition, the $120 million from the Building Faster Fund that was reserved for small, rural and northern communities is being flowed to these communities through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund.
Ontario industry and municipal associations were quick to support the government’s plans.
“We pleased to see the province heard our concerns about water infrastructure funding being a significant barrier in getting housing built and we are eagerly anticipating the second round of application intake. OBCM looks forward to continuing to collaborate closely with provincial partners to deliver on our shared commitment to accessible, resilient housing and essential services for all,” said Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor of Burlington, and chair of Ontario’s Big City Mayors.
“Recent flooding across the GTA underscores the real need for robust investment to upgrade aging water infrastructure and support sustainable growth across the region. This funding is essential to help facilitate more housing in Ontario, mitigate future risks and maintain the smooth operation of our critical infrastructure as the province grows. Our members commend Premier Ford and Minister Surma’s continued leadership in prioritizing water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure,” said Nadia Todorova, executive director, Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO).
“The Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association applauds Doug Ford and the Ontario government’s continued commitment to building the critical water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure that is needed to address the growth-related pressures on our municipal systems and help build more homes across the province,” said Patrick McManus, executive director, the Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association. |
