Carleton Place receives $35 million to expand wastewater treatment plant
The Town of Carleton Place has announced that it is has received a $35 million provincial grant under the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund (HEWSF), which will be used to expand the town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. That’s the maximum amount eligible per project.
The Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund helps municipalities develop, repair, rehabilitate and expand critical drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
“I would sincerely like to thank the provincial government for this substantial grant as the financial burden on small, urban municipalities to upgrade this necessary infrastructure is immense,” stated Carleton Place Mayor Toby Randell in a media release. “This funding will help ease that burden while allowing us to continue to grow and do our part in assisting Ontario in its push to build various housing types for all citizens.”
Randell acknowledged and thanked “the vision of our council and previous councils to ensure adequate resources have been allocated to update our guiding documents allowing our application to be made.”
He also thanked staff, especially Guy Bourgon, Director of Public Works and Chief Administrative Officer Diane Smithson “for their contributions in obtaining this grant funding. Our community thanks you for your dedication and determination.”
John Jordan, MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, noted that “like many of the communities within our riding, Carleton Place has been greatly impacted by the challenges that come with exponential growth. This investment addresses the need for reliable infrastructure to meet realistic housing targets as we respond to current demand and project for future population growth.”
Construction is expected to start in early 2025 and work will include the construction of new headworks and new aeration tanks, increased clarifiers, sludge thickening and increased sludge storage, a new Membrane Bio Reactor treatment system, a new ultraviolet system, and increased primary digestion.
The municipal portion of this project (53 per cent) will be funded through development charges, which are collected when developers, home builders, and institutions develop or build on land in Carleton Place. The funds are then used to pay for municipal infrastructure including upgrades and expansions necessary to service new growth-related projects resulting from new development within the community.