Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Greater Napanee is halfway towards a $28 million upgrade of its water pollution control plant thanks to funding from Ottawa.
Hastings-Lennox and Addington Liberal MP Mike Bossio was at town hall Monday to announce $14 million in funding towards the project. The town’s treatment plant is currently running at 94 per cent capacity and would need to be expanded before any major new developments could be greenlit.
“The sustainability of small town rural communities depends on their infrastructure,” said Bossio. “For far too long, our municipalities have not had the support they need to repair and replace aging water and wastewater systems. Not only does this mean that they have had to turn down growth and economic development, but also that our environment has been negatively impacted. The funding for Napanee’s wastewater treatment plant demonstrates clearly that the environment and the economy must go together, and I am proud to see Napanee getting the investments it needs for a sustainable future.”
Greater Napanee will cover the remaining $14 million for the project, which has a completion date of no later than 2028.
“The expansion of capacity for our waste water treatment plant, made possible with this support from the federal government, will allow us to be on an excellent footing for commercial and industrial investment opportunities,” said Greater Napanee mayor Marg Isbester. “It also is essential in our efforts to improve our environmental outcomes, while conserving energy consumption—something so important for municipal governments, and really all forms of governments. I must complement our staff on their hard work and efforts to supply design and financial information to secure this support. Countless hours have been put in by the staff on both ends of this infrastructure injection.”
The improvements to the Water Street plant will not only allow for new development, but will also assist in flood mitigation.
“From a natural environment standpoint, this is going to introduce tertiary treatment to our community, something we haven’t had before,” said Greater Napanee CAO Ray Callery. “It will also mitigate any bypasses that may need to be used during high water times, heavy rains. That’s a really big step forward for the natural environment. From an economic development standpoint, this has been one of the major hurdles that the federal government has helped us ease over. When you’re at capacity for your plant, it’s very hard to attract new companies, new industry to the area.”
Callery added questions surrounding the treatment plant have long prevented the town from addressing other strategic opportunities. He says Monday’s announcement will allow them to move forward on other projects.
Isbester noted the town has missed out on attracting new business in recent years due to lack of infrastructure.
The mayor says the town will cover the costs through capital reserves and will likely have to go into debenture to cover the remaining $14 million, but also noted this was too good of an opportunity to pass up on from the federal government. She says they will continue to seek funding from the provincial level as well should it become available. She complimented Conservative MPP Darryl Kramp, who has been pushing for funding from the provincial level on their behalf.
“We’ve been very forward thinking in getting all the surrounding property (around the plant) as they’ve come up for sale so we have a good start on what needs to be done,” said Isbester.
“The main importance of the project is increased hydraulic capacity,” explains Peter Dafoe, manager of infrastructure services with Greater Napanee. “It’s going to be going up about 127 per cent.”
With some funding now in place, the town will begin to seek tenders on the project with some work expected to begin next year. Dafoe says work will be done in phases.