Lakeshore Moves Forward With Water And Wastewater Master Plan

Lakeshore Council is moving ahead with the 2024 Water and Wastewater Master Plan, a document which will guide critical water and wastewater infrastructure investments over the next two decades.

The Master Plan, conducted by Jacobs, identifies short- and long-term strategies, initiatives, programs, and infrastructure projects needed to service Lakeshore’s communities. Overall, a financial analysis estimated the total cost over the 20 years of the plan to be $465 million when adjusted for inflation and other financial factors.

The plan also outlines the ongoing challenges facing Lakeshore’s water and wastewater systems, including ongoing environmental and regulatory concerns in Lakeshore’s eastern communities, higher than expected population growth, as well as changes to provincial policy related to increased population density.

To fund the projects in the Water and Wastewater Master Plan, Council also directed Administration to undertake a Development Charge Study Update and a Water Wastewater Rate Study. Grant funding opportunities will also be pursued to reduce the financial burden on taxpayers.

The Water and Wastewater Master Plan Notice of Completion will be provided to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks, as required under the Environmental Assessment Act. The plan will also be posted to the project page at Lakeshore.ca/WWMP.

High-priority projects will be added to the 2025 Budget for Council deliberation, including a replacement of the Comber Sideroad Watermain, an Environmental Assessment for a sewage treatment facility in Stoney Point/Point-aux-Roches, and detailed design for key sanitary sewer projects.