Lakeshore Council Discusses Water and Wastewater Master Plan Update

Lakeshore Council held a constructive round of discussions as part of the ongoing update to the municipality’s Water and Wastewater Master Plan, a document which is expected to guide water and wastewater infrastructure investments over the next two decades.

Council heard from Administration and representatives from Jacobs, the consulting firm conducting the master plan update, who provided a summary of the planning activities to date. The update included a summary of feedback from residents and stakeholders, project prioritization and implementation, and a list of preliminary solutions based on detailed evaluation criteria.

The estimated cost of the preliminary list of solutions for both water and wastewater projects related to the master plan tally over $260 million through 2042, with over $210 million worth of potential projects in the next six years.

“Tonight, Council discussed the immense pressure that our water and wastewater systems are facing throughout the municipality. It is clear there is a critical need to make significant infrastructure improvements to protect our residents, as well as the environment, which has been identified as a strategic priority for this Council,” said Mayor Tracey Bailey. “Unfortunately, this Council will bear the weight of the investments that need to be made after decades of doing nothing about it, but we are certainly up to the task.”

Some of the proposed near-term projects for wastewater include a treatment facility to replace the Comber and Stoney Point sewage lagoons, along with investments in wastewater conveyance infrastructure (e.g. sewer pipes) in Belle River and the west end of Lakeshore. For water projects, the update identifies the replacement of the Comber Sideroad Watermain along with new water towers in Stoney Point/Point-aux-Roches and Comber.

The final Water and Wastewater Master Plan update is expected to be presented to Council in August for adoption, which will include potential funding models for Council.

Residents and stakeholders can sign up for project updates and learn more at Lakeshore.ca/WWMP. Read the Report to Council and presentation boards from the Public Information Centre #3.