Ontario Helping the City of Toronto Build Storm and Wastewater Infrastructure
The Ontario government is investing $25 million to build, upgrade and rehabilitate storm and wastewater infrastructure, including $4,908,742 for the City of Toronto right here in Etobicoke Centre.
The City of Toronto will be receiving:
- $2,079,088 to improve the aging state of their storm and wastewater systems infrastructure to make them more efficient and reliable. Funding can be used to build stormwater infrastructure, upgrade their sewers and pumping stations and clean out debris from stormwater management ponds.
- $2,829,654 to upgrade their sewage monitoring and public reporting capacity. Funding can be used to purchase and install monitoring equipment and software to catch sewage overflows and bypasses when and where they happen and improve or implement real-time public reporting systems.
“Through this investment of more than $4.9 million dollars, we’re bringing new and improved stormwater and wastewater infrastructure to the people of Etobicoke,” said Kinga Surma, MPP for Etobicoke-Centre. “This funding will help build, upgrade, and rehabilitate storm and wastewater systems to help protect people’s homes during large rainfalls and downpours.”
Wastewater and stormwater from urban areas can add pollutants, such as phosphorus to lakes and rivers, resulting in negative impacts on water quality and causing harmful algal blooms. In 2020, 597 tonnes of phosphorus were discharged into Lake Ontario by all sewage treatment plants in the basin, with over 80 percent of this discharge in the western part of Lake Ontario.
“We know that in many municipalities across Ontario, critical storm and wastewater infrastructure are under pressure,” said David Piccini, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “The Ontario government is investing $25 million to build the storm and wastewater infrastructure necessary to ensure cleaner water and tackle the pollution and toxic overflows facing communities across the province.”
In addition, the government has launched a public consultation on potential approaches to improve wastewater and stormwater management and water conservation in Ontario and released a draft Low Impact Development Stormwater Management guidance document. The province is also seeking input on a proposed subwatershed planning guide to help municipalities and other planning authorities with land use and infrastructure planning.
Quotes:
“I want to thank the provincial government for the $4.9 million investment towards the future of our city and its resiliency. This funding will help us to continue to improve wastewater and stormwater monitoring and further enhance our lake water quality. This is a very important investment in our city as we continue to do the necessary work to protect our environment and to address the impacts climate change is having on our city. Today’s announcement is an example of the work we can achieve when we work together to create a more livable city for all of our residents.”
-Mayor John Tory
Contact:
Stacie Korjenevitch
MPPs Office
416-234-2800
Kinga.surmaCO@pc.ola.org