By Sarah Klein
The Manitoba government will spend $84 million over the next five years to improve and upgrade water and waste-water facilities in more urban and rural communities.
Premier Greg Selinger said the province is working with municipalities and the federal government to prioritize upgrading or replacing waste-water treatment facilities in communities like Selkirk, Virden and Thompson. The province is also working in partnership with the Cartier Regional Water Co-op to construct a new water treatment plant in the RM of Headingley to meet increasing water demands in the surrounding municipalities and CentrePort.
“Clean water is a basic necessity that is crucial to the health of all Manitobans,” Selinger said. “A healthy water supply also plays a significant role in attracting business opportunities in growing communities.”
New projects include:
- $1.5 million for water supply upgrades in the RM of MacDonald to expand the pipeline to Oak Bluff from the Sanford water plant, and reservoir expansion in Oak Bluff to meet increasing water demand
- $2.3 million for a new waste-water lagoon and infrastructure for the RM of Sifton and the Town of Oak Lake
- $1,050,000 for upgrades and expansion of the waste-water lagoon in the local government district of Pinawa that will benefit residents and the Tim Horton’s children’s camp
Letters will soon be sent to municipalities asking them to identify potential water and waste-water projects that could be cost-shared in the future.
