$50M in funding to kick-start upgrades at two wastewater plants in London, Ont.

A series of upgrades at two wastewater treatment plants on the Thames River in London, Ont. will protect the treatment sites from flooding following record-setting rainfall at the beginning of this year.

The federal and municipal governments announced just short of $50 million in funding for the project Dec. 7. Ottawa’s $19.8 million portion will come from its Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF).

“Record rainfalls and flooding are becoming more frequent in London, as they are in other regions across Canada, as a result of Climate Change,” Kate Young, MP for London West, said in a release. “The construction of these new flood barriers and effluent pumping stations at our local wastewater treatment plants will better protect our river, downstream First Nation communities, and Lake Erie from the impacts of severe weather events.”

The city noted the Greenway and Adelaide wastewater plants treat roughly 70 per cent of London’s wastewater.

Among other aspects of the projects, the funding covers the installation of physical barriers between the river and the facilities, which will allow them to continue operating at full capacity even during major floods. The upgrades will also reduce the potential for untreated or partially treated wastewater to enter the river.

The City of London said it would begin environmental consultations in 2021 as the first phase of the project.