CIB commits $140 million to water and wastewater infrastructure in Manitoba
By Adam Freill
Construction InfrastructureSustainable partnership will boost water quality for thousands of southern Manitobans while enabling growth in housing.
The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is investing in water infrastructure in Manitoba. The organization recently announced combined financial commitments of up to $140 million to support the construction of new facilities to deliver cleaner water and better wastewater treatment for approximately 78,000 housing units across five communities.
An aerial shot of a wastewater treatment (CNW Group/Canada Infrastructure Bank)
Investment commitments have been made with the City of Brandon and to the Red-Seine-Rat (RSR) Wastewater Co-operative, comprised of the Rural Municipality of Taché, Rural Municipality of Hanover, Rural Municipality of Ritchot, Town of Niverville and City of Brandon.
The municipalities are further supported with funding from the Manitoba government and Infrastructure Canada through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Manitoba government acted as an aggregator, supporting and coordinating with the municipal partners. All water and wastewater infrastructure will continue to remain publicly owned and operated by the municipalities, who remain responsible for the delivery of these essential projects.
“Water and wastewater infrastructure plays a critical role in enabling clean waterways, protecting the local environment and safeguarding public health. Our partnership strengthens water systems and resources in Southern Manitoba to meet current and future water needs,” stated Canada Infrastructure Bank CEO Ehren Cory. “By investing in new water and wastewater infrastructure, the CIB provides communities with the certainty they need to plan for municipal growth and future housing development opportunities.”
The new water and wastewater infrastructure will supply communities, businesses and industries with potable water, as well as collect, treat and discharge wastewater to manage storm water runoff.
In the City of Brandon, water treatment facility upgrades and expansion will enable Manitoba’s second-largest city to provide potable water that meets and exceeds the standards set by the Manitoba Office of Drinking Water, and help expand coverage of the existing wastewater processing capacity to accommodate residential and commercial demand in growing regions of the city.
In RSR, the communities will receive a new centralized wastewater treatment plant, moving away from traditional wastewater lagoons to mechanized wastewater treatment. The project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55,300 tonnes over its life and add the significant additional capacity required to support some of the fastest growing communities in Manitoba
Together, the projects will provide the necessary enabling infrastructure capacity for the addition of approximately 2,300 new housing units in Brandon and 12,600 new housing units in RSR.
“Unlocking more infrastructure is critical to helping communities get more housing built,” explained Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. “The CIB’s investment of $140 million toward new water and wastewater infrastructure for southern Manitobans will modernize wastewater infrastructure while creating the conditions needed to enable the growth of the municipality of Brandon and the communities in the RSR.”
“Wastewater and water treatment are critical infrastructure assets for municipalities, particularly growing ones,” added Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor. “Our government believes that everyone benefits when governments work together to meet community needs. Manitoba is glad to partner on infrastructure projects to ensure all Manitobans have safe, clean drinking water.”
