Chatham-Kent is moving forward with a new master plan that will dictate how the municipality will address its water infrastructure needs.
CK officials are trying to save money while also accommodating growth since updating all the water and wastewater systems across the region could cost the municipality more than $1 billion.
“When you’re taking $1.1 billion, it’s a bit staggering,” said Chatham-Kent PUC General Manager Darren Galbraith.
On Monday, council voted unanimously in favour of moving forward with updating the water and wastewater master plan.
“We really need to have updated costs. I noticed that the previous master plan was only completed over 2022 and 2023,” said Chatham-Kent Chief Financial Officer Gord Quinton. “There have been significant cost changes… council and the PUC need a second look at all these costs and updated figures. So that masterplan will bring it all together.”
Council also voted to move ahead with some shovel-ready infrastructure projects, getting public input on future water rates, and starting consultation on possibly cancelling or delaying the Wallaceburg water plant project.
In 2023, studies and environmental assessments (EA) recommended rehabilitating or replacing the Wallaceburg water treatment plant. In the master plan from 2022/23, it was suggested that Wallaceburg, Ridgetown and Blenheim be connected to Chatham’s water supply at a lower cost, rather than investing in local upgrades. Due to rising costs, the treatment plant project has increased from $40 million to almost $200 million.
Several residents provided depositions on the issue, including Joel Johnson, the chair of WATCH Group (Wallaceburg Advisory Team for a Cleaner Habitat), who took issue with changing Wallaceburg’s water source.
“Wallaceburg and area residents feel that changing to Lake Erie is downgrading,” said Johnson. “Sarnia Chemical Valley has cleaned up its act in the last 20 years due to community vigilance on Sarnia industries with the help of the government’s St. Clair River Remedial Action Plan. The industries on Lake Erie have not done the same. They’re still releasing unacceptable amounts of pollutants.”
Galbraith reassured both council and the public that treated Lake Erie water is safe.
“There are tens of millions of people who drink water from Lake Erie every day,” he said.
