Wednesday, January 28, 2026
The Ontario government will fund up to $18,158,750 to the Municipality of West Nipissing to expand water infrastructure and provide an alternate drinking water source for residents of Verner, ON.
The funding comes from the province’s Health and Safety Water Stream under the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, a Municipality of West Nipissing release said.
The project cost is estimated at $24 million according to preliminary designs with the provincial contribution covering approximately three-quarters of of eligible costs and municipal funding covering the balance.
“Without provincial support, this project would not have been feasible, and what’s impressive is the scale of the investment. Council set out to address major issues during this term, and Verner’s drinking water was one of them. The advocacy work that happens outside of Council meetings is constant, so it’s exciting to see those efforts lead to solutions,” West Nipissing mayor Kathleen Thorne Rochon said.
The project includes construction of a new water main from Cache Bay to Verner as well as conversion of the current Verner water treatment plant into a pumping station.
West Nipissing director of infrastructure services Elizabeth Henning estimates the existing treatment plant will reach its life expectancy by 2035, the release said.
Detailed design work for the new water infrastructure is already under way, according to the release, with construction planned to begin in June 2027 and completion required by March 31, 2029, in accordance with the terms of the funding agreement.
