Friday, February 27, 2026
The governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador are making a joint investment of over $139 million towards the first phase of the Riverhead Wastewater Treatment Facility expansion in St. John’s, NL.
Upgrades to the Riverhead facility will increase primary water treatment capacity and will include design and site preparation for a future secondary treatment facility, a Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities release said.
“Strengthening essential infrastructure, projects like this help unlock future housing opportunities for a growing community. This critical investment in wastewater infrastructure in St. John’s, Mount Pearl, and the Town of Paradise will safeguard local waterways and create a healthier environment,” federal minister for fisheries and MP for St. John’s East Joanne Thompson said.
“Through strong partnership across all levels of government, we’re advancing the largest infrastructure project in our city’s history. Expanding the Riverhead Wastewater Treatment Facility is not only essential for meeting modern environmental standards, but it also ensures we can support future growth and new housing development,” St. John’s mayor Danny Breen said.
The federal government will invest $69,639,116 in the project through the Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component of the New Building Canada Fund and Newfoundland and Labrador and municipal governments will both contribute $34,819,558. The City of St. John’s will cover 81 per cent of municipal costs at approximately $28 million, while Mount Pearl will cover 14 per cent and the Town of Paradise will cover five per cent of the investment.
Work on the first stage will allow the facility to move closer to meeting federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations standards, the release said, “which set national standards for how wastewater must be treated before being released into the environment.”
