On Friday, Mayor Matt Brown of London, Ontario marked the successful completion of the HELP Clean Water (Huron-Elgin-London Project Clean Water) project, a multi-year, multi-million-dollar regional infrastructure program designed to provide plentiful and reliable water to more than 500,000 people in Southwestern Ontario.
The project has taken 14 years to move from planning, financing, construction, and finally to implementation. Elected officials from 15 municipalities situated between Lake Huron and Lake Erie that form the HELP Clean Water regional partnership came together to celebrate their unique infrastructure achievement.
“This new reservoir is the result of a regional partnership between 15 municipalities and the governments of Ontario and Canada, who each contributed $50 million,” said Brown. “Clean water is vital to each community’s health and wellbeing and this is a project we are all very proud of.”
Today we celebrated the completion of the HELP Clean Water initiative. A multi-year, multi-million dollar investment that ensures safe water for 500,000 people in southwest Ontario. #LdnOnt pic.twitter.com/DA7qPc7QbX
— Matt Brown (@MayorMattBrown) March 9, 2018
HELP Clean Water is comprised of eight project components that range from upgrades to existing water treatment plants, the twinning of the main transmission pipelines, a pipeline monitoring system, and a new reservoir and pumping station in London.
The Southeast Pumping Station and Reservoir is the largest and most costly of the eight project components of HELP with a total cost of $55 million. The southeast station was commissioned to provide service to the fast-growing, newly developed land in southeast London and to help defer future expansions to the Elgin Area Water Treatment Plant, which is the southern source of London’s water supply.
In 2008 the governments of Canada and Ontario approved matching funds of up to $50 million each in support of HELP Clean Water.
“Having access to clean, safe and reliable water is essential to developing healthy and sustainable communities,” said Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “The Government of Canada is pleased to have supported the HELP Clean Water project that will improve water quality, allowing families to safely access clean water and helping the surrounding communities grow and prosper.”
Feature Image Credit: Itskdoubt
