The City of St. Catharines is continuing to make investments in safe, affordable drinking water. It earmarked roughly $9.3 million in investments for water and wastewater infrastructure in its 2020 Water and Wastewater Budget. City Council approved the budget on February 20, 2020.
“Clean, affordable drinking water is something every resident relies on, it is one of our core responsibilities,” said Mayor Walter Sendzik. “By looking to the future, and planning for changes, be it growth or the impacts of climate change, we are ensuring residents will always be able to turn on the taps and remain confident in what comes out.”
The approved Water and Wastewater Budget includes investments in infrastructure repairs and replacement, including $6 million for watermain replacement and $3.3 million for sanitary sewer infrastructure replacement.
This year’s budget will also see the completion of upgrades of household meters with the installation of the final 850 automated water meters through the ongoing Automated Meter Reading Project.
The investments fall in line with core pillars of the City’s Strategic Plan. They contribute to economic prosperity through optimized and effective maintenance of infrastructure and environmental stewardship through updated designs for sanitary sewers.
“We’re moving forward on investments to our infrastructure as indicated in the City’s 10-year Water and Wastewater Financial Plan approved by Council in 2019, not only to ensures safe affordable delivery, but also reasonable rate increases for our system users,” said City Treasurer Kristine Douglas. “The City’s water and wastewater rates are the second lowest in Niagara.”
With investments into the long-term sustainability of the water system residents will see an increase to their bills in 2020. The average rate payer will pay an additional $51 this year.
Header image credit: City of St. Catharines.
