The Town of Neepawa in Manitoba is upgrading its wastewater treatment system with $5.2 million in funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
The announcement was made by François-Philippe Champagne, minister of infrastructure and communities, and Bill Karsten, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
“The Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities are working together to support innovative green projects that help build strong sustainable communities now and for future generations,” said Minister Champagne. “This project to improve the Neepawa Wastewater Treatment system is a great example of how green thinking can go hand in hand with community and economic development, and we are proud to support solutions that improve people’s lives while protecting the environment.”
The project involves adding a moving bed biofilm reactor to the existing lagoon system. This will combine chemical and organic treatment processes to increase the town’s wastewater treatment capacity by 65 per cent and reduce energy consumption by 1,080 gigajoules per year. The new system is also expected to keep approximately 30 per cent more waste from going to the landfill.
This new system will not only accommodate the current and future needs of a population that has been growing steadily over the last decade, but also significantly reduce the community’s carbon footprint. According to FCM, it will be one of the first post-lagoon wastewater treatment systems of its kind in Western Canada and serve as a model for other municipalities looking for innovative ways to repurpose infrastructure and create more efficient eco-friendly wastewater management.
“Municipalities, like the Town of Neepawa, are leading the way with green solutions that can be replicated and scaled up across the country for deep national impact,” said Bill Karsten, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Through green infrastructure projects like this, communities are finding ways to protect the environment, optimize municipal resources, and improve the lives of citizens.
The Green Municipal Fund is funded by the Government of Canada and delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
