Water Haller: What’s going on with infrastructure funding?

I’ll be sharing a fuller report to you within the next month on what role the CWWA has been playing on the infrastructure front. The budget was announced months ago, perhaps without a clear process in place, but things have been moving along well.

We certainly had a great conversation with Infrastructure Canada staff and Environment Canada staff at the Window on Ottawa in mid-June and then followed up with meetings with the minister and secretary of state.  

Minister Sohi spoke at the Canadian Water Summit in late June and then met with a select group of water associations, including CWWA the next day. This was a great opportunity for our industry to identify some key issues around water and wastewater infrastructure and to speak to some of our concerns. Tremendous thanks to Brenda Lucas of the SOWC for coordinating this session, the lead up preparation and the follow-up statements. While we are working with our association partners on some joint submissions, CWWA will also be making direct submissions that address specific utility issues. CWWA VP Nancy Kodousek, Board member William Fernandes and I were each able to have brief chats with this most-pleasant minister. I was able to have a conversation with the minister about the conditions we have been asking to be attached to the federal grants.

In advance of the Water Summit, I was able to speak in greater depth with the Minister of State for the Environment, Jonathan Wilkinson. Also in that conversation was the Liberal Caucus Chair (and water champion) Francis Scarpaleggia. Here, we talked more about the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations, how to direct funding to WSER projects and how we might find some flexibility in meeting the regs.

A large portion of the funds will be directed through the FCM to municipalities through the Green Municipal Fund and a Community Capacity Building program.  We have initiated discussions with the FCM on how these programs will work. We are also trying to coordinate discussions with our municipal partners in the CPWA, CWRA and CNAM.

As we progress, we will be sure to keep you in the loop and will share our future submissions.