Water Haller: Housing-Enabling Infrastructure

“Housing-enabling infrastructure” is the new term that will justify federal investments into water and wastewater systems.  As we await the federal budget/fiscal update announcements (November 4th) we anticipate funds for infrastructure…in particular, water infrastructure.

 

With their focus on addressing the housing challenge in Canada, the Government, through the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC), established a new Canada Infrastructure Council to attempt a National Infrastructure Assessment.  The Council has been gathering data for months and engaging with key stakeholders like CWWA.  Their full report is expected in early November, but they have already released a number of reports that we are sharing in this e-Bulletin. This includes “The State of Water and Wastewater Systems” with some interesting data.

 

But the most promising message from the Council is that you cannot just build homes without first ensuring they have the infrastructure that supports them – “housing-enabling infrastructure”.  They list the three most critical sectors are: water and wastewater services; solid waste services; and what they call community mobility services (transit and transportation routes).

 

Infrastructure Council Member Doug McNeil will be joining us at the National Water & Wastewater Conference in Victoria next week and we be participating in our final infrastructure town hall discussion Wednesday morning.

 

Hope to see many of you in Victoria!