Perth officially broke ground on June 26th on expanding capacity for its wastewater lagoon, marking a major milestone in the community’s long-term infrastructure planning and future growth.
MPP John Jordan, members of council, Town staff, project partners and community representatives gathered at the Perth Wastewater Lagoon site to celebrate the start of construction on the expansion, which will increase wastewater treatment capacity to serve a population of up to 10,500 residents.
The project is supported by nearly $3 million in funding from the Ontario government’s Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program’s Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund. Jordan noted only 27 Ontario municipalities were successful in receiving funds from the current round of grants.
He said Perth council and staff were the main reasons for funding success.
Supporting infrastructure projects in growth areas is critical, according to Jordan, to help create much needed housing.
Perth Mayor Judy Brown said “reliable infrastructure is the foundation of a growing community.This project will help ensure Perth is ready for future growth while continuing to provide the high-quality services residents and businesses depend on every day. We are grateful to the Government of Ontario for its support in helping make this important investment possible.”
Construction on the capacity expansion for the Perth wastewater lagoon project is expected to continue through to next fall. Perth CAO Michael Touw noted that the water that exits the wastewater treatment system is measurably cleaner than the water entering the Town’s drinking water treatment plant.
Story by Brian Turner
