Greener wastewater treatment to meet growing community needs while saving energy and reducing pollution

NEEPAWA, MB, June 20, 2019 /CNW/ - Investing in green infrastructure helps communities decrease their carbon footprint and increase their resilience to climate change. It also helps safeguard public health, protect the environment and create a clean-growth economy.

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Bill Karsten, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, today announced $5.2 million through the Green Municipal Fund for a project to expand and upgrade the Town of Neepawa's wastewater treatment system.

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. 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. 

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.

Quotes

"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. 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 Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Advancing innovative, sustainable solutions is important as we move toward a clean energy future.  Our government will continue to work with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to support reliable efficient wastewater treatment projects that create jobs, meet growing demand and reduce pollution."

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Natural Resources

"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. Like modern wastewater systems that make real people's lives healthier and safer. This is what today's announcement is all about – the federal and municipal governments working together to build better lives for Canadians."

Bill Karsten, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Related product

Backgrounder: Project description

Quick Facts

• The Green Municipal Fund^TM (GMF) supports initiatives that advance innovative solutions to environmental challenges. These projects improve air, water and land quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and generate economic and social benefits to local communities. Through GMF, a $625 million program, municipalities share lessons learned and successful new models for advancing sustainability in communities of all sizes in all regions across Canada.
• Since 2000, GMF has financed more than 1,250 municipal sustainability initiatives, helping to build better lives for millions of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. GMF projects have cut 2.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions—the equivalent of taking 571,000 cars off the road.
• Budget 2019 proposes $950 million to increase energy efficiency in the built environment.
• Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
• $26.9 billion of this funding is supporting green infrastructure projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

Associated links

Green Municipal Fund: https://fcm.ca/home/programs/green-municipal-fund/about-gmf.htm

FCM Funding: https://fcm.ca/home/funding/funding-for-canadian-municipalities.htm

Government of Canada's $180-billion+ Investing in Canada plan: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/about-invest-apropos-eng.html

Investing in Canada plan project map: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram 

Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

Ann-Clara Vaillancourt, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]; FCM Media Relations, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, Tel: [phone], Toll Free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]

Related Links

www.infrastructure.gc.ca