Niagara NDP MPPs call on province to fund wastewater treatment plant for Niagara Falls
Niagara NDP MPPs call on province to fund wastewater treatment plant for Niagara Falls
Two Niagara MPPs are calling on the Ford government to fund a new water treatment plant in Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates, and St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens, have issued the joint call for the province to fund the South Niagara Wastewater Treatment Plant, which they say is an essential infrastructure project.
The two say the government committed to the plan last year, but not a single dollar has been announced yet.
They say water bills are skyrocketing in Niagara due to aging wastewater infrastructure, and without more water capacity the city of Niagara Falls is not able to build more homes.
The Niagara Region says the new plant will help manage wastewater for not just Niagara Falls but also Thorold, St. Catharines, Queenston and Niagara-on-the-Lake.
An environmental study report on the project has already been completed.
“In 2023 and 2024, the Premier committed to funding the South Niagara Wastewater Treatment Plant,” said MPP Wayne Gates. “But not a single dollar has flowed to our region’s largest infrastructure project. Since then, water bills have jumped over 12% just to patch aging infrastructure. Housing starts are stalling, and there are serious concerns about environmental impact. Local officials say we can’t wait. The Mayor of Niagara Falls put it plainly: ‘Without capacity, we won’t be building new homes.’ The Premier found billions for Highway 413 in Toronto—yet no funding for basic water treatment in Niagara. Will the Premier finally put real dollars on the table for our wastewater treatment plant—yes, or no?”
The South Niagara Wastewater Treatment Plant is necessary to increase flow capacity to the current St. Catharines plant,” said MPP Jennie Stevens. “With new housing developments in Thorold encroaching into St. Catharines, the treatment plant needs to be operating at full capacity to serve this growth in population.
Local taxpayers should not be expected to foot the bill for this project through yet another sky-high property tax hike. Premier, will you commit to funding this project before construction is set to begin and work with the federal government to ensure local infrastructure is in place to reach our housing goals?
