DRAYTON – Wastewater treatment plant upgrades underway here will be largely covered by the province.
After years of grant applications from Mapleton to help cover the $13.5-million project, needed to keep development hammering along, Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae stopped by to help deliver the goods.
Standing amid soon-to-be-upgraded lagoons on Aug. 22, Rae announced 70 per cent of the price tag would be covered by the province, amounting to $9.9 million.
The upgraded plant could process waste from potentially 795 new homes in the community, increasing capacity from 900 to 1,300 square metres of wastewater per day.
Provincial support is essential to keep rural municipalities on pace with growth-related infrastructure, Rae said.
“The Township of Mapleton is pleased the province is providing almost 25% of our ($40-million) ambitious upgrade and expansion plan to ensure our wastewater users, current and future, have access to a modern and reliable wastewater system,” Mayor Gregg Davidson stated in a press release.
“This funding will ensure our infrastructure can meet the needs of residents today and for decades to come.”
The provincial tax dollars are being sourced from the Housing Enabling Water Systems Fund, which Rae said will “get pipes in the ground to unlock more housing.”
The province is spending an additional $10,000,000 on projects in Minto and Perth.
Minto is receiving $4.5 million for the reconstruction of Wellington Road 123/Main Street West.
Councillor Michael Martin said Mapleton had two financial routes for the upgrades: one bolstered by provincial funding, and a second covered by Mapleton taxpayers.
The funding would provide relief for rate payers, Martin said.
The upgrades, he added, will “modernize aging infrastructure, expand system capacity and boost operational efficiency.”
“These enhancements will not only address long-term growth demands, but also ensure compliance with environmental standards, and improve the reliability of wastewater treatment in Mapleton,” Martin said.
Sitting on 25 hectares just outside of Drayton, the plant will receive a new reactor, aeration blower, electrical housing, pumping station, piping, new forcemains, and lagoon modifications.
Graham Capital and Cima are managing construction and had staff there for the announcement.
Cima spokesperson Tom Montgomery said site prep is ongoing; upgrades are expected to be complete come summertime in 2027.
The upgrades form part of a $40-million overhaul of Mapleton’s water and wastewater infrastructure, including Moorefield’s pumping systems and standpipe, decommissioning and replacing the Drayton sewage pumping station and extending water and sewer distribution on Wellington Street South and Main Street.
