Funding will protect drinking water in Aurora, Newmarket, East Gwillimbury

$8.2 million in federal funding will expand capacity, construct new wastewater pumping station in Aurora

Yorkregion.com
May 22, 2019
Teresa Latchford

Aurora is getting a funding boost to help protect residential drinking water and prevent flooding.

Marco Mendicino, parliamentary secretary to the federal minister of Infrastructure and Communities stood in the Aurora pumping station located on St. John’s Sideroad to announce federal funding to the tune of $8.2 million from its Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. York Region will cover the remaining costs for two projects that will protect the integrity of drinking water and sewer services for 200,000 residents of Aurora, Newmarket and East Gwillimbury.

He stated that climate change is having a dramatic effect on local communities. From the heat wave of last summer that saw the mercury rise above 40 C and a winter that brought temperatures below -40 C, to fires and flooding, the effects on some communities are devastating.

While the federal government chips in where it can when these events take place, it is also important to begin thinking ahead to help communities build infrastructure that will intervene before disaster strikes.

“Taking concrete steps to adapt to the impacts of climate change is essential to ensuring a safe, prosperous future for our families, our communities and the environment,” Mendicino said. “This project will help residents and businesses of Aurora and York Region mitigate future flood damage, protecting their community during extreme weather events and by investing in infrastructure that protects communities now, we are ensuring that Canadians can thrive and prosper for generations to come.”

Communities across Canada, including Aurora and the surrounding area, continue to experience more and more extreme weather events, Mendicino added, referring to the latest flood that severely affected those living in Bracebridge.

“These effects don’t go away overnight,” he added. “This kind of damage takes not only a financial toll but an emotional toll and it takes time to rebuild. Planning ahead makes us better prepared for these types of weather events.”

These two local projects are expected to reduce local economic losses associated with severe weather events by 71 per cent and save long-term recovery and replacement costs for the three York Region municipalities.

The Aurora sewage pumping station collects wastewater generated in these three municipalities and the first project will see the construction of an additional pumping station to the sewer shed to meet the demands of increased water flow during extreme weather events. The new station is to be located on Henderson Drive.

York Region director of operations Roy Huetl said there has never been a spill at the Aurora station since he has been working at the region and a spill is something that needs to be avoided.

“We have generator backups to keep the pumps running at all times even if the power goes out,” he said. “If the pumps overflow it will go into the nearby stream, which flows into Lake Simcoe and that is where we get our drinking water.”

The construction of a second pumping station will help increase the capacity of the entire system to move excess water and ensure the holding tanks can process and direct the water collected to avoid overflow or a spill into the environment.

The new pumping station is expected to be complete by the end of 2022.

But before that project is complete, the existing Aurora pumping station’s capacity will be increased by an expansion of the water storage tank to allow for the consistent treatment and flow of wastewater during storms and flooding, as well as the reduction of water service interruptions to homes and businesses.

“It is great to have a government that believes in the science of climate change,” Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas said. “We appreciate the funding to help us build what we need to protect our communities.”

Newmarket-Aurora MP Kyle Peterson and York Region chair Wayne Emmerson also attended the announcement.

“The protection of our environment is essential to a thriving community,” Emmerson said. “These important infrastructure investments by the Canadian government and York regional council reinforce our joint commitment to addressing the impacts of climate change while building safe, caring and resilient communities.”