Great News! $18.7 million for Sewage Treatment plant

Lucky Friday the 13th- we had a very welcome visitor today, the Honourable Gordon O'Connor, MP, who came here to announce that we had received funding under the Building Canada Fund.

The governments of Ontario and Canada will immediately invest $18,711,036 to build a mechanical sewage treatment plant and upgrade the town's pump station. The Town of Mississippi Mills' Almonte Ward will contribute the remaining $9,355,519.

It was critical to our community that we receive this funding. Our current lagoon system is over 40 years old and has been showing signs of failure. The residents of Almonte can rest assured that the we are keeping their water clean. This will ensure that our community is safe now and in the future.

To receive such significant funding, our homework had to be done. Over the past four years, we have: completed numerous environmental studies; we have instituted development charges that are constantly being updated; and we have completed rate studies to ensure that we can afford this project. In addition, all of the revenues from the new Power Plant will go towards the Town's share of this project.

The provincial government is on the verge of formally announcing that every municipality must have a plan in place to deal with the septage from its rural communities. The new plant will be designed to have that capability. One of the simplest options might be to charge the local haulers who bring septage to the plant thereby generating income to help with the costs. Further discussions will happen shortly and all residents of Mississippi Mills will have the opportunity to provide input.

There is much work to be done in the final design of the plant and we anticipate that the shovel will go in the ground in early 2010 with the final completion date in 2011.

Mississippi Mills received the third highest amount in Ontario. We wish to express our thanks to Minister O'Connor for his wonderful support. We are thankful that the levels of government are cooperating to get shovels in the ground, targeting money for infrastructure projects in our communities.