The federal government announced a $4.5 million investment in three local projects Thursday, including an upgrade to the Hespeler wastewater treatment plant.
The $1.9 million project will add a membrane aerated bioreactor to the Hespeler plant to "reduce operational costs, support future growth" in Cambridge, as well as "improve water quality, reduce energy consumption and cut down on treatment waste."
Membrane aerated bioreactors work by allowing oxygen to be delivered more efficiently to the activated sludge in aeration tanks, better oxygenating the microbes that are breaking down waste components in the water. The system reduces the amount of power needed to supply oxygen, therefore saving money for municipalities that use the process.
The announcement came from Waterloo MP Bardish Chagger on behalf of minister of natural resources Seamus O'Regan.
The investment is made possible through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Green Municipal Fund, designed for projects that improve water quality and the flow of traffic.
The Region of Waterloo is receiving $2.4 million through the fund to implement a new traffic system at 275 intersections designed to improve traffic flow. The new system, from Kitchener tech firm Miovision, collects data to better integrate pedestrians, cyclists, rapid transit and emergency vehicles, says a press release from the FCM. The system is expected to improve safety and help the region lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The final project covered in the funding will give the City of Waterloo, $175,000 to study the risks of sodium chloride infiltration from Stormwater Management Facilities in the Laurel Creek sub-watershed, said the release.
Federal support for the Green Municipal Fund amounts to $1.65 billion to date.