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Region's water supply is just fine: report

Report 'confirms that our water supply and wastewater treatment capacity has been able to meet the demands of the residents across the region'
CambridgeToday Staff
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NEWS RELEASE
WATERLOO REGION
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The Region has completed the 2022 Water and Wastewater Monitoring Report that assesses the Region’s ability to accommodate water supply and wastewater treatment facilities demands as of Dec. 31, 2021, and out as far as 2036.

This annual report documents actual water consumption and wastewater flows, provides a basis for preparing the capital budget and user rates, measures the amount of water that is treated at each plant and how much is sent into the water distribution systems, assesses future growth demands, and becomes a valuable resource for staff when reviewing development applications.

“The report confirms that our water supply and wastewater treatment capacity has been able to meet the demands of the residents across the region,” said Nancy Kodousek, director of Water Services at the Region of Waterloo. “Our next challenge is to ensure we look at not only the amount of growth in the region, but the type of demand that growth will mean for water use and treatment; our upcoming Water and Wastewater Strategies will be critical and we’ll look to residents for their input as we develop those plans.”

Looking back at 2021, highlights of the report include:

  • There was adequate water supply to meet the demands of all communities that were served by a Regional system.
  • There was sufficient capacity to treat the average flows of water at all Regional wastewater treatment plants.
  • There is both water supply and wastewater capacity to accommodate all current development commitments.

The report documented a high-level review of the Region’s ability to meet future demands. The assessment found that the water and wastewater demands to 2036 will rely on implementing works outlined in the Region’s current capital program. The recent update to the Region’s Official Plan also identified significant growth in the region over the next 30 years. The report suggests this requires careful management and monitoring to ensure a sustainable water supply is available to support this growth. The Region is currently updating its Water Supply Strategy and will update the Wastewater Master Plan in 2024.

The 2022 Water and Wastewater Monitoring Report will be available on the Region’s website after Sept. 21.

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