Clarington receives provincial grant for Hetherington Drive Stormwater Outlet Improvement project
$509,118 in water infrastructure funding from Ontario will help unlock 1,026 new homes
Clarington — The Municipality of Clarington is receiving funding under the Province of Ontario’s Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund to upgrade and improve the Hetherington Drive Stormwater Outlet in the Bowmanville Creek valley. The province will fund 73 per cent of eligible project costs, up to a maximum of $509,118.
The Hetherington Drive Stormwater Outlet was originally built in 1972. The improvement project, anticipated to begin in late 2025, will introduce several upgrades to support cleaner water in the creek. This includes installing an oil grit separator to filter out pollutants like oil, grit and other debris, and enhancing the existing outlet swale to slow the flow of rainwater, optimize filtration and reduce pollutants before stormwater is released into the creek.
“Our local environment and natural heritage areas contribute to the high quality of life in Clarington, and we are dedicated to preserving them,” said Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster. “I want to thank the Province of Ontario for these funds, which will help us reduce pollution, provide cleaner water and protect the freshwater ecosystem of the Bowmanville Creek.”
“This investment is great news for the growing community of Clarington,” said Todd McCarthy, Member of Provincial Parliament for Durham. “By enabling the construction of more than 1,000 housing units, our government is reaffirming its strong commitment to the people of Durham.”
“Homes do not appear overnight – they require the right water and wastewater services that build these homes, and support the communities they’re situated in,” said David Piccini, Member of Provincial Parliament for Northumberland-Peterborough South. “Ontario has invested more than $1.8 Billion into the Housing-Enabling Water Systems fund that will support building strong communities and helping people realize the dream of homeownership.”
These upgrades are being done to support environmentally responsible redevelopment in the Bowmanville West Major Transit Station Area. The improvements to the stormwater outlet will help manage stormwater runoff from new developments more sustainably.
“By investing in drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities and connecting pipes to land, we are helping municipalities build more homes,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “Homes can’t be built without connections to drinking water and wastewater.”
In this year’s budget, Ontario announced more than $1.8 billion in housing-enabling infrastructure funding through the $825 million Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and the $1 billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, in addition to funding announced previously through the province’s Building Faster Fund. In response to the significant demand for investments in water and wastewater infrastructure to enable the construction of more homes, and after consulting with municipalities, the province is transferring $275 million from the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund in order to meet this demand. In addition, the $120 million from the Building Faster Fund that was reserved for small, rural and northern communities is being flowed to these communities through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund.
QUICK FACTS
- Details about the second application intake and eligibility will be available at ontario.ca/watersystemsfund on August 14, 2024. The second intake will provide an additional $250 million in funding.
- The Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program will support core infrastructure projects that help enable housing, such as roads and water infrastructure.
- Investing in key local infrastructure through programs like the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program is part of the province’s capital plan of over $190 billion to build critical infrastructure and get more homes built faster to support growing communities and lay a strong foundation for future generations.