The following notice was submitted by Prince Edward County
The County of Prince Edward has completed an overall plan for reliably delivering safe and clean water to residents for generations to come.
The Regional Water Supply Servicing Master Plan looked at the infrastructure that is needed to ensure the systems can continue to operate effectively and meet the needs of the growing community. Click here to view the official Notice of Completion.
The most notable aspect of the plan is connecting Picton/Bloomfield drinking water system to the Wellington drinking water system. Building one regional plant with a transmission line between Wellington and Picton would cost between $4 – $16 million less than building replacement plants in both towns, where the most growth is taking place. Between 2025 and 2032, nearly 4,200 housing units are expected to be built in Prince Edward County, with another 4,500 housing units between 2033 and 2043. Click here to view a detailed breakdown of planned development in Prince Edward County.
Of the overall cost of $192.4 million for the regional plan, $41.7 million of that is benefit to existing users (21.7%). The other $150.5 million is eligible to be recouped through regional Development Charges. Currently, only Wellington has Area-Specific Development Charges for Water/Wastewater costs; a similar cost recovery framework has not yet been applied to Picton but will be considered in the future.
$16 million of the $41.7 million portion that benefits existing users has been incorporated into the 2021 rate study, meaning that amount will not impact the water rates. $25.6 million will need to be incorporated into the 2026 rate study. However, if the municipality if successful in its $18.3 million request for grant funding through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, only $7.2 million would have to be incorporated into the water rates when they are set again in 2026, and that would be spread over the new users in Picton this time, not only Wellington, as was the case in the Wellington Area Specific Development Charges Bylaw. Click here to view a breakdown.
The Regional Water Supply Servicing Master Plan’s recommendation of a regional water plant will be integrated into the Picton Master Servicing Plan (MSP). The Picton MSP, currently under development, will go into further detail about the upgrades that will need to take place to existing infrastructure — such as the wastewater treatment plant, pumping stations and forcemains, the water distribution network, and collection sewers — in order to accommodate growth.
The Regional Water Supply Servicing Master Plan also recommended avoiding spending money on expensive upgrades where projected growth is low or non-existent, and instead focus on regular maintenance in Ameliasburgh, Carrying Place/Consecon, and Rossmore/Fenwood Gardens. The study also recommended that the municipality engage the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Park regarding alternatives to the Peats Point system that only serves 21 residences.
The Master Plan Report detailing the planning process, findings, and recommendations for the study is available for public review on the municipal website until September 13, 2024. During the review period you are encouraged to contact Garrett Osborne, Project Manager, County of Prince Edward, by email at gosborne@pecounty.on.ca. View the Notice of Completion.
If you have general questions or concerns about growth, development, and infrastructure in Prince Edward County, email communications@pecounty.on.ca.
