Okotoks’ mayor is optimistic about the Town’s chances of getting provincial funding to build a water pipeline from Calgary after the Province unveiled details of water project funding in this year’s budget.
The Province will provide $545 million over the next five years for the Water for Life Program and the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership (AMWWP), with $65 million this year and $130 million next year.
The Town has applied to the Province for as much as $30 million for a water pipeline from Calgary.
While the Province has not given the Town an answer yet, Okotoks mayor Bill Robertson is encouraged by last week’s announcements.
“I think it’s promising, absolutely,” he said. “They’ve put significantly more money in and it’s for communities under 45,000 in particular.”
The Town is looking for a commitment from the provincial government — not a cheque, Robertson said.
“It’s going to take a couple years to build this,” he said. “As long as we have a commitment for funding for a few years down the road, then we should be okay.”
The Province will provide $350 million over five years to the Water for Life program, which is intended to support regional water pipeline projects, with $30 million this year. In 2016, $80 million will be available through the program, $55 million in 2017, $105 million for 2018 and $80 million for 2019.
Meanwhile, the Province will make $195 million available for single, stand-alone projects through the AMWWP program, with $25 million this year, $50 million in 2016, $50 million in 2017, $45 million for 2018 and $25 million for 2019.
Municipalities will need to cover part of the cost for projects to receive funding under either program.
Under the Water for Life program, the Province will cover up to 90 per cent of the cost of regional pipeline projects and municipalities will have to cover the remaining 10 per cent.
The AMWWP provides up to 75 per cent funding for single, stand-alone facilities under 45,000. Projects in municipalities with a population less than 1,000 will be able to get 75 per cent of the project cost covered by the Province and will have to cover the remaining 25 per cent. The amount the Province will cover will decline as a community’s population increases
Robertson’s only concern now is how much of the Okotoks water pipeline’s cost the Province will eventually cover.
While the Town has asked the Province to cover as much as 90 per cent of the pipeline’s price tag, Robertson said it’s not a guarantee.
“We might be looking at far more than the 10 per cent we were hoping to put in,” he said.
Alberta Transportation Minister Brian Mason said the Province wants to ensure municipalities have reliable sources of water.
“We strongly believe that reliable access to high quality drinking water and wastewater treatment systems is crucial to building strong, healthy communities and rural economies,” she said. “We want to ensure municipalities have the water infrastructure they need to support families and businesses while growing sustainably.”
