Province provides funds for water treatment upgrades

The Ministry of Northern Development and Mines announced Monday it would be releasing funds to three communities in Rainy River District to help pay for upgrades at water treatment plants.
“We are committed to strengthening communities across the north,” Northern Development and Mines minister Rick Bartolucci said in a press release.
“Ensuring safe drinking water—an essential step—is among our top priorities,” he stressed.
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. will contribute $84,873 in total to the Township of Emo, as well as the towns of Fort Frances and Rainy River, to upgrade their water treatment plants to comply with the province’s Drinking Water Systems Regulation.
Emo will receive $33,871, Rainy River $44,011, and Fort Frances $6,991.
In order to receive funding, communities must apply to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing under the Ontario Small Town and Rural (OSTAR) Development Initiative.
Once a community’s project gets approval from the ministry, the municipality can apply to NOHFC for funding—up to 50 percent of its share of the cost of the project.
In Fort Frances, upgrades completed in 2003 included installing spill containment on three pieces of equipment at the water treatment plant, as well as one at the water tower, for a total cost of $29,980.98.
Also completed in 2003 were the installation of chlorine and fluoride analyzers. According to a report posted on the town’s website, the analyzers cost $14,963.98 while the installation cost $1,284.
The town also installed turbidity alarms at a cost of $1,198.40.
These upgrades were done as a result of new regulations regarding drinking water in Ontario following the Walkerton inquiry.
The three plants in Fort Frances, Emo, and Rainy River supply roughly 4,500 households, businesses, and institutions with water drawn from the Rainy River.
“Northern Ontario is blessed with a wealth of natural resources, including abundant fresh water,” Bartolucci said.
“Our government is committed to helping northerners manage and protect the resources that are the foundation of strong northern communities,” he stressed.