Ontario Construction News staff writer
Ottawa’s new master plan for water infrastructure will help the city accommodate population growth while also ensuring the future resilience of the water systems.
The new master plan for water infrastructure will help Ottawa accommodate population growth while also ensuring the future resilience of the water systems. The city expects the population to reach 1.4 million by 2046.
The new infrastructure plan will guide the development of new housing and other developments on greenfield lands in the recently expanded urban area. It will also help intensification projects in existing communities. The plan includes 16 water distribution system projects and 37 wastewater collection system projects.
The city said the infrastructure planning will ensure that the water distribution system can accommodate intensification needs while also taking into account climate change impacts. Master plans for the central water purification and wastewater treatment plants are being prepared as separate initiatives.
The new master plan also identifies a program to ensure that local water and sewer systems have the capacity to serve both existing and new developments. The city will track the impacts of intensification on existing water infrastructure and plan any upgrades needed.
It also recommends that new developments incorporate on-site stormwater management to prevent flooding.
The master plan was developed by the Planning and Housing Committee and the Environment and Climate Change Committee and will now go before council for approval tomorrow.