Transformative Investment In Water And Wastewater Infrastructure In The Community Of Inverness

Today, representatives of the Government of Canada, the Government of Nova Scotia and the Municipality of the County of Inverness announced a combined investment of more than $24M to upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure in the community of Inverness.

Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Cape Breton–Canso; the Honourable Allan MacMaster, Deputy Premier of Nova Scotia and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Inverness; and Bonny MacIsaac, Warden of the Municipality of the County of Inverness, made the announcement to a packed assembly at the Inverness Volunteer Fire Department.

The project announced is amongst the largest infrastructure projects in a community in Nova Scotia. It is the largest infrastructure project that the Municipality has ever taken on.

While the Municipality owns an estimated $186M of water and wastewater assets, a recent report indicated that $103M investment is required over the next 10 years to improve and maintain the current status of the infrastructure and associated level of services to residents.

The required costs are significantly higher than the national average, and the bulk of the infrastructure deficit – above 40% – is in the community of Inverness. The assessment identified the Inverness wastewater treatment plant as a priority for replacement due to its age, condition, and operational deficiencies. Additionally, the report demonstrated that the distribution systems are in exceptionally poor condition.

Community of Inverness

• Estimated Asset Replacement Value $ 48.5M
• Estimated 10-year investment cost $ 42.6M
• 80% of linear assets in Inverness very poor condition
• 87% of sanitary sewer in Inverness very poor condition
• 77% of watermains in Inverness very poor condition

The work is both necessary and a priority for the Municipality.

As part of a coordinated infrastructure approach, the Municipality also identified the planned resurfacing of Central Avenue in Inverness by the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works as a tremendous opportunity to replace the undersized and failing linear water and sanitary sewer mains along the main transportation corridor in the community.

Inverness is a community on the rise, and the project unveiled today will ensure system capacity to manage existing and projected future flows, allowing for sustainable commercial and residential growth.

The Government of Canada is investing $9,764,400 in this project. The Government of Nova Scotia is contributing $8,137,000. The Municipality of the County of Inverness is contributing $6,509,600.