THE DROPLET, OCTOBER 3, 2016 WEB EDITION EXCERPT

B.C. Premier Christy Clark has announced $148.5 million in provincial funding for the new Clean Water and Wastewater Fund.

The Clean Water and Wastewater Fund is an infrastructure program that will enable critical investments in local government infrastructure to get underway, specifically supporting long term benefits in the rehabilitation of water, wastewater and stormwater systems, and for the planning and design of future facilities and upgrades to existing wastewater systems.

All local governments throughout the province are eligible to apply for funding. Approved projects will be cost shared 50 per cent by the Government of Canada and 33 per cent by the Province of British Columbia, with the remaining 17 per cent contribution coming from the local government. This agreement will be finalized on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, prior to the conclusion of the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in Victoria.

The Government of Canada introduced the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund in Budget 2016 to improve local government infrastructure in categories of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater as well as project planning and design.