Colville Lake, Fort McPherson and Ulukhaktok are receiving some of the largest sums as the federal government announces funding for NWT water and sewer projects.
Fourteen of the territory’s communities are sharing a total of about $45 million from the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund.
In a news release, Ottawa said Colville Lake will receive $3.9 million toward construction of a new water treatment plant. The Sahtu community has been under a drinking water advisory since 2004 over what the NWT government calls “issues with staffing capacity and infrastructure maintenance.”
Fort McPherson receives $5.2 million for “renewal of water, sewer and fire protection infrastructure.” Ulukhaktok receives $4.2 million toward a new water treatment plant.
Fort Smith receives $6.2 million spread between two projects – one to improve the town’s raw water intake, the other to replace an old sewage lift station. Inuvik gets $4.8 million to replace old utilidors and upgrade “drinking water infrastructure.” Yellowknife is given about $9 million toward a pumphouse upgrade project.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
For Behchokǫ̀, about $5.4 million will be made available to address longstanding issues with the community’s water supply.
To qualify for the fund, communities had to present projects that were currently planned, support housing development and be “substantially completed” by September 2031.
In a Monday news release, the federal government said the following other communities would receive money from the fund:
- Délı̨nę – $1.4 million for a feasibility study into a new water treatment plant and construction of a new solid waste disposal facility
- Fort Good Hope – $375,000 for a reservoir stability and water resiliency study
- Fort Liard – $1.9 million to refurbish the water treatment plant’s treated water reservoir
- Fort Providence – $375,000 to expand and upgrade the solid waste site
- Nahanni Butte – $275,000 for a condition assessment of critical infrastructure
- Sambaa K’e – $375,000 to investigate granular sources for future infrastructure
- Tsiigehtchic – $1.4 million to replace the water treatment plant’s filtration unit
Some of the sums listed are conditional on Indigenous consultation and environmental assessment requirements being met.
