REGINA — The City of Regina is receiving significant financial aid with its South Trunk Wastewater Upgrade.
As part of its Build Communities Strong Fund, the federal government is investing over $29 towards the wastewater expansion project.
“This is a project that checks all those boxes [for needs]. So it’s an incredibly important investment in a very significant project,” said Mayor Chad Bachynski at an announcement on Tuesday.
The South Trunk Wastewater Upgrade is a $106 million project funded by Regina, and it first started in 2024. helping expand the city’s wastewater capacity.
It includes constructing a 4.5 km-long large-diameter sewer line from the McCarthy Boulevard Pumping Station to Regina Avenue.
“[This] reduces the risk of environmental contamination when we bypass the environment [and] reduces the risk of basement flooding,” said
Carolyn Kalim, City of Regina director of waste, water, and environment.
Kalim noted during extreme weather events, like summer storms, there’s a growing risk that the city’s aging system can’t handle the added volume, as rainwater infiltrates and mixes with the sewer system.
Money for other projects
With the city saving roughly $29 million, Bachynski said it unlocks the capacity to start catching up on the infrastructure deficit.
He mentioned the $764 million in capital projects the city currently has listed as a priority, which could benefit from the savings.
These projects include: transportation projects to support growth, Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades and several other wastewater capacity improvements.
Bachynski also spoke on the benefit of his talks with the federal government in Ottawa, painting a clearer picture of infrastructure funding needs for municipalities.
“We need to move ahead quickly and then get that funding into municipalities’ hands. And so, and then also the model, the model of understanding that a project that we have funded, but knowing that all municipalities are struggling with an infrastructure deficit [and] to be able to start playing catch-up on projects that are essentially shovel-ready.”
Buckley Belanger, secretary of state for rural development, also called for better collaboration and discussions with all levels of government.
“We have to build as we move forward, because absolutely everybody has value in trying to figure out what’s best, in this case, for Regina, which helps Saskatchewan, which helps our country.”
The Build Communities Strong Fund will provide $51 billion over 10 years to support a wide range of infrastructure projects.
As for the South Trunk Wastewater Upgrade, the city plans to finish the project in 2028.
