Last year Hamilton Water staff presented the outgoing council with two reports that pointed to the urgent need to invest in a long-term re-build of the city’s aging wastewater system. It is estimated the work will entail the investment of $1 Billion in 2022 dollars over the next 20 to 30 years. Staff warned that failure to significantly upgrade the system could result in more frequent flooding and more discharges of untreated sewage into the environment. At a political and economic level, failure to act could force the Ministry of Environment could start denying development applications which would be a major setback to the city’s growth, which is expected to increase Hamilton’s population in the coming two or three decades by 236,000. When staff issued the reports, they promised to begin a comprehensive Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Master Plan & Strategic Transportation Network Review. That process is now getting underway with news of a public information session coming up in early May.
This review is part of a mandatory Master Planning process which is an approved process under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (EAA).
The City of Hamilton is expected to grow by 236,000 people and 122,000 jobs by 2051. The City’s Growth-Related Integrated Development Strategy (GRIDS 2) is an integrated planning process that identifies land use, infrastructure, economic development, and financial implications for Hamilton’s anticipated growth to the 2051 planning horizon. Infrastructure required to accommodate growth includes water, wastewater and storm water infrastructure, in addition to transportation infrastructure.
Water, Wastewater & Stormwater
The City of Hamilton has initiated a strategic and comprehensive growth planning and infrastructure master planning study to provide a basis for decision making to shape the City’s future growth. The study will determine the short and long-term water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure needs to support growth to the year 2041 with consideration for 2041 to 2051 growth in the urban boundary expansion areas.
The integrated Master Plans will:
• Provide a strategic vision for the 2041 and 2051 planning horizons to accommodate future growth, and ensure safe, clean drinking water and environmental protection
• Ensure safe, sustainable and optimized water and wastewater services
• Provide a business case for the need, timing and cost of water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure in an integrated process
Transportation
The City of Hamilton is undertaking a Strategic Transportation Network Review to support growth to the year 2041 with consideration for 2041 to 2051 growth in the urban boundary expansion areas. This review will identify supporting transportation infrastructure requirements and will provide inputs to the 2023 Development Charges By-Law update. The transportation inputs will update the road, transit, and active transportation networks developed as part of the 2018 Transportation Master Plan (TMP) and also include potential projects to support growth in new urban boundary expansion areas. The Strategic Transportation Network Review will:
• Align with the 2018 TMP vision and desired outcomes
• Include other supporting transportation infrastructure such as maintenance facilities
• Include the anticipated timing of each project
• Include updated costs of each project
How to Participate
The City wishes to ensure that anyone with an interest in this study has the opportunity to be involved and to provide input. Opportunities for input will include two rounds of Public Information Centres (PICs) as well as direct consultation. The City of Hamilton has launched Engage Hamilton; an interactive online space dedicated to public engagement. All project news, updates and public participation will take place via these sites: https://engage.hamilton.ca/wwsmasterplan & https://engage.hamilton.ca/stnr
First Public Information Centre
Public Information Centre (PIC) No. 1 – The public is invited to participate at Public Information Centre #1. A live virtual event will be hosted on May 9, 2023 that will include PIC display panels and a walkthrough of their content. There will be an opportunity to submit questions regarding the projects for the two-week period prior to the event that may be answered live. Additional questions and comments received during and after the PIC event will be formally responded to by the project team in the form of an FAQ document that will be posted on the project webpage. A recording of the live event will also be published on the project webpage.
Review PIC #1 Materials anytime from May 4 to May 23, 2023. Virtually at https://engage.hamilton.ca/wwsmasterplan & https://engage.hamilton.ca/stnr
heres a plan. stop building in areas of the city that need brand new sewer and water infra until all existing city systems are upgraded/replaced/repaired. nobody builds an addition onto their home when their foundation is falling apart. nobody puts a pool in the backyard when their plumbing is falling apart. common sense.
Let’s protect our water first.Its a priority.Dont need parks fixed up now.Stop wasting money on bike and scooter projects.Have never made money and never will.Someone making money not the tax payers.