EDMONTON – The Government of Alberta is increasing funding for water infrastructure grant programs, contingent on passing the 2024 budget.
The budget would provide $481.9 million in grants for municipal water programs over three years, an increase of $73.9 million from 2023, a release said.
“Alberta’s government recognizes the huge demand for water that comes with a growing population. Through Budget 2024, we are helping municipalities by funding new and repairing old water systems. I’m proud that through water, road, transit and bridge grants, my department funds nearly $1 billion per year to municipalities,” said Alberta Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen in a statement.
The 2024 budget funding supports the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership, Water for Life, and First Nations Water Tie-In programs.
For smaller Alberta communities with a population under 45,000, the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership helps upgrade water supply and treatment and wastewater treatment systems, the release said.
The Water for Life program helps municipalities cover up to 90 or 100 per cent of the costs for specified projects. Alberta’s First Nations Water Tie-In funds up to 100 per cent of costs to connect a First Nation to an existing regional water system.
Total budget funding for each program under the 2024 budget is $206.5 million for the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership, $237.7 million for Water for Life and $37.7 million for the First Nations Water Tie-In Program.
In 2023, six projects received a combined total of $27.6 million in Water for Life grants, the release said, and a total of 47 projects received a combined total of $114.5 million in Alberta Municipal Water Wastewater Program grants.
Applications for funding in 2024 closed on Nov. 30, 2023 with successful projects announced later this spring and applications for funding in 2025 are currently open and will close on Nov. 30, 2024.
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