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PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
2006-08-03

City of Kingston media relations hotline at 613-546-4291, ext. 2300;
Infrastructure Canada, Media Relations, 613-948-1148

CEREMONY KICKS OFF UPGRADES
FOR SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT

The official ground-breaking ceremony took place today for Kingston's Ravensview Water Pollution Control Plant, a $115-million project to help improve water quality in Lake Ontario and create cleaner water for Kingston residents.

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Learn more about the Ravensview Water Pollution Control Plant project.

"The Ravensview Water Pollution Control Plant is an important element to improve the wastewater treatment for Kingston and surrounding communities," said the Honourable Tony Clement, Federal Minister of Health and Federal Minister responsible for the Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Programs. "The federal government is committed to protecting the health and safety of our communities, and we are pleased to have contributed $25 million to this essential project."

"The McGuinty government is pleased to support such a significant infrastructure project for this community," said John Gerretsen, MPP for Kingston and The Islands. "This new water pollution control facility is yet another example of our government's commitment to protecting the environment for all Ontarians."

"We are creating a state-of-the-art facility to meet the wastewater demands of our growing city," said Mayor Harvey Rosen. "By investing in this type of infrastructure renewal, we are helping build a healthy, strong community with an eye to cleaner water for future generations."

The Ravensview plant system is being upgraded from primary to secondary treatment, adding an increased level of treatment and improving the quality of wastewater discharge. The upgrade will also increase the capacity of the facility and include the construction of 11 biological filter tanks for secondary treatment, a pumping station to transfer wastewater, and a fourth "digester" to handle solid materials from the treatment process, which will then be processed through an improved "dewatering" system and transferred to an enclosed storage facility designed to reduce odours.

The upgrade will also ensure compliance with the latest Ontario Ministry of the Environment's effluent quality requirements and contribute to the environmental protection of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin. The project has a target completion date of 2009 and is receiving federal and provincial support via the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund and the Government of Ontario ReNew program.

The plant upgrade is one of the "Group of Seven" major infrastructure projects identified by Kingston city council.

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