At its meeting on Monday, July 14, 2025, Chatham-Kent Council unanimously approved an amended motion to the Public Utilities Commission Master Plan Review with a Growth Lens, brought forward by Wallaceburg Councillor Carmen McGregor.
McGregor’s revised motion ensures “new engagement and consultation” with the community of Wallaceburg, surrounding areas, and Walpole Island First Nation as staff begin work on an updated Water and Wastewater Master Plan.
A bulk of the original recommendations from staff were also included in McGregor’s motion.
Here are the complete directions approved by Council:
– That Council affirm the prioritized project direction of the “Green” category suggestions as described in the Municipal VU Consulting Inc. Water and Wastewater Master Plan Review and direct the Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to proceed with the “Green” category projects to prioritize growth capacity and a more affordable 10-year capital plan, with a focus on shovel-readying projects for upper-level grant applications.
– The PUC initiate a Water and Wastewater Master Plan Update this fall to coordinate with the completion of the Chatham-Kent Official Plan Update and the Southwest Servicing Study, and meshing with the Transportation Mobility Master Plan and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan currently underway, to address future servicing needs and engage and consult with citizens across Chatham-Kent with specific focus on the long-term servicing solutions to the Wallaceburg community and incorporating future decisions on servicing greenhouse and agriculture-related uses. This Master Plan will provide direction for long-term operational and capital efficiencies and provide the foundation for the anticipated 2027 Development Charge Study by which growth costs may be recovered.
– The Water and Wastewater Master Plan Update as detailed in recommendation #2 will specifically include a combined PUC/Municipal report to Council that includes new engagement and consultation with the community of Wallaceburg, the affected surrounding areas, and the community of Walpole Island First Nation, Bkejwanong Territory. The consultation should include the advantages and disadvantages of no longer following the recommendations of the earlier studies and EAs from 2023 that recommended the rehabilitation and/or replacement of the Wallaceburg Water Intake and the Wallaceburg Water Treatment Plant. This report should also include information on what steps would need to be taken to investigate the possibility of connecting the current users of the Wallaceburg system to the LAWSS system.
– The PUC administration develop an engineering staffing plan to support the 10-year capital plan concentrating on plants, facilities and inflow/infiltration and water loss investigations to present to the PUC for approval as soon as possible and be funded through 2025 approved water and wastewater rates.
– Council approve the creation and staffing of a Special Project Group within the Municipal Engineering Division named Facilitating Linear Opportunities Within Chatham-Kent (FLOW-CK) to fast-track linear water, wastewater and stormwater projects in alignment with the “Green” projects in the Municipal VU report and the future Water and Wastewater Master Plan Update as detailed in recommendation #2, with funding for the water and wastewater projects charged back to PUC for funding, and including regular communication and coordination with the PUC.
– Administration continue to work with the greenhouse industry and upper-level governments to investigate solutions to divert their water irrigation needs from potable municipal water to other potential sources, greatly reducing the future capital needs of the water plants, with findings included in the Water and Wastewater Master Plan Update as detailed in recommendation #2. The PUC may consider a moratorium on providing irrigation water to new greenhouses or expansions of the existing greenhouses until a more affordable solution is confirmed.
– Administration schedule an education session with Council to provide update on Administration’s work on Council’s Strategic Priority: Grow Our Community.
Two members of the Wallaceburg Advisory Team for a Cleaner Habitat (WATCH) group, Kris Lee and Joel Johnson, provided deputations to Council at Monday’s meeting.
“In 2014 the Municipality investigated a proposal to close Wallaceburg’s Water Treatment Plant, WATCH was very active in compiling responses from the area residents,” Johnson, the current chair of WATCH, said during his deputation.
“Our submission of comments from residents in 2014 (contained 11 points.) These points were valid then and are still valid now. We urge Council to go back to the drawing board and give serious consideration of these points.”
Johnson added: “Wallaceburg and area residents feel that changing to Lake Erie is ‘downgrading’. Sania chemical valley has cleaned up its act in the lasts 20 years due to the community vigilance on Sarnia industries with the help of the government’s St. Clair River Remedial Action Plans. The industries on Lake Erie have not done the same and are still releasing unacceptable amounts of pollutants.”
Johnson said WATCH is also concerned about “the lack of transparency and understanding” of the long term impacts to Wallaceburg and area.
The full report from staff can be read, here.
The water and wastewater master plan review can be read, here.
The consultant presentation made to Council in June can be read, here
