Funding Infrastructure to Meet Water Quality Standards

Ministry of Community Development Under the federal Gas Tax Agreement, the Community Works Fund CWF disburses funding directly to Local Governments based on a percentage of the per capita allocation, as set out in the Agreement, for local spending priorities. Under the CWF, there is no requirement to supplement project work with a local government contribution. As such, local government can utilize the CWF to support 100 of an eligible project. The Provincial government, through the various infrastructure funding programs such as the CanadaBC Municipal Infrastructure Fund, the CanadaBC Building Canada Fund Communities Component and the Towns for Tomorrow program, have identified that projects designed to address public and environmental health issues are considered as a funding priority. Further, the federal and provincial governments, through the administration of various capital grant programs such as the CanadaBC Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund, CanadaBC Building Canada Fund Communities Component and Towns for Tomorrow, allow local governments to utilize CWF as part or all of the local government contribution required under these programs and thus, does provide the opportunity to match Community Works Fund infrastructure grants. If a project designed to meet health authority standards is identified as a community priority, opportunities already exist for matching provincial funding. It also should be noted that the provision of potable water is a shared responsibility, from senior government to the individual consumer. As such, it is important to first, educate and identify the true costs of providing safe potable water, and secondly, share in the fiscal responsibility of providing safe, potable water. In most cases, this should involve those receiving the service safe, potable water paying an appropriate share of that service, whether that be capital improvements or ongoing operation and maintenance costs.