New wastewater plant in Chester Basin backed by $17.5M investment
A new wastewater treatment plant and system upgrades are planned for Chester Basin following a $17.5 million investment from federal, provincial, and municipal governments.
The funding will support construction of a new treatment plant along with upgraded collection, transmission and outfall systems. Officials say the current infrastructure is at capacity and increasingly vulnerable to coastal flooding.
Once complete, the expanded system will serve 107 existing homes and allow for up to 652 housing units in the future.
Nova Scotia Municipal Affairs Minister John A. MacDonald says the project will help communities grow while protecting against environmental risks.
“This investment will modernize the wastewater system in Chester Basin, unlock new housing and enhance the system’s resilience to storms and flooding,” MacDonald said in a statement.
The Government of Canada is contributing $7 million through the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, while the Province of Nova Scotia is providing more than $5.8 million. The Municipality of the District of Chester is contributing more than $4.6 million.
Warden Allen Webber said the municipality has been planning the project for years as the existing system has reached the end of its useful life.
“The existing system just wasn’t functioning anymore,” Webber said. “If you were going to replace it and fix it, you might as well build it bigger and better.”
Webber said the new infrastructure will support future residential and commercial growth in the community.
“We’re preparing for growth as opposed to waiting for it to happen and then reacting,” he said. “Chester Basin is going to grow.”
The current wastewater system serves only a handful of properties and is increasingly vulnerable to flooding due to its location near the shoreline.
The new plant will be built at a higher elevation to reduce risks from sea level rise and storm surge.
Construction is expected to begin this spring, with the system projected to be operational by the fall of 2027.
