South Niagara Wastewater Treatment Solutions

Niagara Region is investing in tomorrow to make sure we have the infrastructure to serve current and future residents and businesses in Niagara.

In 2016, Niagara Region completed a project called Niagara 2041. This process included a municipal comprehensive review of growth planning and infrastructure needs. The goal was to create a plan for Niagara's future. By 2041, more than 64 per cent of the expected growth in the City of Niagara Falls will happen in the South Niagara Falls area.

As part of this planning, the 2016 Water and Wastewater Master Servicing Plan Update was completed. This plan, which was updated again in 2021, recommended building a new wastewater treatment plant in South Niagara Falls. This plant would include new systems to collect and move wastewater and connect to nearby sewer systems. This would help free capacity in the existing wastewater treatment plants in Niagara.

A detailed study looked at growth areas, system connections, infrastructure needs and costs. The 2016 Master Servicing Plan Update suggested building a new wastewater treatment plant that can handle 30 million litres of wastewater per day. It also recommended building new sewer systems to connect to this plant.

The new plant will help manage wastewater for not just Niagara Falls but also Thorold, St. Catharines, Queenston and Niagara-on-the-Lake. It will take some of the load off the existing systems in Niagara Falls and Thorold and handle both current and future needs.

In 2018, the Region started the South Niagara Wastewater Treatment Solution Environmental Assessment. This study looked at the impact of the new plant and its design. The goals were to protect the environment, support growth, provide future flexibility and make the plant a community asset.

The recommendations from the Environmental Assessment include:

• Building a new wastewater treatment plant that can handle 30 million litres per day located at 6811 Reixinger Rd., Niagara Falls with an outfall to Chippawa Creek
• Adding a new main sewer along Montrose Road
• Adding new servicing alignments for Thorold South (Brown Road trunk sewer)
• A new Black Horse Sewage Pump Station for Thorold Servicing located at 701 Allanburg Rd., Thorold
• The new sewer serving allows for opportunities to decommission the following sewage pump stations:
• South Side High Lift Sewage Pump Station
• Garner Road Sewage Pump Station
• Grassy Brook Sewage Pump Station

Detailed design for the South Niagara Wastewater Treatment Plant and South Niagara Trunk Sewer has started.