WC146 JanFeb 2026 - Magazine - Page 31
INFRASTRUCTURE
A Balancing Act
How municipalities can grow sustainably without breaking the bank
York Region
BY LAURA MIRABELLA
HE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT has set
a target for 1.5 million new homes by 2031
to accommodate population growth. Every
subdivision, condo tower, or industrial park
relies on something less visible than cranes or
concrete: the water systems that make communities
livable. Expanding treatment plants, extending pipes
and renewing aging infrastructure all come with a
price tag, and municipalities are tasked with figuring
out how to pay for it.
T
Laura Mirabella is the Commissioner of
Finance and Regional Treasurer at the
Regional Municipality of York.
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
For local governments, this is the critical challenge:
how do we enable the growth our communities need
while maintaining the infrastructure we already have
and within a sustainable financial framework?
Growth and maintenance dilemma
Every new home needs pipes to bring clean water
in and take wastewater out. Water and wastewater
systems are often one of the largest and most expensive infrastructure investments municipalities make.
Treatment plants, pumping stations and underground networks require careful long-term planning
and carry high operating costs.
When it comes
to building
infrastructure,
deciding what to
build is only half the
equation. The other
half is 昀椀guring out how
to pay for it.
WATER C AN ADA • JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2026
31
