The Municipality of Lakeshore broke ground on a $55-million expansion to its water treatment plant Tuesday to expand capacity and end the current development freeze.
The expansion at the Denis St. Pierre Water Pollution Control Plant is needed about five years sooner than the municipality projected and will increase capacity at the plant by about 70 per cent.
The treatment plant reached capacity in 2020 causing the municipality to pause any new development in the areas of Belle River, Maidstone, Stoney Point, Comber, and South Woodslee.
Construction at the wastewater treatment plant is expected to be wrapped up by the end of 2023. In the meantime, the municipality will work with developers to complete necessary preliminary work for future developments.
"The developers can now come in with their paperwork, and all the engineering that needs to be done and okays by ERCA [Essex Region Conservation Authority] and okays by the province, all that can get rolling now," said Mayor Tom Bain.
The expansion will be paid for through development charges.
"We may have to front some of it but the project is such that development pays. As they build their motels or hotels or residential subdivisions then they pay their fair share," said Bain.
There should be no disruption to current services while the construction of the expansion takes place.