Clean Water and Wastewater Fund
Program Overview

Purpose

The Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF) will provide short-term funding of $2 billion. The program targets projects that will contribute to the rehabilitation of both water treatment and distribution infrastructure and existing wastewater and storm water treatment systems; collection and conveyance infrastructure; and initiatives that improve asset management, system optimization, and planning for future upgrades to water and wastewater systems.

Program Overview

Governance

  • Canada will enter into Bilateral Agreements (BA) with provinces and territories to deliver the CWWF. The provinces and territories in turn, will enter into agreements with eligible ultimate recipients to manage projects.
  • Canada will retain the flexibility to enter into agreements with other types of recipients, if deemed necessary to allow funds to flow into the economy quickly.
  • An Oversight Committee (OC) co-chaired by federal and provincial/territorial officials will be established to report on project progress and program outcomes, monitor and mitigate risks, and audit and evaluation for each province and territory.

Project Identification and Approval

  • Provinces and territories will be responsible for identifying projects, in collaboration with municipalities, to be funded through the CWWF.
  • Provinces and territories will be required to submit a project list to Infrastructure Canada (INFC) for approval.
  • All proposed project must provide basic information, including the name of the municipality, title and description of the public infrastructure project, eligible investment category, financial information, planned start and end dates as well as identification of outcome the project will support. Please refer to Annex A - for a full list of eligible investment categories and related subcategories.

Eligible Recipient(s)

  • Eligible recipients include: provinces and territories; municipalities and other entities that provide water or wastewater services as designated by the provinces and territories or municipalities. Please refer to Annex B for complete list of eligible recipients.
Cost-Sharing, Stacking and Limits to Federal Participation

CWWF total federal funding from all sources can be up to 50% in provinces and up to 75% in territories of total eligible costs per project (see Annex C for details of eligible and ineligible costs). Funding recipients will continue to be bound by the stacking rules of other federal programs.

With regard to financial support that the First Nation receives from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), only funding received from the First Nations Infrastructure Fund or the First Nations Water and Wastewater Program would be counted towards the federal stacking limits for the CWWF.

Requests for Extensions under CWWF

Under the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund, provinces and territories receive an allocation, prioritize eligible projects and submit them for federal funding. The Government of Canada has agreed to extend the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund program, so that recipients may incur eligible costs up to and including March 31, 2020. This extension will be available for those jurisdictions that meet our agreed-upon reporting requirements prior to March 31, 2018. These include the submission of any outstanding progress reports containing accurate start and end dates as well as baseline reports.

See below for provincial and territorial contact information for extension requests.

Alberta
Contact Person:
Primary – Barry Pape, Team Lead, Water/Wastewater and Grants, Alberta Transportation
Phone number: 1-780-415-1266
Email: barry.pape@gov.ab.ca
Secondary – Ajit Paramapathy, Director, Program Management & Grants, Alberta Transportation
Phone number: 1-780-422-7668
Email: ajit.paramapathy@gov.ab.ca

British Columbia
Contact Person: CWWF Program Lead, Local Government Infrastructure & Finance Branch, Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
Phone number: 1-250-387-4060
Email: infra@gov.bc.ca

Manitoba
Contact Person: Jenna Junkin
Phone number: 204-945-4074 or 1-800-268-4883
Email: infra@gov.mb.ca

New Brunswick
Contact Person: Director of Community Funding Branch, Environment and Local Government
Phone number: 1-506-457-4947
Email: CWWF-FEPTEU@gnb.ca

Newfoundland and Labrador
Contact Person: Ian Duffett, Municipal Affairs
Phone number: 1-709-729-3068
Email: ianduffett@gov.nl.ca

Northwest Territories
Contact Person: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs
Phone number: 1-867-767-9160, ext. 21012
Email: chris_hewitt@gov.nt.ca

Nova Scotia
Contact Person: Aileen Waller-Hebb
Phone number: 1-902-424-7414
Email: Aileen.Waller-Hebb@novascotia.ca

Nunavut
Contact Person: Linda Casson, Community Infrastructure Division, Community and Government Services
Phone number: 1-867-975-5336
Email: lcasson@gov.nu.ca

Ontario
Contact Person: Infrastructure Ontario
Phone number: 1-844-803-8856
Email: CWWF@infrastructureontario.ca

Prince Edward Island
Contact Person: Darlene Rhodenizer
Phone number: 1-902-368-6213
Email: dlrhodenizer@gov.pe.ca

Quebec
Department of Municipal Affairs, Land Occupancy and Public Security
10 Pierre-Olivier-Chauveau Street
Quebec City, Quebec G1R 4J3
Telephone : 418-691-2015
Fax: 418-643-7385
Email: communications@mamot.gouv.qc.ca

Saskatchewan
Contact Person: Municipal Infrastructure and Finance
Phone number: 1-306-787-1262
Email: infra@gov.sk.ca

Yukon
Contact Person: John McGovern, Department of Community Services
Phone number: 1-867-667-8954
Email: john.mcgovern@gov.yk.ca

Annex A – Overview of Eligible CWWF Investments

Eligible investment areas are targeted at meeting immediate clean water and waste water projects that will also foster economic growth and support a cleaner and healthier environment for communities. Eligible investments include:

  1. Capital projects for the rehabilitation of water treatment and distribution systems, and wastewater and storm water collection, conveyance and treatment systems;
  2. Separation of existing combined sewers and/or combined sewer overflow control;
  3. Initiatives that support system optimization and improved asset management including studies and pilot projects related to innovative and transformative technologies;
  4. Design and planning for upgrades to wastewater treatment infrastructure to meet federal regulatory requirements; and
  5. New construction projects, including the construction of naturalized systems for management and treatment of wastewater and storm water, if the projects will be completed within the program timeframe, subject to any additional flexibility that may be provided by the Minister on a case by case basis. Any unspent allocations would remain with the federal government.
Annex B – Eligible Recipients

The CWWF will be largely managed through funding agreements between Canada and each province and territory, which will be responsible for the administration of the programs and may further distribute funds to the eligible recipients for eligible projects. At the request of provinces or territories and at Canada’s discretion, or, in order to ensure flexibility to allow the full amount of funding to flow into the economy quickly, Canada may enter into agreements with the following eligible recipients:

  1. Organizations designated by a province or territory and agreed to by Canada,
  2. Municipal or regional governments established by or under a provincial or territorial statute, and
  3. Other entities providing water or wastewater services to communities, as designated by the provinces and territories.

Infrastructure projects in the provinces located partially or entirely on reserve, or on any Crown lands or lands set aside by the Crown that are designated to become reserve lands, may be considered for funding under the CWWF provided that the proponent demonstrates the project is aligned with objectives of the fund and has benefits that extend beyond the on-reserve community. Budget 2016 identified a separate allocation of green infrastructure funds for First Nations infrastructure on reserve, which will be administered by INAC through the First Nations Infrastructure Fund and the First Nations Water and Wastewater Program.

Annex C – Eligible and Ineligible Costs

Eligible Costs

For the CWWF, infrastructure is defined as publicly or privately owned tangible capital assets in Canada primarily for public use or benefit, as well as planning or feasibility studies to address infrastructure issues or due diligence.

Eligible costs are costs considered by INFC to be direct and necessary for the successful implementation of an eligible project, excluding those explicitly identified in as Ineligible Costs. Costs of Aboriginal consultation, and where appropriate, accommodation will be considered eligible.

Eligible costs can be incurred starting April 1, 2016, but can only be reimbursed by INFC subject to the signing of a funding agreement between INFC and the recipient and meeting the conditions outlined in Section 13 - Basis of Payments.

Where federal-provincial/territorial funding agreements are signed, provinces and territories may apply up to 1% of their funding allocation of each program towards program administration costs.

Ineligible Costs

Ineligible costs for the CWWF include the following:

  1. Costs incurred prior to April 1, 2016;
  2. Costs incurred after March 31, 2018 and March 31, 2019 for projects in the Territories. The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities may provide some flexibility regarding the deadline for incurring eligible costs should there be a demonstrated need;
  3. Costs incurred for cancelled projects;
  4. Land acquisition; leasing land, buildings and other facilities; leasing equipment other than equipment directly related to the construction of the project; real estate fees and related costs;
  5. Financing charges, legal fees, and loan interest payments (including those related to easements (e.g. surveys);
  6. Any goods and services costs which are received through donations or in kind;
  7. Provincial sales tax and Goods and Services tax/HST, for which the ultimate recipient is eligible for a rebate, and any other costs eligible for rebates; and
  8. Costs associated with operating expenses and regularly scheduled maintenance work.