Water and Wastewater Master Plan

Why is the Water Wastewater Master Plan Amendment necessary?
The Water and Wastewater Master Plan Amendment is necessary to incorporate the York Region Sewage Works Project, proceeding under the Ontario government’s Supporting Growth and Housing in York and Durham Regions Act, 2022. The amendment will update the servicing strategy and infrastructure identified in the Plan to reflect the York Region Sewage Works Project and other revisions, provide supporting information for projects with environmental assessment work and refine costs supporting the development charge bylaw update.

When will the Amended plan be available?
The amended plan will be available for public review in early 2025 on York.ca/WaterPlan

What is the York Region Sewage Works Project and where can I find more information about the Project? 
As required by the Supporting Growth and Housing in York and Durham Regions Act, 2022 (Act), York Region and Durham Region are working together to carry out the York Region Sewage Works Project. This Project will improve the existing York Durham Sewage System, by adding new or expanded wastewater sewers, pumping stations and enhancements to the Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant on the shore of Lake Ontario in the City of Pickering. Durham Region supports proposed work in the City of Pickering as part of the project. 

The Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks issued a letter on April 22, 2024, expressing satisfaction with the Project Report and Indigenous Communities and Interested Persons Consultation Reports required by the Act. Per the letter, this project has been allowed to advance to implementation subject to continuing the ongoing dialogue with the Ministry and engagement with impacted and interested Indigenous communities, along with project progress reporting as this long-term project progresses. 

For more information visit york.ca/SewageProject

What is the Water Wastewater Master Plan?
The Water and Wastewater Master Plan provides a long-term water and wastewater servicing strategy that supports existing communities and growth to 2051. It integrates social, environmental and financial sustainability principles. Updates to the Master Plan are coordinated with the Region’s Municipal Comprehensive Review and follow Phases 1 and 2 of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process. In combination with other plans, studies and reports, it meets the needs of Section 3.2.6 of the Province’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

What is a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Process? What does this mean for the Water and Wastewater Master Plan?
The Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Process is an approved process under the Environmental Assessment Act.

How does the Master Plan address water quality?
The Water and Wastewater Master Plan is a long-range overview infrastructure plan to provide water and wastewater services to our growing communities to 2051. While water safety and quality is inherently considered in our service delivery planning, treatment strategies for the infrastructure recommended in the Master Plan will be developed at the facility design stage during a project-specific environmental assessment.  

Water safety and quality is extremely important to York Region. All water distributed to our residents by York Region’s local nine cities and towns must meet high regulatory quality standards as legislated by the Province of Ontario. York Region’s water is monitored around the clock to ensure it complies with the Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards, which identify more than 100 criteria for safe consumption limits, proven based on medical research. These criteria are revised by the Province as needed to reflect new scientific findings or concerns. For more information, please visit york.ca/drinkingwater

Does the Master Plan consider water conservation and efficiency initiatives like grey water use?
To anticipate future water and wastewater infrastructure needs, the Water and Wastewater Master Plan uses historical water consumption data which reflects the success of the Long-Term Water Conservation Strategy (LTWCS) and uses that to inform estimates of future water demands. Opportunities to use water more efficiently such as using greywater are explored further through the LTWCS. To learn more, visit york.ca/longtermwater

York Region has a long history of practicing water conservation and efficiency programming that spans more than twenty years. York Region’s LTWCS expands on existing Regional plans, strategies and programs, and sets the stage for innovative and jurisdiction-leading water conservation and efficiency programming. The strategy is updated on a five-year cycle and was updated in 2021. 

How do I know if my property/development will receive servicing?
The Water and Wastewater Master Plan is a long-range overview infrastructure plan to provide water and wastewater services to growth identified through the Municipal Comprehensive Review/Regional Official Plan update. 

The Regional Official Plan must comply with provincial legislation such as the Provincial Policy Statement, the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the Greenbelt Plan, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan. These plans contain policies that guide how York Region plans for municipal servicing and include restrictions on extending lake-based municipal servicing or extending partial servicing for specific areas. 

Towns and cities will be updating their local Official Plans to conform with the updated Regional Official Plan. As towns and cities are responsible for distribution of municipal water and wastewater servicing directly to the end user, they will identify if/when a particular development or property will receive municipal servicing. 

Please contact your local town or city for more information on servicing plans for a specific location. 

For more information about the Municipal Comprehensive Review, visit york.ca/mcr

How does the Water and Wastewater Master Plan protect the environment and water supplies for the future?
The Water and Wastewater Master Plan sets out a long-term infrastructure plan to service the growth envisioned through the Regional Official Plan update. The Regional Official Plan is the blueprint for future growth and development in York Region and outlines policies to guide growth management, economic, environmental and community planning decisions. These policies, based on direction from provincial legislation, aim to protect agriculture, the natural heritage system (environmentally significant areas, aquatic and wildlife habitats, etc.) and the water resources system. 

Beyond the Regional Official Plan, York Region has other initiatives, plans and programs to protect the environment and water supplies. Source Water Protection is a program legislated by the Province of Ontario to protect municipal drinking water sources from contamination or over-use. York Region has a Source Water Protection program that works with municipalities, agricultural, industrial and commercial industries, residents and developers to protect our water sources from threats like pollution within vulnerable areas now and into the future. Learn more at york.ca/protectingwater

York Region staff go above and beyond government requirements and monitor water and wastewater for emerging contaminants to provide context to developing research and identify any potential future risks early. Staff work with world class researchers to determine if steps need to be taken to address new contaminants in the treatment process and advocate with other levels of government to reduce the amount of potentially risky chemicals from reaching drinking water supplies by reducing them at the source.