Constraints on the consideration of environmental alternatives for wastewater management

Major projected population increases in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) are compelling municipalities to plan and construct wastewater infrastructure that will underlie growth for decades. This research investigated whether the municipal planning processes for these systems adequately consider long-term environmental risk, ecological context, financial sustainability and citizen participation. Emerging responses to the threat of climate change suggest that the principle of resilience should shape infrastructure, challenging the logic that has historically driven wastewater planning. Municipal councillors and local activists from three lower-tier municipalities in the outer ring of the GGH (Cavan Monaghan, Innisfil and Wellington North) were interviewed. Documents produced by the Environmental Assessment Process (EA) – the primary planning mechanism for new wastewater infrastructure – were analysed. This analysis indicated that the EAs excluded robust consideration of climate risk, broad environmental impact, and alternative systems. Based on participant interviews, this research concluded that low awareness of alternative options, the desire to encourage/accommodate population growth, and existing funding options effectively narrowed wastewater planning and outcomes. Key words: wastewater, infrastructure planning, infrastructure resilience, Greater Golden Horseshoe