Province’s Investment Strengthens Penetanguishene’s Water Security and Supports Future Growth

The Town of Penetanguishene is pleased to highlight the Province of Ontario’s continued commitment to upgrading and expanding critical water infrastructure, with the community receiving $11.5 million through the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program’s Health and Safety Water Stream. This provincial investment is part of a broader $700 million initiative to support 127 municipalities and First Nations communities across Ontario. It will directly support Penetanguishene’s Robert Street West Well Treatment Facility project, a cornerstone initiative to secure long-term drinking water capacity and resilience.

Project Details: 

The Robert Street West Well Treatment Facility project will add 3,300 m³/day of new water supply capacity to the Payette Drinking Water System, which currently relies on a single groundwater source vulnerable to potential contamination due to its proximity to an industrial area. The project will restore the Robert Street West Well Field taken offline in the early 1990s due to TCE contamination, using advanced oxidation treatment technology to safely remove TCE and bring the wellfield back into service as a critical secondary water source. Project work includes the rehabilitation of Well No. 3, decommissioning of the aging underground reservoir, and the construction of a new, modern treatment facility and reservoir to stabilize the distribution system during peak demand. Once completed, the project will provide enough capacity to service up to 5,000 additional housing units, supporting Penetanguishene’s long‑term growth.

Approximately 73% of total project costs will be supported through this provincial funding.

Mayor Doug Rawson expressed the Town’s appreciation for the investment:

“On behalf of the Town of Penetanguishene, I would like to thank the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Province of Ontario for their investment through the Health and Safety Water Stream. I would also like to thank MPP Jill Dunlop for her continued support and advocacy in securing vital funding for our communities. These investments are essential, they ensure communities across the province have access to safe drinking water, reliable wastewater and stormwater systems, and responsible water management.

This funding supports Penetanguishene’s Robert Street West Well Treatment Facility project, expanding our water supply capacity to support future growth, establishing a secondary source of safe drinking water for our residents, and adding a new reservoir to help stabilize the distribution system during peak demand.”

Across Simcoe North, Ontario is investing up to $78.4 million in water infrastructure improvements, strengthening water and wastewater systems and supporting responsible growth in the region. Penetanguishene’s project is one of five local projects benefiting from this investment, alongside Ramara, Tay Township, Tiny Township, and the City of Orillia.

This funding is part of a historic investment of $4 billion in the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP), included in Ontario’s $220 billion capital plan, the most ambitious in the province’s history, to build transit, highways, hospitals, schools and water infrastructure that enables new housing.