May 22, 2019
GRANDE PRAIRIE – Aquatera Utilities Inc. will officially welcome the Town of Wembley to the Aquatera family during a ground-breaking ceremony taking place at the Wembley Town Office, May 24 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The ceremony will celebrate an important milestone, ten years in the making.
“For more than a decade, Aquatera and the Town of Wembley have been working together toward a solution that would see Aquatera providing clean, safe, reliable water to the community of Wembley,” said Interim CEO, Jeff Pieper. “We are pleased to formally welcome the Town of Wembley to Aquatera’s family of services,” he added.
On January 1, 2019, the Town of Wembley transferred its water infrastructure assets in exchange for shares in Aquatera, becoming the organization’s fourth shareholder. The 26 km water transmission line, joining the City of Grande Prairie to the Town of Wembley in mid June, will provide high quality, reliable drinking water to the Town from the Aquatera system.
“Expanding infrastructure ensures access to safe, reliable, and clean water for our region,” said Wade Pilat, City of Grande Prairie Councillor. “Joining the water lines between the City of Grande Prairie and Town of Wembley demonstrates the positive impact of regional collaboration to increase service for all residents.”
On July 1 2019, Aquatera will also assume the wastewater system and services in the Town and be responsible for the system infrastructure.
“It is very exciting for the Town of Wembley to join Aquatera and the communities that it serves,” stated Mayor, Chris Turnmire, who has overseen the Water to Wembley project since initial planning stages. “This brings great peace of mind to our Council, while allowing us to invest our time and resources into the growth and prosperity of our community.”
“The County was proud invest $1M into oversizing the West County to Wembley water line to accommodate Dimsdale residents as well as future extension to the west,” said County Reeve Leanne Beaupre. “This project is a fine example of what can happen when we work together to improve the quality of life for residents.”
Aquatera invested over $3M toward the cost of the $22M water transmission line, with the remainder being funded in part by the Government of Canada through the Clean Water Wastewater Fund, and in part by the Provincial Water for Life Program.
“Modern water and wastewater infrastructure is essential to protecting the health and well-being of Canadians and building communities that will meet our future needs,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “We are pleased to have supported this important project that will ensure the Town of Wembley can meet the growing needs of residents and businesses. Investing in essential infrastructure like this is key to creating safe sustainable communities, economic growth and a strong middle class.”
“We look forward to supporting the growth of the Town of Wembley and working together to ensure community development and sustainability for the region,” said Jim Smith, Interim Board Chair.
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Aquatera Utilities Inc. is the Grande Prairie region’s provider of water, wastewater and solid waste services. Its core purpose is helping grow healthy communities and aims to have the best people providing the best service for the best value.
Media Contact:
Sarah Martin, Public Relations and Communications Specialist
Aquatera Utilities Inc.
P: 780.830.5012
C: 867.445.6487