What's on tap?
The future of water and wastewater services
More than 8,000 people throughout Prince Edward County rely on the County for safe, reliable drinking water services.
Ongoing planning and investment in our water systems helps ensure well-managed growth that protects the rural character of our region, while providing a mix of housing and economic opportunities in existing villages and centres.
Between 2025 and 2032, nearly 4,200 housing units are expected to be built in Prince Edward County, with another 4,500 housing units between 2033 and 2043. Click here to view a detailed breakdown of planned development in Prince Edward County.
Quick Facts
- The County of Prince Edward manages six water systems that draw drinking water from groundwater, surface water (lakes) and Lake Ontario.
- The municipality’s water and wastewater infrastructure is worth more than $280 million.
- The municipality’s water system has 111 km of watermains. That’s the same distance as driving from Picton to Gananoque.
- Only users connected to municipal water and wastewater pay for the system.
Safeguarding services for today and tomorrow
Ongoing planning and investment in our water systems helps ensure well managed growth that protects the rural character of our region, while providing a mix of housing and economic opportunities in existing villages and centres.
Tools and processes that help us manage growth, and water/wastewater infrastructure:
- The County’s Official plan and secondary plans, which identify how much growth will be supported and where.
- Master servicing plans and environmental assessments, which are more future-looking plans to provide services and infrastructure and to protect health and our environment.
- Capital plans ensure infrastructure meets current needs, stays in good repair and supports growth.
Regional Water Supply Servicing Master Plan
The recently completed Regional Water Supply Servicing Master Plan looked at the infrastructure that is needed to ensure the systems can continue to operate effectively and meet the needs of the growing community.
The most notable aspect of the plan is connecting Picton/Bloomfield drinking water system to the Wellington drinking water system. Building one regional plant with a transmission line between Wellington and Picton would cost between $4 – $16 million less than building replacement plants in both towns, where the most growth is taking place.
Of the overall cost of $192.4 million for the regional plan, $41.7 million of that is benefit to existing users (21.7%). The other $150.5 million is eligible to be recouped through regional Development Charges. Currently, only Wellington has Area-Specific Development Charges for Water/Wastewater costs; a similar cost recovery framework has not yet been applied to Picton but will be considered in the future.
$16 million of the $41.7 million portion that benefits existing users has been incorporated into the 2021 rate study, meaning that amount will not impact the water rates. $25.6 million will need to be incorporated into the 2026 rate study. However, if the municipality if successful in its $18.3 million request for grant funding through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, only $7.2 million would have to be incorporated into the water rates when they are set again in 2026, and that would be spread over the new users in Picton this time, not only Wellington, as was the case in the Wellington Area Specific Development Charges Bylaw. Click here to view a breakdown.
What's coming down the pipe
The municipality aims to deliver high quality services and infrastructure while managing affordability.
A number of water and wastewater projects are planned in the coming years. Check out their project pages to learn more about them.
Frequently Asked Questions
We get a lot of questions about water and wastewater in Prince Edward County. We’re here to help.
Have a question and don’t see the answer? Drop us a line at communications@pecounty.on.ca.
Water rates are set every five years. The rates are set until 2026.
The money you already pay each month helps fund the long-term plan for infrastructure. This includes the new water tower, trunk lines, and water and wastewater plants in Wellington.
The County is also setting up a community working group that will help set the rates for beyond 2026. Already, staff are looking at possible savings to limit future financial impacts on existing ratepayers.
Experts have projected the future population of both Prince Edward County and the Quinte region. They have looked at Canadian and provincial employment and migration trends, with adjustments that consider local and regional data such as building permits and housing starts. Based on this analysis, the experts project a population increase of 9,000 over the next 30 years (2051) in Prince Edward County. This estimate is also in line with Ontario Ministry of Finance projections for this area.
Between 2025 and 2032, nearly 4,200 housing units are expected to be built in Prince Edward County, with another 4,500 housing units between 2033 and 2043. Click here to view a detailed breakdown of planned development in Prince Edward County
The rate of growth may fluctuate over the short term. However, the trends of strong economic growth and more people moving to the area through immigration and inter-provincial migration are expected to continue over the long term.
The County has upfront financing agreements with the developer. Through those agreements, the County has $4 million in letters of credit from the developer, which shows the developer is serious with moving ahead. Should the developer default, a worst-case scenario that the County does not anticipate, the County could use that $4 million to cover the interest on the debt for County’s portion of the projects, ensuring that debt servicing does not cause water and wastewater rates to rise.
The Cork and Vine development has completed all the necessary background work, studies and engineering required for a subdivision agreement for the first phases of its project. Before beginning construction of new homes, the developer is waiting for the County to construct a new “trunk line” that will deliver large quantities of water across the supply system. Award of the tender for construction of the trunk line is expected to occur later in 2023.
The County adopted a Secondary Plan for Wellington eight years ago that expanded the urban boundary and allowed the potential for growth. This plan was approved by Council and the province.
Under provincial legislation, the municipality must put in infrastructure to support development on land identified for future growth. This is what the water tower, trunk line, and water/wastewater plants will provide in Wellington. If the municipality fails to supply the necessary infrastructure, it is at risk of lawsuits from the land owners of those properties within the town boundary.
The County’s water and wastewater infrastructure has served the community well over the decades. However, much of it is aging and will need to be replaced within the next 10 years, regardless of growth. If the County builds now, it can take advantage of the fact that 75% of the total costs can be paid for by developers of the new homes. The municipality cannot impose development charges after the houses are built.
Money collected from water and wastewater customers goes to:
- Cover the daily operations to deliver clean, safe drinking water
- Treat the wastewater to protect the environment and public health
- Future investments so that the municipality can maintain, improve or expand infrastructure including treatment plants, pumps and pipes