The session will provide an overview of Frontenac County’s journey to create the first municipal service corporation in Ontario to own and operate communal water and wastewater systems, including a review of how communal system technology works. Communal services operate on the same basic principles as conventional municipal services but are not connected to one central facility. Instead, ‘right-sized’ facilities treat water and wastewater close to where it is needed or created. Communal services can be less expensive and more efficient than centralized municipal services, and they are also more environmentally friendly than private on-site services (i.e., well and septic). By creating a regional public utility, Frontenac County has removed the need for their individual municipalities to be responsible for them – a model that could be replicated elsewhere. This approach can unlock development potential in rural communities, including the development of additional housing options and the opportunity to strengthen rural villages and hamlets in a sustainable way.
