Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Hamilton has reclassified the Carlisle water storage project after concluding that the community requires additional water capacity to meet both current and future needs.
Since 2002, when the municipal drinking water system was unable to meet peak summer demands, the City has explored various solutions to address water shortages in the Carlisle area. In 2012, the City initiated a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) to evaluate infrastructure options for improving water service delivery. However, in 2014, the study was suspended while the City focused on a five-year water conservation program aimed at reducing demand.
Despite community efforts to conserve water, demand remained consistently high, and it became clear that additional potable water storage was necessary to meet provincial fire flow and storage guidelines and ensure a reliable water supply for all current and future residents.
The City’s most recent MCEA study, launched in 2023, considered several infrastructure options to provide a long-term, sustainable water supply. The preferred solution is the construction of a larger, elevated water tank at Tower Park (40-46 Woodend Drive). The project, which does not require additional land and has minimal environmental impact, was originally classified as a Schedule “B” project. However, after further evaluation, it has been reclassified as “Exempt” from the full MCEA process.
This change means the project will not require a detailed environmental assessment under Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act, as it is expected to have limited social and environmental impact.
A Project File Report documenting the planning process and outlining the study’s recommendations, potential impacts, and mitigation measures has been completed. The report is available for public review at: www.hamilton.ca/carlislewaterstorage.
This reclassification marks a key step in ensuring that Carlisle’s water infrastructure can meet the needs of both current residents and the growing population in the years ahead.
