The Ontario government has announced plans to invest nearly $29 million to expand and rehabilitate rural water infrastructure in Perth and Wellington counties.

The funding is part of an $875 million investment in the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program’s Health and Safety Water Stream (MHIP-HSWS) and will help protect more than 5,500 homes in Southwestern Ontario.

Those municipalities in Perth and Wellington counties receiving MHIP-HSWS funding are:

• Township of Wellington North — $26,097,500 to expand the Arthur Wastewater Treatment Plant and upgrade the associated forcemain, as well as replace and expand the Drayton Sewage Pumping Station in Mapleton, ensuring long-term service sustainability for 2,330 existing homes
• The Municipality of West Perth — $2,053,125 for the Herbert Street Sewage Pumping Station, helping to sustain service for some 2,378 homes
• The Township of Perth East — $675,250 for the Milverton Well Replacement and Reservoir Rehabilitation, supporting 850 homes with improved water security.

“Our government is making significant, long-term investments in rural infrastructure, including right here in Perth-Wellington,” said local MPP Matthew Rae. “This nearly $29 million commitment will strengthen water systems, improve community assets and unlock new housing opportunities across Wellington and Perth Counties, which will support economic growth and ensure we are protecting our communities for the next generation.”

The province increased the MHIP to $4 billion last summer in an effort to speed up construction of homes and core infrastructure, such as roads and water systems. Since its launch in 2024, the MHIP has made about 800,000 more new homes possible and protected some 375,000 existing homes.

The MHIP comprises four funding streams: the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund (HEWSF), the Housing-Enabling Core Servicing (HECS) Stream, the Health and Safety Water Stream (HSWS) and the Agriculture and Irrigation Stream.