The Sylvan Lake Regional Water/Wastewater Commission is pleased to announce that the Government of Alberta has committed a total of $18.4 million through the Water for Life program to complete the final phase of the regional wastewater system serving the Sylvan Lake area.

The Province’s latest Water for Life grant of $5,636,038 provides the remaining provincial funding required to construct the final phase of the system. Combined with the Province’s previous $12.7 million investment, this funding will allow the Commission to connect the Town of Eckville, the Summer Village of Half Moon Bay, and portions of Lacombe County—completing a regional wastewater system first envisioned more than two decades ago.

Funding approval was provided by Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors with the support of the Honourable Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors and MLA for Innisfail–Sylvan Lake, and the Honourable Jason Nixon, Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board and MLA for Rimbey–Rocky Mountain House–Sundre.

The final phase is estimated at $20.4 million, with the approved route expected to reduce construction costs by approximately $20 million compared to alternative options. Once operational in late 2027, the expanded system will provide a reliable, cost-effective wastewater solution that protects the region’s aquifer and drinking water, supports the long-term health of Sylvan Lake, and enables future growth across Central Alberta.

Commission Chair Mike Pashak (Summer Village of Half Moon Bay) welcomed the announcement and

thanked the Province for its support.

“On behalf of the Sylvan Lake Regional Water/Wastewater Commission and our member municipalities, I want to sincerely thank Minister Dreeshen, Minister Nixon, and the Government of Alberta for their commitment to this project and for providing the Water for Life funding needed to complete the regional system,” said Chair Pashak.

“This investment delivers lasting benefits for the entire region. It provides an affordable wastewater solution for our communities, protects our drinking water sources, supports future growth, and completes the regional vision that municipalities and the Province began more than two decades ago. This is a tremendous win for Central Alberta.”

Detailed design and construction will now proceed, with the regional system expected to be fully operational in late 2027.