Opinion: It's time to invest in southern Alberta

When people think about the infrastructure that supports a growing community, they often think about roads, bridges, schools or hospitals. Rarely do they think about the pipes, treatment plants, reservoirs and pumping stations that deliver clean water and safely manage wastewater every day.

Without this infrastructure, growth simply cannot happen.

Today, Lethbridge and much of southern Alberta stand at a crossroads. The region continues to attract residents, businesses and investment. Housing demand and industrial growth remain strong. But our water and wastewater systems are effectively at capacity and are becoming a significant constraint on future growth in southern Alberta.

This is not just a City of Lethbridge issue.

Lethbridge serves as a regional hub for southern Alberta. Our water system provides treated water to almost 114,000 residents, nine regional communities and major food-processing operations, including Cavendish Farms and McCain Foods. More than 4,400 farms, 11,000 businesses and a regional trade area of nearly 184,000 people depend on this infrastructure every day to support jobs, investment and economic growth.

The choice before us is straightforward: invest now or risk constraining the opportunities of tomorrow.

Our water treatment and wastewater systems are nearing capacity, limiting opportunities for new housing and economic development. At the same time, critical components of both systems are more than four decades old and require renewal to maintain reliability, environmental protection and public safety.

Without strategic investment, approximately 4,000 hectares of future housing, commercial and employment lands in southeast Lethbridge will remain constrained. Growth around the Lethbridge Airport and opportunities to expand regional servicing will be reduced, compromising our ability to support the homes, businesses and industries that drive Alberta’s economy.

That is why the City of Lethbridge is seeking provincial support for the Lethbridge Regional Water and Wastewater Expansion Project.

The proposed four-year program would invest nearly $287 million to expand water treatment capacity by 20 per cent, from 150 million litres per day to 180 million litres per day. It would also modernize critical treatment and transmission infrastructure, increase wastewater conveyance capacity and unlock future growth areas.

Construction could begin as early as 2027 and be completed by 2030.

It is important to note this is not a request for the provincial government to carry the burden alone.

The city is proposing a balanced, three-way partnership between the municipal, provincial and federal governments, with each partner contributing one-third of the total program cost. The city has already demonstrated its commitment by moving forward with a $285-million expansion of our Wastewater Treatment Plant, funded entirely through municipal utility rates. These rates will increase by 18 per cent annually over the next four years to support that investment.

The proposed Lethbridge Regional Water and Wastewater Expansion Project aligns directly with federal and provincial housing and economic-growth priorities to increase housing supply, strengthen economic competitiveness and support long-term growth. The project would create the capacity needed for tens of thousands of new housing units, while enabling industrial investment, agricultural expansion, and continued growth across southern Alberta.

The near- and long-term benefits are also substantial.

Analysis of this expansion scenario shows that the plan to increase water treatment capacity could support up to 22,000 new homes. It could also contribute nearly $4.6 billion to Alberta’s GDP, generate $2.8 billion in labour income, create more than 44,000 jobs provincially and produce more than $296 million in government revenues by 2042.

Water and wastewater infrastructure may not capture headlines, but it underpins housing, economic development, food production and community growth. The decisions we make today will determine whether southern Alberta has the capacity to grow and prosper in the decades ahead.

Lethbridge is ready to do its part. We have made significant investments, developed a clear plan and are prepared to move forward. To unlock tens of thousands of new homes and jobs, along with billions of dollars in provincial GDP growth, we need our provincial and federal partners to invest alongside us in the infrastructure growth requires.

This is not simply a local project; it is a strategic investment in Alberta’s future prosperity. The opportunity is before us.

Now we need the collective will to seize it.

Blaine Hyggen is the mayor of Lethbridge.