Upgrading Stormwater Management Ponds

The purpose of this program is to reduce the impact on watercourses of stormwater runoff from urban areas, by retrofitting existing stormwater management (SWM) facilities to achieve the Ministry of the Environment's Level 1 enhanced water quality guidelines using current best management practices.

This program is available to municipal governments within the Lake Simcoe watershed.

Funding

Municipal governments within the Lake Simcoe watershed may qualify for grants of up to $2,500 per kilogram reduction of phosphorus or 50 per cent of the of project cost, whichever is lower, to a maximum of $100,000. Additional funds may be available from other environmental grant funding sources. LSRCA watershed coordinators will ensure that you are made aware of all the grant funding programs available to you.

What projects are eligible?

  • Retrofitting of existing SWM ponds to provide quality control.
  • Installation of new-in-science technologies that contribute to improved water quality.

What costs may be covered?

  • Projects that implement best management practices to achieve MOE Level 1 enhanced water quality guidelines are eligible for funding support.
  • Design work, studies, and capital construction costs.

Conditions

  • Projects in or near water may require reviews, approvals, and/or permits from, but not limited to the local municipality, the LSRCA, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Such permits are the responsibility of the applicant and must be in place prior to construction.

Applicants must:

  • Submit copies of engineering drawings, site plans indicating the extent of the contributing drainage area to the SWM facility, and details of the proposed stormwater control device.
  • Provide the appropriate runoff coefficient, based on the municipality's standards for landuse in the contributing area.
  • Provide calculations indicating the average annual phosphorus load under current conditions, average annual phosphorus load expected following installation of the proposed SWM control device, and average annual reduction following installation.

How to Apply

Contact a watershed coordinator