Stormwater performance, drinking water results and grant approvals covered in Carleton Place council briefs
CARLETON PLACE – Community grants, stormwater system performance and the town’s annual drinking water report were among the updates reviewed by Carleton Place council during its March 10 committee of the whole meeting.
Carleton Place approves first round of community enrichment grants
Community groups across Carleton Place will receive support after council approved the first round of 2026 Community Enrichment Grants.
Councillors endorsed staff recommendations to allocate $28,225 during the program’s first intake.
Community Development Co-ordinator Jessica Hansen reminded council the 2026 program has a $47,000 total budget, including $12,000 in direct financial grants and $35,000 in in-kind support such as facility rentals or municipal services.
Organizers of the Coldest Night of the Year will receive in-kind use of the Canoe Club, while the Mississippi Lakes Association will receive a $500 grant. The Mississippi Mudds will receive $1,500 in in-kind support for rentals at the Town Hall auditorium.
“It’s great to see so many community outfits reaching out and taking advantage of these funds. The programs that they’re running are terrific,” said Mayor Toby Randell.
About $18,775 remains available in the program, with the second intake closing Aug. 28.
Hansen noted organizations can apply for the next round at any time before the deadline.
“In theory really, organizations could apply anytime now for the second intake which closes Aug. 28,” she said.
Stormwater report confirms drainage system operating properly
Carleton Place council has received the town’s 2025 Stormwater Management Annual Report, a regulatory update on the performance of the community’s drainage system.
The report is required each year under approvals from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and must be submitted to the province by April 30.
“This year I’m pleased to report that we’ve inspected all our stormwater management facilities, as well as our stormwater outlets to the river, and everything is in compliance, everything is working as intended, so there’s nothing unusual that needs to be repaired at the moment,” said Guy Bourgon, director of public works.
The report summarizes monitoring data, inspections, maintenance work, repairs, complaints and any spill or discharge events from the past year, along with environmental trends over the previous five years.
Staff also noted that current approvals do not require water quality monitoring of stormwater ponds, though new provincial guidance expected in the future could change those requirements.
Council received the report for information, and it will be posted publicly on the town’s website.
Carleton Place drinking water meets provincial standards
Council has received the 2025 Drinking Water System Annual Report, confirming the community’s water supply met all provincial standards last year.
Prepared by the Ontario Clean Water Agency, the report is required annually under provincial regulations and must be reviewed by council and made available to the public.
According to the report, there were no significant water quality issues recorded in 2025, and all testing results from the Carleton Place Water Treatment Plant were within acceptable limits.
“As far as the report is concerned, nothing of major note to report. There was a minor non-compliance with a fluoride analyzer that was left on hold and missed a sampling event, but it didn’t amount to anything, and it was corrected immediately,” said Bourgon.
A provincial inspection conducted in 2025 gave the system a perfect score of 100 per cent after staff addressed earlier recommendations to introduce a backflow prevention program and formalize valve inspection procedures.
Water conservation measures introduced in recent years also continue to help manage demand, including July morning lawn watering restrictions and a rain barrel rebate program.
The report also noted that no blue-green algae blooms were detected in source water from Mississippi Lake during 2025.
Council received the report for information as part of its oversight responsibilities for the municipal drinking water system.
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