Replacing Canada’s crumbling water, road infrastructure would cost more than $300B: Statistics Canada

It would take hundreds of billions of dollars to replace Canada’s crumbling road and water systems, says Statistics Canada.

On Monday, the national statistics agency released the results of a 2022 survey of government agencies responsible for public infrastructure. Statistics Canada estimates that it would take $356.7 billion to replace road or water systems the survey says are in “poor” or “very poor” condition.

That cost estimate has jumped by more than $100 billion since 2020, the first year the survey was conducted.

The agency defines “very poor” items of infrastructure as those posing a public health or safety hazard and needing immediate replacement of “most or all of the asset.” It defines infrastructure in “poor” condition as items that need “substantial work” but do not pose an immediate health or safety risk.

Water infrastructure — which includes drinking water, wastewater and stormwater pipes — has become a key area of concern due to widespread flooding over the past year.

Record-breaking rainfall in North Vancouver overwhelmed the stormwater system over the weekend, causing significant flooding across the district.

A major water main break in Montreal in August triggered flooding and a boil-water advisory. Calgary declared a state of local emergency in June and called on residents to cut their water consumption after the city’s main water feeder pipe failed.

Major storms that caused massive floods in the streets of Toronto this summer raised questions about whether city infrastructure is built to withstand heavy rainfall.

The Statistics Canada survey suggests that more than a tenth of Canada’s water systems are considered to be in “poor” or “very poor” condition. It estimates that replacing those systems would cost $106.5 billion.

But the agency notes that 29,000 kilometres of new water pipes were installed between 2020 and 2022 — an average of 9,700 km per year — to keep up with record high population growth.

“These distances of pipes were added at a faster pace than the 57,576 km installed from 2010 to 2019 (5,758 km per year) and the 72,015 km installed from 2000 to 2009 (7,202 km per year),” Statistics Canada said.

It would take $250.2 billion to replace road infrastructure considered to be in “poor” or “very poor” condition, the survey suggests. Statistics Canada includes bridges, tunnels, public transit systems, sidewalks and bike paths in its road infrastructure calculation.

But the agency is warning that 17 per cent of public transit infrastructure and 42 per cent of “active transportation assets” — which include bike paths and sidewalks — were in unknown condition.

Local and regional governments oversee the vast majority of road infrastructure, Statistics Canada said.

The agency estimated it would take $2.6 trillion to replace all of Canada’s road and water infrastructure, including the systems that are considered to be in good condition.