South Frontenac to Build New Affordable Housing in Verona using ‘Communal Services’ for Water

*This article was published in our 2026 Budget Newsletter that was mailed out with tax bills in May 2026*

The Verona Housing Project, our multi-unit townhouse and apartments to be built in Verona, will use a lesser known, unique and environmentally friendly water and wastewater option called ‘communal services’.

“What are communal services?” you may ask. Communal services are public owned and operated systems that provide water and wastewater treatment to a cluster of six or more year- round residences; think using a single well supply and water treatment system rather than a traditional rural servicing approach of multiple wells and septics. This approach is a perfect option to serve the compact form of development of the Verona Housing Project.

Traditionally, in most urban subdivisions, a centralized municipal water and wastewater system is built for water to be distributed and wastewater to be collected from a large service area through long networks of collection/distribution pipes. The water and wastewater would be treated at a municipally owned plant. These treatment centres are generally over-sized for current needs to account for future population growth. This can be a costly expense and needs to be updated as the population increases. In a rural setting, typically, a private individual well and septic system are dug on-site. This treatment system would likely serve only one, maybe two, dwellings.

Communal systems, on the other hand, operate on the same basic principles as a public water and wastewater system, but they are not connected to a big centralized facility. Instead, a ‘right-sized’ facility to treat water and wastewater is built the serve the individual project.

Communal systems have many benefits; they can protect natural heritage and the environment by reducing potential nutrient loading impacts on lakes and waterbodies which are critical to the economy, quality of life, and protection of fish habitats and species. Building a communal system opens new doors for a mix of different housing types and densities within rural areas that will help meet current and future housing needs. Projects like Verona Housing create more housing alternatives than the typical single family housing option. These rental units will provide new rural housing options for many residents, including young families and seniors who wish to downsize and stay within their community. 

Communal systems have the potential to allow more compact, land-efficient developments to be built, rather than single houses with private wells and septic systems. These public owned and operated systems are otherwise designed, constructed, operated and monitored according to strict Ministry of Environment Climate and Parks regulations and guidelines. 

South Frontenac Township, and the County as a whole, is growing. This growth can put pressures on the development process. Our Development Services department is working to support developments that can accommodate and service South Frontenac, while maintaining our rural character and enhancing the vitality and livability of our villages and hamlets. Providing flexible housing options allows our rural community to maintain social and business hubs with a distinct sense of place.

For more information on Verona Housing, including draft floor layout plans for both parcels of land, please visit engagefrontenac.ca.