The average age of wastewater treatment facilities has been on an ageing trend since the early 1980s. This trend culminated in 2003 at 19.7 years. Larger investments since then brought the average down to 17.6 years in 2007. As a percentage of estimated useful life, the provincial rate in 2007 was below the national average for the first time since 1969, at 62% compared to 63%.