Wastewater Treatment Plant
There's a lot of activity going on near First Beach right now and that work will extend well into 2023. Powell River's new $76 million is funded by the Government of Canada's Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
The federal grant includes construction of the outfall, the linear work (three sanitary pipelines - Willingdon Conveyance, Wildwood Conveyance and Artaban Conveyance), the pump stations (four in total – North Harbour, Alexander Street, Burton Street and Wildwood), as well as the construction of the plant itself.
With things swinging into motion, there's going to be a steady flow of information coming from City Hall. When you want to know what's happening, all you need to do is come here. If we're missing something, please let us know.
New renderings for WWTP
The new renderings have been created from 90 per cent of the design of the CWWTP. They are not 100 per cent accurate, as the lower road alignment has changed to accommodate a butternut walnut tree, and the trails are not shown.
Shortlisted candidates for General Contractor:
Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd.
1921 - 91 Street SW, Suite 201,
Edmonton, AB T6X 0W8
Darija Svilar - Estimator
E-mail: darijas@maple.ca
Telephone: 780-465-5980
AECON GROUP INC.
1003 Ellwood Road SW, Suite 301
Edmonton, AB T6X 0B3
Ibrahim Oladapo - Estimator
Email: ioladapo@aecon.com
Mobile: 778.222.0954
Gary Schroeder - Senior Estimator
Email: gschroeder@aecon.com
Mobile: 587.336.7347
Graham Construction & Engineering Inc.
7216 Brown Street
Delta, BC V4G 1G8
Frank Schmitz, M.Eng. - Chief Estimator
Email: frank.schmitz@graham.ca
Telephone: 604.952.6182
Mobile: 604.754.0118
Danger Zone
The location of the facility is an active construction zone, with work crews and heavy equipment operating. There will be temporary closures of road access to the beach, and closures and detours on some trails in the old golf course lands. Road and trail changes are clearly marked. For your own safety, we ask you to please stay clear of the site.
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Another way to follow the project is to subscribe to our regular updates. Just click on the Stay Informed button and you'll receive the newsletter in your email inbox on a monthly basis.
There's a lot of activity going on near First Beach right now and that work will extend well into 2023. Powell River's new $76 million is funded by the Government of Canada's Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
The federal grant includes construction of the outfall, the linear work (three sanitary pipelines - Willingdon Conveyance, Wildwood Conveyance and Artaban Conveyance), the pump stations (four in total – North Harbour, Alexander Street, Burton Street and Wildwood), as well as the construction of the plant itself.
With things swinging into motion, there's going to be a steady flow of information coming from City Hall. When you want to know what's happening, all you need to do is come here. If we're missing something, please let us know.
New renderings for WWTP
The new renderings have been created from 90 per cent of the design of the CWWTP. They are not 100 per cent accurate, as the lower road alignment has changed to accommodate a butternut walnut tree, and the trails are not shown.
Shortlisted candidates for General Contractor:
Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd.
1921 - 91 Street SW, Suite 201,
Edmonton, AB T6X 0W8
Darija Svilar - Estimator
E-mail: darijas@maple.ca
Telephone: 780-465-5980
AECON GROUP INC.
1003 Ellwood Road SW, Suite 301
Edmonton, AB T6X 0B3
Ibrahim Oladapo - Estimator
Email: ioladapo@aecon.com
Mobile: 778.222.0954
Gary Schroeder - Senior Estimator
Email: gschroeder@aecon.com
Mobile: 587.336.7347
Graham Construction & Engineering Inc.
7216 Brown Street
Delta, BC V4G 1G8
Frank Schmitz, M.Eng. - Chief Estimator
Email: frank.schmitz@graham.ca
Telephone: 604.952.6182
Mobile: 604.754.0118
Danger Zone
The location of the facility is an active construction zone, with work crews and heavy equipment operating. There will be temporary closures of road access to the beach, and closures and detours on some trails in the old golf course lands. Road and trail changes are clearly marked. For your own safety, we ask you to please stay clear of the site.
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Another way to follow the project is to subscribe to our regular updates. Just click on the Stay Informed button and you'll receive the newsletter in your email inbox on a monthly basis.
We invite you to ask your questions here about the new wastewater treatment plant.
What do you want to know?
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When will the tender be awarded for construction of the plant?
Mike Davidson asked 23 days agoThanks for your question Mike. A request for authorization to award the contract is anticipated to be presented to Committee of the Whole in April 2021.
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Hello, Has the final general contractor been decided yet? Thank you, Ronald
rschwenger asked 17 days agoThanks for youir question Roland. The General Contractor tender closed on March 16, 2021 and staff and currently the three received tenders are being reviewed. A request for authorization to award the contract is anticipated to be presented to Committee of the Whole in April 2021.
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Recent heavy rains and beach erosion have resulted in several fallen trees at the Willingdon Beach trail. Will heavy machinery laying 18 inch pipe on such a narrow fragile pathway result in further damage?
Scottle asked 3 months agoThank you for your question! We appreciate your interest in the project.
An Environmental Impact study has been completed which indicates that the installation of the force main along the Willingdon Beach Trail alignment can be accomplished with very little impact to the environment and without causing any material change to the trail.
Residents have raised concerns about protecting the Willingdon Beach Trail, making sure the trail is not destroyed and that the trees, and in particular the tree roots, along the trial are protected and preserved. This has been taken into consideration by the project team.
The Willingdon Beach Trail was constructed many years ago as a rail system to move logs to the mill site. This swath of land is essentially free of trees and relatively free of roots. Since it is not an active roadway, it is possible to install the 450 mm (18 inch) diameter pipeline in a relatively shallow trench, with minimal disturbance to trees and root systems.
A professional arborist is working closely with the city and engineers to develop construction methods that would strictly limit disturbance to the tree roots. The arborist has identified 15 trees along the route that may have some portion of their root systems extending into the trail. A ground penetrating radar unit has been used to provide 3D images of these root systems. Trenchless technologies for pipeline installation such as directional drilling as well as manual excavation will be utilized for these sections of the trail.
The route chosen for this conveyance avoids the lowest reaches of the trail at the southern extent with directional drilling of the main commencing from the upper Willingdon Beach Campground area. The lowest elevation of the main is approximately 10 m above sea level, thus avoiding impact from sea level rise or beach erosion.
The intention for the trail is to leave it in as good or better condition than when the project started.
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have the contractors been shortlisted and are the bidding documents and drawings now available online?
Kevin@Victaulic asked 4 months agoThank you for your questions! We appreciated your interest in the project.
The three shortlisted candidates for contractor are:
Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd.
1921 - 91 Street SW, Suite 201,
Edmonton, AB T6X 0W8
Darija Svilar - Estimator
E-mail: darijas@maple.ca
Telephone: 780-465-5980
AECON GROUP INC.
1003 Ellwood Road SW, Suite 301
Edmonton, AB T6X 0B3
Ibrahim Oladapo - Estimator
Email: ioladapo@aecon.com
Mobile: 778.222.0954
Gary Schroeder - Senior Estimator
Email: gschroeder@aecon.com
Mobile: 587.336.7347
Graham Construction & Engineering Inc.
7216 Brown Street
Delta, BC V4G 1G8
Frank Schmitz, M.Eng. - Chief Estimator
Email: frank.schmitz@graham.ca
Telephone: 604.952.6182
Mobile: 604.754.0118
In answer to your second question: Drawings of the final design have not been received from Associated Engineering to present to City Council.
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Why put the pipeline through Willingdon Beach trail?
CJSB asked 7 months agoThanks for your question! To answer, please refer to the report on the Selection of Conveyance Route from Westview to the new Consolidated Wastewater Treatment Plan. The report is also available in the Documents Library.
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I was wondering if the contract has been awarded for the construction of the new facility, if so who is the contractor. Thanks
CMAW asked over 1 year agoContracts have not been awarded. We are currently in the tendering phase of the project to select the contractors. To see the RFPs, please visit the City's website. Thank you.
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Can you lay out the plan to ensure the "most ambitious infrastructure project in the City's history" provides employment for local residents? With construction set to begin this spring, are there agreements with local contractors being created so they can hire the necessary staff?
Rob Hughes asked over 1 year agoWe are currently in the Request for Proposal (RFP) phase of the project. It's early in the selection process, so we're unable to answer your question at this time in regards to local contractors and job creation. If you wish to see the RFPs, please visit the City website. Thank you.
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Thank you very much for your last answer. Appreciated. There are 3 sewage outfall pipes now...will they be replaced? If yes, how far out to sea is far enough at the current 3 locations to protect both human and wildlife from the sewage outfall? In my last question, the answer was that there will be monitoring of wildlife during construction. Could you please be more specific, please. I wish to know what that monitoring entailed and I would like to view the report. Last, has there been, then, research done on how the building of the Liquid Waste Plant will impact general wildlife and vegetation? If yes, where can I find that study? If no, why not? Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions.
Inge Bessmann Norris asked over 1 year agoThe three outflows will be decommissioned. In the Document Library on the right of your screen, you'll find Consolidated Wastewater Treatment Plant Environmental Impact Study for the Marine Receiving Environment - April 2018 (4.99 MB) (pdf); a report from the City's contractor, Associated Engineering. Answers to your questions regarding the impact of the wastewater treatment facility on the marine environment will be found in that document.
The City will do everything possible not to disturb wildlife or vegetation in construction.
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How will the flora and fauna be protected? For example, there are eagle nests in the area of the WTP will they be considered for protection? How will the old-growth trees and the wildlife on the Willingdon Trail be protected when the WTP pipeline gets placed on that trail? I look forward to a response. Thank you.
Inge Bessmann Norris asked over 1 year agoStudies will continue to be conducted, and there will be monitoring done so that every effort is made not to affect wildlife during the construction of the facility.
Ground penetrating radar will be used to avoid any damage to the trees along Willingdon Beach Trail. Where roots are impacted, unidirectional drilling will be used. The City does not expect it to be necessary to remove any of the trees.
The conveyance project would require excavation of a narrow trench along the pathway that would encompass the pipe and the City will mitigate as much of those tree roots as possible. Directional drilling will be used to avoid the root masses of 15 trees identified as being of concern.
The City is confident a pipe can be put along pathway and the trail will look much as it does now.
Thank you for your question.
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Would love to add my hand putting murals on it!
catnip asked over 1 year agoCatnip - The murals you've done on the Townsite treatment plant and the Haslam Lake reservoir are terrific. It remains undecided what will be done with the walls of the new wastewater treatment plant until Council is presented with a final design for review.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Go here to see FAQs.
Memorandum - CWWTP Queries Report to October 13, 2020 Committee of the Whole responding to correspondence and delegations regarding the CWWTP.
What's happened so far?
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Pubic Engagement
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageFebruary, 2011 - A joint technical-local advisory committee directed staff to develop a comprehensive community public consultation process in advance of site selection for the new WWTP.
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Letter from BC Government
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageJune, 2011 - A letter from the Government of BC Minister of Environment, Mary Polak, was delivered to the City. The letter read in part:
"I commend the city on its success in developing a comprehensive plan for the long-term management of solid waste. I am satisfied that the direction and the commitments in the liquid waste management plan are supportable and the public and first nations review and consultation process meets ministry requirements."
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Plan Finalized
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageMarch 2015 - As mandated by the provincial Ministry of Environment, City Council approved a consolidated wastewater treatment plan for submission to the ministry. A town hall meeting was scheduled to complete the public consultation plan.
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Initial Design Phase Funding
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageMarch 2017 - The City received $3.3 million toward the initial design phase of the WWTP. The Government of Canada contributed half of the full amount and the Government of BC provided a third. The City was responsible for the remaining 17 per cent of the cost, or roughly $680,000.
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Land Purchase
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageFebruary 2017 - The City approved a location for the new facility, with $575,000 from the city’s sewer-reserve fund to go toward purchasing two 10-acre lots at and around the existing Townsite treatment plant and wastewater outfall.
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Plan Approval
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageFebruary 2018 - Council approved a consolidated WWTP that will bring the City into compliance with federal and provincial environment regulations.
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Design Approval
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageFebruary 2018 - Council approved the natural integration theme for the design of the WWTP.
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Environmental Assessment
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageApril 2018 - An 80-page environmental impact study by the City's project consultants, Associated Engineering, was released on the outfall from the WWTP into the Georgia Strait (Salish Sea).
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Selection of Conveyance Route from Westview to the new Consolidated Wastewater Treatment Plant
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageApril 2018 - From a report recommending Council proceed to the detailed design phase of the conveyance infrastructure through selection of the preferred route from Westview to the new CWWTP.
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Public Engagement
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageMay 2018
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Federal Government Warnings
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageAugust 2018 - The City received three separate warning letters from the Government of Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada about Powell River's failure to comply with regulations. It's the first time the City was notified by the federal government regarding contraventions with the wastewater system effluent regulations. Continued non-compliance could lead to fines of between $5,000 to $6 million a day.
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Funding Approved
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageAugust 2019 - The City was awarded $30,400,000 from the Government of Canada and $25,330,800 from the Government of British Columbia for a total of $55,730,800 in funding to build a new WWTP. The City's investment is $24,069,200.
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Notice of Intention to Apply for a Disposition of Crown Land
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageJuly 2020
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Canadian Navigable Waters Act - Notice of Application
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageJuly 2020 - The City of Powell River hereby gives notice that an application has been made to the Minister of Transport, pursuant to the Canadian Navigable Waters Act for approval of the work described herein and its site and plans.
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Oversight Services Contract Approved
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageJuly 2020 - City Council approved the recommendation to the Wastewater Treatment Plant Construction Oversight Services Contract to Associated Engineering for up to $4,333,994. Oversight Services Contract.
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CWWTP - Clearing and Site Preparation and Treated Effluent Outfall Contracts
Wastewater Treatment Plant has finished this stageClearing and Site Preparation
September 2020 - The City of Powell River is issuing an invitation-only tender for Contractors to provide clearing and grubbing services for the Powell River Consolidated Wastewater Treatment Plant (CWWTP). The work will include clearing of vegetation, grubbing of stumps and roots, protection of heritage trees, installation of fences, construction of temporary walkway paths, and execution of an erosion and sediment control plan.
Bid Closing Time 4:00 pm (PDT), Tuesday, September 29, 2020.
Local Contractors were notified, and RFT is posted on City website at:
https://powellriver.ca/pages/bid-opportunities
Treated Effluent Outfall
September 2020 - The City of Powell River is issuing an invitation-only tender for Contractors to provide the work for the construction of the outfall approximately 800 m long of 900 mm diameter HDPE pipe comprised of 650 m off-shore, outfall diffusers, precast concrete ballasts, an outfall manhole, and temporary service connections.
Bidders are requested to attend a mandatory information session (virtual presentation) scheduled for Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020 at 10:30 a.m., local time.
Bid Closing Time 2:00 pm (PDT), Tuesday, October 6, 2020.
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Construction of Outfall Begins
Wastewater Treatment Plant is currently at this stageNovember 2020 -
The timeline for the outfall construction is currently scheduled between December 1, 2020 and February 15, 2021.
The outfall will discharge treated effluent into the Salish Sea. We will be treating and disinfecting 100 per cent of the effluent prior to discharging to the outfall once the facility is completed as per provincial and federal regulations.
Photos
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CWWTP - Clearing and Site Preparation
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cwwtp_fig_2_trails_revc_20201027.jpg
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COMPLETED: Clearing, grubbing, silt fencing and site preparation of the laydown area, indicated by yellow.
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COMPLETED: Site preparation of the outfall site indicated by the yellow boundary, including clearing, grubbing, silt fencing.
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Conceptual Design: Natural Integration Theme
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