001-40 WC 139 NOV-DEC24 PAPERTURN - Flipbook - Page 10
FEATURE
Grey, Green, and
Everything in Between
Exploring the potential of hybrid wastewater
solutions to cut costs, reduce emissions,
and boost biodiversity
BY MARK DOUGLAS WESSEL
T IS A TALE OF TWO wastewater treatment plants with dramatically contrasting storylines.
On the one hand, a site winning accolades from local councillors and members of the public for being completed not only
on time but under its initial budget of $81.5 million, in the
case of the Lloydminster Wastewater Treatment Facility.
On the other, Metro Vancouver’s North Shore Wastewater
Treatment Plant has gone from a $700 million cost projection and
a completion date of 2020 to a revised figure of $3.86 billion with
the site expected to be operational by 2030.
As chronicled in the upcoming issue of Renew Canada, much
of the success of the Lloydminster site can be attributed to the fact
that a lean construction, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method was deployed from the get-go. This model fostered a sharedrisk, collaborative, problem solving approach between the city and
its contracting partners (including ISL and Chandos/Bird).
However, in the case of the North Shore treatment facility, the
spiraling costs and delays have been attributed to everything from
project deficiencies to mid-project changes to cancelled contracts,
resulting in a costly lawsuit and counter-lawsuit for the parties involved. Ultimately, this led to the biggest losers being the residents
of the North Shore, who are now expected to be on the hook for
an average household cost of $725 annually over the next 30 years.
Despite the distinctly different storylines between those two cities and their respective projects, there is a common thread which
concerns taxpayers and all levels of government over the growing
cost of managing our municipal water supply. These concerns are
heightened by a combination of aging infrastructure and more
frequent extreme weather events.
I
Designed with over 220,000 plants, the
South Elmsall Sewage Treatment Works
Wetland will improve biodiversity and
enhance wildlife all while blending into the
natural landscape and minimizing the use of
carbon-heavy materials such as concrete.
Mark Douglas Wessel is an urban journalist and
communications consultant dedicated to writing
about and promoting initiatives that help make
our cities more liveable.
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WATER C AN ADA • NOV EMBER/ DECEMBER 2024
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
