Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Wastewater Treatment Plant today and participated in our tours of the building! We’re very proud to show off this impressive, upgraded facility and thank all of the staff and contractors who were instrumental in the success of this project.

Summary of Recent Work Completed

1. Pumping upgrades
   • All work within the South Lift Station (SLS) building is now complete. The only outstanding work is the commissioning of one building mechanical (HVAC) unit, which cannot happen until ATCO Gas completes an upgrade to one of their gas regulators servicing the facility. Administration expects that this work will be completed in the coming month.
   • Exterior to the SLS building, the only outstanding work is the replacement of an existing manhole, as well as the installation of new security fencing around the SLS building and related out-buildings. The fencing will maintain public access to the existing trails in the area, while enhancing security around the City’s critical assets. This fence installation will be completed in the summer of 2024, following the replacement of the manhole.
2. Treatment upgrades
   • All upgrades to the City’s treatment processes are now complete. This includes the existing aeration lagoons, as well as the two new structures (the tanks containing the Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor or MBBR media, as well as the main Process Building). Administration continues to work with the City’s consultant (Associated Engineering – AE) and contractor (Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd. – MRCL) on some issues related to the performance of the upgrades, as well as clean-up of various deficiencies.
   • The main site works are complete (culvert installation, final grading including ditch construction, permanent internal road construction, landscaping, etc.).
   • Conversion of the former blower building into a new storage building and workshop is now complete.
3. Storage upgrades, including landfill clay stockpile
   • All work related to the Landfill Clay Purchase project (project #1020) is complete.
   • The original contract work related to the upgrades to the storage lagoons is complete.
4. Final landscaping, construction of parking lot and trail access, etc.
   • All work related to this scope is substantially complete. Final grading and landscaping of the construction laydown area is ongoing, and will be completed shortly.
5. General requirements
   • Ongoing payments as outlined in the General Requirements portion of the contract.

Administration worked closely with MRCL and AE on the start-up and commissioning activities for the upgraded WWTP. This included a significant amount of training for City staff for the processes and equipment that are part of the upgraded WWTP. Most of the commissioning and training activities happened between September and December 2023.

On December 21, the City granted “Substantial Completion” for a number of the major components on this project, including all work on the treatment facilities and in the storage lagoons. The City assumed full responsibility for the day-to-day operations and maintenance for those facilities at that time. On February 16, the City granted Substantial Completion for the former blower building and the SLS building, which were the other two major facilities related to this project. With this, MRCL has completed all work of the original project scope, although work is ongoing for various change orders that were approved by the City, as well as for the clean-up of various deficiencies that have been identified by AE and the City.

As part of its ongoing operations, Administration continues to test the City’s wastewater on a regular basis to confirm if the WWTP is meeting the treatment requirements, as required by the provincial and federal regulators. These test results are being shared with MRCL, as they have an ongoing requirement within the contract to assist the City with optimizing the treatment process. Based on the test results, Administration and AE note that most of the required treatment parameters are meeting the new limits outlined by the regulators, although there are still a few parameters which are not consistently meeting the new limits. Under the new provincial approval, the City has until the end of June 2024 to ensure that all parameters are within the new limits without being in contravention of the approval.

During the first winter of operations, the City experienced extreme cold temperatures on a number of occasions and over multiple days during each cold weather event. This resulted in a number of operational issues related to the WWTP, and particularly the MBBR tanks. The ammonia removal process appears to have functioned relatively well during the cold temperatures. However, the extreme cold resulted in ice buildup within the structure. Administration worked with AE and with MRCL to identify some short term options for keeping water flowing through the MBBR tanks. Administration and AE continue to review longer-term options that the City might implement to ensure that all processes will function properly during future cold weather events.

Summary of Upcoming Work

The following is a summary of the main project activities, as well as the anticipated timelines for each activity. Administration has organized this summary using the same categories as noted above:

In summary, MRCL’s work on the original WWTP project scope was complete by mid-February. MRCL recently returned to site to start the final clean-up, including final landscaping / fencing and the removal of site trailers. However, as noted below, the City is currently working with AE and MRCL on some potential change orders that will extend MRCL’s work into the summer and fall of 2024.

Current Financial Status of Projects, including Approved Scope Changes

The following is a summary of the approved budgets and current / projected spending for the WWTP and landfill clay purchase projects.

As noted in the following tables, the City has spent over $48,051,000 on the WWTP project to date. The majority of these costs were paid to the general contractor (MRCL) or to the project consultant (AE). However, the City has already spent over $410,000 on costs that are outside of MRCL or AE’s scope, and will spend another ~$80,000 on additional out-of-scope costs before the project is complete. These costs include the purchase of such items as equipment for the WWTP laboratory, computer hardware and software for monitoring the various wastewater treatment processes and equipment, the initial purchase of chemicals for the operations of the WWTP, as well as tools and other equipment that City staff will need in the operation of the new facilities. In addition, the City has charged over $240,000 to date for City staff and equipment costs to date for work directly related to the WWTP project; this amount is expected to be around $270,000 once all staff costs are allocated to the project. All remaining expenses will be charged to the WWTP project by the end of 2024.

The Camrose Regional Solid Waste Authority (CRSWA) – for which the City acts as Administrator – spent over $1,551,000 on the Landfill Clay Purchase project. As this project is now complete, all remaining invoices from MRCL or from AE will be billed entirely to the WWTP Upgrade project. All costs for the Landfill Clay Purchase project have been recorded as inventory and have not been expensed at this time. Once the clay is utilized for future landfill projects, the inventory used will be expensed and funded by the landfill closure liability maintained by the CRSWA.

The next planned Council update for this project will be in April 2024. Full details from this recent update to Council can be found in the May 6, 2024, Committee of the Whole Agenda.

Article by Lori Larsen, Camrose Booster

On December 21, 2023, the Waste Water Treatment Plant Project was officially given the green light on substantial completion for the main treatment upgrades to the aerated lagoons, Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) tanks and process building.

As of that day the City took over full responsibility for the day-to-day operations and maintenance of these facilities which also started the two year warranty period for those major facilities and processes.

“Maple Reinders Constructors (MRCL) is still on site, and will continue working on various upgrades within the South Lift Station and in the old blower building, which is being converted to a storage/workshop facility for staff,” explained City of Camrose Engineering Services manager Jeremy Enarson. “MRCL will also continue to be working in the Process Building on clean-up of various deficiencies. But the keys have effectively been handed over to the City for the main treatment and storage facilities.”

In a report to City council on January 22, Enarson presented a complete update of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Construction and Landfill Clay Purchase projects.

“As part of the ongoing operations, Administration continues to test the wastewater on a regular basis to confirm if the WWTP is meeting the treatment requirements, as required by the provincial and federal regulators,” noted Enarson.

“These test results are being shared with MRCL, as they have an ongoing requirement within the contract to assist the City with optimizing the treatment process until the project is fully complete in the spring of 2024.”

Enarson reported that, based on the test results, Administration and AE note that most of the required treatment parameters are meeting the new limits outlined by the regulators, although there are still a few parameters which are not consistently meeting the new limits.

“Under the new provincial approval, the City has until the end of June 2024 to ensure that all parameters are within the new limits without being in contravention.”

Enarson explained that due to the extreme cold temperatures in mid-January, the WWTP experienced a number of operational issues in particular related to the MBBR tanks.

“The treatment processes appears to have functioned relatively well during the cold temperatures. However, the extreme cold resulted in ice buildup within the MBBR structure.

“Administration worked with AE and with MRCL to identify some short term options for keeping water flowing through the MBBR tanks, as well as some longer-term options to ensure that the MBBR process functions during future cold weather events.”

Enarson gave kudos to the operational and maintenance staff during this bout of cold weather for putting in extra time and effort to keep things operating.

Financial Status

According to Enarson’s report, the City has spent over $47,254,000 to date on the WWTP project. At this time, the City is expecting the final cost for the WWTP project to be around $49,396,000, which is below the approved budget of $51,170,000.

“The City has already spent over $300,000 on costs that are outside of MRCL or AE’s scope, and will spend approximately another $150,000 on additional out-of-scope costs before the project is complete.”

He explained that these costs include the purchase of items for the WWTP, such as, computer hardware and software for monitoring the various wastewater treatment processes and equipment, the initial purchase of chemicals for the operations of the WWTP, a forklift for moving around equipment and chemicals within the Process Building, as well as tools and other equipment that City staff will need in the operation of the new facilities, including in the new laboratory.

“In addition, the City has charged over $200,000 to date for City staff and equipment costs for work directly related to the WWTP project. This amount is expected to be around $270,000 once all City costs are allocated to the project for 2023 and 2024. All remaining expenses will be charged to the WWTP project by the end of 2024.”

As noted in the report and earlier reports to council, all of the work on the Landfill Clay Purchase Project is complete.

Council Inquiries

Councillor Joy-Anne Murphy asked for more information about planning for any future weather anomalies and whether there was any damage to the WWTP as a result of the recent cold weather.

Enarson replied, “The MMBR process is designed to function in an open air environment in cold temperatures. It should continue to function from a treatment perspective in those cold temperatures.

“The issue we received on site was that in those cold temperatures we were getting a lot of icing,” explained Enarson adding that Administration was advised by the contractor on what can be done in the event of future extreme cold temperatures.

“One of the deliverables we need from the consultants is input on our standard operating standards–giving advice on how we should run this, making sure operators not only understand the theory behind the technology but also advice on how to run the facility as we get into winter months. What they suggest on making changes in terms of how to flow liquid through the processes so it gives us greater success when we do get into the cold events in the future.”

City of Camrose manager Malcolm Boyd added that because this is a brand new process for the City, with no winter experience yet, it is more about optimizing the processes not insulating or putting a roof on the MMBR tanks.

In conclusion, Enarson indicated that Administration is exploring the idea of hosting open houses and tours for public, including schools and other organizations interested in how the system operates, and what can be done at the facility to add to that experience.

(Pictured above: City of Camrose Utilities Manager Kelly Bunclark, left, shakes the hand of Maple Reinders Constructors Project Manager Justin Schenk signifying the official handing over of keys from Maple Reinders to the City for substantial day-to-day operationsof the new Waste Water Treatment Plant.)

Summary of Recent Work Complete

1. Pumping upgrades
   • All work within the South Lift Station (SLS) is nearing completion. This includes the replacement of the building mechanical (HVAC) system, electrical upgrades, and the replacement or refurbishment of the major process mechanical equipment (pumps, valves, flow meter, etc.).
   • Various health and safety enhancements to the facility were also completed, including improved access for City staff to the facility’s wet well.
   • All tasks within the SLS required significant coordination between Public Works staff and the City’s contractor (Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd., MRCL) for scheduling and completion of these tasks.
   • Preparation is ongoing for the installation of new security fencing around the SLS building and related out-buildings. The fencing will maintain public access to the existing trails in the area, while enhancing security around the City’s critical assets. This fence installation will be completed in the spring of 2024.
2. Treatment upgrades
   • All upgrades to the City’s treatment processes are now complete. This includes the existing aeration lagoons, as well as the two new structures (the tanks containing the Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor – MBBR – as well as the main Process Building).
   • All internal site works are complete (culvert installation, final grading including ditch construction, permanent internal road construction, landscaping, etc.).
   • Conversion of the former blower building into a new storage building and workshop is nearing completion, and should be complete by the end of January.
3. Storage upgrades, including landfill clay stockpile
   • All work related to the Landfill Clay Purchase project (project #1020) is complete.
   • The original contract work related to the storage lagoons is complete.
   • Administration is in discussions with MRCL and the City’s consultant (Associated Engineering) about a few additional upgrades related to the storage lagoons which were not part of MRCL’s original scope. This includes a further upgrade to the outlet structure for Cell I, as well as the possible cleaning of storage Cell H.
4. Final landscaping, construction of parking lot and trail access, etc.
   • All work related to this scope is complete, with the exception of some minor cleanup work to be completed in the spring.
5. General requirements
   • Ongoing payments as outlined in the General Requirements portion of the contract.

Summary of Upcoming Work

The following is a summary of the main activities that will occur, as well as the anticipated timelines for each activity. Administration has organized this summary using the same categories as noted above:

In summary, MRCL’s work on the WWTP project will be largely complete by the end of January in all of the major facilities. Under the contract, MRCL is supposed to complete all work by the end of March 2024. At this time, Administration expects that MRCL will meet that deadline, although Administration has agreed to allow MRCL to leave some storage trailers on site until the spring. However, as noted below, the City is currently working with AE and MRCL on some potential change orders that might extend MRCL’s work until later in 2024.

Current Financial Status of Projects, including Approved Scope Changes

The following is a summary of the approved budgets and current / projected spending for the WWTP and landfill clay purchase projects.

As noted in the following tables, the City has spent over $47,254,000 on the WWTP project to date. The majority of these costs were paid to the general contractor (MRCL) or to the project consultant (AE). However, the City has already spent over $300,000 on costs that are outside of MRCL or AE’s scope, and will spend another ~$150,000 on additional out-of-scope costs before the project is complete. These costs include the purchase of such items as equipment for the WWTP laboratory, computer hardware and software for monitoring the various wastewater treatment processes and equipment, the initial purchase of chemicals for the operations of the WWTP, a forklift for moving around equipment and chemicals within the Process Building, as well as tools and other equipment that City staff will need in the operation of the new facilities. In addition, the City has charged over $200,000 to date for City staff and equipment costs to date for work directly related to the WWTP project; this amount is expected to be around $270,000 once all staff costs are allocated to the project for 2023 and 2024. All remaining expenses will be charged to the WWTP project by the end of 2024.

The Camrose Regional Solid Waste Authority (CRSWA) – for which the City acts as Administrator – spent over $1,551,000 on the Landfill Clay Purchase project. The full amount has been funded by the City of Camrose. As this project is now complete, all remaining invoices from MRCL or from AE will be billed entirely to the WWTP Upgrade project. All costs for the Landfill Clay Purchase project have been recorded as inventory and have not been expensed at this time. Once the clay is utilized for future landfill projects, the inventory used will be expensed and funded by the landfill closure liability maintained by the CRSWA.

The next planned Council update for this project will be in April 2024. Full details from this recent update to Council can be found in the January 22, 2024, Committee of the Whole Agenda.

Summary of Recent Work Completed

1. Pumping upgrades
   • Installation of the new building mechanical (HVAC) system within the South Lift Station (SLS) is nearing completion.
   • Completed conversion of the former generator room into a new electrical room. New electrical equipment for the SLS is being installed and commissioned.
   • Ongoing health and safety enhancements within the facility, including improved access for City staff to the facility’s wet well. Public Works has been working closely with the City’s contractor (Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd., MRCL) for scheduling and completion of these tasks.
   • Preparation for installation of new security fencing around the SLS building and related out-buildings. The fencing will maintain public access to the existing trails in the area, while enhancing security around the City’s critical assets. This fence installation may carry forward to 2024.
2. Treatment upgrades
   • Completed transfer of the plastic Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) media into the MBBR tanks.
   • Exterior and interior finishes for main Process Building are now complete. All major process equipment and electrical equipment are now installed within the building and have been commissioned. Most systems are now in the final start-up phase or are already online.
   • Construction of the MBBR tanks and lift station is now complete. Facility lighting and electrical plug-ins are installed. All staircases installed for the structure, and exterior cladding installation is complete.
   • Upgrades to treatment lagoon cells complete and are in use by the City. This included removal of the existing 30+ year old aeration equipment, removal of the accumulated sludge, and the installation of the new aeration equipment.
   • All internal site works are now completed (culvert installation, final grading including ditch construction, permanent internal road construction, landscaping, etc.).
   • Conversion of the former blower building into a new storage building and workshop is ongoing. This work will continue into early 2024.
3. Storage upgrades, including landfill clay stockpile
   • All work related to the Landfill Clay Purchase project (project #1020) is complete.
   • Completed final modifications to flow control structures between existing storage lagoon cells. Deficiency cleanup in treated wastewater storage Cell I is now complete.
4. Final landscaping, construction of parking lot and trail access, etc.
   • New trail access / parking lot near the outdoor gun ranges and landfill entrance is now complete.
   • Installation of new municipal addressing sign for the main WWTP property is ongoing.
5. General requirements
   • Ongoing payments as outlined in the General Requirements portion of the contract.

Summary of Upcoming Work

Based on MRCL’s latest work plan, the following is a summary of the main activities that will occur, as well as the anticipated timelines for each activity. Administration has organized this summary using the same categories as noted above:

All work related to the Landfill Clay Purchase project is now complete.

The WWTP upgrade project is expected to be substantially complete by December 2023, with final cleanup of work being completed in the spring of 2024. Various construction activities will also carry into 2024, although these will not impact the performance of the upgraded WWTP. The December 2023 timeframe is later than what was required in the City’s contract with MRCL, which specifies a Substantial Completion date of the end of October 2023. Some of MRCL’s activities were delayed from their original contract dates as a result of cleanup activities from a chemical release from the Cargill canola crushing facility into the City’s WWTP in June 2023.

Current Financial Status of Projects, including Approved Scope Changes

The following is a summary of the approved budgets and current / projected spending for the WWTP and landfill clay purchase projects.

As noted in the following tables, the City has spent over $39,540,000 on the WWTP project to date. The remaining WWTP project expenses will be realized by the spring of 2024.

As well, the Camrose Regional Solid Waste Authority – for which the City acts as Administrator – spent over $1,551,000 on the Landfill Clay Purchase project. As this project is now complete, any further invoices from MRCL or from the City’s consultant (AE) will be billed entirely to the WWTP Upgrade project.

The next planned Council update for this project will be in January 2024. Full details from this recent update to Council can be found in the October 30, 2023, Committee of the Whole Agenda.

We are proud that we were highlighted in the CWWB Watersource magazine for our community engagement for this project. Read the article online here!

The new, expanded Emergency Overflow Pond is now functional, doubling our storage capacity of waste from 7,000 cubic meters to 14,000 cubic meters. The new Overflow Pond is just South of the existing pond and acts as another layer of protection to our water way.

The Emergency Overflow Pond reduces the risk of untreated waste flowing into the Stoney Creek during a major storm event.

Our South Lift Station is a small building but major player in our waste water treatment system. It breaks down and then pumps waste water from the City up to the lagoons to be treated. A major storm may cause flow rates that are faster than the South Lift Station can pump, so the Overflow Ponds capture that flow until a time that the water can be processed and pumped through the South Lift Station.

The Ponds may contain waste water during or following a major storm event so we ask the public to avoid the ponds and to not let pets drink from the ponds. This is just one way our new Waste Water Treatment Plant upgrade is protecting the Stoney Creek, and the overall Battle River Watershed, today and how we are doing our part to ensure we have clean drinking water for future generations.

The unloading of the final batches of "Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor" (MBBR) media will be completed soon! As a crucial component of the MBBR process, the City will have approximately 630 million of these small plastic discs, also known as MBBR media, housed within large concrete tanks. Bacteria will grow on the MBBR media, and these bacteria will consume the ammonia in the City’s wastewater as part of the treatment process.

(MBBR Media compared to a Toonie)

Summary of Recent Work Completed

1. Pumping upgrades
   • Removal of the existing building mechanical (HVAC) system from within the South Lift Station (SLS). Installation of the new HVAC system is ongoing.
   • Removal of the old generator for the SLS building. Conversion of the former generator room into a new electrical room is ongoing. The new exterior generator has been commissioned, and is currently providing backup power for the facility.
   • Preparation for health and safety enhancements within the facility (including improved access for City staff to the facility’s wet well). Public Works has been working closely with the City’s contractor (Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd., MRCL) on these tasks.
   • Preparation for installation of new security fencing around the SLS building and related out-buildings. The fencing will maintain public access to the existing trails in the area, while enhancing security around the City’s critical assets.
2. Treatment upgrades
   • Completed delivery of the remaining plastic Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) media, and started transferring the media into the MBBR tanks.
   • Exterior finishes for main Process Building are now complete. Interior finishes largely complete. All major process equipment is now installed within the building (valves, flow meters, chemical dosing systems, mixers, etc.), as is the building mechanical equipment (HVAC units, ceiling fans, etc.). Installation of the building’s electrical equipment and wiring nearing completion, including installation of the Motor Control Centre (MCC).
   • Construction of the MBBR tanks and lift station now largely complete, including process equipment (pumps, piping, valves, flow meter, etc.), aeration piping, and electrical / instrumentation. Permanent handrails around the structure are installed. North and east staircases installed to the top of the MBBR tanks, while shorter staircase to MBBR pump station is currently being installed. Installation of exterior cladding for the MBBR tanks is ongoing.
   • Upgrades to treatment lagoon Cells A and B nearing completion. This included removal of existing 30+ year old aeration equipment, removal of accumulated sludge, and installation of new aeration equipment. All work related to the treatment lagoon cell upgrades is expected to be complete by the end of August.
   • Temporary construction roads removed. Remaining site works ongoing (culvert installation, final grading including ditch construction, permanent internal road construction, landscaping, etc.); these tasks will be complete by the end of August.
3. Storage upgrades, including landfill clay stockpile
   • Completed the majority of hauling of clay material to a new stockpile at the Camrose Regional Sanitary Landfill. Some minor movement of clay in and out of the landfill stockpile will continue throughout 2023 until final site grading work at the main WWTP site is complete.
   • Notwithstanding the remaining site grading work at the WWTP site, all work related to the Landfill Clay Purchase project (project #1020) is now effectively complete. The remaining clay at the landfill stockpile will be used for future landfill capital projects, including the construction of a new waste transfer station, and the capping / closure of the existing landfill cells.
   • Completed final modifications to flow control structures / piping between existing storage lagoon cells. Some minor deficiency cleanup work still outstanding for treated wastewater storage Cell I.
4. Final landscaping, construction of parking lot and trail access, etc.
   • Completed construction of a new trail access / parking lot near the outdoor gun ranges / landfill entrance. Installation of fencing around the parking lot nearing completion.
   • Fabrication ongoing for a new municipal addressing sign for the main WWTP property; sign installation to follow once WWTP site works complete (grading, road construction, landscaping).
5. General requirements
   • Ongoing payments as outlined in the General Requirements portion of the contract.

Summary of Upcoming Work

Based on MRCL’s latest work plan, the following is a summary of the main activities that will occur, as well as the anticipated timelines for each activity. Administration has organized this summary using the same categories as noted above:

All work related to the Landfill Clay Purchase project is effectively complete. MRCL will continue to move clay in/out of the existing stockpile as needed for final grading at the main WWTP site.

The WWTP upgrades are planned to be substantially complete by early November 2023, with final cleanup of work being completed in the spring of 2024. The November timeframe is slightly later than what required in the City’s contract with MRCL, which specifies a Substantial Completion date of the end of October 2023. At the last Council update, Administration noted that this date was to be late November as a result of delivery delays for major pieces of electrical equipment (the Motor Control Centres or MCCs). The MCCs were delivered to site in early July, which was about two weeks prior to the latest projection. As a result, the anticipated substantial completion date has been advanced to early November.

The City and its consultant (Associated Engineering, AE) have been working closely with MRCL to minimize the impact of the MCC delivery delay. At this time, Administration does not anticipate any concerns related to the start-up / commissioning activities, or for ongoing performance of the WWTP at the end of this project.

Current Financial Status of Projects, including Approved Scope Changes

The following is a summary of the approved budgets and current / projected spending for the WWTP and landfill clay purchase projects.

As noted in the following tables, the City has spent over $39,165,000 on the WWTP project to date. The remaining WWTP project expenses will be realized by the spring of 2024.

As well, the Camrose Regional Solid Waste Authority – for which the City acts as Administrator – has spent over $1,551,000 on the Landfill Clay Purchase project to date. As this project is now substantially complete, any further invoices from MRCL or from the City’s consultant (AE) will be billed entirely to the WWTP Upgrade project.

The next planned Council update for this project will be in October 2023. Full details from this recent update to Council can be found in the July 24, 2023, Committee of the Whole Agenda.