WWTP Project Update - May 2024

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.