The Province of Manitoba and City of Winnipeg released the Interim Phosphorous Reduction and Nutrient Removal Implementation Plan on January 31st. The Project Technical Committee has reached consensus on the scope of work for 2020, which also includes testing for interim phosphorous removal to determine how much additional phosphorous can be removed from the city’s wastewater.
The report includes an overview of all three phases of the City of Winnipeg’s plan for the North End Winnipeg Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC) project including cost estimates and preliminary timeframe for completion of the NEWPCC upgrade. The City of Winnipeg’s existing nutrient removal plan has been in progress since the NEWPCC Master Plan was approved in 2014.
Earlier this month, the City of Winnipeg awarded the contract for interim phosphorous removal testing to AECOM following the conclusion of a competitive RFP process. Testing of interim phosphorous removal options will occur through the remainder of 2020, with a final report expected from AECOM by December 31. A recommendation report on interim phosphorous removal is expected to be presented to Manitoba Conservation and Climate and to City Council for review and approval as soon as possible with the intention of expediting timelines safely throughout the year.
The PAC and Project Steering Committee will continue to meeting regularly, with progress reports being submitted to Manitoba Conservation and Climate monthly. These reports will also be made available to the public.
The Interim Phosphorous Reduction and Nutrient Removal Implementation Plan can be found at www.gov.mb.ca/sd/eal/registries/1071.1/index.html.