Winnipeg City Council is set to vote on awarding a $95 million contract for the construction of a new biosolids facility. The decision comes after years of planning and discussions about how to handle the city’s growing amount of sewage sludge.
The proposed facility, which will be located in the North End, will be responsible for processing and treating biosolids, which are the byproduct of wastewater treatment. Currently, the city’s biosolids are being transported to a facility in the United States for processing, which is both costly and environmentally unsustainable.
The new facility is expected to have a capacity of 90,000 tonnes per year and will use a thermal drying process to turn the biosolids into a dry, pellet-like material that can be used as fertilizer or fuel. This method is considered to be more environmentally friendly and cost-effective compared to the current practice of landfilling or incinerating the biosolids.
The contract for the construction of the facility has been awarded to a consortium led by Maple Reinders, a Canadian construction company with experience in building similar facilities. The project is expected to create over 100 jobs during the construction phase and will provide long-term employment opportunities once the facility is operational.
The decision to build a new biosolids facility has been met with some opposition from community members who are concerned about the potential odors and traffic that may come with it. However, the city has assured that measures will be taken to mitigate any potential impacts on the surrounding area.
If approved, construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2022 and the facility is projected to be fully operational by 2024. The city estimates that the new facility will save taxpayers approximately $10 million per year in transportation and processing costs.
The vote on the contract award will take place at the next City Council meeting on March 17th. If approved, this project will mark a significant step towards a more sustainable and cost-effective solution for managing Winnipeg’s biosolids.
