‘Major milestone’ for sewage plant

The first of three phases for the $3.1-billion North End sewage treatment plant upgrade is now complete.

The headworks facilities are now operating, which the city announced as a “major milestone” Wednesday.

In a news release, water and waste officials described the facility as the “first stop” for wastewater entering the plant, where large debris and grit are removed and odour control begins.

“We use a specific kind of bacteria to eat the smelly compounds first,” the release notes.

While nearby residents may notice odours, the city expects the growth of that bacteria to reduce the smell within a “short” period of time.

The overall upgrade is the most expensive infrastructure project in the City of Winnipeg’s history.

Its second phase will create biosolids facilities that treat solids in sewage, which the city expects to begin construction on “in the coming weeks.”

The third phase will create nutrient removal facilities that treat liquids in wastewater before they enter the river, greatly reducing pollution that fuels algae growth.

The upgrade will also increase Winnipeg’s sewage treatment capacity and ensure development can continue.