Cold Lake breaks ground on $33M wastewater treatment plant upgrade

On July 30, the City of Cold Lake held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new wastewater treatment plant. (Credit: City of Cold Lake)

The city of Cold Lake has broken ground on a new wastewater treatment plant.

The project, which received the official go-ahead on April 12, represents an advancement in the city's infrastructure, promising enhanced environmental protection and sustainability for years to come.

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The new wastewater treatment facility is being developed under the Cold Lake Regional Utility Services Commission (CLRUSC) and is designed to incorporate state-of-the-art technologies that will ensure the treatment process meets and exceeds all federal and provincial regulatory requirements, according to the City of Cold Lake.

“The Cold Lake Regional Utility Services Commission is upgrading its wastewater treatment facility to include advanced mechanical and chemical treatment technologies, such as a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) and Disc Filters.This upgrade significantly improves the quality of wastewater discharged into the Beaver River, exceeding current regulatory requirements," said Azam Khan, general manager of Infrastructure Services for the City of Cold Lake.

"Additionally, the new facility is designed to accommodate future growth in the Cold Lake region, ensuring long-term sustainability and environmental protection,” 

The decision to upgrade Cold Lake's wastewater treatment facility is the result of extensive planning and research that began in 2010 with a feasibility study.

Over the years, additional studies highlighted the need for better treatment solutions, leading to the recommendation of MBBR technology in 2018.

A successful pilot project in 2019 confirmed the technology's feasibility, paving the way for the design phase, which began in 2020, Khan explained.

The MBBR technology is an upgrade from the current lagoon-based system used in Cold Lake.

“Currently, Cold Lake's wastewater is treated by allowing natural organisms to break down contaminants over an extended period in lagoon cells,” said Khan.

“In contrast, the MBBR process uses millions of small media with high surface areas for biofilm growth, where active bacteria cultures develop and rapidly treat the wastewater. The media are kept in suspension by aeration or mixers, and excess biofilm is removed in a clarification stage. This new system provides much faster and more efficient treatment compared to the traditional lagoon method.”

The new technology will not only enhance the quality of treated wastewater but also ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, according to the city.

Despite the complexity of the project, the city has assured residents that there will be minimal disruptions during construction.

“There will be no disruptions to the community. The existing treatment lagoons will function as normal throughout construction,” Khan said.

The project, with a total budget of $33 million, is expected to begin treating wastewater by the fall of 2025.

Funding includes a substantial grant of $8.76 million from Alberta Transportation under the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership (AMWWP), with the remainder coming from the City of Cold Lake and the Cold Lake Regional Utilities Services Commission, according to Khan.