The City of Kimberley, British Columbia, is moving forward with plans to build a new wastewater treatment plant, but the project team identified challenges with the original design, which would have exceeded the budget by an estimated $40 million.
The updated plan includes shifting to an aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process as a cost-efficient and environmentally sustainable wastewater treatment method, local officials announced in an update. The plant had initially been set as a Food Chain Reactor facility, which is a type of fixed-film activated sludge treatment.
The community of just under 9,000 residents will now focus on optimizing construction and process methods, as well as proposing to build the plant closer to the existing facility than initially planned. The proposed location on 302nd Avenue also posed limitations for future expansion.
“The proposed treatment process is designed to comply with environmental standards, address odour concerns, and allow for future growth,” said City of Kimberley Wastewater Treatment Plant Project Manager Shane Castle. “The updated location, near the existing facility, will help manage costs while supporting long-term environmental safety and resilience against the impacts of climate change. We understand that these changes may raise questions and concerns, and we are dedicated to providing clear and transparent information as we move forward.”
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The adjustments will support the goal of staying within the original budget while maximizing the use of available grant funding, states a community announcement.
Visual comparisons of the original and revised locations, as well as renderings of the updated design, will be shared with the public once available, according to local officials. The municipality will also host an open house in the new year to share more information with the community.
The initial project comes from a $90.6 million investment commitment from federal, provincial, and municipal governments announced in December 2023. The new facility will replace the aging pollution control centre, built in 1967, with modern infrastructure that minimizes environmental impacts on the St. Mary’s River and downstream communities.
