British Columbia’s Regional District of Kootenay Boundary has announced $76 million worth of long-planned wastewater treatment upgrades to the Columbia Pollution Control Centre in Trail, B.C.
The project will bring the facility in line with secondary wastewater treatment standards to serve the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) communities of Trail, Rossland, Warfield, Rivervale, and Oasis, according to local officials.
Upgrades to the plant, which was built in the 1970s, will meet provincial and federal regulations to protect the Columbia River and increase capacity of the plant by more than 50%. The new facility will use waste effluent heat for building heating, reducing natural gas use and lowering heating costs. Additionally, treated wastewater will be reclaimed for non-potable uses at the plant, cutting potable water consumption by up to 200,000 litres per day.
“This project is crucial for maintaining our region’s environmental integrity,” announced Andy Morel, RDKB board chair. “We’re committed to upgrading critical infrastructure while minimizing community disruption.”
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Contractor Maple Reinders has already made significant headway on the project, which includes a new headworks building, grit removal system, new biological treatment tanks and moving bed bioreactor tanks, dissolved air flotation (DAF) clarifiers, and a new DAF process building that also houses the UV disinfection system. The project also includes a DAF polymer system, a reclaimed water system, heat recovery system, main plant, electrical room and odour control system for the headworks.
The federal government and the province are contributing $46 million through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The remaining $30 million will be financed by a regional loan.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
