The Town of Carleton Place, just west of Ottawa, has awarded the largest set of water and wastewater infrastructure projects in its history after council approved $145.8 million in May to expand its primary facilities.
The upgrades, which have been in the planning stages since 2021, will see Carleton Place use Veolia to supply membrane bioreactor technology as the town of 13,000 works to accommodate future growth and improve overall capacity.
Engineering firm Stantec has been leading the detailed design and tendering work since May 2023, in collaboration with local officials and the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), according to a committee report.
Following a 12-week tendering period, Carleton Place received three bids from pre-qualified contractors. ASCO Construction Ltd. submitted the lowest compliant bid at $123.5 million. ASCO’s proposal includes a team of subcontractors such as Thomas Cavanagh Construction (civil and blasting work), Black & McDonald Ltd. (process mechanical, building mechanical, and instrumentation), and Rosa Formwork Ltd. (concrete).
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Construction timeline and financial implications
Work on the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is expected to continue until at least September 2027, while the water treatment plant (WTP) expansion is scheduled for completion by January 2028.
While the original cost estimates were $73 million for the WWTP and $40 million for the WTP, the final project budget totals approximately $145.9 million. This includes construction costs, contract administration, permitting, utilities, and a $10-million contingency to account for change orders and unforeseen conditions, the committee report states.
Stantec, already engaged for the earlier planning phases, is expected to continue providing contract administration and inspection services throughout the construction period. These services are budgeted based on a timeline to the end of 2028, but will cost less if the project is completed sooner.
In anticipation of U.S. tariffs, general contractors were asked to estimate the value of U.S.-sourced components — approximately $14 million — but were instructed not to inflate bids to account for tariff uncertainties. As a result, any future tariff increases will be a financial risk carried by the town.
