The North End Sewage Treatment Plant (NEWPCC) in Winnipeg is undergoing one of the city’s largest and most complex infrastructure projects in modern history. Built in 1937, the plant currently treats about 70% of the city’s wastewater and serves as a critical component of Winnipeg’s sewage network. Official City Info
🛠️ Scope of the Construction
The construction at the North End Sewage Treatment Plant is a multi-phase upgrade initiative designed to:
- Improve treatment capacity and reliability
- Update aging infrastructure
- Meet enhanced environmental standards
- Protect local waterways including the Red River and Lake Winnipeg
🔹 Headworks Facilities Project
This phase focused on constructing a new headworks facility—including raw sewage pumps, grit removal systems, fine screens, control systems, and emergency power infrastructure. Key points:
- Awarded to a joint venture between Aecon Group Inc. and Oscar Renda Contracting
- Modernizes critical plant intake systems
- Construction began in 2021 with completion expected around 2025
🔹 Biosolids Facilities Upgrade
This phase focuses on biosolids processing infrastructure to treat solid byproducts of wastewater treatment:
- Hatch Engineering supports design work
- New sludge processing facilities include thermophilic anaerobic digestion
- Construction timeline extends toward 2030 and beyond
🔹 Biological Nutrient Removal
Future phases will improve nutrient (phosphorus) removal to protect Lake Winnipeg. Timelines extend into the late 2020s and early 2030s. Project details
💰 Cost and Funding
- Total project cost: approximately $3 billion
- Phase 2 (biosolids) cost: over $1 billion
- Funding from federal and provincial governments to reduce local utility impact
🔄 Construction Timeline & Challenges
The plant must remain operational while under construction, requiring:
- Careful staging and sequencing of work
- Seasonal adjustments due to groundwater and weather conditions
- Multiple concurrent major construction efforts
Construction will continue through the mid-to-late 2020s and into the early 2030s. Learn more
🌱 Environmental and Community Benefits
- Enhanced treatment and nutrient removal reduce harmful discharges
- Improved biosolids processing opens opportunities for reuse
- Interim improvements such as chemical phosphorus removal already reduce pollution
📌 Key Project Participants
- City of Winnipeg — project owner and operator
- Aecon Group Inc. & Partners — major design-build contractor
- Hatch Engineering & Stantec — design team supporting new facilities