Canadian city unveils sewer project to prevent harbour pollution

The city of Charlottetown, in Canada, has unveiled an $18.8m upgrade project to protect its Spring Park combined storm and sanitary sewer system.

The sewage upgrade project will be divided into three phases to complete separation of the storm sewer and sanitary systems. The project will receive about $6m from the province of Prince Edward Island.

Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal minister Robert Vessey said the partnership between Charlottetown and the province will help protect the harbour from sewage contamination.

Construction on the $5.6m phase one will commence in May 2012, which will include design engineering services and project management. A new sanitary sewer system will be prepared for the subsequent phases.

Phase one will divert sanitary sewage to the wastewater treatment plant, thereby removing it from the combined system and reducing the impact on the harbour.

Completion of the first phase and the completed work at UPEI in 2011 will address about 57% of combined flow and divert it directly to the wastewater treatment plant.

Valued at about $3.3m, phase two will perform the separation work in the northwest section of the combined system, which will mostly impact the west side of Spring Park Rd. The completion of phase two, combined with the previously completed separation work, will address about 70% of the combined flow and divert it directly to the wastewater treatment plant.

As part of the $9.8m phase three, the necessary separation work will be performed in the northeast section of the combined system, which will mostly impact the eastern side of Spring Park Rd to Mount Edward Rd.

Completion of the third phase will have addressed 100% of the combined flow and divert it directly to the plant. The city will fund its share from an increase in sewer rates of $30/year and a transfer of $1m in Federal Gas Tax money for each year of the project.

The sewage upgrade project is also expected to secure federal infrastructure funding, and the project will be completed 2014.