Sydney Harbour wastewater treatment project in Canada to get $58m upgrade

Canadian Government has granted around $58m in funding for the Sydney Harbour West Wastewater Collection and Treatment Plant project in Nova Scotia.

The Government of Canada, Government of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) will provide $19m each for the project which is aimed at cleaning up Sydney Harbour over the next ten years.

Engineering works for the project have already been initiated with the construction expected to start by 2016.

The project involves construction of a facility featuring a sewage and stormwater collection-and-treatment system in the region which will run the length of the harbour, from Dobson Yacht Club up to North Sydney.

Works under the project will also be aimed at separating the combined sanitary and storm sewer mains in the region.

The project will bring down the risks of combined sewer overflows into Sydney Harbour, and reduce groundwater entrance into the local wastewater collection system.

The project likely to help the wastewater treatment services comply with federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

On completion, the project will reduce the collection system’s impact on environment besides improving the regional wastewater treatment scenario.

Cape Breton Mayor Cecil Clarke said: "This project will create 270,000 hours of employment and make our harbour cleaner."

Government of Canada will offer the funding for the project under its $14bn New Building Canada Plan.