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Water and Waste Department

North End Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade

October 9, 2020 - Interim Phosphorous Reduction and NEWPCC Upgrade Plan Update

  • Overview
  • Fast Facts
  • Updates
  • Timeline
  • Graphics
  • Links
  • FAQ

Overview

NEWPCC Aerial Image

The North End Sewage Treatment Plant, otherwise known as the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC), is the City of Winnipeg's oldest and largest sewage treatment plant. First commissioned in 1937, it provides 70 percent of the city's wastewater treatment.

An Environment Act Licence has been issued for NEWPCC requiring treatment for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). As part of the Winnipeg Sewage Treatment Program (WSTP), NEWPCC will is undergoing one of the largest, most complicated upgrade projects in North America in order to meet the requirements of the Environment Act Licence.

The upgrades include improved treatment plant technology that protects our waterways by reducing the amount of nutrients we release into our rivers and lakes, including Lake Winnipeg. Upgrades will also improve our treatment of wet weather flows and address nutrient reuse and recovery, through the construction of a new biosolids processing facility.

The upgrades are being done in three phases:

  1. NEWPCC Upgrade: Power Supply and Headworks Facilities
    A new power substation is required at NEWPCC to meet the additional power demand. The power supply upgrade will be delivered as a separate project from the new headworks facilities. This will allow for early procurement of long-lead items, like transformers, and ensure that the additional power is available when needed. Upgrades to the Headworks Facilities will provide new wastewater pumps and improved screening and grit removal. This project has been approved and funded. The funding request was sent to the Province of Manitoba under the Investing in Canada program.
  2. NEWPCC Upgrade: Biosolids Facilities
    A new facility to turn wastewater sludge into biosolids treat biosolids will be constructed. This project has been approved, subject to funding from other levels of government. A funding request has been sent to Province under the Investing in Canada program.
  3. NEWPCC Upgrade: Nutrient Removal Facilities
    A new facility to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from our wastewater will be constructed. This project has not yet been approved or funded.

Once these nutrients are removed from the wastewater, what do we do with it?
Traditionally these nutrients have been treated with chemicals and taken to the landfill. The NEWPCC upgrade will incorporate two new technologies in the treatment process to recover and reuse the nutrients:

"One of the good guys." Bacteria used to breakdown wastewater magnified at 600x.

  1. Phosphorous, a non-renewable resource that is being depleted world-wide, will be recovered from the biosolids using equipment and technologies developed by Ostara. The end result of the recovery is a high value fertilizer (Crystal Green™).
  2. The biosolids, a key by-product of wastewater treatment, will be treated by a high-temperature thermal-hydrolysis process developed by CambiTHP. This process will result in a pathogen free biosolid that is safe to use as fertilizer. The CambiTHP process also reduces the end volume of biosolids, thus reducing transportation costs.

The plant upgrades will accommodate future growth in the catchment area as well as provide treatment during wet weather events such as snow melt or large rainstorms.

Fast Facts

  • NEWPCC currently treats enough wastewater to fill 75 Olympic sized swimming pools every day.
  • In 2016, NEWPCC removed 1,959,600 kg of debris like sand, egg shells, floating plastics, sticks and paper, from wastewater. This is the equivalent weight of 725 full grown elephants.

The NEWPCC upgrade will include:

  • a new raw sewage pump station
  • a new grit and screenings (debris) building
  • a biological nutrient removal reactor train with secondary clarifiers
  • a new high rate clarifiers to provide wet weather flow treatment
  • upgraded biosolids process, including thermal hydrolysis, digestion and struvite recovery

Updates

NEWPCC Upgrade: Power Supply Upgrade and Headworks Facilities

Power Supply:

Preliminary Design

2016

Request For Qualifications

2016

Request For Proposal

2017

Construction

2018

Power Available to NEWPCC

2020
Headworks Facility:

Preliminary Design

2018

Request For Qualifications

2019

Request For Proposal

2020

Construction

2021

Completion of Headworks Facilities

2025

NEWPCC Upgrade: Biosolids Facilities

Preliminary Design

2018

Request For Qualifications

TBD

Request For Proposal

TBD

Construction

TBD

Commission

TBD

NEWPCC Upgrade: Nutrient Removal Facilities

Preliminary Design

2018

Request For Qualifications

TBD

Request For Proposal

TBD

Construction

TBD

Commission

TBD

NEWPCC - 2017 Layout

Links

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is wet weather flow?

Wet weather flow occurs with the snow melt in spring and severe rainstorms during the summer months, resulting in higher than average flows of wastewater arriving at the treatment plant. We can expect 100 wet weather events to occur each year.

Why are these upgrades necessary?
  • The City of Winnipeg aims to reduce Winnipeg's contribution of nitrogen and phosphorous to Lake Winnipeg.
  • To meet the requirements of Manitoba Regulatory Licence.
  • To accommodate future population growth.
  • To replace equipment that is at the end of service life.
How much nitrogen is removed from the effluent at NEWPCC?
  • Currently, NEWPCC removes approximately 1,500 kg/day on average.
  • After the upgrades are complete, NEWPCC will remove approximately four times more nitrogen, an estimated 7,000 kg/day.
How much phosphorus is removed from the effluent at NEWPCC?
  • Currently, NEWPCC removes approximately 500 kg/day on average from the effluent.
  • After the upgrades are complete, the NEWPCC plant will remove more than double the phosphorous, an estimated 1,300 kg/day.
Will the capacity of NEWPCC increase as a result of these upgrades?
  • The maximum flow of wastewater than can be treated each day will increase from 380 million liters per day to 705 million litres per day.
Will NEWPCC be shut down during construction?
  • No, NEWPCC will continue to operate during construction.
Last updated: March 4, 2021

Did you know?

Service crews with the Wastewater Services, Local Sewer Branch work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., 7 days a week, 364 days a year? They work on all holidays except Christmas Day. These are the staff that respond to sewer backups, plugged catch basins, missing manhole covers and street flooding. So, when you see these staff working on a weekend or on a holiday, you'll know they are not working overtime – they are simply working their regular shift.

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