Advocacy success: chemical phosphorus-reduction system now operational

We have exciting news!

On June 24, the City of Winnipeg’s chemical phosphorus-removal project came online at the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC), the city’s largest sewage treatment plant. This is a significant milestone and the single most important step the city has taken to protect Lake Winnipeg.

LWF members have been tirelessly advocating for the implementation of a chemical phosphorus-reduction solution at the north end facility since 2019. Our collective efforts put this issue on the agenda of both our civic or provincial governments: catalyzing the political will, regulatory approvals and funding necessary to make it a reality.

The system now up and running at NEWPCC uses a chemical called ferric chloride to bind to phosphorus so that it settles out of the liquid waste stream which is eventually released into the Red River as treated effluent. Ferric chloride was already in use at the north end facility to reduce odour and keep pipes clean; adjusting the dosage amounts and the timing of its use within the treatment process enables it to also function as a phosphorus-removal agent.

Similar chemical systems have been effectively operating at wastewater treatment plants across North America for decades. Early monitoring data suggest the chemical system is already outperforming projected expectations. (For more information on what needs to happen next to achieve phosphorus compliance, read our news post about our current provincial advocacy campaign and how you can get involved.)

By infrastructure standards, this success is a very quick turnaround – and it’s happening thanks to the many concerned citizens who joined us over the past five years in speaking up for a practical, proven, cost-effective approach to sewage treatment. When we work together, we have the power to make a difference for Lake Winnipeg. Thank you for participating in our collective sewage advocacy. Together, we are achieving results.