Facebook icon.Twitter icon.Yotube icon.Instagram icon.

Sewage

In the lead-up to Winnipeg’s Oct. 26 election, we are urging all candidates to commit to achieving phosphorus compliance at the city’s North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC). We expect Winnipeg’s next mayor and council to fulfill the city’s responsibility to Lake Winnipeg.

Together with the Lake Winnipeg Indigenous Collective (LWIC), we reached out directly to all mayoral candidates with an offer to discuss evidence, impacts and solutions to achieve phosphorus compliance at NEWPCC. Since early August, we’ve met with eight mayoral candidates: Chris Clacio, Scott Gillingham, Kevin...

On Aug. 16, three levels of government announced a total of $552 million in funding for the Phase 2 Biosolids Facilities Project at Winnipeg’s North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC).

The new biosolids facility at the north end sewage treatment plant is the city’s No. 1 infrastructure priority according to the 2020 Infrastructure Plan – replacing end-of-life infrastructure and enabling continued population growth.

Earlier this summer, after years of advocacy from LWF members, city officials updated the design for the biosolids facility, increasing digester capacity in order to...

On July 21, city council passed two important motions that put us on the path towards accelerated phosphorus compliance at Winnipeg’s largest sewage treatment plant.

Improved interim solution gets approval

Winnipeg’s city council approved funding for an updated plan for interim phosphorus removal at the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC). This plan improves on the city’s initial design in order to maximize phosphorus removal while reducing the amount of sludge produced as a by-product.

LWF strongly supports this plan since it will lead to tangible, measurable phosphorus...

A federal funding application for critically needed upgrades to Winnipeg’s oldest and largest sewage treatment plant is finally on its way to Ottawa. 

The proposal to the federal Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) seeks funding for the design and construction of new biosolids facilities at the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC), Phase 2 of an ongoing, multi-phase upgrade project. 

Phosphorus loading from sources like undertreated sewage feeds the growth of potentially toxic algal blooms on Lake Winnipeg. If proactively designed to optimize interim phosphorus...

On May 28, 2021, Manitoba Conservation and Climate provided conditional approval for the City of Winnipeg’s interim phosphorus-reduction plan at the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC) – the latest in a series of regulatory and financial approvals required before the city can begin the design and construction process to address the North End plant’s phosphorus emissions. 

With a contract for the project expected to be awarded this summer, the city currently projects that it will take until late 2023 to implement interim phosphorus reduction at the plant. Winnipeg’s water and waste...

A plan outlining next steps for both interim phosphorus reduction and full upgrades at Winnipeg’s North End sewage treatment plant was released today.

The plan was developed by a project steering committee for the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC), which includes representatives from both the city and the province.

The NEWPCC is the largest of Winnipeg’s three wastewater treatment facilities and the single largest point source of phosphorus to Lake Winnipeg. Excess amounts of phosphorus in freshwater ecosystems drive the growth of potentially toxic algae. Currently, the NEWPCC...

Thank you to everyone who has advocated for protecting Lake Winnipeg through improved wastewater treatment. We have an exiting update to share.

On Dec. 5, the Manitoba government denied the City of Winnipeg’s request for a two-year extension to develop a plan for phosphorus reduction at the North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC).

Instead, the province is requiring that an interim phosphorus reduction plan be in place by Jan. 31, 2020.

The province will also assist the city move forward on plans to fully upgrade the NEWPCC so that it meets all requirements of its operating licence...

Algae blooms at Connaught Beach and Lester Beach, July 2019; Photos (clockwise from top left): Murray McCaig, Jennifer Engbrecht, Carter Brooks, Laurie Bennett

Update: The city’s request for an extension for NEWPCC upgrades is now under review by the provincial regulator.

Manitoba Sustainable Development’s Environmental Approvals Branch must assess the city’s submission and decide whether or not to grant its request for a two-year extension. (The city has asked for a new deadline of Dec. 31, 2021, to come up with a plan that would include a revised date for a full plant upgrade and potential...

Join us on May 9 to explore the science and politics surrounding Winnipeg’s wastewater infrastructure issues!

Hosted by Science First, a non-profit organization promoting science and evidence-based policy, this evening event will feature presentations from LWF’s executive director Alexis Kanu and University of Manitoba Biosystems Engineering Professor Nazim Cicek, followed by an audience Q & A.

This is a great opportunity to learn more about our recommendation for an interim retrofit to Winnipeg’s largest sewage treatment plant to help protect Lake Winnipeg – and pick up a copy of our...

On World Water Day, the Lake Winnipeg Foundation and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) are releasing a report recommending an interim retrofit to Winnipeg’s largest sewage treatment plant. This retrofit could be implemented quickly and at low cost to significantly reduce the facility’s phosphorus contribution to Lake Winnipeg.

Research at the IISD Experimental Lakes Area shows that phosphorus is the nutrient responsible for potentially toxic algae blooms in freshwater lakes. Winnipeg’s North End Water Pollution Control Centre (NEWPCC) is currently the single...

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Sewage
Sign up for our online mailing list to stay informed.

Upcoming Events