Municipality receiving $16.6 million to expand capacity, reliability of Wastewater Treatment Plant 

Tim Brody - Editor

The Municipality of Sioux Lookout will receive more than $16.6 million in provincial funding through the Province’s Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program – Health and Safety Water Stream, which will “significantly expand the capacity and reliability of the community’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.” 
The Municipality will contribute approximately $6.1 million.
The Municipality of Sioux Lookout shared in a Jan. 27 media release that, “This project represents one of the largest infrastructure investments in the Municipality’s upcoming capital plans.”
The Municipality shared, “The wastewater treatment plant expansion will increase treatment capacity to meet future demand, improve system reliability, and strengthen environmental protection. The project includes upgrades to existing infrastructure, improvements to mechanical and process systems, and enhancements to effluent and solids management. Together, these upgrades will ensure the facility continues to operate safely, efficiently, and in compliance with provincial and federal requirements as the community grows.” 
The project also includes an extension of municipal water and wastewater services along Highway 72. “This servicing extension will prepare the corridor for future serviced development through the installation of new watermain and sanitary forcemain infrastructure, along with associated valves, a fire hydrant, and full surface restoration,” the Municipality shared. 
Mayor Doug Lawrance stated, “We’re very thankful for this major investment by the Province. This critical infrastructure project is essential to the future growth and development of Sioux Lookout, and we would not be able to proceed without this funding.” 
The Municipality clarified that all project components will be municipally owned and operated. Construction scheduling and next steps will proceed following final provincial agreements and required regulatory clearances. 
The Municipality’s Wastewater Treatment Plant was designed and constructed in the 1990’s.
The Municipality informed, “The plant design allowed for expansion of treatment systems as the Municipality grew. Previous projects have been done to upgrade capacity. The project to be undertaken now will expand capacity, update aging equipment, and allow continued growth of our community. Regulatory requirements are such that when water and wastewater treatment facilities approach specified percentage use of their capacities – regulatory thresholds - they must be expanded, or growth will not be approved. Demand is determined based on usage, population and development growth and using standardized factors. Environmental and safety standards have been strengthened over the years, and the upgrades will ensure that we can meet those standards and avoid emergency situations, which can be both environmentally and financially expensive and avoid constraints on housing and economic development.”
The Municipality informed that the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), “Currently has a rated average daily treatment capacity of 2,840 m³/day and serves an estimated 4,980 people. Recent operating data shows the plant is operating at approximately 82% of rated capacity, with an average day flow of about 2,332 m³/day. Under MECP planning guidance, exceeding 80% capacity triggers formal capacity planning, and the plant has also experienced repeated peak flow exceedances, particularly during spring runoff and wet-weather events.”
The Municipality further shared that, “Population growth assumptions for the WWTP Expansion were developed as part of the Schedule C Municipal Class Environmental Assessment, rather than through a standalone demographic study. Federal census data was reviewed to understand historic population trends and validate the direction and reasonableness of growth assumptions. The projections were further informed by municipal development inputs, including recent residential construction, infill and densification within existing serviced areas, and known or anticipated residential growth. Allowances for institutional, commercial, and industrial activity were also incorporated into the wastewater flow projections, reflecting Sioux Lookout’s role as a regional service hub. These projections indicate the serviced population is expected to increase to approximately 6,800 people over the next 20 years.
 “Based on the work completed to date, average day wastewater flows are expected to increase materially over the current planning horizon. The WWTP expansion is therefore being planned to provide a moderate, staged increase in treatment capacity, on the order required to restore regulatory buffer and accommodate projected servicing needs. Detailed design is ongoing as part of the Class EA and subsequent design phases, and final capacity requirements will be confirmed as that work progresses.”