Wetaskiwin Wastewater Treatment Plant

The City of Wetaskiwin’s original wastewater treatment lagoon system was constructed in 1979. In 2019, Alberta Environment and Parks renewed the facility’s operating approval, imposing more stringent effluent limits effective by the end of 2023. These limits covered biochemical oxygen demand (BOD and cBOD), total suspended solids (TSS), nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen (TN and TAN), total phosphorus (TP), and E. coli.

Faced with limited grant funding and borrowing capacity, the City partnered with Graham Capital under its Municipal Asset Partnership (MAP) program. Through this partnership, Graham provided project development, financial advisory, deal structuring, and long-term asset management services to help deliver the critical infrastructure project efficiently and affordably.

“With regulatory requirements around wastewater treatment facilities becoming more stringent, we had to be innovative to cover the cost of the mandated upgrade with the grant funding we had available. Graham’s new approach allowed us to secure all the financing we needed while maintaining financial flexibility for other municipal priorities. Additionally, we have an active role in the entire process as an equal partner.”
— Sue Howard, City Manager, City of Wetaskiwin

While the City retained design responsibilities, Graham delivered Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) services, working closely with the design team. During the ECI phase, Graham’s water group involved key personnel—including project managers, superintendents, estimators, and subcontractors—to provide constructability input, cost analysis, scheduling, and progressive budgeting aligned with design milestones.

To meet the new regulatory requirements, the selected treatment process was a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) with tertiary treatment, including two-stage clarification using Ballasted High-Rate Clarification (BHRC) and disc filters, followed by UV disinfection. A new headworks facility with an automatic step screen replaced the original bar screen to significantly reduce solids loading in the lagoons and lower long-term maintenance costs. Chemical dosing systems—including carbon (glycerol), polymer, and coagulant—support the biological and clarification processes.