EQUIPMENT PROJECT Profile
The Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades and expansion program By Paul Adair In spite of its critical importance – especially when you need to flush the toilet or turn on the faucet – wastewater and water treatment is something that isn’t regularly considered. That is, unless you happen to be a city experiencing growth like Calgary. Sitting on the historic Bow River, Calgary is currently home to three wastewater treatment facilities: Fish Creek, Pine Creek, and Bonnybrook. Originally built in the 1930s, the largest of the three, the Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), is one of the largest biological nutrient removal (BNR) plants in Canada, and is the largest cold-weather BNR plant in the world. But after several significant upgrades and modifications made over the years (the last occurring in the early 1990s) to meet its expanding needs and increasingly stringent treatment standards, it was becoming clear that the plant was nearing its capacity. As such, the City of Calgary made the decision to invest more than $1 billion into the Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades and Expansion Program – a series of extensive upgrades and expansions that will protect the environment and accommodate Calgary’s expected growth well into the future. Piling Industry Canada • June 2023 19
