02-2021 - Wastewater Treatment System: Preliminary Design, Detailed Design and Construction Management

The Town of Picture Butte is a small and growing community of 1810 people (2016 Federal Census) with a regional service area of approximately 5,000 people. The Town’s wastewater is treated through an aerated lagoon system consisting of three partial mix cells and one storage cell. The treated wastewater continuously discharges to Piyami Coulee which feeds into the Oldman River. In 2018 Alberta Environment and Parks renewed the Town’s wastewater approval. Within this approval certain requirements were outlined that the Town had to achieve within the next five years. The intent of this RFP is to acquire an engineering firm that can assist the Town in meeting these requirements in a cost effective manner.

As per the conditions in Alberta Environments Approval the Town needs to take a number of steps. The first step or phase is to complete an engineered study that will determine if the Town’s wastewater treatment system needs to be upgraded to meet Alberta Environment’s and Environment Canada’s effluent regulations. This study was completed in February, 2021. Phase One is complete.

The second phase of the Town’s approval requirements is that if the report in phase one determines that upgrades to the Town’s wastewater treatment system are needed then a detailed engineered design, plans and specifications and a proposed upgrading schedule and completion date be submitted prior to the 1st of March, 2022.

The completed study demonstrated that the Town did need to upgrade the Town’s wastewater treatment system and recommended the following:
1. Doing upgrades to the Town’s lift station;
2. Install a new 300mm HDPE DR 11 force main that parallels the existing force main from the existing lift station to the existing lagoons.
3. Upgrade the current lagoons. The Town’s preferred choice is the Nexom’s OPTAER lagoon aeration system and Submerged Attached Growth Reactors system.
4. Install a new discharge pipeline to the Oldman River.

Phase Two of this project will include the preparation of preliminary and detailed designs for the required upgrades as outlined above.

Phase Three of this project will include construction management work required to install or construct the required work that is defined in the completed detail design.