Sewage Treatment Plant Contract Signed

(Tuesday, June 15/2004) - Mayor Peter Kelly, on behalf of Halifax Regional Council, today officially signed agreements with D & D Water Solutions Inc. for the design, construction and commissioning of three sewage treatment plants (STP), for a guaranteed maximum price of $133.2 million (plus flow through costs of bonding, insurance, applicable taxes and inflation).

Mayor Kelly commended both D&D and HRM staff for their tremendous efforts in negotiating the agreements for Phase 2 of the Harbour Solutions Project, which will result in three new treatment plants at Halifax, Dartmouth and Herring Cove. Parties to the STP development agreement are HRM, D&D Water Solutions Inc. and the guarantors.

Terms of the agreements require compliance with effluent, noise and odour parameters that should, in conjunction with HRM's Pollution Prevention (P2) program, enable HRM to meet the requirements of the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour. The agreements should also enable HRM to design and construct the entire Harbour Solutions Project within the original budget of $333 million.

Kurt Jacobs, of D&D Water Solutions Inc., said "What has been, for generations, an elusive pursuit -- the clean-up of Halifax Harbour -- with the signing of this agreement has now become reality."

Mr. Jacobs continued "Our company, D&D Water Solutions Inc., includes international experience in the form of Degremont SA and local participation through Dexter. We are proud to have been selected by Mayor Kelly and members of Regional Council to provide effective and efficient sewage treatment through the design and building of plants in Halifax , Dartmouth and Herring Cove. Construction is scheduled to begin later this year and the three plants are expected to be completed by the summers of 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively."

In August 2003, Halifax Regional Council signed an agreement for a guaranteed maximum price of $115.7 million (plus flow through costs) with Dexter Construction for the Project's sewage collection system (SCS).

Construction on the SCS was officially launched on November 12, 2003 and this work is well underway today. The Halifax component of the SCS is expected to take 24 months to complete.

The collection systems from Halifax, Dartmouth and Herring Cove will eventually be connected to the three new sewage treatment plants in the host communities.

The overall Harbour Solutions Project is expected to take approximately 48 months to complete from the time of the signing of the STP agreements. The Federal government is contributing $60 million to the project and the Province of Nova Scotia has agreed to contribute $30 million over a 15-year period, as well as to contribute approximately $2 million in required land.

Mayor Kelly concluded "These agreement represent a significant turning point in the Harbour Solutions Project and will bring to an end the daily flow of 181 million litres of raw sewage into our harbour".

Mayor Peter Kelly
(902) 490-4010

Brad Anguish
Director, HRM Environmental Managment Services
(902) 490-4825

Kurt Jacobs
D&D Water Solutions Inc.
(902) 453-3490

return to top

< Back to main news page