TransAqua prepares for $80M wastewater plant improvement

Greater Moncton's wastewater commissionTransAqua is preparing for one of the largest municipal infrastructure projects in the region's history.

The wastewater treatment plant has to be upgraded by 2020 at a cost of $80 million.

Winston Pearce, the chairman of TransAqua, said the project is on a federally-imposed deadline.

"We are the only wastewater facility in the province of New Brunswick that does not have secondary treatment and in fact we're only one of 17 per cent of facilities in the whole of Canada that are not brought up to secondary treatment capacity," he said.

Pearce saidthe commission is considering three funding options:funding through the federal infrastructure program,a public-private partnership,or having taxpayersfoot the bill.

He saidthe commission doesn't want the public to have to payand has been putting money aside for the project.

"We've got $23 million in guaranteed investment certificates, we've got $5 million in contingency reserve as well as $9 millionin the bank so we're in pretty good shape," he said.

A decision on how the project will be financed is expected to be made by summer.

Pearce says greater Moncton's wastewater treatment plant is putting out water that is about 75 per cent pure. Once the upgrade is complete, the goal is produce water that is 97 per cent pure.

TransAqua will hold its annual general meetingtoday in Monctonat the Capitol Theatre and the project will be one of the topics up for discussion.

Financial results for 2014 will also be released at the meeting.