A look back at the North End Wastewater Treatment Plant construction in 2025

2025 was a busy year for the City of Winnipeg at the North End Wastewater Treatment Plant (also known as the North End Water Pollution Control Centre or NEWPCC).

NEWPCC treats an average of about 195 megalitres of wastewater per day. One megalitre equals one million litres. It also processes all of Winnipeg’s sludge – aka the solid parts of wastewater.

Throughout the year, the plant kept running while upgrade work continued. A lot of the construction work at the NEWPCC site was focused on the Headworks Facilities.

Over the past year, an average of 175 people worked on the Headworks site every weekday. Since the Headworks project started, the project has:

• Poured approximately 30,000 cubic metres of concrete, which is roughly two times the volume of concrete used to build the Canada Life Centre
• Used 5.2 million kilograms of steel (a combination of rebar and structural steel), which is the weight of more than 850 adult elephants
• Installed 105,000 metres of electrical cable, which could connect Winnipeg to Portage La Prairie if it was stretched end to end

All these people and resources helped the project construct new tunnels, chambers, and buildings like the Main Control Building and Raw Sewage Pumping Station. The new Headworks Facilities will receive wastewater from the existing sewer system and replace the existing headworks.

The North End Sewage Treatment Upgrades project is No. 31 on ReNew Canada’s 2026 Top100 Projects report.

Headworks Facilities’ support projects also moved forward. The redesign of the Primary Clarification Upgrade was successfully completed. Construction began on this in June. A UV light upgrade project was also begun this past fall, which will reduce the amount of electricity the UV treatment system uses by 75 per cent.

Biosolids Facilities

More than 250 people are working on the design of the Biosolids Facilities and main construction yet has yet to begin. A progressive design-build model is being used to deliver this project. This model allows the city to focus on what Winnipeg needs for biosolids treatment while getting good value for money. It also allows the city to adapt and refine the design to help stay within budget.  

Some very early-stage work at the Biosolids site has also started. Early-stage work includes the installation of water and sewer pipes connecting the building to the existing infrastructure. The installation of piles is expected to start in the new year, with facility construction beginning in the fall.

Nutrient Removal Facilities

The project secured new Provincial and Federal funding for the Biosolids Facilities last year, and the City of Winnipeg is still trying to reach funding agreements for the Nutrient Removal Facilities project.

The first step of the Request for Proposals (RFP) process has started and three qualified companies have been shortlisted to proceed to the next step of the RFP process.

Once the RFP process is complete, design and construction planning can start later this year. Full construction will then start in 2028.

Featured image: The new, unfinished headworks building at the North End Wastewater Treatment Plant (NEWPCC). (City of Winnipeg)