A planned regional wastewater treatment facility for southeastern Manitoba has seen the projected cost balloon since first announced. That is according to Niverville Mayor Myron Dyck, whose town is one of four partners currently spearheading this project. 

The project was first announced in December of 2019. At that time, Hanover, Tache, Ritchot, and Niverville entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to create the Red-Seine-Rat Wastewater Cooperative, with hopes of creating a regional wastewater collection system and plant to enhance wastewater management. At the time it was announced that the plant would be located just north of Niverville at a cost of nearly $110 million. However, the project would be contingent on nearly $80 million in provincial and federal funding. 

Then, in August of 2022, plans were unveiled for the facility at a funding announcement in Niverville. At the time of the announcement, the project was still expected to cost approximately $110 million, with a 25 per cent contingency. Our provincial government committed $18 million towards the work, while the federal government promised $21 million. The remaining $71 million needed to come from the four jurisdictions.

Here we are in early 2024, and though construction has yet to start, the projected cost is only climbing. Niverville Mayor Myron Dyck says due to inflation and increased costs, the price jumped from $110 million to more than $200 million. However, Dyck explains that their group has come up with ways to scale that back to $190 million. It now means they will be requesting additional financial help. The provincial government has already been asked to consider an increase in funding. 

An updated scope has been approved by the partners and this plan will move to detailed design in order to get documents ready for design and construction. The anticipation is that the project will be tendered this coming fall. Dyck says their desire is to have the project completed sometime around 2027 or 2028.

Though Hanover, Niverville, Tache, and Ritchot are the four partners in this project, there have also been discussions with Steinbach, La Broquerie and De Salaberry to potentially join as well.

 

With files from Adi Loewen

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