The $301 million McLoughlin Point Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) was designed to provide enhanced primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment for the Capital Regional District’s (CDR) core area and will handle flows beyond 2040. The AECOM and Graham Construction joint venture (Harbour Resources Partners) designed and built the new facility on a point of land at the mouth of Victoria Harbour in Esquimalt, across from the city of Victoria. The project also included the Victoria Harbour force main crossing and the marine outfall for discharging the effluent from the plant into the ocean.

The scope of work for the wastewater treatment plant included design and construction of a new cast-in-place concrete wastewater plant with primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment of raw sewage received from two regional pump stations.

The treatment process at the McLoughlin Point plant includes 2 high-rate primary plate settlers, 3 Densadeg High-Rate settlers, 3 fine screens, 2 Moving Bed Biofilm Reactors (MBBR), 12 Biological Aerated Filters (BAF), 3 media cloth disc filters, and the ability for future UV expansion.

This project includes many features which allow for an aesthetic and environmentally sensitive expression at a scenic part of the region, while simultaneously providing critical infrastructure which incorporates protections for future climate and population changes.

This project provides wastewater treatment to the region for the first time and will enhance public health and protect the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The plant was designed with ultimate capacity incorporated and a perimeter wall to protect against potential tsunamis and projected sea level rise, creating a resilient, energy-efficient, and cost-effective asset for the community.

The McLoughlin Point WWTP was designed, constructed & commissioned on budget & schedule – a proud achievement given notable political & COVID-19 challenges. In fact, the team received Acceptance 3 days ahead of schedule. Another highlight was that the team innovated, showed agility & responsiveness addressing challenges & changes during construction. Note-worthy was project’s excellent safety record & not a single COVID-19 case registered. A 940 m long 1100 mm dia. harbour crossing required installation of a steel pipe through extremely hard & abrasive bedrock. Work & laydown areas were highly visible to the public, with the pipeline welded & staged through neighborhood streets. Exemplary community coordination minimized impacts to local residents & area businesses. The 1.92 km long 2225 mm dia. outfall posed key challenges, with a 120m long microtunneling drive & float & sink of the largest solid wall HDPE outfall in North America.

Promoting sustainability & energy efficiency was key in the selection of efficient equipment & a highly efficient process to minimize energy consumption – including effluent heat recovery, green roofing, EV charging stations, LED lighting, effluent water re-use & power monitoring. Given the proximity of residential homes to the treatment plant site, the plant was designed to strictly control odour emissions & operational noise. Advanced construction & commissioning techniques were also employed to reduce pollution & waste.

The McLoughlin Point WWTP is providing wastewater treatment for the first time to the Capital Regional District population, using state-of-the-art tertiary treatment processes, in a highly compact facility. Marine works included a horizontally directionally drilled forcemain across a busy commercial harbour and the largest solid walled HDPE outfall in North America. The facility provides a resilient and sustainable treatment solution that will protect the marine environment for decades to come.