The Lloydminster Wastewater Treatment Plant is located at 3520 67 Street. (Image Credit: BIRD Construction)

By Kenneth Cheung

Infrastructure

Lloydminster completes $80M wastewater plant under budget, protects regional water

Feb 12, 2026 | 2:59 PM

Lloydminster has closed out its new $80.3-million mechanical wastewater treatment facility, completing the federally mandated project under budget while strengthening environmental protections for regional water systems.

The project, approved at $81.5 million, finished roughly $1.2 million below budget, reducing the amount the city needs to borrow. Officials said the upgraded facility ensures compliance with wastewater treatment standards set by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

“Construction of the new facility is a significant social and environmental benefit, not only for current and future generations of Lloydminster, but also for downstream cities, towns, villages, and Indigenous communities that rely on the North Saskatchewan River for drinking water and recreation,” the city administration report said.

The Lloydminster Wastewater Treatment Plant is located at 3520 67 Street. (Image Credit: BIRD Constrcution)

The 395-acre facility has the capacity to treat up to 42,000 cubic metres of wastewater daily, with an average operating load of about 25,920 cubic metres per day, according to BIRD Construction, one of the companies involved in the project.

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The project was also among the first in North America to be completed using an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model, which shares financial risks and savings among design and construction partners.

“The adoption of this model significantly bolstered collaboration, fostered innovation, and streamlined Lean construction with waste reduction efforts,” BIRD stated.

Construction was substantially completed Nov. 13, 2023, allowing the city to meet a federal compliance deadline of Dec. 1, 2023. Warranty work and final deficiency corrections extended cost reconciliation into 2025, delaying the project’s formal closeout until 2026.

Operations director Terry Burton told council the project represents the final stage of a major infrastructure investment that began several years ago.

“So I’m here to give most likely the last update for the new mechanical wastewater treatment facility dealing with the project closeout,” Burton said during a council committee meeting.

“Over the past four plus years, I think we started this back in 2019 with just initiating the getting the team on board.”

Burton said the facility was required to ensure the city met federal regulatory requirements and confirmed the remaining savings represents the city’s portion and reduces borrowing needs.

Mayor Gerald Aalbers credited city staff, contractors and government partners for helping complete the project and emphasized its importance to the community’s infrastructure.

“It is a key, a very key part of our community, a key part of the infrastructure,” he said.

Aalbers said financial contributions from federal and provincial governments helped limit costs for local taxpayers.

“If we wouldn’t have had the Government of Saskatchewan come forward, Government of Alberta and the federal government contribute a portion, we would have been in a significantly different shape financially,” he said.

He also warned industrial users about the facility’s operational limits.

“I remind our industry, especially heavy oil, that our facility is not designed to process heavy oil,” Aalbers said.

“Please keep your heavy oil out of the waste stream, because if it ends up there, it’s going to be a very expensive proposition for either the city or those that we find out where the oil came from.”

The wastewater plant is located at 3520 67 Street in Lloydminster.

Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com