City of Red Deer Nutrient Master Plan & Management Facility

The City of Red Deer’s wastewater treatment plant was looking for a way to reduce phosphorous loading during the liquid treatment process and recover nutrients from biosolids for conversion into environmentally friendly fertilizer. As the prime engineering consultant, our team worked to make that happen.

Through a master plan we had previously completed, paired with a current feasibility study, our team discovered facility improvements that would not strengthen the City’s ability to recover nutrients from its biosolids, but also protect the infrastructure and provide capital savings for future upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant. Through the master planning process, our team determined that, with population projections through to 2041, it would be beneficial for the City to continue the use of their existing sludge lagoons, consider four different primary biosolids utilization options with backups, and initiate a phosphorus recovery system.

What’s next? Our team is currently in the detailed design phase of the new Nutrient Management Facility, which involves the decommissioning of the wastewater treatment plant’s original bioreactor and the conversion of the structure to support a phosphorus recovery and storage system. Upon completion, the City will be able to provide a secure, long lasting wastewater treatment solution to the community and Central Alberta.