French Creek Pollution Control Centre: Expansion and Odour Control Upgrades

On March 17, 2025, construction of a new highway access will begin in the work zone, as shown in the image, and is expected to take approximately one month. Slow-moving trucks will be entering and exiting the highway. Pedestrians and cyclists may experience minor delays.

For your safety, do not enter work areas. Access to the construction site is prohibited unless authorized by the site supervisor. Please exercise caution when travelling near the work zone, respect signage and follow directions from the site crew.

We appreciate your patience while work is underway.

Clearing of trees and stump removal will be done between February 24 and March 14, 2025, in the areas shown on the map. This work is part of the French Creek Pollution Control Centre Stage IV Expansion and Odour Control Upgrade. All work is being performed in accordance with applicable environmental regulations and the Construction Environmental Management Plan for the project.

For your safety, please obey signage and directions from the site crew. Do not enter any work areas. Access is not allowed unless authorized by the site supervisor.

Office hours are offered, by appointment, for interested residents with questions about project implementation, the budget or tax implications. Staff are available to meet with you, in person or by phone, for a one-on-one conversation.

Please contact our reception at 250-954-3792 or rcu@rdn.bc.ca to book a 20-minute appointment on one of the following dates:

• January 13, 2025, morning
• January 20, 2025, morning
• January 22, 2025, afternoon
• February 3, 2025, morning

More dates may be available if needed.

The RDN Board has approved an overall project budget of $143.7M and awarded the detailed design and construction of the project to AECOM (Engineer) and the Chandos Bird Joint Venture (General Contractor). The project team is currently working through the stages of detailed design and procurement. Construction is scheduled to start in Spring 2025 and end in 2027. The project includes several odour control upgrades that will be operational by Spring 2027. Check out the Detailed Project Update for more information.

We are pleased to announce that $25,496,859 in funding has been committed for this project. Through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s Green Infrastructure - Environmental Quality funding stream, the Government of Canada is investing $10,198,744, the Province of British Columbia is investing $8,498,103 and the RDN is contributing $6,800,012 as matched funds for the grant. Check out the News Release for more information.

Value Engineering Studies

The follow-up studies from the Value Engineering Study are complete. The project is moving forward with the option to decommission and repurpose the Trickling Filter system.

Project Delivery

The project will be completed using a modern, collaborative project delivery method called Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). The IPD method is used throughout North America for complex infrastructure and institutional projects. In this model, the project owner (RDN), engineer and contractor work together through the design and construction, with each party sharing in the risk and reward of the project. IPD has proven to successfully deliver projects on-time, on-budget and without disputes.

The first step in IPD, called Validation, will perform enough of the design to determine the project cost to a high degree of certainty. Detailed design follows Validation with an eye to generate information to allow the contractor to begin construction before design is complete.

The odour control system for the existing Dewatering Building will be fast-tracked and will be done ahead of the main project.

Timeline Update

Main Project

• Follow-Up Studies – Spring 2022 to Spring 2023 (Complete)
• Validation – Summer 2023 to Fall 2023
• Detailed Design – Fall 2023 to Spring 2024
• Construction – Summer 2024 to 2027

Dewatering Odour Control

• Supplier Selection – Spring 2023
• Odour Control System Fabrication – Summer 2023 to Spring 2024
• Construction – Summer 2024

The RDN applied to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program for additional grant funding to support this project. If successful, we would receive an infrastructure grant of $12.7 to $18.7 million in Federal and Provincial funding (in addition to the $733,312 announced recently).

A decision on this funding program is expected in Spring 2023.

The RDN is pleased to announce $733,312 in approved grant funding for the FCPCC Expansion and Odour Control Upgrade Project. The funding is through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program – CleanBC Communities Fund Program by the Government of Canada and Province of British Columbia. The grant will be used to fund two sustainable design features of the new process building: solar panels and heat recovery.

See the recent News Release for more information.

The RDN recently completed a Value Engineering Study to look at ways to:

• improve the project design
• provide maximum value to the community.

Based on the results, the RDN Board approved further study on two design alternatives:

1. Abandon the existing trickling filter because of its high risk for odours. Use a treatment system that produces less odours, like the one at the upgraded Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre.
2. Use the Qualicum Interceptor to balance flows coming into the plant. The Qualicum Interceptor currently collects all wastewater from the north of the plant.

Follow-up studies on alternatives 1 and 2 will proceed next.

On June 22, 2021, the RDN Board reviewed a revised project cost estimate of $62.3 million that considered the cost escalation seen through the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, the RDN Board approved a phased approach to the project.

• In Fall 2021 the RDN will conduct a value engineering study of the expansion component of the project. The results of the value engineering exercise will be presented to the Board for further discussion in Spring 2022.

In addition, the Province provided notification that the RDN was not successful in its $7.3 million grant application for odour control upgrades and ageing infrastructure renewals. A decision is pending on the RDN’s $730,000 grant application for solar energy and heat recovery installations on the expansion project, to lower greenhouse gas emissions