Two contracts were awarded in relation to an estimated $100 million wastewater treatment project in Huntsville at a special Engineering and Public Works Committee meeting held on Aug. 21, 2025.
The project involves the decommissioning of the aging Mountview Wastewater Treatment Plant and building a sewage pumping station on that site to deliver flows to the Golden Pheasant Plant, where all wastewater treatment for the Town of Huntsville will be consolidated. Significant upgrades to the Golden Pheasant Plant and infrastructure are also in the works as part of the project.
The first tender awarded went to Avertex Utility Solutions Inc. for Phase 2A of the Mountview forcemain pipe for up to $3,083,533 (excluding HST).
According to the District report from staff, the design of the forcemain focused on meeting anticipated flow volumes beyond the year 2036, and ensures sufficient capacity to accommodate future growth within the Huntsville urban service area. The forcemain pipe is required to deliver flows from the former Mountview site to the Golden Pheasent plant. Due to the length and complexity of the installation, this portion of the infrastructure has been separated into three different contracts. They are outlined below:
Phase 1 – Mountview SPS to Scott Street/Meadow Park Drive Intersection.Phase 2A – Scott Street/Meadow Park Drive Intersection to Rogers Cove Drive
(dead end) at Highway 60.Phase 2B – Rogers Cove Drive (dead end) at Highway 60 to Golden Pheasant Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The second recommendation approved by the committee was to award a contract for water and road improvements on Scott Street to 2618018 Ontario Inc., operating as D Rock Paving (D Rock), up to the
amount of $468,600 (excluding HST). That sum is about $70,000 more than budgeted, which also requires a slight amendment to the budget. The cost of this phase will be shared with the Town of Huntsville, which will pitch in $232,258.92.
Project scope
The District “owns the water infrastructure beneath this road. A portion of the existing watermain has been identified to have reached the end of its service life and is in need of replacement. The existing watermain infrastructure consists of a 150 mm diameter cast iron pipe installed in the 1960s, which currently supplies water to several commercial properties, including Shoppers Drug Mart and the Petro Canada/Tim Hortons plaza. In addition to serving these businesses, this section of watermain functions as a critical loop within the distribution network, supporting continuous water supply to the Meadow Park
residential community,” states a report by District staff.
“The age of the pipe and its material composition, along with a history of multiple repairs carried out by District operations in recent years, and the ongoing initiative of the District to upgrade key infrastructure to support future housing and community growth, all support the replacement of this section of watermain. The proposed watermain installation consists of a 118-metre-long, 150 mm diameter polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe segment and new service laterals to property line. This new section of pipe will connect to the water infrastructure installed as part of the 2020 King William Street Reconstruction Project and will transition into the scope of work identified under the Mountview Forcemain Phase 2A Project (at the intersection of Scott Street and Meadow Park Drive)… As part of the broader scope of this project, Huntsville will undertake road improvements to urbanize Scott Street. These enhancements will include the installation of new sidewalks to provide pedestrian connectivity between King William Street and the Meadow Park residential community, the addition of curb and gutter infrastructure to improve stormwater management, and the placement of a new asphalt surface to enhance the overall roadway condition and accessibility.”
The wastewater treatment project—including construction of a pumping station, forcemain installation, plant upgrades, and rerouting—is expected to be completed by fall 2026, with full operations at the Golden Pheasant WWTP in place. However, the decommissioning of the Mountview plant might extend into March 2027.
District Commissioner of Engineering and Public Works, James Steele, told committee staff are looking at ways of expediting the project. He also said, “At this point, we’re still tracking within the budget… which is around the $100 million mark.”
“Boy, that’s a lot of money. Isn’t it? Wow,” commented committee chair Councillor Heidi Lorenz. The committee voted unanimously in favour of the tenders.
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