Letter of the day: Moncton water treatment - the rest of the story
Published Monday November 23rd, 2009
To The Editor:
Your story in the Nov. 16 edition was interesting but rather incomplete when you consider the effort that was required to make the water treatment plant a reality.
From 1993 to 1998, then Mayor Leopold Belliveau had the vision and determination to push forward with the steps required to make the Moncton Water Treatment Plant a reality.
In l992 his council authorized a preliminary engineering study to detail the complete requirements for a plant. The study was completed in 1993 and Mayor Belliveau immediately attempted to obtain federal and provincial assistance for the $23,000,000 project. He was able to obtain the written agreement from the mayors of Dieppe and Riverview to apply for grants under the infrastructure program at that time. Due to the high cost of the plant, this proved unsuccessful.
Mayor Belliveau and his council then moved forward with a plan to have the plant built under a public-private partnership by following a careful process to protect the public and the city.
In 1995 a Request for Qualification was sent to firms qualified to design, build and operate a plant. In early l996 three firms were selected to submit a formal proposal.
In the summer of 1996 a formal Request for Proposal was provided to the firms and two firms submitted a very detailed proposal in December 1996. These proposals included complete engineering plans for a state of the art facility, financing for the project, a plan to operate the plant for 20 years and then turn it over to the city for one dollar.
A very rigid process was then put in place to evaluate the proposal, including senior city staff members, Price-Waterhouse and independent engineers. In the spring of 1997 one firm was chosen and negotiations to finalize a formal contract were carried out. In the spring of 1998 Wheelabrator (now Veolia Canada Inc.) was awarded the contract.
In June of 1998 Mayor Belliveau, towards the end of his term of office, turned the sod for the new facility with some council members, senior city staff and representatives of the Wheelabrator team present.
In recognition of his contribution and dedication to make this plant a reality, perhaps the City of Moncton Council should consider naming the plant The Leopold F. Belliveau Water Treatment Facility.
Boyd Touchie, P. Eng.,
Moncton
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The surrounding communities have a water system that provides one of the best in North America if not the best!! For this we have to be very thankful.
It is too bad engineering couldn't 'recapture' the water that spills over the dam via a pumping station instead of just letting it run into the Lake to be totally contaminated!!