Regina residents can watch construction of sewage treatment plant

People in Regina who want continual updates on the sewage treatment plant can now go online for the latest.

The City of Regina and the main contractor showed off progress this morning on the controversial upgrade — and launched a new "sewer-cam".

Regina Mayor Michael Fougere said considerable progress has been made in the design and construction of the wastewater treatment plant, which is being built by Epcor Water Services Inc.

​The city said the excavation process is nearly complete. The dirt being dug out would fill 124 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

A tower crane to construct concrete basins is expected to be up by next month.

Last year, the proposed sewage plant upgrade was at the centre of stormy public debate when the city opted to have the private sector build and operate the facility — a so-called public-private partnership, or P3. A referendum was held and voters endorsed the P3 approach.

Construction of the upgrade is pegged at $181 million, with the federal government paying $48 million of that. 

The project is expected to be running by December 2016.

A webcam has been installed for residents to watch the project's progress. 
The on-site camera refreshes every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST, Monday to Friday.

• Watch webcam updates here. 

On Thursday morning, a handful of workers and construction equipment were visible. At its peak, there will be 150 workers on the site.