Saint John Drinking Water Treatment Plant
The Saint John Drinking Water Treatment Plant is a landmark infrastructure project that modernizes the city's drinking water system and ensures the long-term delivery of safe, high-quality water to approximately 70,000 residents and businesses. As the cornerstone of the Safe Clean Drinking Water Project (SCDWP), the project enhances water quality, improves system reliability, and supports the sustainable growth of New Brunswick's largest city.
ACCIONA, as part of Port City Water Partners (PCWP), delivered the project through a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (DBFOM) public-private partnership. The project includes the design, construction, financing, rehabilitation, operation, and long-term maintenance of a new 75 ML/day drinking water treatment plant, treated water storage reservoirs, upgrades to pumping stations, and extensive improvements to the municipal water transmission network.
Construction required the seamless integration of new treatment facilities with Saint John's existing water infrastructure while maintaining uninterrupted service to customers throughout the project. Significant upgrades to water transmission mains, pumping stations, and storage facilities improved system resilience and created a more efficient and reliable drinking water network.
The Saint John Drinking Water Treatment Plant combines advanced treatment technologies with resilient transmission, pumping, and storage infrastructure to provide cleaner, safer drinking water while improving operational efficiency and reducing long-term maintenance costs. By integrating new facilities with the rehabilitation of existing municipal assets, the project strengthens system reliability, supports future population and economic growth, and ensures a sustainable, high-quality drinking water supply for the City of Saint John for decades to come.
GENERAL PROJECT INFORMATION
- Client: City of Saint John
- Location: Saint John, New Brunswick
- Contract Type: Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (DBFOM)
- Contract Value: $217 million
- Project Team: Port City Water Partners (PCWP) – ACCIONA, Brookfield Financial, and North American Construction Group (NAC)
- Project Status: Completed in 2019 - O&M Ongoing
PROJECT SCOPE
- Design and construction of a 75 ML/day drinking water treatment plant
- Construction of three 11 ML treated water storage reservoirs (33 ML total)
- Replacement of approximately 22.4 km of water transmission pipelines
- Rehabilitation of approximately 19.3 km of existing water mains
- Upgrades to pumping stations and municipal water storage infrastructure
- Long-term operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, and financing of the drinking water system
INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY
The project combines advanced drinking water treatment processes with resilient transmission and storage infrastructure to improve water quality, operational performance, and long-term system reliability. Modern treatment technology, upgraded pumping facilities, and expanded storage capacity enable the City of Saint John to meet future demand while reducing lifecycle operating and maintenance costs.
The integration of new infrastructure with the rehabilitation of existing assets minimizes environmental impacts, extends the life of the municipal water system, and provides a sustainable solution that supports future community growth and climate resilience.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
- Project of the Year – Atlantic Canada Water & Wastewater Association (ACWWA) s
- Silver Award – Project Development – Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP) National Awards for Innovation and Excellence (2017)