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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Another disastrously over budget District water and sewer project. The “budget” balloons along with the cost as they “smugly waste taxpayer money.” Instead of attempting to keep the cost on budget.
Estimated $29 million in 2006 would be $43.6 million in 2025 after inflation. So “only” 2.3X!! over budget. Baysville was 4X.
“However, according to district calculations it will cost approximately $29 million to decommission the plant. That cost includes expanding the Golden Pheasant treatment facility to accommodate the flow from the Mountview plant, the creation of piping such as a force main, and the need to update the existing pumping station to pump the sewage to the Golden Pheasant plant.District commissioner of engineering and public works Tony White said he does not think the project is feasible without a grant from senior government and added that operation costs would increase if the sewage flow was directed to the Golden Pheasant facility.“
Then it was $35 million, then $65 million now $100 million.
Search “Tight senior government purse strings halt closure of Mountview”
“Fred Jahn, District Commissioner of Engineering and Public Works, stated, “At this time, we continue to seek Provincial and Federal funding to assist with the project cost of $65M.”
“A $65-million plan to decommission Mountview, turn it into a pumping station and expand the Golden Pheasant plant off Highway 60 to serve all of Huntsville was scheduled to start in 2016.
But the district needed to solicit two-thirds of the funds from senior government to make it happen.”
Expected funding from the province and the feds never came.
The CFO said at the time said “I don’t know where” they will get the money if the Province and Feds don’t cough it up.
Taxpayers know.
“The district can’t afford to go ahead with the (project) in the current format without senior government funding,” Stevens later told the Huntsville Forester. “The current tax based can’t bear the cost. If we were to do it all ourselves without senior government money, the water and sewer rates would be just way too high.”
They went ahead anyway of course.
Water and sewer rates are already way too high. $2,400+/year and climbing is typical including the costs only shown/hidden on our property taxes.
So high it’s possible to save $1,000/year with extreme water conservation/substitution. Search “Oppose Bracebridge Sewers” for money saving tips and a picture of the giant “smugly wasting taxpayer money” lawn sign a resident put up to protest.
What’s another $100 million blown on sewers? Cost is no object to the District.
Rapidly approaching a BILLION dollars blown on water and sewer projects for only 12,000 or so connections.
We were told this was a $35 million project. Going way over budget is typical.
4X in Baysville.
Highest costs in Ontario as a result of “smugly wasting taxpayer dollars.”
There is no affordable housing in town due to the exorbitant cost of the District’s water and sewer.
$200+/month or $2,400+/year is typical. And rising.
$100+/month even if you are away and have zero usage.
Including the costs shown/hidden on our property taxes.
After spending $45K to hook up to the District’s old, leaky, unreliable systems.
Costs are so high it’s possible to save $1,000/yr with extreme water conservation/substitution.
Search “Oppose Bracebridge Sewers” for money saving tips.
This work has been talked about for so long I cannot remember when it was started.
I was under the impression that when the Golden Pheasant plant was built that all the necessary piping under highway 60 was installed at that time and we were told that the Mountview plant would be closing “soon”.
I guess not.
So now we get to see highway 60, ripped apart in the nest while??? this will be fantastic. Consider that highway 60 for most of it’s way from Roger’s cove to the sewage plant was originally a swamp, the digging should be amusing.
Planning at it’s utmost best I guess.