ʼNa̱mǥis Wastewater Treatment Plant

Project Highlights

The ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation is located next to the Village of Alert Bay on Cormorant Island, approximately 10 km east of Port McNeil on Vancouver Island.  The ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation reserve is serviced with a sanitary sewer collection system maintained and operated by the First Nation.  Until 2001, the Village of Alert Bay had 79 piped outfalls that discharged raw sewage directly into Alert Bay.  During 2001, Kerr Wood Leidal (KWL) designed, constructed and commissioned a new sewage collection system to intercept sewage from these outfalls and pump the flows into the existing ʼNa̱mǥis sewerage collection system and to the ʼNa̱mǥis outfall.

Secondary Wastewater Treatment Required

To comply with new regulations and to mitigate existing health, safety and environmental concerns, a secondary wastewater treatment plant was required to treat the raw sewage discharged to the ocean.  The Village of Alert Bay and the ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation signed a cost-sharing agreement to finance the design, construction and operation of the plant.  KWL was retained as the lead engineering consultant to complete the detailed design and oversee the construction of the project.

New Wastewater Facilities

The project includes:

• wastewater treatment plant
• new marine outfall
• control building
• access road
• watermain
• sanitary sewer, and
• associated site works.

Environmental and Public Health Improvements

This $6 million project is designed to service the island’s needs until at least 2023.  Since commissioning, the new wastewater facilities have been providing the Village of Alert Bay and ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation with a cleaner environment and improved public health conditions.