Historical Notes

[1970] [1971] [1972] [1973] [1974] [1975] [1976] [1977] [1978] [1979]
[1980] [1981] [1982] [1983] [1984] [1985] [1986] [1987] [1988] [1989]
[1990] [1991] [1995]

1970

On March 12, 1970, the Régie des eaux du Québec issued Ordinance 153 which compelled the Montréal Urban Community to carry out the necessary work for the treatment of wastewater from the northern, northeastern and southern sectors of the Island of Montréal.

On June 23, 1970, the Council of the Community adopted By-law 12 creating the Water Purification Department of the Community and adopted By-law 13 authorizing a loan of $2 million for expenditure relating to the treatment of water within the Community.

On July 29, 1970, the Council of the Community appointed Mr. Jean R. Marcotte Director of the Department, a position he held until his retirement on December 31, 1983.

1971

On June 21, 1971, the Régie des eaux du Québec approved the conclusions reached in the Water Purification Department's report (May 18, 1971) and the Community's decision to build a treatment plant in the Rivière-des-Prairies district as decreed by Ordinance 153.

On July 27, 1971, the Régie des eaux du Québec issued Ordinance 210 directing the Community to proceed with construction work related to the treatment of wastewater from the western and southwestern sectors of the Island of Montréal and Île-Bizard.

On August 24, 1971, the Council of the Community adopted By-law 27 authorizing a loan of $300 million for expenditure relating to the treatment of wastewater from Community territory.

1972

In April 1972, the Executive Committee of the Community authorized the creation of the Technical Plant Division which became responsible for preparing construction plans and specifications for treatment plant facilities.

In July 1972, the Executive Committee authorized the creation of the Interceptor Division, responsible for the conception of interception work, the preparation of plans and specifications relating to the work and the monitoring of construction.

1973

In 1973, the Department began preparing a master treatment plan and completed most of the preliminary studies which had been begun in 1972, on the interceptors and Treatment Plant. These studies were carried out jointly with the municipalities so that the Community's master drainage plan would be compatible with those of the municipalities concerned.

That same year, the Services de protection de l'environnement du Québec replaced the Régie des eaux.

On December 20, 1973, following a recommendation by the Community, the Services de protection de l'environnement issued Ordinance 37 which obliged the Community to discharge all the wastewater from its territory towards the Rivière-des-Prairies district where one single Treatment Plant would be built.

1974

On November 25, 1974, construction of the northern interceptor (Section 1.1) began. Hence, seven sections were constructed in a tunnel, between 1974 and 1981, totalling 41 kilometres. Construction of the last section of the northern interceptor was completed on September 25, 1981.

1975

In July 1975, the Executive Committee of the Community authorized the creation of the Survey and Inspection Division and mandated it with the development of a programme for managing wastewater discharged into the territory's sewage system and the preparation of draft by-laws to control industrial wastewater discharge and to regulate and standardize construction norms for public sewage. The Division was also responsible for the sampling and analyzing of water from the Rivière des Prairies and the Saint-Laurent Rivers.

1976

On April 26, 1976, construction of the Treatment Plant began with the excavation of the Pumping Station and the Powerhouse. Construction of these two installations was completed on June 5, 1984.

In December 1976, the Executive Committee authorized the creation of the Plant Construction Division.

1977

On April 18, 1977, construction of the Administration Pavilion and Workshops began. Work was completed on February 1, 1980.

On May 11, 1977, construction began, underneath the Saint-Laurent, of the western spur of the Treatment Plant outfall. The 4.4-kilometre tunnel was completed on November 6, 1980.

On October 27, 1977, the Government of Québec and the Community signed an agreement in principle covering the long-term funding for work on the initial phase of the territory's wastewater treatment for approximately $433 million. Between 1977 and 1983, four other agreements in principle signed by the Government of Québec and the Community relating to the funding of the work in progress brought the loan authorizations to $778 million.

1978

In 1978, studies were carried out on controlling storm discharge, automating the northern interceptor and the pumping station, optimizing their operations and on the possibility of adding a physico-chemical treatment to the primary treatment which would be carried out at the Treatment Plant. Draft studies were also carried out on sludge dehydration by filter presses and on the incineration or pyrolysis of dehydrated sludge.

In 1978, a sampling programme of the Community's urban outfall was undertaken. The Community began working on a draft amendment of the Community Act which would enable it to legislate in the area of industrial wastewater discharge. This latter project took over eight years and was amended various times before its adoption in 1986.

1979

In December 1979, construction of the Treatment Plant's administrative pavilion and workshops was completed, and Department staff moved into their new offices.

1980

In 1980, the Department began studies on physico-chemical treatment.

On April 14, 1980, construction of the Pretreatment Building and fourteen Grit Chambers began. All were completed on June 18, 1984.

1981

The following year, on February 26, 1981, the Executive Committee of the Community authorized the creation of the Interceptor and Plant Operating Division which, in collaboration with Environment Canada, was responsible for overseeing the operation of the pilot plant set up to study the physico-chemical treatment of wastewater.

On May 6, 1981, construction work began on the first fourteen Clarifiers. They were completed on April 15, 1988.

1982

In 1982, the studies on the physico-chemical treatment of wastewater in the pilot plant helped assess and select the types of chemical products which could be used to ensure the efficient treatment of wastewater and the adequate conditioning of sludge. In addition, they helped determine the criteria for setting up the facilities.

1983

On April 18, 1983, construction of the Sludge Treatment Building was begun. Work was completed on September 15, 1988.

On September 21, 1983, the Council of the Community adopted By-law 64 replacing By-laws 27 and 27-1 to 27-7 and brought the total loan authorizations for expenditure and real estate relating to the treatment of wastewater within the Montréal Urban Community to $828 million. Three new agreements in principle between the Government of Québec and the Community in 1983, 1989 and 1993 brought the total for the authorized work to $1.450 billion.

1984

On January 12, 1984, the Executive Committee of the Community appointed Mr. Gérald Perreault Interim Director of the Water Purification Department. On August 15, 1984, Mr. Perreault was appointed permanently to the position by the Council of the Community.

June 18, 1984 represented a major milestone, since the northern interceptor, which halted the discharge of wastewater into the Rivière des Prairies River, went into operation, as did the pumping station, the pretreatment facilities (self-cleaning screens and grit chambers) for wastewater from the northern interceptor and the western spur of the Treatment Plant outfall into the seaway.

On October 2, 1984, construction of the Disinfection Building was begun. It was completed on November 15, 1989.

On October 29, 1984, construction of the southeastern interceptor (Section 6.2) began. Between 1984 and 1990, six sections were completed in a 30.5-kilometre tunnel. Construction of the last section was completed on December 18, 1990.

1985

In 1985, new hook-up pipes between Île-Bizard and the northern interceptor enabled wastewater from this municipality to be intercepted.

On January 7, 1985, construction of the southwestern interceptor (Section 4.2) began. Three sections of a 18-kilometre tunnel were built. Construction of the last section was completed on August 12, 1988.

On June 19, 1985, the Council of the Community adopted By-law 81 creating the Environment Department which was comprised of the Water Purification Department and the Air Purification and Food Inspection Department. On the following August 21, Mr. Gérald Perreault was appointed Director of the new Department.

1986

In 1986, a pilot-plant, simulating the physico-chemical treatment, was set up in the Plant itself to assess the polymers which would eventually be used to remove phosphates from wastewater and for conditioning sludge before its incineration.

1987

On November 2, 1987, the Wastewater Treatment Plant was officially inaugurated and began the physico-chemical treatment of wastewater from the northern interceptor and the dehydration of sludge.

1988

On June 14, 1988, the southwestern interceptor, which was hooked-up to the northern interceptor, went into operation and halted the discharge of wastewater into Lac Saint-Louis. In 1988, the first section of the southeastern interceptor serving the Pointe-aux-Trembles district also went into operation and sludge incineration began.

On July 18, 1988, construction of the eastern spur of the Treatment Plant outfall into the Saint-Laurent began. The 4.4- kilometre tunnel was completed on August 9, 1991.

1989

In 1989, an agreement was reached with the ministère de l'Environnement du Québec for the addition of seven sedimentation basins instead of the fourteen which were planned for the treatment of wastewater from the southeastern interceptor, thereby providing service to all parts of the territory.

1990

On February 22, 1990, the Executive Committee of the Community retained the services of Mr. Bernard Boire, then an external consultant for the firm of Raymond, Chabot, Martin, Paré to assume the interim management of the Treatment Plant for a period of one year, following the retirement of the Director of the Environment Department.

In 1990, following an internal reorganization, the Environment Department was comprised of three main divisions: the Wastewater Treatment Plant, Air and Water Purification and Food Inspection.

On August 30, 1990, the Executive Committee of the Community adopted a new organizational structure for the Treatment Plant which, regrouped the existing sections (Administration, Data Processing and Process Engineering) and emphasized the importance of Operations, Maintenance, Engineering and Construction.

On October 9, 1990, construction of the seven additional Clarifiers began. They were completed on June 9, 1994.

On December 20, 1990, the Executive Committee of the Community appointed Mr. Réjean Levesque Director of the Wastewater Treatment Plant as of February 18, 1991.

From 1990 to 1995, the southeast interceptor went into operation progressively. In addition, the eastern spur from the Treatment Plant outfall into the seaway and the additional storage reservoirs for ferric chloride also went into operation.

Finally, additional dehydration equipment (filter presses and rotating presses) required for the treatment of sludge and scum from wastewater from the southern sector and the facilities for the physico-chemical treatment wastewater from the southeast interceptor went into operation.

1991

In 1991, the Treatment Plant welcomed its 25 thousandth visitor to its facilities.

1995

In 1995, construction began on two stabilization units which will dry dehydrated sludge to a dryness of 92% so it can be recycled for energy or agricultural purposes.

On March 22, 1995, the Treatment Plant was awarded the Lucien L'Allier award by the Association québecoise des techniques de l'environnement (AQTE) for its efforts in maximizing its wastewater treatment.

Since August 23, 1995, the Treatment Plant has intercepted and treated in dry times all of the wastewater from the Montréal Urban Community. To date, this major wastewater treatment project has required an investment of 1.35 billion$, 54% (727 million$) of which was invested in the construction of the Wastewater Treatment Plant and 46% (623 million$) in the construction of the interceptor network. The final cost of the work which should be completed in November 1996 will be 1.378 billion$.

Pursuant to the agreement between the Government of Québec and the Montréal Urban Community, the Government of Québec is committed to reimbursing
66 2/3 % of the cost of the interceptors and 90% of the cost of the Plant. The balance of the cost is assumed by the Community.