Yukon says Dawson wastewater plant expensive, needs replacing after seven years
The system struggled to meet requirements of its water licence and costs about $950,000 a year to operate
DAWSON CITY, Yukon—Just seven years after it was completed, planners want to replace a wastewater treatment plant in Dawson City, Yukon.
The Yukon government says the project has been a “costly endeavour” but the life cycle of the treatment plant has been severely limited by rising costs and performance issues, so it supports the city in planning for a new plant to be operational by 2026.
The territory says the system struggled to meet requirements of its water licence and costs about $950,000 a year to operate, higher than any other Yukon community including Whitehorse.
The government says in a news release the treatment plant is now marginally capable of meeting effluent discharge standards under normal operation conditions.
Community Services Minister John Streicker says the plant never operated the way it was intended and as Dawson grows, maintaining it will become more difficult.
Corix Water Systems Inc., the company contracted to build the plant, operated it until 2017 when operations and maintenance were taken over by the territory.
