A decade in the making, Calgary’s Inglewood Sanitary Trunk project is completed

A sanitary project in southeast Calgary 10 years in the making has finally been completed, ensuring reliable wastewater for the community, according to the city.

The Inglewood Sanitary Trunk project is now fully operational, and will serve neighbourhoods in the north and inner city through to 2076, it adds.

“This is a major milestone for Calgary’s wastewater infrastructure,” said Melanie Gray, senior project engineer. “Our team has focused on building a system that could meet the demands of a growing population, while minimizing impacts to the environment and surrounding communities. I’m incredibly proud to see this project through to completion.”

The project was completed in two phases.

Phase one was finished in November 2020 and involved 3.5 km of micro-tunneling and 250 metres of open cut work to build a new sanitary trunk line, which will carry wastewater from the Inner City Trunk in North Inglewood to the Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Phase two was 660 metres of micro-tunneling beneath the Bow River to create two, 500 metre tunnels connecting three existing sanitary trunks on the north and south sides of the river.

The city says this phase also involved the construction of a 90 metre tunnel to connect phase one and phase two, as well as 20 metres of open cut work on the north side of the river.

This phase was crucial in completing the system loop and enabling the full functionality of the new sanitary tank, according to the city.

Both phases of work required a total of six tie-ins to existing sanitary lines and moving power, water, sanitary, and storm lines as well as four private land agreements to successfully complete the 10-year project.

The city explains the two phases expand wastewater capacity for a growing population, improve environmental protection by reducing the risk of overflows, and increase system resilience and support long-term growth in north Calgary.

“We know projects like this can be disruptive, and we deeply appreciate the community’s cooperation over the past decade,” said Gray. “The end result is a safer, more reliable system that will benefit all Calgarians.”