To plan for the community’s future growth and prosperity and in response to regulatory standards, the Town of Taber set out to construct a new Wastewater Treatment Plant which was previously treated through aerated lagoons.

Good for the Municipality

As part of Taber’s competitive bidding process, EPCOR was awarded the contract for the Wastewater Treatment Plant. In consultation with the community, a 20 year Design Build Finance and Operate (DBFO) model was developed. EPCOR worked through its highly customized process to integrate the municipality’s priorities, key drivers and specific technical requirements into a single practical, user-based solution. The DBFO model presented key benefits to the municipality including:

• Capital cost certainty was provided through fixed construction costs and project schedule guarantees which specified that EPCOR would bear the cost of any overruns.
• Taber continued to own all its infrastructure and set rates for its community’s wastewater service.
• The Town controlled EPCOR’s service delivery through a performance-based contract outlining clear metrics and financial penalties for non-compliance.
• Taber was able to maximize risk transfer associated with construction, financing, operations and environmental compliance to EPCOR.
• By working with EPCOR as a single point of contact throughout all phases of the project, there were fewer delays and more seamless communication which resulted in schedule and cost savings.

Delivering an Innovative Solution

The design and build for Taber’s Wastewater Treatment Plant included a Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) system and ultraviolet disinfection which met both the Town's growth requirements and Alberta Environment’s effluent quality standards. EPCOR was able to provide an innovative and cost-effective solution that utilized existing infrastructure by retrofitting a decommissioned Rotating Biological Contractor (RBC). A flexible design with a minimal footprint was also put into place to allow for future plant expansion and upgrades.

Cost Savings

By incorporating design, build, finance and operations under a single entity, EPCOR was able to help the municipality save money. In fact, compared to the original traditional bid estimate, through this model and approach, EPCOR saved Taber 44% in costs.