Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Regional Municipality of Durham has selected AECOM to complete significant engineering upgrades to the Port Darlington Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP), which serves approximately 50,000 residents in Bowmanville. The four-year contract aims to enhance the plant’s performance and reliability while prioritizing environmental sustainability and reducing energy waste.
“Having managed some of the world’s most ambitious water and wastewater infrastructure programs, we look forward to providing unrivaled services that will ensure reliable wastewater treatment for Bowmanville residents,” said Beverley Stinson, CEO of AECOM, highlighting the company’s sustainable legacy strategy.
The upgrade project will include two main components. First, the existing Waste Gas Burner (WGB), nearing the end of its service life, will be replaced with a modern enclosed flame WGB.
Phase two will include enhancements to Plant 1’s liquid treatment systems and updates to the SCADA system, along with essential cleanup work throughout the plant. Key tasks will feature improvements to the primary and secondary clarifier mechanisms, upgrades to the aeration system, and comprehensive SCADA and PLC programming to ensure full integration.
“Strengthening the resilience of the town’s wastewater infrastructure is critical to meeting the demands that growing communities place on water and wastewater systems,” said Richard Barrett, CEO of AECOM’s Canada region.
As the project unfolds, it promises to enhance both the operational efficiency of the Port Darlington WPCP and the environmental health of the surrounding area, benefitting the entire Durham region.

