Iqaluit (Dec 15/03) - The city of Iqaluit has plans to spend more money to get the new sewage treatment plant up and running.

Council has put out a request for proposals for an engineering firm to redesign the plant.

So far the city has spent close to $7 million dollars to build the plant, which has never been operational.

It plans to spend another $5.5 million to finish the work, which was never completed. The problem with the plant was that it used an unsuitable process for sewage treatment.

Brad Sokach, director of engineering, said if the plant was running as is it would cost about $1 million a year, which is too expensive.

This time the city is taking every precaution when it draws up the second contract.

Coun. Glenn Williams said when the city awards the contract, there will be penalties for the company if the work isn't completed properly or on time.

"I don't want to get taken twice on this," said Williams. "I just don't want to give them the money and then they walk away."

Proper insurance

Sokach said they will look at having the proper insurance and bonding to make sure the work is completed.

He added finishing the treatment plant is the cheapest option the city has to deal with sewage.

"We have to learn from the past and move forward on this project," he said.

Coun. Stu Kennedy pointed out that he would like to see the city try to find the engineers who designed the plant in the first place and try to get some money back.

The company that was hired to construct the sewage plant was Hill Murray.

Sokach said the city has tried looking for the company but haven't been able to locate them.

"I don't really know what happened to the company. They split up and disappeared," he said.

The city is hoping to have the plant completed and running by 2005/2006.

"It's ambitious but we don't want to rush this project," Sokach said.