Published: April 27th, 2026
McElhanney is pleased to share that the Town of Sundre’s Wastewater Treatment Upgrade has received a Project Achievement Award at the 2026 APEGA Summit Awards Gala.
Presented by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), the Project Achievement Award recognizes projects that advance new technologies, processes, or innovations to improve society. This initiative focused on increasing wastewater treatment capacity and achieving regulatory compliance, supporting more reliable and sustainable service for the community while addressing the evolving environmental requirements facing small municipalities.
Delivered in collaboration with the Town of Sundre and project partners, McElhanney provided regulatory, technical, and client support throughout the planning and delivery of an innovative pilot project. Given the project’s use of a novel municipal wastewater treatment approach, close coordination among Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEPA), the Town of Sundre, the technology vendor, and engineering partners was essential to align regulatory expectations, define pilot requirements, and demonstrate treatment effectiveness for environmental discharge. Successful completion of the pilot represented a key step toward informing future treatment decisions.
APEGA also recognized the project’s delivery and engagement model, which pairs construction with five years of vendor-supported operations and training. This approach helps build local operator capability while strengthening confidence in regulatory compliance, environmental performance, and long-term system reliability for the Town and community. It also offers the Province of Alberta and other municipalities a valuable case study for responsibly advancing innovative infrastructure solutions while managing risk.
Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients, and thank you to the clients, partners, staff, and subconsultants who contributed to this project. We’re grateful to collaborate with those advancing infrastructure that supports the communities we call home!
Read more about this year’s APEGA Summit winners at https://www.apega.ca/summit-awards/recipients.