How do your responsibilities align with the company’s objectives (5-year plan)?
For the water sector, our strategic plan has two main sets of initiatives. The first set aligns with our vision for the municipal water market, which is our core business. The second set is predominantly aligned with CIMA+’s objectives, where we aim to support the company’s positioning in the Mining and Metals, Digital Solutions, Environment, and other strategic markets. In addition, our Water Group contributes to the company’s objectives in areas such as Green Engineering, EDI, ESG, and more.
Are there common difficulties or hurdles you encounter in performing your responsibilities?
We face a paradoxical situation: a severe shortage of resources in a market characterized by price competition. Many water facilities in Quebec are old and obsolete, but budget restrictions and political hurdles in the municipal market create unfavourable conditions for engineering consulting services. Nevertheless, our group is growing and becoming more prominent in the market.
How does your work impact the infrastructure sector?
In Quebec, the Water Group operates with a collaborative cross-sector mindset, where resources from other sectors provide complementary services to the water treatment process. Although our group represents only 20% of the total Infrastructure sector’s business in terms of staff or annual revenue, we have been expanding our business over the past five to six years, contributing to achieve the objectives of both the Infrastructure sector and CIMA+.
What changes would you like to see happen in the next three to five years?
With AI and other digital solutions on the one hand, and resource scarcity combined with aging infrastructure on the other, we expect cities and municipalities to simultaneously invest in operational efficiency and water facility upgrades. This will likely increase demand for engineering consulting services, and we hope our strategy will position us as a leading firm in the water market to meet this demand.
Can you tell us about the Atwater project?
The Atwater hydraulic balance chamber is a critical component that will enable the City of Montreal to safely operate its ozonation facility at the Atwater Water Treatment Plant, which is the oldest and the most important water treatment plant in the metropolis. This infrastructure will facilitate the smooth transfer of a substantial flow of 17.4 m³/s through the treatment facility. Currently, the ozonation chamber is out of service due to a hydraulic imbalance in the raw water pumps, resulting in a high positive pressure and an unacceptable risk of toxic gas leakage.
To address this issue, we built a reduced-scale physical model and developed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to demonstrate the hydraulic efficiency of the solution we presented to the client, which was to build a balance chamber between the raw water pumps and the ozonation chamber.
What are the key features or innovations of the Cartier Sanitary Reservoir project in Laval and their role in improving the resilience or efficiency of the city’s infrastructure?
The main objective of this construction project is to limit combined sewer overflows into the Des Prairies River. Currently, the average number of overflow events at the Cartier intercepting chamber is more than 15 times per year, totalling hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of wastewater discharged into the river. After construction, these overflow events will be reduced to a fraction, allowing the city to meet discharge criteria which are limited to three episodes per year. With a maximum capacity of 15,000 m3, this will be the first reservoir of its kind and magnitude to be built in Laval. The Des Prairies River is a sensitive natural environment. Therefore, this project is a remarkable step forward in terms of protecting natural water bodies in Laval.
Are there any other major infrastructure projects in the pipeline that you can share with us, and how do they contribute to your vision for the future?
Yes. In Quebec, a sizable portion of the municipal wastewater facilities, especially the treatment plants, are aging and obsolete. In the Greater Montreal Area alone, several major programs are expected to upgrade and modernize seven of the eight treatment plants in Laval, Montreal, and Longueuil (total population of about 3.5 million). The total CAPEX value is estimated at more than 3 billion dollars (about $9 per person in the U.S.). Our vision is to position CIMA+ as a leader in this market and to develop strategic partnerships with a few other players to ensure that we play a prominent role in this regional infrastructure construction cycle.
How do you and your team stay on top of the latest industry trends and technologies to ensure you’re at the forefront of innovation?
We actively engage in a variety of methods to stay abreast of the latest industry trends and technologies. Our team regularly attends industry conferences, seminars, and webinars to gain insight into emerging trends. We also collaborate with research institutions, universities, and industry associations to access cutting-edge research and development. In addition, we foster a culture of continuous learning within our team and encourage members to pursue professional development and certifications. We have a robust internal training program, and our employees hold many professional designations. We also maintain strong relationships with technology providers, which allows us to keep up with the latest tools and solutions relevant to our industry.