What you’re looking at may just seem like a giant hole in the ground—but it’s actually one of the most important projects supporting the future of St. Thomas.

In this update, Mike from St. Thomas Economic Development is joined by Pat Anckaert at the site of the Dalewood Water Reclamation Facility (D-WRF) to explain why the City needs a second wastewater treatment facility, how it works, and what’s being built right now.

As St. Thomas continues to grow, the existing facility near Sunset and Bush Line is approaching capacity. To support new homes, schools, hospitals, and continued community growth, Dalewood WRF is being constructed to handle future wastewater needs—using a modern, multi-step treatment process.

In this video, Pat walks through:
✅Why the Dalewood Water Reclamation Facility is needed

✅The seven-step wastewater treatment process, from screening and settling to bioreactors, filtration, and UV disinfection

✅How microorganisms are used to naturally break down harmful substances

✅What happens to solids, and how nutrients are returned to the natural cycle as reusable fertilizer

✅What the massive excavation on site represents, including secondary clarifiers, bioreactors, and underground conduits

✅How landscaped berms may improve aesthetics, reduce odours, and even support future recreational trails

✅The importance of using local contractors from across Southwestern Ontario

This is a three-year build, with construction underway now and first flows expected around mid-2029. It’s a project most people don’t think about—but one that plays a critical role in modern life and long-term community resilience.

Interested in learning more about how wastewater is safely returned to the environment?
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In part one of the series, we learned more about Stormwater Management. This second installment of the series focuses on Wastewater management, which is one of the most important — and least visible — public services in any community. It works quietly beneath our streets and behind the scenes, treating everything that leaves our sinks, showers, toilets, businesses, and industries before that water ever touches the natural environment again.

In Ontario, wastewater systems are built on a simple promise:
No drop of used water should return to nature without being cleaned, tested, and proven safe.
To uphold that promise, municipalities like St. Thomas operate under strict provincial regulations and use a combination of advanced engineering, real-time monitoring, and ongoing investment in infrastructure.
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Here’s how it all works.