After months of being shut off, ultraviolet treatment used to neutralize viruses and bacteria in wastewater has been reinstated at the city’s North End sewage plant. 

The treatment at the North End Wastewater Treatment Plant was halted in October to accommodate upgrades work on the facility.

The City of Winnipeg warned at the time that there would be a jump in the levels of bacteria in the Red River, particularly within three kilometres downstream from the plant. 

People who live near the river or use it for recreation were urged to take precautions, including avoiding direct contact with the water and keeping pets from touching or drinking the water.

The city said in a news release Wednesday that it is lifting the safety recommendations, but people should continue to wash their hands with soap if they come into contact with Red River water. People are also encouraged to follow safe food-handling practices if consuming fish from the river.

The North End Wastewater Treatment Plan is still under construction. The first phase of the $3.2-billion upgrade, including the new headworks and power supply facility, is nearing completion, city officials said.

The North End facility treats roughly 70 per cent of Winnipeg’s wastewater and all of the solids removed from the city’s sewer system.

With capacity in the existing plant expected to run out in four to six years, the city is under increasing pressure to finish the project.

Upgrades to the UV treatment facility continue and are expected to be completed in the fall, the city said. The UV treatment uses 75 per cent less energy after this phase of work was completed, the city said.

Construction on the overall upgrade began in 2021. The city expects to move into the second phase, the biosolids removal facility, later this year.

A third and final phase — a nutrient removal facility  — still requires $1 billion in additional funding to proceed.