This case study is unique in that the PIEVC Protocol has been applied at the pre-design stage of the project, rather than conducting the assessment after the infrastructure has been constructed. It has also been applied in this instance to a small wastewater treatment plant in a rural community, with a view to learn about the scalability of the Protocol and to develop recommendations for how it can best be used to assess other infrastructure of a similar scale.

The Sandy Point Sewage Treatment Plant was originally constructed in 1969 to provide primary wastewater treatment to a small development area that includes residential, industrial and institutional development. The existing facility has a capacity of 30,000 USgpd and has been extensively studied since 2001 when deficiencies in treatment effectiveness were first identified. In response to previous studies and the Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater Effluent, endorsed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) in 2009, the decision was
taken to replace the existing plant with a new secondary treatment facility which would both expand the capacity of the existing plant, and incorporate a more suitable and sustainable treatment technology.