Two major City of Winnipeg waste projects have blown past their budgets as the pandemic affects bidding and a contractor struggles to meet deadlines, according to a briefing presented to the city's finance committee on Tuesday. The city is conducting a massive upgrade of its sewage treatment system to meet the requirements of its licence under the province's Environment Act and reduce the outflow of nutrients into Lake Winnipeg. Upgrades to Winnipeg's South End sewage treatment plant have fallen behind schedule, prompting the water and waste department to estimate additional costs of $16.5 million. The total cost for the expansion and upgrades to the plant is now pegged at $335.6 million.