A wet, sludgy floor in the sewage treatment plant after the malfunction. (Halifax Regional Municipality)

Halifax regional councillors are getting their first look at a report into what went wrong with a $54-million sewage treatment plant.

Council went into a private session Tuesday morning to discuss the failed facility. The group sent out for lunch, and settled in to continue the debate in the afternoon.

Though a forensic audit into the broken plant has been ready for weeks, only municipal staff, the mayor and the contractors have seen it. There is no word on whether the report will be released to the public.

Some councillors have called on municipal officials to release the information.

Coun. Reg Rankin told CBC News on Monday he would ask his colleagues to agree to it.

"I believe council is in charge of what ought to be disclosed to the public — if we choose to exercise our power. I do not see them continuing to defend the indefensible," said Rankin.

Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly has said the forensic audit must be kept private because the situation with the plant could end up in an arbitration process or the courts.

The sewage-treatment plant near the Halifax casino malfunctioned on Jan. 14 following a power outage. Raw sewage flooded the station, destroying several kilometres of cable and electronic equipment.

Since then, the smell of raw sewage has permeated the waterfront area around the plant.

Municipal officials expect the sewage treatment facility will be fully operational by next spring.