Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine (ESEMAG) June 2016

Dealing with flushable wipes

Sharing Canadian water expertise

Minimizing aeration costs

SPECIAL FOCUSStorage Tanks, Spills

& Containment

www.esemag.comJune 2016

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FEATURES

Contents

DEPARTMENTSProduct Showcase . . . . . . . . . . 66Environmental News . . . . . . . . 69Professional Cards . . . . . . . . . . 69Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Vol . 29 No . 3 Issued June 2016 ISSN-0835-605X

STAY CONNECTED ONLINE IN PRINT MOBILE WWW.ESEMAG.COM

June 2016

6 Lessons in water awareness from a B.C. classroom

10 How vulnerable are water utilities to traditional and cyber threats?

14 New craft brewery wastewater system saves costs and frees up municipal capacity

16 How flow meter calibration helped Coquitlam provide clean water

18 Wastewater treatment challenges in Canadas North

20 Perth WTP saves over $6 million in backwashing costs

22 System planning helps water utilities meet future challenges

26 What can you do to determine and manage grit costs?

31 Mixer helps solve sewage lift station wet wipe problem

32 Biochar offers many environmental benefits

34 Caustic dilution system saves money and improves safety

36 Sharing Canadian drinking water expertise internationally

39 Educating students on water and wastewater

40 Guest comment: How projects can go awry

42 Improving lead monitoring programs in schools

44 The new breed of professional surveyors in the 21st century

46 Aeration system piping benefits from mechanical couplings

SPECIAL SECTIONStorage Tanks, Containment & Spills50 Water and wastewater operations improved by tank covers

52 Understanding Canadas various secondary containment guidelines

56 Georgetown WWTP covers its grit tanks to help address odour concerns

58 Fibreglass tanks increasingly used for water storage

60 Proper foundation design ensures long-term fuel storage tank performance at Vancouver Airport

62 A practical secondary containment system for oil spills and leaks

63 Organic industrial spill absorbents offer enhanced performance and safety

64 Preventing spills by coating secondary containment areas

Page 50

Page 10 Page 26

This issue will offer our 47,000 readers across Canada a strong and diverse range of articles, plus special sections on:

Climate Change and Infrastructure Design FEATURED TOPICS: Wastewater treatment and collection systems Stormwater management Drinking water supply, treatment and distribution systems Disinfection and filtration

SPECIAL SECTION:Annual Government, Association, University and College Directory

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WHERE WATER FOR PEOPLE COMES INOur goal is simple: Water for Everyone Forever Were taking big steps to solve the worlds water crisispermanently. We want complete water coverage for every family, every school, and every clinic. And were teaming up with Everyone to make this difference last Forever. Water For People brings together local entrepreneurs, civil society, governments, and communities to establish creative, collaborative solutions that allow people to build and maintain their own reliable and safe water systems. Were not just addressing the symptoms of the problem, but preventing it from happening again in the future. The road to permanent water coverage for Everyone Forever is challenging. If we invest more now to create sustainable and replicable water and sanitation infrastructure, we can achieve incredible outcomesmore children are in school, more individuals are employed, more families are healthy and thriving, and more communities are collaborating and growing. From there, the impact continues to ripple out on a national and global scale.

The Global Water Crisis1.8 billion people lack access to clean water

2.5 billion peoplemore than a third of the worlds population lack access to a toilet

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More than 3.4 million people each year die from water related diseasesthats nearly the population of LA

Nearly 90% of global cases of diarrhea are estimated to be attributable to unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene

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Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine6 | June 2016

In Nelson B.C., a group of school chil-dren set out on a no holds barred compe-

tition to bring toilet talk to their community. Their goal was two-fold, to raise awareness about their towns drinking water source, and to encourage residents to install toilet tank bags.

Wildflower School was one of six schools that participated in the Student Action Competition held by the Safe Drinking Wa-ter Foundation earlier this year. In classrooms across Canada, 225 students pro-duced videos, presenta-tions and pamphlets to raise awareness about water issues and reduce their communitys water use.

I had the pleasure of being one of the judges for the competition and was impressed with the students energy and the results they achieved.

During the competition, 12,881 litres of water were saved per day and 150 water saving devices were installed. Students reached out to a total of 1,654 members of their communities, educat-ing them on where their water comes from, the stresses that their watershed faces and ways to reduce water use.

The students of Wildflower School won the competitions elementary school category. As a result of their outreach program, 100% of participat-ing residents now know where Nelson obtains its drinking water and what stresses that source faces. Additionally, 150 water saving toilet tank bags were distributed and 2,250 litres of water per day was saved.

In many ways, the Wildflower Schools success is similar to another hugely popular public campaign Girl Guide cookies. According to Girl-Guides.ca, 2,800,000 boxes of cookies will be sold this fall, enough to give two

cookies to every Canadian.Both the Wildflower students and

Girl Guides use effective selling meth-ods to get their message across. They set up booths in public hot spots, use interesting displays to catch attention and leverage their cute factor with lots of smiles. Anyone who has opened the door to Girl Guides will admit that its next to impossible to close that door without shelling out five or ten bucks.

The Wildflower group, in a move of pure genius, set up their booth, com-plete with a model toilet, outside of the local grocery store. Its hard to think of anything more curious than a loud group of school kids milling around a toilet, handing out pamphlets and inflat-able bags.

Not only did they hook residents in with their pitch, they demonstrated how to install the toilet bags on the spot. This meant people were more likely to install the toilet bag and do it right the first time.

The class even managed to reach Ottawa, receiving a letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in response to their questions about the environment and climate change. That recognition will go a long way to making this group

Shock and Aww! - Lessons in public awareness from a B.C. classroom

continued overleaf...

Editor and Publisher STEVE DAVEYEmail: [email protected]

Managing Editor PETER DAVEYEmail: [email protected]

Sales Director PENNY DAVEYEmail: [email protected]

Sales Representative DENISE SIMPSON Email: [email protected]

Accounting SANDRA DAVEYEmail: [email protected]

Circulation Manager DARLANN PASSFIELDEmail: [email protected]

Production EINAR RICEEmail: [email protected]

Technical Advisory BoardArchis Ambulkar, Jones and Henry Engineers, Ltd.

Gary Burrows, City of London

Jim Bishop, Consulting Chemist, Ontario

Patrick Coleman, Black & Veatch

Bill De Angelis, City of Toronto

Mohammed Elenany, Urban Systems

William Fernandes, Region of Peel

Marie Meunier, John Meunier Inc., Qubec

Tony Petrucci, Stantec, Markham

Environmental Science & Engineering is a bi-monthly business publication of Environmental Science & Engineering Publications Inc. An all Canadian publication, ES&E provides authoritative editorial coverage of Canadas municipal and industrial environmental control systems and drinking water treatment and distribution.

Readers include consulting engineers, industrial plant managers and engineers, key municipal, provincial and federal environmental officials, water and wastewater plant operators and contractors.

Information contained in ES&E has been compiled from sources believed to be correct. ES&E cannot be responsible for the accuracy of articles or other editorial matter. Articles in this magazine are intended to provide information rather than give legal or other professional advice. Articles being submitted for review should be emailed to [email protected].

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Undeliverable copies, advertising space orders, copy, artwork, proofs, etc., should be sent to: Environmental Science & Engineering, 220 Industrial Pkwy. S., Unit 30, Aurora, Ontario, Canada, L4G 3V6, Tel: (905)727-4666, Fax: (905) 841-7271, Web site: www.esemag.com

Editorial Comment by Peter Davey

Students from Wildflower School in Nelson, British Columbia, participating in a water awareness outreach event as part of the Student Action Competition.

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feel empowered and highlights the Action part of the competition.

Municipalities and utilities use public outreach campaigns to ad-dress many environmental and infrastructure challenges at the source. In many cases, controlling contamination at the source is less expensive and technically demand-ing than removing contamination downstream.

In water and wastewater treat-ment, it seems that a Pandoras box is opened each time wet wipes or left over drugs are flushed down the toilet. An effortless action of disposal requires an expensive ac-tion of removal.

An example of a good outreach campaign is the City of Londons One Cup program that encourages residents to use biodegradable cups for disposing of left over kitchen grease and fat.

Sewer outreach workers hand out the cups at community events along side working toilets that demon-strate how flushable wipes can clog pipes and pumps. The cups are printed with messages and pictures that explain how fats, oils and grease damage and disrupt sewage infrastructure.

The program has been success-ful in the neighborhoods where it was launched and is spreading to other mu-nicipalities across Canada.

Yet, to really boost community par-ticipation in source control, shock may be an alternative to aww. To bring the problem closer to home, municipali-ties could try using the Return to Send-er method.

In this plan, households that use their toilets and drains like trash cans would have their flushed away wipes, grease and pharmaceutical compounds returned to them in a convenient all-in-one bundle. According to the operators Ive talked to, lift-station pumps do an excellent job of combining the waste into a smelly, soaked and entwined mass.

Imagine the shock factor of opening up a surprise package only to find it con-tains last weeks bacon grease and some no longer sanitary wet wipes. Or per-haps receiving a barrel of greyish water laced with a cocktail of expired drugs

that were thought to have been discreet-ly flushed away.

Not only would municipalities re-duce their pump station call-outs and disposal costs, the surge in package de-liveries would be a welcome shot in the arm for struggling Canada Post.

Whether by shock or aww, pub-lic awareness and engagement cam-paigns are integral to protecting our environment, infrastructure and health.

Like the school groups that par-ticipated in the Safe Drinking Water Foundations competition, awareness campaigns should be commended for their real-world achievements. Munic-ipalities and utilities that commission outreach initiatives should share suc-cessful ideas.

After all, its a lot easier to deal with the evils inside Pandoras box if they are never set loose.

For more information about the Safe Drinking Water Foundation and the work they do, visit: www.safewater.org.

[email protected]

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Editorial Comment by Peter Davey

Peter Davey is the managing and online editor of Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine. Email: [email protected]

A letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent to the Wildflower School students in March 2016.

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Security

In recent years, cyber attacks against critical infrastructure, such as water utilities, have been on the increase globally. However, grow-

ing awareness doesnt necessarily trans-late into the implementation of better security protocols and safer systems. And, in the developing world, water distributors also face a range of other challenges to maintaining safe water distribution.

When discussing cyber crimes, focus is often on security breaches in the pri-vate sector, especially retail and bank-ing. But according to several studies conducted in the last few years, cyber attacks on vital infrastructure such as electrical grids and water distribution systems have escalated.

In a blog in The Huffington Post Busi-ness Section, Michael Deane, Executive Director of the National Association of Water Companies in the U.S., explains how the evolution of computer-based management systems has, on the one hand, improved the reliability and quali-ty of water services, but on the other has increased the possibility of targeted or accidental cyber events that could lead to disruption in the water supply.

He concludes: In the drinking water and wastewater sectors, a cyber attack could hone in on four different threat vectors: chemical contamination, biolog-ical contamination, physical disruption and interference with the highly special-ized computer systems controlling essen-tial infrastructure, known as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems.

A successful attack resulting in con-sequences in any of these areas could cause major damage, resulting in long periods of operational downtime, fi-nancial losses and most importantly, a threat to public safety.

According to Deane, the awareness of possible cyber attacks is steadily growing. Since 2013, November has been designated as Critical Infrastruc-ture Security and Resilience Month with the aim of recognizing the impor-

tance of protecting critical infrastruc-ture in the U.S.

Even so, last year the U.S. Depart-ment of Homeland Security received 159 reports involving vulnerabilities in control systems components. Most of the vulnerabilities involved systems used in the energy sector, but water util-ities and wastewater are also considered at high risk of cyber attacks, according to Water Online.

But cyber attacks on vital infrastruc-ture are not a phenomenon occurring in the U.S. alone.

The Ponemon Institute, a research centre that specializes in data protec-tion and information security policy, released a study in 2014 in which two thirds of 599 IT security executives in 13 different countries admitted to hav-ing had at least one security compro-mise that led to the loss of confidential information or disruption of operations in the previous year.

However, there is a large discrepan-cy between being aware of the risk and protecting the systems from it.

Dr. Renier van Heerden, Principal Engineer and Researcher at the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industri-al Research) in Pretoria, South Africa, points out that, because the risk of cyber

attacks on a countrys infrastructure is still considered fairly low, companies have yet to take the threat seriously enough to start investing in safer sys-tems.

Companies main concern is up-time, to keep the systems running with-out disruption. To achieve this, theyd like robust and dependable systems. Unfortunately that runs contrary to se-curity, he says.

The reason behind this is simple: if you add a layer of security to systems such as SCADA used to control dams, power plants and water treatment facili-ties, it increases the risk of small config-uration faults which, in turn, can cause major problems or lead to down-time.

Firewalls and encryption, the most commonly used industrial cyber secu-rity programmes, are complex systems, and their configurations can be difficult to understand and verify.

So we find that we have two com-peting mechanisms. Traditionally, be-cause the world wasnt so interconnect-ed, the openness and the robustness of the systems used to be more important than security.

But with the technology changing and the world being more interconnect-


How vulnerable are water utilities to traditional and cyber threats? By Grrel Espelund

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ed, security has become more import-ant.

Companies state-owned or private look at the history when they make risk analyses. And up to now it hasnt been worth it to invest in that extra secu-rity measure. In my opinion, its a mis-take, van Heerden says.

The most infamous cyber attack on physical infrastructure is the Stuxnet mal-ware. It is believed to have been built joint-ly by the U.S. and Israeli governments to sabotage Irans nuclear programme in 2007/2008. It then accidentally spread in 2010 and became widely known.

Malware such as Stuxnet, Black-Energy and Havex are specifically de-signed to target industrial control sys-tems, and attacks on vital industries and infrastructure are frequently reported in various Internet and computer mag-azines. However, when it comes to the developing world, things look a bit dif-ferent.

Neil Macleod, former head of eThe-kwini Water and Sanitation, Durban South Africa, points out that no matter how secure you try to make your sys-tem, it is only as good as your last pass-word and the integrity of your staff.

You have to be sure that you have a staff of happy workers and that they comply with the very rigorous security protocols in place. Compared to devel-oped countries the issues are slightly different in the developing world.

Richer countries have more com-puter-based solutions and therefore they are more vulnerable to these kinds of attacks. In developing countries we tend to have teams on every site.

We do our work with limited com-puter-based systems, limited remote op-erations and a lot of onsite operations, says Macleod.

eThekwini Water and Sanitation received the 2014 Stockholm Indus-try Water Award as a recognition of its work to provide, within a few years, 1.3 million people in greater Durban (eThe-kwini) with piped water and 700,000 people with access to toilets.

It is only large cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban that have start-ed to move towards a computer-based management of operations, which also makes them more prone to cyber attacks. But, Macleod is not worried.

People can start hacking into the systems of the big cities and cause in-terruption to the service for a few hours before we notice what is going on.

On the sewage side, there is a pos-sibility that hackers could mess up the dosage [of chemicals] and then the river will be polluted, which is unacceptable, but recoverable. In the case of water purification plants, however, the impact could be more severe in terms of pub-lic health in that the water may not be safe to drink if the disinfection or co-agulation processes are affected, says Macleod.

The biggest problem for devel-oping countries, where the level of IT and computer-based technology is pret-ty low, is not cyber attacks but pover-ty. Poor people who try to tap into the water utilities illegally do most of the damage caused to our systems. Another big problem causing disruption is theft of the metals, valves or copper cables.

That is a constant scourge that we, and most developing countries, face. The people sell the goods to be able to buy bread, but the value of the metal is many times less than the cost of the re-pairs, says Macleod.

Article reprinted with permission from Water Front Magazine,

published by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).

www.siwi.org

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Industrial Wastewater

Over 4,500 licensed craft brew-ers are revitalizing small towns across North America, with revenues estimated at

more than CDN$30 billion per year. As one of the fastest growing sectors of the food and beverage industry, small brew-eries are supporting local economies, creating jobs and contributing to tourism. At the same time, their wastewater is cre-ating a challenge for aging wastewater treatment infrastructure.

It is common for craft breweries to create five to ten times more wastewater than the beer they package and sell. The impact of this on a wastewater treat-ment plant can be equivalent to 10,000 - 20,000 people. For most small towns, the municipal plant is not designed to handle that much load. Municipalities are faced with the difficult decision of supporting growth in a local business or imposing fines to cover the cost of treat-ing this high strength wastewater.

In 2015, the Ontario Ministry of Ag-riculture and Rural Affairs, through the Bloom Centre for Sustainability, engaged Econse Water Purification Systems to de-sign a wastewater treatment system that could meet the specific needs of the craft brewing industry. After pilot testing at four craft breweries in Ontario, Econse introduced their Br Clean System at the recent Ontario Centres of Excellence OCE Discovery conference in Toronto.

Br Clean is a modular, chemi-cal-free system designed for easy instal-lation and maintenance, making waste-water management simple and efficient for craft breweries. It overcomes a vari-ety of challenges in this sector, such as: Extremely limited space in produc-

tion facilities to install treatment equipment.

Limited knowledge/experience of wastewater treatment and water re-use by brewery staff.

Limited experience with best practic-es in water conservation and waste-water management.

High operating costs due to chem-icals, energy consumption and the need for highly skilled operators.

High water-to-beer ratio. High capital expense.

The Br Clean System removes sol-ids, yeasts, phosphorus and nitrogen from the wastewater stream by integrat-ing several processes. An equalization tank balances out extreme spikes in pH, suspended solids, and biochemical oxy-gen demand (BOD) from brewing and cleaning operations. This provides rea-sonably consistent water for treatment in a proprietary multi-treatment module (MTM). The chemical-free MTM elim-inates >95% of suspended solids and removes up to 60% of dissolved BOD and nutrients.

After processing in the MTM, the wastewater moves into the bio polish-ing unit, which combines aerobic and anaerobic biological digestion in a com-pact, above-ground process. Treated water can then be safely discharged or collected for reuse in the facility.

The chemical-free solution helps cut rising fees for water and wastewater, reducing the added cost of treatment chemicals and improving water con-sumption and environmental impact. It also helps municipal wastewater treat-ment facilities from being over-bur-dened by brewery wastes.

One of the most difficult challenges that Econse had to overcome in design-ing the system was the wide variation in wastewater throughout the craft brew-ing production cycle. This variation is evident in the BOD, which ranged be-tween 3,300-48,000 ppm.

Since the standard lab test for BOD takes five days, the wastewater is long gone by the time results are returned. In addition, the presence of yeast and certain chemicals in the wastewater can cause false and inconsistent results.

Instead of relying on the standard BOD lab test, Econse began using a Pe-COD chemical oxygen demand (COD)

New craft brewery wastewater treatment system saves surcharge costs and frees up municipal capacityBy Andrew Amiri, Neil Sosebee and Derek Davy

Econse has developed a specialized wastewater treatment process for breweries, which utilizes a PeCOD analyzer to determine BOD levels.

June 2016 | 15 www.esemag.com

Industrial Wastewater

analyzer by MANTECH. It has recent-ly been approved by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) as a green and fast meth-od for measuring COD. The MOECC Method E3515, based on the PeCOD technology, is now used for COD analy-sis by the MOECC Laboratory Services Branch. It generates results in 15 min-utes through the use of UV activated TiO2 (titanium dioxide) oxidation and an internal electrode, by directly mea-suring electron transfer. Econse found very good correlation between PeCOD

COD readings and BOD lab tests. The speed of the PeCOD COD meth-

od made it a valuable tool in designing the Br Clean System and optimizing wastewater management in the brew-eries. It has allowed Econse to develop a system of best practices for brewery personnel to follow, which has actually helped reduce the amount of wastewater for treatment by up to 75%. This direct-ly translates to a smaller footprint and less equipment for the brewery.

Econse now offers a specialized lab package, just for craft brewers, which in-

cludes the PeCOD as a core piece of tech-nology. Brewers are finding this new tech-nology to be an indispensable window into their operation, which helps them to maintain compliance with municipal wastewater discharge requirements.

Andrew Amiri, Neil Sosebee and Derek Davy are with Econse Water

Purification Systems.For more information on the Br Clean System, visit www.brucleansystem.com

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Measurement

The Coquitlam watershed and its water treatment facilities provide approximately 370 million litres of potable water,

or about one-third of the total water sup-ply delivered to Metro Vancouver, Brit-ish Columbia. In 2000, as part of Metro Vancouvers Drinking Water Treatment Program, the water disinfection process was upgraded to include ozonation as the primary disinfectant. Prior to this, only chlorination was utilized.

In 2011, construction started on the Coquitlam Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection Facility, which was brought on line in 2014. It improves disinfection and helps meet the requirements under Health Can-adas Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. The $110 million project came in under budget and on time.

Source water is a combination of rainwater and snowmelt that is stored in the Coquitlam reservoir. In order to protect water quality, this mountainous watershed is closed to public access.

From the beginning, the project was designed to have a minimal impact on the environment and the disinfection plant was designed with a small foot-print. Electromagnetic flow meters (EMF) had initially been selected to measure flow through the UV treatment chambers, in order to ensure proper dwell time for disinfection.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that, in the spring and early summer, source water is mainly snow runoff which is too low in conductivity for EMF technology. At these very low conductivity levels, water measurement becomes difficult with an EMF due to the high amounts of noise generated by the water on the electrodes. With con-ductivity this low, ultrasonic flow me-ters rather than EMFs became the flow measurement technology of choice.

The electromagnetic flow meters adapted easily to the plant footprint. However, ultrasonic flow meters need roughly twice the amount of available upstream straight pipe to achieve the specified accuracies. Despite this techni-cal constraint, the customer still required

the optimal flow accuracy within the reduced straight inlet section, to ensure adequate dwell time for UV disinfection.

To achieve the desired accuracy with-in the reduced straight run, the decision was made to calibrate the meters in the designed piping configuration. This was duplicated at the KROHNE calibration facility in Dordrecht, Netherlands. All flow meters were calibrated utilizing this special piping configuration, and

the required accuracy was achieved and guaranteed by the manufacturer.

KROHNEs multi-beam liquid ultra-sonic flow meter has the ability to adjust each beams weighing factor to make up for flow profile abnormalities, allowing it to tune out abnormal flow profiles.

Richard Lowrie is with KROHNE. For more information, email:

[email protected]

How flow calibration helped Coquitlam provide cleaner drinking water By Richard Lowrie

Ultrasonic flow meters installed prior to the UV disinfection process.

The Coquitlam Water Treatment Facility was completed in 2014.

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Wastewater Treatment

The Village of Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, owned and operated the only me-chanical wastewater treatment

plant in the territory and was experienc-ing significant difficulties meeting envi-ronmental discharge requirements. This issue stemmed from a long history of struggles with the plant, dating back to its original inception. The Village con-tracted Stantec Consulting Ltd.s Yel-lowknife office to investigate and help solve issues it was having at its waste-water treatment plant (WWTP).

Project historySome 25 years ago, a rotating drum

screening system was designed as pri-mary treatment to upgrade a raw sewage outfall to the Mackenzie River. As the sewage was macerated by the raw water lift pumps, the rotating drum screen was only able to remove the largest solids and the facility was unable to meet effluent quality requirements. In 2001, the drum screens were removed and the building converted to a Proteus System that con-sisted of physical/chemical treatment us-ing alum, followed by sand filtration, a biofilter and UV disinfection.

Due to construction deficiencies, the system was never commissioned to follow the original design philoso-phy. It was originally designed to have multi-media rapid sand filters; however, a single media continuous backwash type was supplied and installed. There-fore, operators were unable to operate the sand filter as intended and the filters were reported to have the sand washed out overnight. The sand filters were re-moved from the treatment process in 2003. Consequently, without the sand filtration, the biofilter failed as it was overloaded with solids from the primary treatment.

Due to the ongoing struggles in meeting the water license, the Village received an Inspectors Directive from Environment Canada (EC) to address all the problems or receive financial penal-ties. The Stantec team began working

with the Village and reached initial compliance with the Directive by pro-viding an engineering and assessment report on the current WWTP. The engi-neering report provided preliminary de-sign options for upgrades to the WWTP.

Plant upgradesChoosing the treatment process was

constrained by various factors, includ-ing local construction, operation and maintenance availability, as well as fi-nancial limitations. However, one of the

Wastewater treatment challenges in Canadas North By Arlen Foster

The Village of Fort Simpson is located at the confluence of the Mackenzie and Liard Rivers in the Northwest Territories.

Sequencing batch reactor PLC: Control and operational information for the entire WWTP is displayed, allowing the operator to identify and address any problems.



biggest challenges was determining the necessary upgrades to the mechanical and electrical components within the existing building. The new treatment process system had to fit within the existing structure, in addition to all the ventilation, instrumentation and control components necessary to meet new code requirements. Several options were pre-sented and through rigorous comparison and evaluation, a final treatment pro-cess was agreed upon. It consisted of a screening system, equalization storage, sequencing batch reactor (SBR), sludge press and UV disinfection.

Mechanical system upgrades for the plant focused on providing sufficient heat and ventilation to the process spac-es. The primary goal was to meet the ventilation requirements of NFPA 820: Standard for Fire Protection in Waste-water Treatment and Collection Facili-ties and CSA C22.1-12: Canadian Elec-trical Code (CEC). This ensures a safe work environment for operators and extends the service life of the process equipment by preventing the buildup of flammable, explosive and corrosive gas-es in the process spaces.

Not only were high efficiency com-ponents chosen, but the controls of the heating and ventilation system were designed with variable speeds. Nega-tively pressured rooms were included to address hazardous ratings and reduced capital costs.

A SCADA system, PLC and MCC were provided, with the main compo-nents located in the electrical/mechan-ical room. Here, they could be suitably cut-off in electrical terms from the remainder of the building. This meant that equipment located within the area did not have to be rated for hazardous locations.

The instrumentation and controls of the plant were designed for full auto-mation of the treatment process. Alarms were set with the local operators so that significant issues were brought to their attention immediately. Remote access was also included so that monitoring and general modifications to the process could be accomplished. This remote ac-cess was vital in providing the Village with expert technical support without incurring high travel costs and delays in receiving onsite assistance.

As with the process and building me-chanical components, space saving wall or ceiling mounted electrical equipment was used as much as possible to maxi-mize available areas of the building.

The facility presented a challenge due to the corrosive atmosphere. So, par-ticular attention was paid to the wiring methods and equipment being installed. The main area of the facility, as desig-nated by the Canadian Electrical Code, is a hazardous location and also one where wet and corrosive vapours are present. All devices in the facility, other than the electrical/mechanical room, are rated for hazardous locations. Wiring systems within this area are of a type for wet and corrosive locations. Lighting is all ful-ly gasketed and rated for wet locations. LED fixtures are used to lower the oper-ational costs.

Significant structural calculations and ingenuity were required to address the constraint of installing all the new components within the small existing structure. As such, parts of the main floor slab were removed to extend com-ponents from the basement to the ceil-ing. A combination of concrete slabs and steel beams were installed to prop-erly support the new treatment system components and allow for modifications to the existing structure.

Maintaining operation of the existing treatment system was of utmost impor-

tance. Therefore, staged construction was planned by Stantec and the WWTP operators. Further scheduling by the contractor, with input from the team, en-sured that installation took place in the required time frames for existing infra-structure to be decommissioned. In spite of several emergency and unexpected sit-uations, untreated wastewater was never discharged to the environment.

Improved outcomes During construction, the project al-

lowed all the building mechanical and electrical work to be completed by northern and local businesses, ensuring local employment. This ultimately put money back into the community. Once substantially completed in the fall of 2015, the WWTP was performing ex-ceptionally well, meeting and surpass-ing all regulatory compliance limits set by the governing agencies. The EC Di-rective was thus removed with no finan-cial penalties.

Further, the automated process has allowed the Village to dedicate some of its operators hours to matters outside of the wastewater treatment plant itself - something that was never possible with the old system.

Arlen Foster is with Stantec Consulting. For more information,

email: [email protected]

The sludge pumps transfer waste activated sludge from the SBR reactor to the holding tank.


Water Treatment

A simple, effective dewatering solution will enable Perth, Ontario, to begin treating particle-laden process water from the coagulation tanks at its water treatment plant. It will also eliminate the discharge of solids to the Tay River and conserve capacity in the towns sewage lagoons. The town will be using Geo-tube containers to collect and dewater solids onsite, and to produce high quali-ty filtrate that can be discharged directly into the river.

The solution designed and delivered by Bishop Water Technologies, will cost less than $1.25 million to fully imple-ment. This is far less than the estimated $7 million to build a conventional treatment system. The Geotube system can reduce the amount of solids discharging into the river, from 2,000 mg/l per day to 4 mg/l. This will ensure that more than 300 dry metric tons of solids will be diverted from the Tay River each year.

The dewatering solution works in three stages. As sludge is pumped into the tube, it is mixed with a polymer that separates solids from the liquid. Filtered effluent flows through a dual filament polypropylene fabric, keeping solids trapped inside the container. The filtrate is then directed to the Tay River.

In partnership with Andrum Associ-ates Inc. in Ottawa, Bishop Water Tech-nologies began a design-build as the general contractor, project manager and equipment supplier. Maple Reinders was selected as the builder and work began in August 2014.

Construction proceeded quickly, with the civil works, including mechan-ical, electrical, concrete, asphalt, piping and greenhouse installation, being com-pleted by early December 2014. After a successful commissioning period, substantial completion was achieved on December 22, 2014.

Residuals from the siphon discharge of the water treatment process are first sent to a holding tank four times per day. Operators of the plant are then able to process residuals through the polymer system and into a Geotube for

dewatering. After being calibrated, an automated PLC system ensures proper polymer dosage to match the flow rate of residuals into the Geotube.

A greenhouse is used to house the

system for winter operations, allowing the facility to operate year-round.

For more information, email: [email protected]

Perth water treatment plant saves over $6 million in solids dewatering costs

A greenhouse is used to house the system for winter operations, allowing the facility to operate year-round.

An automated PLC system ensures proper polymer dosage to match the flow rate of residuals into the Geotube.

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Water and Wastewater Systems

One of the major challenges facing the water and waste-water industry is the age of its infrastructure. Much

of the vast network of aging treatment plants, pumping stations, storage facil-ities, and main and collection pipe is in need of replacement or repair.

The more a utility plans ahead, the more likely it will be able to meet these challenges. American Water utilizes a capital planning process that is integrat-ed with its asset management program to prepare for the future.

Its engineering and operations team examines every facility and the associ-ated water availability to develop capital plans. These plans help chart a course for how much investment is needed to meet future infrastructure needs, as well as a 15-year outlook that incorporates estimates of population growth, urban-ization rates, and other factors.

The company conducts a Compre-hensive Planning Study (CPS) program to develop a master plan for each water and wastewater system. The plans rec-ommend capital improvements that are necessary in order for its subsidiaries to continue to provide safe, adequate and

reliable service to its customers. Amer-ican Water invests annually in its CPS program, which is primarily conducted by in-house engineering staff. Through the studies, the company analyzes sys-tem capacity needs, asset condition and reliability, performance factors such as regulatory compliance, water quality and efficiency.

System needs are identified, and

project costs, alternatives and risks are assessed. By conducting comprehensive studies of water and wastewater assets, companies can have a clear and objec-tive view of needs and potential capital project solutions.

Planners utilize many tools during this work, including hydraulic models, GIS (geographic information systems),


System planning helps water utilities meet future challenges

Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine26 | May 2013

Sustainable Ecosystems

Green infrastructure and sus-tainability goals are of in-creasing importance, andachieving them requires tech-

nical knowledge and training in variedfields. Integration of soil and trees intourban areas substantially improves sus-tainability and helps alleviate some of ourmost pressing ecological challenges.These include air and water quality, risingtemperatures, flooding and erosion fromdaily rainfall events.

The West Don Lands, in Toronto, On-tario, is a community that is people fo-cused, family friendly, environmentallysustainable and beautifully designed forliving. It has a Stage 1 LEED ND GOLDcertification under the pilot program es-tablished by the U.S. Green BuildingCouncil.

One notable sustainable component,utilized in the design of the areas streets,is a soil retaining system called SilvaCells. Typical urban trees in the citycore die after approximately seven years.However, Silva Cells help extend theirlife spans, thus promoting the growth ofmature street trees.

Although the City of Toronto had pre-viously used Silva Cells as part of astormwater management pilot program inThe Queensway, their use as part of site

Installation of Silva Cells in Mill Street.

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development is new. In fact, the West DonLands streets are the first in a Torontosubdivision to be designed with this sys-tem installed under parking lay-bys andsidewalks.

Mill Street was the first subdivisionstreet in Toronto to be designed to includethis soil retaining system. As the leadengineering consultant, R.V.AndersonAssociates coordinated all plans and spec-ifications with the landscape architect.

About Silva CellsSilva Cells are a plastic/fiberglass

structure of columns and beams that sup-port paving above un-compacted planting

soil. The structure has 92% void spaceand is a stable surface for the installationof vehicle loaded-pavements.

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Soil within the cells remains at lowcompaction rates, thereby creating ideal

May2013_ES&E_5_2010 13-05-29 9:41 PM Page 26

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system operating data and asset man-agement software. The CPS process also provides an excellent opportunity for both internal and external stakehold-er engagement.

Internally, subject matter experts from various disciplines are brought to the ta-ble, including engineering, operations, water quality, rates, communications and customer service, to identify issues and potential solutions for the systems under study. This allows for a fully inclusive and collaborative process.

Externally, the CPS process offers the opportunity to engage local plan-ning commissions, regulatory agencies, fire departments and community/envi-ronmental groups on issues impacting or impacted by the water system.

Planning criteria Assets in each system are evaluated

for capacity, condition, performance and efficiency factors. Recommendations are then developed to ensure the company can continue to provide a reliable and

high quality water supply into the future.

Customer and demand projections Water use projections are developed

for every system and provide the basis for evaluating future system capacity needs. Projections of the total number of custom-ers and the associated demands for each customer classification (i.e., residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) are devel-oped for the water system over a 15-year planning horizon. Similar projections are made for wastewater systems.

The projections are developed after a review of population trends, histori-cal customer and usage data, and local planning commission forecasts. The effects of water conservation and other factors influencing declining usage are also considered.

Water sources Rivers, lakes, streams, reservoirs,

wells, seawater and reuse water are the various types of water sources in use across American Water. These supplies

are routinely evaluated for their quanti-ty and quality. Intake structures, pumps and motors, dams and other assets are examined for their capacity, condition, performance and efficiency of opera-tion. When needed, upgrades to these facilities are planned, designed and im-plemented. Capacity levels are chosen to reliably meet the projected system demand, even in the event of failure/malfunction of one unit of mechanical equipment. The quality of the source water and the watershed are also regu-larly monitored.

Water treatment facilities Drinking water treatment plants are

evaluated for their ability to produce high quality water that meets or surpass-es water quality standards at all times. Treatment facilities are also examined for their capacity to meet current and future water demands.

Individual components are examined for condition, performance and efficien-cy under varying operating conditions. Data on treatment chemicals, process units and power consumption is used in these analyses.

Pumping, distribution, storage Water systems are designed to pro-

vide reliable water service that meets flow and pressure requirements under peak demand and fire flow conditions. Pipelines, storage tanks, booster pump stations and pressure reducing stations are all analyzed for capacity, condition, performance and efficiency. Water qual-ity, fire flow delivery and local pressure limitations are also considered in the analysis of distribution system pipe-lines, where applicable.

Interconnections and regionalization Interconnections between systems

can enhance each systems resiliency in the event of an emergency. Region-alization can also provide economies of scale, avoid duplication of facilities, and provide more effective service to customers. For example, water systems within a specific geographic area can re-gionalize to benefit from shared sources of supply, treatment facilities or distri-bution system facilities.

Opportunities for interconnections and regionalization are evaluated to de-


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termine if a consolidated solution to wa-ter supply problems in a particular area is feasible.

Resiliency System resilience is also considered

during the CPS process. This evaluation includes examining how resilient the system is in the face of extreme weather events, natural hazards and malevolent threats. American Water also maintains business continuity and emergency re-sponse plans to increase preparedness to address all hazard scenarios, in-cluding climate variations and extreme weather events.

The CPS process also has the added benefit of providing a strong foundation for communicating with regulators and local government officials about the need for enhanced resiliency in light of these hazards.

The ability to provide continuous service during a power outage is an ex-ample of how planning efforts can lead to enhanced reliability. Evaluations include several factors such as the na-ture of the electrical service (i.e., ser-vice from one vs. two substations), the presence of any floating storage within a pressure zone, standby electrical gen-erating capacity, and the availability of pumps which can be driven by diesel fuel or natural gas.

The CPS studies have proven to be a valuable tool for assessing investments needed to make system upgrades and meet customer demands now and in the future. American Water emphasiz-es, however, that the conclusions from its risk assessment models and planning studies do not always result in a decision to build additional infrastructure. Often, an operational solution or well-scoped emergency plan could be a more cost-ef-fective solution to a particular scenario. In many cases, a combination of solu-tions, ranging from capital to operation-al, provide the best resiliency against extreme events.

Thus, consideration is given to other factors in determining the need for up-grades, such as equipment age, condi-tion and historical performance, oppor-tunities to improve efficiency through better technologies, and ability to meet future regulations and growth projec-tions. It is often a combination of these

primary drivers that triggers infrastruc-ture upgrades.

Considering trends In developing system plans, planning

engineers review trends that can affect future water and wastewater services. This includes increased protection of water sources; more stringent water quality regulations of finished water; ad-

ditional regulation of treatment plant re-siduals; increased frequency of required water quality monitoring; increased water and energy conservation require-ments; and more extensive environmen-tal laws affecting new construction and source development.

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Grit may seem a simple enough substance, but its im-pacts on wastewater treatment plant operation can be complex. So, how can asset managers or maintenance teams make reliable decisions about effective grit re-

moval, especially when they lack accurate data that measures its impact? Often, they have simply relied on industry-standard guidelines for the design of their grit removal equipment.

Finding accurate evidence of the cost of grit has always been a challenge for operators, especially when justifying installa-tion of more advanced removal technologies that take out more and finer grit. The impact of grit and how it compromises pro-cesses like aeration and anaerobic digestion is often lost in the regularity of annual maintenance and repair budgets to down-stream equipment.

Asking the right questionsThe following questions should be considered objectively:

Do you ever have to replace pumps and valves due to abrasion wear? Have you had to invest in special abrasion resistant ma-terials to reduce wear?

Do you ever have to clean out pipes and channels because of accumulating debris at dwell points or in long, low ve-locity flows? How much time does this take?

Has the flow rate through your treatment plant diminished since it was commissioned? Do you know by how much compared to the design flow? How is this affecting your plants efficiency? How efficient are your essential pro-cesses such as aeration and anaerobic digestion? Has their efficiency been reduced, and if so, by how much?

Has your power consumption for moving water around the plant gone up? Is this because the pumps used in mixing, aeration, sludge pumping, feeding digesters and tanks have become less efficient? Has your power consumption to aer-obically treat your flow increased?

Have you invested in extensive alternative redundancy so you can take parts of your process off-line for cleaning and maintenance? Or have you tankered sludge or other liquids for treatment off site when your sludge treatment processes need maintenance?

Are costs being assigned properly?It is highly likely you answered Yes to many of these

questions, and all of these answers could be a consequence of grit. The problem is that O&M engineers often consider that each of the costs belong to separate ongoing O&M budgets,

What can you do to determine and manage WWTP grit costs? By Keith Hutchings

A high-performance grit removal system can significantly reduce downstream plant operating costs.


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Application contractors, the speciers and owners of North American water and wastewater projects are encouraged to enter. Details are available online at www.sherwin-williams.com/impactaward. Entries will be reviewed by an independent panel of water industry experts. A presentation of the three nalists will be made at an award ceremony at WEFTEC New Orleans on September 27.

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assigned to different parts of the plant.Surely, if there were a single common

cause of these separate costs, and removal of this factor would minimize each of these costs, a significant total savings opportuni-ty would open up for the entire plant?

That single common factor is likely the load of grit and sediment that is car-ried in surface water into sewers before passing through inlet screens and insuffi-cient grit removal equipment. Plants may often be only removing a small percent-age of the total grit carried in raw water.

Are design criteria correct?Based on decades-old guidelines,

conventional grit removal designs usual-ly target 95% removal of grit particles of 200 micron or greater. The conventional standard has assumed all grit is spherical silica sand, with a diameter of 212 mi-cron, and a specific gravity of 2.65.

Hydro Internationals experience of working with more than 400 treatment plants over more than 30 years shows that the majority of grit carried in surface water flow is, in fact, smaller than 200 microns in diameter.

The way grit settles in wastewater is complex, governed by a number of factors, including size, specific gravity, shape and tendency for agglomeration. A range of materials, including soil and organic matter that are relatively light and carried along easily in storm flows, settle out when the flow rate and veloc-ity diminish, e.g., in tanks and basins. Most grit is smaller and lighter than the standard against which conventional equipment is designed.

Calculating pay backMany treatment plants are already

experiencing the process and O&M ef-ficiencies gained by targeting to remove 95% of all grit 75 microns and greater from raw incoming waters after me-chanical screening.

For others, the good news is that sav-ings can easily be calculated and used to justify upgrading equipment. It may take less time than you think to recover the investment in improved operation and en-


Savings made over 25 years using Advanced Grit Managementtechnology

US$

Grit tank / channel cleansing 1,703,775

Refurbishment of primary clarifier 2,628,300

Digester cleanout 1,192,400

Pump wear / maintenance 1,115,575

Centrifuge wear 405,650

Aeration basin cleanout 155,775

Total savings 7,108,550

Table 1.

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ergy use. Sample calculations of the cost of grit at an average treatment plant, using actual costs, show the extent of the mis-match, and how much it can add up to.

Studies made by sampling the in-let channels at wastewater treatment plants have shown that conventional grit removal of particles 200 microns and above may remove only 13% of the particle load on wet days, when 70% of grit arriving at the plant occurs. On dry days, when the particle load is low any-way, it may only remove 43%. The rest of the grit from 200 micron down to 70 micron and below is allowed through. This gives an overall removal efficiency of only 22% of the overall grit load ar-riving at the plant.

If a conventional grit system removes around 2,000 tons per year, the total ac-tual grit load (100%) arriving is 9,090 tons a year. As a result, 7,090 tons of grit a year (78%) is finding its way into downstream processes.

If an Advanced Grit Management (AGM) system was installed to remove 90% of the same total grit load, it would be possible to catch 8,181 tons per year.

As a result, 6,081 tons would not have to be cleaned out of downstream process-es. Operating efficiency would be im-proved. Equipment abrasion wear could be reduced by up to seven times. Clear-ing out digesters and aeration tanks

would be needed less often. If currently needed every five to ten years, this could be extended to 20 years or more. Lower downtime means less plant disruption.

Processes would also have more capac-ity because there would be less buildup in tanks, less blanketing of biological process-es and clogging of aeration nozzles.

Minimizing energy consumption is a major concern for all wastewater treat-ment plants, especially for those with aeration systems, which can consume up to 65% of the net power demand of a typical activated sludge plant. Energy studies at wastewater treatment plants also indicate that for every 1% of grit, 1% extra electricity is required, to com-pensate for less efficient processes and to pump the extra grit around.

Using mechanically induced vortex (MIV) grit separation technology as an example and based on typical average efficiency of removal for all grit with particle sizes of 106 micron and larger, savings from major cost centres can be quantified on an annual basis averaged over 25 years. (See Table 1.)

The Cost of Grit Calculator from Hydro International.

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Current typical annual costs using MIV grit removal technology are US$350,468. Typical annual savings using AGM grit re-moval technology are US$284,342.

This means that operating costs could be an average of just US$66,126 annual-ly, a saving of better than 80%.

Cost-benefit analysis for a high perfor-mance grit removal system indicates that, over a range of populations from 25,000 to 500,000, payback would be between

four to eight years. If existing grit removal technology in any one plant is more than 10 or 15 years old, payback on high per-formance grit removal could be almost immediate once the existing deposits and damage have been addressed. This is due to the immediate reduction in operating, maintenance and running costs.

Calculating the cost of gritManufacturers of grit removal tech-

nology now have more experience at collating and comparing operating data. Easy access to digital platforms also provides opportunities to share this data with other professionals worldwide. Hy-dro Internationals Cost of Grit Calcu-lator is available for anyone to use and is based on operating data from working with treatment plants across the world.

Where operational costs are not read-ily available, grit impacts and potential savings can be swiftly assessed using the calculator. It is also very useful for trying out what if calculations, all based on actual profiles of plants across a wide range of locations with varying climatic and environmental conditions.

Advancing grit removal performanceThe calculator is based on the prin-

ciples of Advanced Grit Management, a robust approach to the problem of re-moval of grit from raw wastewater at the inlet to the treatment plant. Proven in a very wide range of locations, environ-ments and climates, its science is based on a thorough understanding of grit content and behaviour, and high perfor-mance engineering.

Justifying an investmentMaking a case for improved grit re-

moval in a treatment plant may not be as challenging as first thought. By shar-ing and comparing operating data from plants worldwide, broad conclusions can be drawn that can help move an in-vestment argument forward.

Every plant is different and there is, of course, no substitute for a detailed site assessment of real-world grit con-centration and behaviour, and actual sampling of incoming effluent prior to a detailed plant design.

However, there can be no doubt that poor grit removal is a major source of avoidable process inefficiency, operating, maintenance and replacement costs, as well as contributing to unnecessary ener-gy usage. This conclusion alone should be sufficient to prompt any operator to begin investigating the opportunity that grit re-moval presents to make O&M savings.

Keith Hutchings is with Hydro International. For more information,

email: [email protected], or visit www.advancedgritmanagement.com


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Wastewater Operations

Wet wipes are a handy commodity in house-holds, hospitals, health-care centres, schools and

every place else where people need a quick tidy up. But if flushed, they can form large knotted balls of material that clog lift station pumps and interfere with the level controls.

Curtis Rooth, a sewer department foreman, was keenly aware of the prob-lem. Normally, his lift station pumps fill to about three metres of wastewater, start the on cycle and pump the wastewater. The pumps shut off when levels return to about one metre.

But one of the neighbourhood lift sta-tions would not always evacuate collected water. An expensive solution was to send a repair crew and vacuum truck to clear the offending debris from the floor and the pumps. Seeking a less costly solu-tion, Rooth observed that wipes and other non-flushable material collected during the lift stations off cycle and combined with grease to form a large knotted clump. Making matters worse, the clump would dislodge and move the liquid level trans-ducer, resulting in a bad water-level signal and poor pump control.

Rooth suspected the clumps formed at the grinder pumps inlet, which some-times prevented enough water from en-tering the pump. This caused it to cavi-tate, which could shorten the pumps life.

Rooths initial idea was to try an electric submersible mixer with fan-like blades. However, the wet wipes collect-ed and stuck on the blades during the off period, causing an excessive load on the motor and heavy vibration when running. Another concern was how to safely install the electric mixer without it accidentally cutting electrical wires.

Then, he tried the GridBee AP500 mixer from Medora Corporation. Since the unit is air-powered, there are no is-sues with electrical safety or mechani-cal rotating components. The installa-tion also does not require fastening the mixer to the wall or the floor. The unit is simply lowered with a chain, either all

the way to the bottom of the wet well, or suspended from the chain slightly above the bottom.

The AP500 mixer creates an upward, mixing flow from the bottom of the lift station. A non-clogging diffuser and a flow-concentrating outlet effectively scour the floor area of debris and send a

30 cm diameter stream of water upward. This flow keeps the wet wipes from forming clumps, allowing the wipes and any grease that has been broken up, to easily pass through the pump.

For more information, visit www.medoraco.com

Mixer helps solve sewage lift station wet wipe problem

The wet well remains clean without extra maintenance.

The AP500 air-powered mixer being lowered into the wet well.


Sustainability

Biochar has many applica-tions in helping with cli-mate change, food security, renewable energy and waste

management. It is carbon rich charcoal produced through thermal pyrolysis (300oC-700oC) of biomass, under little or zero oxygen conditions. The process also produces a mixture of organic gas-eous (syngas) and liquid fraction called wood vinegar as byproducts.

Feedstocks to make biochar are abundant and include carbon waste

streams from agriculture, forestry, ur-ban sources, farm wastes, livestock remains, human, food and other com-postable wastes. These are all low-val-ue materials with limited uses and high disposal costs.

Biochar has a tremendous porous and surface structure, which provides great habitant for micro-organisms, increases bioavailability, and creates a reservoir for water, nutrients and, in certain applications, pollutants. Using it as a soil additive increases plant growth

rates. This, in turn, provides an effective sink for sequestering atmospheric car-bon dioxide. Other benefits include: Less risk of reduced crop yield

during dry seasons; Reduce the need for chemical fertil-

izers containing nitrogen and phos-phorus;

Help retain nitrogen and sulfurs in soil, which also reduces emissions;

Facilitate reestablishment of vegeta-tion on sterile ground;

Inhibit the growth of molds or mil-dews;

Odour control; Filter out contaminants from shallow

soil water; Remove heavy metals and acids from

abandoned mine ponds; Bind toxins and prevent their leach-

ing into surface and ground water.Currently, a variety of biochar

derivatives are being produced, with different properties depending on the feedstock, pyrolysis condition, residence time and additives added. Standardization and classification of biochar types are required if it is to be marketed for public use.

Such regulatory initiatives are al-ready underway through many local and international organizations such as the International Biochar Initiative, Biochar Ontario and the Canadian Biochar Initiative. In December 2015, the Canadian federal government ap-proved commercialization of biochar in Alberta, based on a request by the Alberta Biochar Initiative.

Widespread benefits Biochar is one of the few climate

mitigation and soil enhancement tech-nologies that is relatively inexpensive, widely applicable and quickly scal-able. Also, there is a need for small municipalities to recycle their increas-ing amounts of sewage biosolids and organic wastes in a sustainable way. The technology has advanced so that any municipality could build its own pyrolyzer kiln (or microwave oven) and start converting wastes into biochar.

Mike Shiralian, PhD., is an inde-pendent biochar science consultant.

Email: [email protected]

Biochar offers many environmental benefits By Mike Shiralian

Biochar is carbon rich charcoal produced through thermal pyrolysis. Photo by Oregon Department of Forestry via Flickr.

How biochar is made, and its potential feedstocks. Infograph courtesy of the Alberta Biochar Initiative


Water Reuse

A new study, by a multidisci-plinary team of researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Hadassah

Medical Center, shows that eating veg-etables and fruits grown in soils irrigat-ed with reclaimed wastewater exposes consumers to minute quantities of car-bamazepine. This is an anti-epileptic drug commonly detected in wastewater effluents.

Fresh water scarcity worldwide has led to increased use of reclaimed waste-water, as an alternative source for crop irrigation. But, the ubiquity of pharma-ceuticals in treated effluents has raised concerns over the potential exposure for consumers to drug contaminants via treated wastewater.

The study was a randomized control study that exposed two groups of volun-teers to two kinds of food baskets, accord-ing to Professor Ora Paltiel, Director of the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, who led the research.

The first group consumed a basket of fruits and vegetables irrigated with re-claimed wastewater; the second group consumed fruits and vegetables irrigated with fresh water. Both groups drank bot-tled water throughout the study to neu-tralize any contamination from drinking water.

ResultsFollowing seven days of consum-

ing reclaimed water-irrigated produce, all members of the first group exhibited quantifiable levels of carbamazepine; while in the second group the distribu-tion remained unchanged from baseline. Levels of carbamazepine excretion were markedly higher in the first group versus the second.

These results demonstrated a proof of concept and came as a surprise to the research team. We had no idea what the results of this study were going to be be-cause it was a proof of concept, said Pro-fessor Paltiel, in an interview with ES&E Magazine. The fact that every single per-son in the treated wastewater group, after a week, had measurable and quantifiable

levels of carbamazepine in their urine was a wow phenomenon.

Interestingly, the researchers found that green leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and parsley, had the highest concentration of carbamazepine as the leaves are what took it up the most.

Water recycling expert, Dr. Bahman Sheikh, was also shocked by the results of the study as it was thought the osmotic root system of plants would block large molecules from entering the produce. However, he emphasized that the detected levels of carbamazepine pose no threat to public health.

There is no need to worry about this whatsoever, said Dr. Sheikh, in an interview with ES&E Magazine. You would have to live two hundred years to get one prescribed dosage of carbamaz-epine, and if you did that, you would still be safe.

The highest levels of carbamazepine detected in the volunteers were 50,000 times smaller than what would be de-tected if a person took two pills of the drug, according to Professor Paltiel. Furthermore, carbamazepine is consid-ered a safe drug, with people taking it for years.

We dont know if that has any med-ical effect at all, said Professor Paltiel. But that is not the point in environmental science. The point is if people are being exposed to something involuntary. Anoth-er question in environmental epidemiol-

ogy is: What else is there that we dont know about? PCPs, pesticides and other chemicals may also be persistent. The fact that one or two of them arent broken down means that concept exists and there is a potential exposure.

Further researchProfessor Paltiel said that from a

regulatory point of view, this study, if confirmed

Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine (ESEMAG) June 2016

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Transcript of Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine (ESEMAG) June 2016