Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine May-June 2012

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FEATURES

ISSN-0835-605X • May/June 2012 Vol. 25 No. 3Vol. 25 No. 3 • Issued June 2012

6 The twelve misunderstandings of green chemistry

10 Managing biosolids in a sustainable manner has many benefits

12 Biosolids dryer facility produces Class A fertilizer pellets

14 Management of transmission mains leakage requires analysis

18 ECO Canada recognizes environmental industry employers

20 Reducing spreadsheet error risk during municipal design work

26 Maximizing the return on investment of sludge transfer pumps

30 LEED 2009 and indoor air quality monitoring plans

32 DO system helps restore lakes, ponds and lagoons

34 Post-installation inspection of pipelines should be standard procedure

36 Canadian firm develops new solution to reducing mercury in water

38 Floating treatment wetlands mitigate lake eutrophication

42 Comparing Doppler and transit time flow meter measurement

44 Using turtles as indicators for wetland assessment and restoration

56 Mobile device apps can improve field data collection

59 A lasting repair for deteriorating wastewater clarifier weirs

60 SCADA for real-time disinfection calculations, modeling and alarming

64 Protecting the Grand River Watershed’s source water

Contents

DEPARTMENTS

Product Showcase . . . . . 71-75

Environmental News . . . 76-82

Professional Cards . . . . . 76-81

Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

46 Inflatable sealing plugs and bags protect against tank leakage

48 Choosing the right berm fabric to ensure proper spill protection

50 Cover system helps optimize wastewater treatment in cold climates

52 DeconGel helps decontaminate Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant

Editor and Publisher STEVE DAVEYE-mail: [email protected]

Consulting Editor TOM DAVEY

Sales Director PENNY DAVEYE-mail: [email protected]

Sales Representative DENISE SIMPSONE-mail: [email protected]

Accounting SANDRA DAVEYE-mail: [email protected]

Circulation Manager DARLANN PASSFIELDE-mail: [email protected]

Production Manager CHRIS MAC DONALDE-mail: [email protected]

Editorial Assistant PETER DAVEYE-mail: [email protected]

Technical Advisory BoardJim Bishop

Consulting Chemist, Ontario

Bill Borlase, P.Eng.City of Winnipeg, Manitoba

Peter Laughton P.Eng.Consulting Engineer, Ontario

Bill DeAngelis, P.Eng.Associated Engineering, Ontario

Marie MeunierJohn Meunier Inc., Québec

Peter J. PaineEnvironment Canada

Environmental Science & Engineering is a bi-monthlybusiness publication of Environmental Science & Engi-neering Publications Inc. An all Canadian publication,ES&E provides authoritative editorial coverage ofCanada's municipal and industrial environmental controlsystems and drinking water treatment and distribution.

Readers include consulting engineers, industrial plantmanagers and engineers, key municipal, provincial andfederal environmental officials, water and wastewaterplant operators and contractors.

Information contained in ES&E has been compiled fromsources believed to be correct. ES&E cannot be respon-sible for the accuracy of articles or other editorial matter.Articles in this magazine are intended to provide infor-mation rather than give legal or other professional advice.Articles being submitted for review should be e-mailedto [email protected].

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

PAGE 10PAGE 10

PAGE 34PAGE 34

A Bio-Batch SequencingBatch Reactor byNapier-Reid suppliedfor the Mafraq Wastewater TreatmentPlant in Abu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates.

Cover photo:

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-06-01 7:45 PM

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:32 PM

Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine6 | May 2012

Guest Comment

2. Chemicals should be biodegrad-able.

All substances end up in the environ-ment and when they do it is importantthat they don't persist or bio-accumulate.However, degradation can prevent (im-mediate) reuse and while the eco-systemwill recycle the carbon and other ele-ments, it may be preferable to maximizethe useful lifetime of complex (molecu-lar) substances. For example, food wasteis rich in interesting and useful complexmolecules that can be used for other ap-plications.

3. Water is the greenest solvent.Water has many attractions as a sol-

vent, but it is not a good one for many or-ganic compounds. It can affect thereactivity of many reagents and catalysts,and it can be difficult to work with. Itsability to dissolve small amounts of mostsubstances, means that water effluent canbe difficult to treat. We do need to makemore use of water as a solvent, but usingwater does not automatically make theprocess green!

4. Fossil-derived (non-renewable)chemicals should be replaced bybioderived (renewable) chemicals.

Petroleum-derived chemicals are notsustainable in the long term and we mustaccelerate their replacement with non-food biomass-derived chemicals. How-ever, we must not let this be an excuse fordeveloping impractical alternatives basedon scarce resources or complex, wastefulsynthesis routes. Bio-derived chemicalsare not automatically green. They must be

processed using green chemical methodsto make genuinely green and sustainableproducts.

5. Conventional sources of energymust be replaced by renewable sources.

The most wasteful use of our dimin-

While in Boston recently, Ienjoyed the benefit of apersonal tour of JohnWarner’s new facility, the

Warner Babcock Institute for GreenChemistry and I was reminded of thecontinued importance of his 12 Princi-ples of Green Chemistry and how theycontinue to be meaningful after almost20 years.

Our excitement at the growth in in-terest in green chemistry must, however,be tempered by a determination not toallow the concept and the principles thatunderpin it to be undermined by basicmisunderstandings of what is green andsustainable.

The term has been hijacked in somecases by labeling an entire area as ‘green’and thus making it more acceptable or fa-vorable, without a proper appreciation ofwhat it really means to be green. So, in thespirit perhaps more of Ebenezer Scroogethan Father Christmas, I now propose the12 Misunderstandings of Green Chemistry.

1. Hazardous chemicals must be im-mediately replaced.

Through EU REACH regulation andother instruments we are now identifyingchemicals, which are hazardous to humanhealth and/or the environment. Theseshould be replaced, but only with alterna-tives that we are confident are genuinelysafer - as well as being effective - acrosstheir life cycle. There is a tendency forchemical users to demand that all‘relisted’ chemicals be immediately re-placed. But we must be careful that we

don't make matters worse through hastyand ill-conceived substitution. What isclear is that we must invest more in R&Dthat is directed to finding genuinelygreener alternatives to these unwantedchemicals.

ishing fossil resources is single use burn-ing to make energy. A more intelligentuse of these increasingly precious re-sources is to make chemicals (see 4above). However, we must be more holis-tic in our selection of alternative energysources. Some of these are based on thelarge scale use of elements that have notpreviously been used in large quantities.We must look at the whole periodic tablewhen making major changes to our en-ergy and manufacturing infrastructure.

6. Involatile solvents are better thanvolatile ones.

Legitimate concerns about the dam-age to the atmosphere caused by volatilesolvents have led to a general belief thatall volatile organic compounds (VOCs)should be replaced and that involatile sol-vents are preferable. Apart from the dif-ficulty of finding enough involatilesolvents to replace the very many rolesVOCs have in today’s society, we are alsoin danger of replacing one environmentalimpact with another. Involatile solventssuch as ionic liquids are a useful additionto the green chemistry toolkit but dueconsideration must be given to all of their‘green credentials’ including resources,preparation, separation and toxicity, aswell, of course, as cost.

7. Catalysts are better than re-agents.

The replacement of widely used haz-ardous reagents such as aluminum chlo-ride and sodium chromate with catalyticalternatives rightly remains one of thegreat challenges in clean synthesis, butwe must be careful about the choice ofcatalyst and catalytic process. Many ofthe most interesting catalytic metals arealso becoming scarce and the process formaking some catalysts can in itself havehigh resource demands and produce largeamounts of waste. Efficient catalyst re-covery and reuse is also essential.

8. Halogenated compounds areharmful to the environment andshould be replaced.

While there are some large volumehalogenated compounds that need to bephased out, we must not bundle all halo-genated compounds in the same ‘red’

The 12 misunderstandings of green chemistryBy James Clark

continued overleaf...

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:32 PM

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basket. Nature turns over enormousquantities of organohalogen compoundsand we need to learn from it and avoid, asmuch as possible, compounds that it can-not deal with, such as perhalogenatedcompounds.

9. Bio-processes are preferable tochemoprocesses.

Nature has developed some supremelyelegant processes, which function in a be-nign environment using non-toxic speciesto give highly selective processes. How-ever, we have chosen to create a societybased on the engineering of resourcesthat goes beyond natural systems. It is un-reasonable to believe that we can performall resource-to-product processes usingnatural organisms. We can expect an in-crease in the number of industrial bio-processes, but chemical processes can beexpected to continue to dominate forsome time to come.

10. Alternatives need to be assessedby full life cycle analysis (LCA) beforethey are validated.

The appreciation that, if we cannotmeasure it, we cannot improve it has beenone of the most important developments

in green chemistry in the past 10+ years.Green chemistry metrics are now verymuch part of the toolkit. Part of this is theawareness that you cannot change onestage in a product life cycle without af-fecting other stages and hence life cycleawareness is important. But this needs toalways extend to a full LCA, which istime-consuming and dependent on thequality of input data.

11. Waste minimization should be apriority for any process optimization.

Clearly we do not want to producesomething that needs to be disposed of,since this is a loss of resource and causesharm to the environment. However,processes that only produce the one de-sired product are unrealistic. We need tofundamentally change our attitude andsee what we currently refer to as waste asco-products with value either within thatprocess or elsewhere. We can no longerafford the luxury of waste.

12. Hazardous or non-renewablechemicals in formulations should bereplaced.

Almost all chemicals are ultimatelyused in formulations and we need to rec-

ognize this more in green chemistry. Anadditional complication of formulationsis that changing any one component islikely to lead to a change in more thanone property. While undesirable compo-nents need to be replaced, we must becareful that a direct X for Y substitution -for example to make a product more“natural” or “bio” - may lead to a deteri-oration in performance and the need toadd other components to compensate forthis. We must treat formulations as awhole and find ways to simplify them,not make them more complicated.

Professor Clarkholds the Chair of Industrial & AppliedChemistry, andheads the GreenChemistry Centre ofExcellence at theUniversity of York,

York, UK. This article is reprinted with the permission of the Green Chemistry Network. www.greenchemistrynetwork.org

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Biosolids Management

benefits of sustainability are stressed.This mindset has been adopted in govern-ment policy. The Canadian Council ofMinisters of the Environment (CCME)has analyzed the benefits and drawbacksof biosolids’ use, as well as working onharmonizing environmental policy acrossCanada.

To gain insight into how biosolids werebeing utilized, CCME studied emissions,current legislation, biosolids quality andtoxicity, and emerging substances of con-cern (ESOCs). It has concluded thatbiosolids are an effective source of nutri-ents, organic matter and energy potential,but health and air quality impacts must beconsidered.

Land application of biosolidsThe most common method of

biosolids utilization is land application,which takes advantage of the nutrientcontent. It is estimated that approximately50% of all biosolids produced in Canadaare applied to land.

In land application, sludge must firstbe converted to biosolids through a stabi-lization process. The goal of stabilizationis to reduce the biodegradable content of

It is estimated that 3 trillion litres ofeffluent are discharged from waste-water treatment facilities in Canadaeach year, resulting in the production

of over 500,000m3 of dry biosolids. Man-aging sludge and biosolids is a problem,as they are odorous, contain pathogens,require storage and can account for 50%of the facilities’ operating costs.

With such large volumes to handle,and populations increasing, new tech-nologies and regulations are being ex-plored to process this waste efficientlyand sustainably.

Historically, sludge produced by atreatment facility was viewed as waste,and was usually disposed of at landfills,or incinerated. There are some benefits tothese applications: applying material inlandfills may help to create a bio-layerthat reduces emissions and greenhousegases, and heat exchangers can be used toharness some energy from the incinera-tion process. However, neither methodcomes close to realizing the full benefitsthat biosolids have to offer.

In today’s economy, and the currentclimate of environmental awareness, the

sludge, remove pathogens via tempera-ture and pH control, and eliminateodours. There are various ways to do this,with the most common being aerobic andanaerobic digestion, or chemical stabi-lization.

Once the preferred sludge stabiliza-tion process has been implemented at afacility, the sludge generator is responsi-ble for sample analysis for nitrogen-phos-phorus-potassium (N-P-K) content, traceelements and pathogens in the material.

The previous practice by the OntarioMinistry of the Environment (MOE) wasto issue a certificate of approval regulat-ing land application. However, the sys-tem has recently begun changing tonon-agricultural source material (NASM)permits, which are issued by the OntarioMinistry of Agriculture, Food and RuralAffairs (OMAFRA).

The NASM permit is the responsibil-ity of the landowner, and is typicallycompleted with the aid of a certifiedNASM broker. It allows regulated con-centrations of 11 elements of concern,methodology and amount and timing ofapplication, separation distances from

Annually, about three trillion litres of effluent are discharged from wastewater treatment facilities in Canada.

Managing biosolids in a sustainable manner haseconomic and environmental benefits By Scott MacIntosh

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:33 PM

May 2012 | 11www.esemag.com


source water or environmentally sensitiveareas, and soil types and topography.Currently, both the MOE and OMAFRAshare some jurisdiction over the land ap-plication process.

New NASM permits have changedland application rates, from the previousmaximum application of 5 cubic tons/ha/5years, to a new maximum of 22 cubictons/ha/5 years. The new number is ar-rived at by studying the surrounding ge-ography, pertinent hydrology, and theagronomy (i.e., which crop has beenplanted and how frequently it is har-vested). This process allows the permitapplicant to devise a strategy that matchesapplication rates with consumption rates,to achieve a nutrient balance over time.By increasing subjectivity in applicationevaluation, higher volumes of biosolidsshould be eligible for land application inthe future.

Although land application is the mostcommon method of utilizing nutrientsavailable in biosolids, there are severaltechnologies that use biosolids for fertil-izer production. N-Viro Systems, for ex-ample, is a company that takes undigestedorganic sludge from both municipal andindustrial facilities, and processes it tomake it suitable for land application.

The Pearl Nutrient Recovery Process,developed in British Columbia, can ex-tract phosphorus from concentrated nu-trient streams, such as sludge dewateringstreams, and turn it into an eco-friendly,pelletized fertilizer. Some municipalitiesalso add biosolids to compost piles,though this process is prohibited by leg-islation in Ontario.

Energy potentialApart from the nutrient content, the

most important sustainable feature ofbiosolids is the energy potential availablein the production process. Un-stabilizedsolids contain organic matter that, whenbiodegraded under controlled anaerobicconditions, produces bioenergy in theform of methane. Though this requiresharnessing and cleaning before use, on alarge scale it can offset significant energycosts at municipal wastewater treatmentfacilities.

Due to the extreme high demand andprice for gasoline in Europe, there is a fo-cused thrust for alternatives. In someareas of Europe, biogas produced fromwaste is actually converted into fuel for

vehicles. Although North America hasnot taken biogas production to this level,we are starting to see its use expand.

The City of Hamilton, Ontario, re-cently started a gas collection programthat actually feeds the natural gas grid.Enbridge has also been in talks with theOntario government about opening sev-eral co-generation facilities, wherebybiosolids and other organic materialssuch as fats, oils and greases are mixedand digested, and the gases captured andcleaned. Enbridge would like a premium

offered for biogas, similar to the premi-ums offered for solar and wind energy,for supplementing the grid with sustain-able energy.

If there continues to be a focus on pro-cessing biosolids, which were historicallyconsidered waste, an effective and sus-tainable solution could help to alleviatesome large, looming social issues.

Scott MacIntosh, P.Eng., is with R.V. Anderson Associates.

E-mail: [email protected]

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 10:40 PM

The demands of increased sludge production and risingdisposal costs prompted the need for an expansion ata wastewater treatment facility in Winston-Salem,North Carolina. The facility was using conveyors to

move dewatered sludge from their centrifuge to a storage build-ing. From here it was loaded onto trucks and transported to pri-vately owned sites.

The solution was an Andritz biosolids dryer system, whichwould turn the dewatered sludge into a marketable Class A, EQ(Exceptional Quality) fertilizer pellet.

Now, conveyors are depositing the sludge into a custom ex-tended hopper seepex BTI 70-24 progressive cavity pump withpaddle mixers to prevent bridging on top of the feed auger. Thispump can handle up to 640 gpm of dewatered biosolids with upto 35% dry solids contents.

A ribbon-screw auger moves the cake into the compressionzone at a rate that is three times greater than the physical capac-ity of the pumping elements. The high shear of the ribbon-augerand circulation of the thixotropic sludge reduces apparent vis-cosity, so it is easier and more efficient to pump.

The pressure side of the pump is fitted with a chemical in-jection ring, which meters polymer into the annulus of the sludge

pipe, using a MD 012-24 seepex metering pump. Polymer in-jection reduces friction loss from the cake and the resulting dis-charge pressures by up to 80%. The discharge pipe is fitted witha pressure switch that activates the polymer injection pump whenpressure reaches unsafe levels. The BTI pumps sludge through120 feet of 12-in pipe to the dryer building.

When sludge arrives in the building it is deposited in a 24-hour storage bin. A second seepex BTE 70-24 sits below thestorage bin. Here the dewatered sludge is pumped to a mixer andblended with pellets. The auger forces the material into the com-pression zone where it is moved into the piping by the cavitiesformed between the rotor and stator. The mixture is then runthrough the Andritz dryer system. The resulting product is fer-tilizer pellets.

By using progressive cavity pumps instead of conveyors,sludge has been contained and roughly $1,500 in capital costshas been saved per foot of conveyor.

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Water Supply

For decades, it has been commonknowledge among water pro-fessionals that surveying trans-mission mains for unreported

bursts/leaks using conventional technol-ogy will not turn up many. But there isno consensus on the question of why not.The simplest explanation has alwaysbeen that if we aren’t finding them, theymust simply not be there.

Bursts that do form on transmissionmains tend to be extremely large, oftenbetween 5 and 10 m3/hour. So, it might beassumed that bursts of this size willnearly always surface immediately. An-other explanation has persisted, that un-reported bursts do exist on large-diametertransmission mains, but are not detectablewith previously available technology.

Suspicion that transmission mains dosustain significant unreported leakage hasremained strong enough to spur the growthof a niche market for leak detection tech-nologies. Over the past decade, severalsuch technologies have been developed,and have now been used extensively.

Methods, costs and benefits of ad-dressing transmission main leakage aredifferent enough from distribution net-works to warrant separate consideration.The cost of detection, location and repairof unreported bursts on transmissionmains is significantly greater than on dis-tribution mains, which often leads utili-ties to simply exclude them from leakdetection programs.

Transmission mains leakage survey methods

Transmission mains present difficul-ties for a conventional acoustic correlationapproach to leak detection. Sound wavesattenuate more quickly as diameters in-crease, meaning that the larger the pipe,the closer together the access points needto be for these methods to be effective.

Conversely, transmission mains tendto have far fewer service connections,valves or hydrants available for use asconnection points. A connection pointevery 1,000 m is quite typical on trans-mission mains, as compared to perhapsevery 50 m on distribution mains. To

Figure 1: Measured frequency of unreported bursts compared to approximatepipe age.

Management of transmission mains leakage requires technical and economic analysisBy Kevin Laven and Allan Lambert

Figure 2: Distribution of number of bursts (leaks) among the five flow rate classifications.

Figure 3: The contribution to the total leakage rate of each of the five flow rateclassifications.

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:33 PM


Water Supply

make acoustic leak detection work inthese environments, either the space be-tween listening points must be reduced tomere metres, or the maximum effectiveseparation of listening points must be in-creased to kilometres.

Over the past decade, both resolutionsto this problem have been brought to mar-ket. The first approach is to bring theacoustic sensor to the source of the sound,by running tethered or free-swimmingacoustic sensors through the pipeline.This offers unmatched sensitivity to smallbursts, but is quite labour- and cost-inten-sive (typically around $25,000 per km).

The second is to develop better sen-sors, algorithms and methods to allowthose sounds that do remain after longdistances to be detected and isolated. Thishas resulted in the development of trans-mission main correlators. These devicesoffer a less expensive approach to trans-mission main leak detection (around$10,000 per km), but at the cost of lim-ited sensitivity.

When the goal is to maximize the vol-ume of real losses detected on a setbudget, transmission main correlators

often present the more favourable option.If the intent is to detect every possibleburst, then inline methods are more effec-tive.

Network configuration should also bea consideration in the selection of tech-nologies. Very long point-to-point trans-mission mains, with no connections toservices, can in fact be more efficient tosurvey using free-swimming inline meth-ods. Conversely, complex interconnectednetworks can present operational chal-lenges and risks that make inline methodscompletely impractical.

Frequency of unreported bursts ontransmission mains

The results of over 3,000 km of inter-national inline survey data, made avail-able by Pure Technologies Inc. and WRcplc, have been used in this analysis. Inlinesurveys avoid the acoustic attenuationproblem completely, so this data shouldprovide a sound picture of the frequencyof detectable unreported bursts.

The picture it paints is not a prettyone. These surveys revealed a range of 22to 166 unreported bursts per 100 km,with an average of 92 per 100 km.

Interestingly, irrespective of differ-ences in pipe material and geographic lo-cation, older groups of pipe seemed tohave higher rates of unreported bursts. Aplot of the average age for the variouspipe groupings versus the unreportedburst prevalence, confirms that this is arelatively consistent trend. It is possiblethat unreported bursts in the mains sur-veyed are in fact forming at a relativelyconsistent pace of around 1.6 bursts per100 km per year, and accumulating as abacklog over the decades.Influence of pipe materials, diameter

and geographic regionBreaking down the data by various

factors (where available) showed someinteresting differences. The incidence ofunreported bursts located varied by re-gion, ranging from 22 per 100 km in theMiddle East up to 128 per 100 km in Eu-rope. Steel and concrete mains had fewerthan 50 per 100 km surveyed, and castiron 166 per 100 km surveyed.

A trend was visible on diameters, withsmaller pipes generally showing higherincidence of unreported bursts, but with


May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:33 PM


Water Supply

the trend reversing below 600 mm. Thelower unreported burst incidence for di-ameters below 600 mm may be an indi-cation that conventional technologieshave been detecting them more effec-tively, leaving fewer remaining for the in-line surveys to find.

Using this data for improved management

Analysis of unreported transmissionmains burst frequency (1.6 per 100 kmper year) and average flow rate (7.7m3/hr) allows an average rate of rise ofreal losses due to unreported bursts on the

transmission mains covered by these datato be assessed as 0.016 x 7.7 = 0.12 m3

per hour per km of mains, per year ofpipe age (or per year since previous in-tervention). For example, 80-year-oldtransmission mains that have never beenchecked could accumulate around 10 m3

per km per hour of leakage from unre-ported bursts.

Along with the value of water, the rateof rise is a critical factor required to cal-culate the economic intervention fre-quency for transmission mains. Theeconomic intervention frequency is the

frequency with which a distribution sys-tem or transmission system should beproactively surveyed to minimize totalcombined costs of both the lost water andthe cost of the surveys.

The upshot of all this data is quitestraightforward. Transmission mains doindeed accumulate unreported bursts atrates similar to distribution mains. Inter-ventions on transmission mains are rathermore expensive than on distribution net-works, and should be undertaken perhapsevery five to 10 years. However, mosttransmission main networks have neverbeen properly surveyed, and have likelyaccumulated a massive backlog of unre-ported bursts.

The study has also highlighted the im-portance of recording the age of mains(or date since mains were last checked)and operating pressure, for inclusion inthe analysis of results.

Kevin Laven is with Echologics Engineering. Allan Lambert is with

Water Loss Research & Analysis Ltd. E-mail: [email protected]

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Management

commitment to the growth of the com-pany and all staff. Immediate steps weretaken to start integrating existing and newstaff into projects. The single most impor-tant attribute of the Streamline acquisitionwas that of retention.

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strongly encouraged to initiate social ac-tivities. These are varied and occurthroughout the year. The participation rateof employees is almost 100%. The follow-ing are some of the events held in the past:Défi à l’entreprise (Corporate challenge)Transfert was the 2011 winner among 50participants; Earth Day Canada’s upcy-cling challenge (Transfert was the 2011winner ); Montreal marathon; Snow pen-tathlon; Sledding day at Mont Tourbillon;Curling; A day in the country; Sugar campand field trips such as snowshoeing.

Sims Recycling SolutionsSims provide electrical and electronics

recovery and recycling, worldwide. Theywant to create an environment where in-dividuals are encouraged to reach theirpotential. One of the ways this is accom-plished, is by paying for continuing edu-cation through their Education AssistanceProgram (up to $2000/year) and by pro-viding continuous training for all employ-ees to help them develop and grow. They

The Environmental Employers ofthe Year Awards, presented byEnvironmental Careers Organi-zation (ECO) Canada, recognize

employers within Canada’s environmentalindustry for their commitment and dedica-tion to engaging employees, and providinga great place to work. Winning organiza-tions are chosen based on the feedback ofemployees through ECO Canada’s engage-ment survey and through Human Re-sources essays showcasing some of theorganizations’ most innovative HR strate-gies. The Awards were presented in Van-couver on March 13, 2012.

Whether you are an employer lookingto improve employee engagement, a midcareer professional exploring other op-tions, or a recent graduate seeking em-ployment in the environment sector,understanding what good employee en-gagement looks like is important. In noparticular order, here are the top five En-vironmental Employers of 2012.

LEPS – Langley Environmental Partners Society

LEPS is an environmental organiza-tion in the Fraser Valley, British Colum-bia. Although, as a nonprofit, it cannotoffer health benefits and regularly in-creasing wage levels, LEPS balances thisby being accommodating and flexiblewith staff hours and offering telecommut-ing options, allowing a healthy work-lifebalance for employees. LEPS also pro-vides “Flex Fridays”, where the office isclosed every second Friday. This flexibil-ity improves production by having happy,fulfilled and self-motivated staff.

EDI Environmental Dynamics Inc.EDI are environmental and natural re-

sources consultants in Western Canada.EDI maintain a commitment to “peoplefirst”, and have continued to grow in ameasured, sustainable way. In 2011, theydiversified their service and client basewith the purchase of Streamline Environ-mental Consulting.

It has been a relatively seamless tran-sition. Success did not happen by chance,but was a series of important and plannedsteps: it was imperative managers clearlycommunicated to new employees EDI’s

take this one step further, by investing inthe development and growth of their em-ployees’ children, by awarding a $1500.00university scholarship program throughtheir parent company.

Inside EducationInside Education is a charitable edu-

cational society in Alberta, that offers itsemployees unparalleled professional de-velopment opportunities. Employees'perspectives are broadened by the widevariety of experiences they provide themon the job: visiting a wind turbine opera-tion; flying over the oil sands; or hearingpresentations from experts in govern-ment, industry, aboriginal and environ-mental groups. In a more structuredlearning environment, they might be at-tending a management seminar, technol-ogy workshop, conference, or scientificlecture.

Last year Inside Education developedan innovative benefit called the Learning& Wellness Allowance, which provides adesignated annual amount for each em-ployee to pursue learning opportunitieson their own initiative.

Juile Checknita is with ECO Canada.For more information, visit

www.eco.ca/awards

Cindy Coutts of Sims Recycling Solutions (left), accepts the award from GrantTrump of ECO Canada.

Eco Canada recognizes progressive environmentalindustry employers By Juile Checknita

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Project Management

constructs and documents a spreadsheet ina logical manner so it can be checked, thenthe application of simple rules about whatshould, or should not, be done will im-prove the quality of the work produced.Research shows that best practices candramatically improve results, including in-creasing individual performance by a fac-tor of 10, and team performance by threeto five times.

Quality management systems distin-guish between design calculations andtechnical software. While both involveinputs, calculations and results, the dif-ference is in the transparency of the cal-culation.

Before the advent of computerizedspreadsheets, design calculations weredone with a calculator and written downon paper. Technical software, on the otherhand, was a compiled computer program(e.g., a process simulator); the user wouldinput data and the program printed out aresult. The user could not change pro-gram code, so once a program was veri-fied, its use was authorized until a newversion was released.

The advent of modifiable technicalsoftware (e.g., spreadsheets) blurred thedistinction between a design calculationand a piece of technical software.

If a spreadsheet is used to produce the

Alist of publicly reportedspreadsheet errors is main-tained by the EuropeanSpreadsheet Risks Interest

Group (EUSPRIG, www.eusprig.org).These errors have been discovered in vir-tually every situation where spreadsheetsare used, including municipal govern-ment operations, and their impact can besevere.

For example, the Nevada City budgetspreadsheet apparently worked correctlyuntil late December 2005, when it devel-oped a problem, causing the 2006 budgetto show a $5-million deficit in the waterand sewer fund. It took the City FinanceDirector almost a day to fix the problem,and, while he was working on it, he foundother errors in the spreadsheet thatneeded to be corrected.

As the preferred platform for engi-neering calculations, spreadsheets are apowerful programming tool that is prima-rily used by non-programmers who donot generally scrutinize their work asthoroughly as a computer programmerwould. Further, few engineers are explic-itly required to have spreadsheet skills,and very few engage in spreadsheet de-velopment as their main task.

Another concern is the lack of guidanceon spreadsheet “best practices”. If the user

equivalent of a paper-and-pen calculation(a design calculation), then it should bepossible to print the spreadsheet andcheck the printed copy as if it were ahand-generated calculation.

Once a spreadsheet contains hiddencells or macros, is linked to another file,acts as an interface to another program,or becomes a standardized engineeringcalculation, it ceases to be a design cal-culation, because the calculation is nolonger transparent. These spreadsheetsrequire a second level of checking (veri-fication) over and above that required fora design calculation.

Types of errorsSpreadsheet errors have been classified

into two categories: culpable violationsand blameless errors. A culpable violationoccurs when the user violates companypolicies (e.g., quality assurance) or worse(e.g., fraud). Such errors are not discussedhere. A blameless error is an unintendedmistake that may be either quantitative orqualitative (see Table 1). The differencebetween a spreadsheet with a qualitativeerror and one with a quantitative error isthat a sheet with a qualitative error maygive the correct result.

A common qualitative error is when aparameter (e.g., flocculation well diame-

Reducing spreadsheet risk during municipal designwork By Patrick Coleman


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Project Management

ter) is calculated in one place, but is hard-coded into another formula. The erroronly manifests itself when the sheet cal-culates a new retention time, changingthe flocculation well diameter.

Quantitative errors are incorrect formu-las, or data cells, that cause the sheet to givethe wrong answer. These may be planningor execution errors. A planning (logic)error is caused by an error in spreadsheetlayout or logic, while an execution (me-chanical) error is caused by a slip or a lapsewhen the sheet is being created.

Errors most commonly made by qual-ified professionals are quantitative, unin-tentional errors, such as: • Pointers that indicate the wrong cell.• Changes that are made to some, but not all, of a series of copied cells.• Incomplete ranges.• Temporary fixes (formula changed to value).• Confusion between relative and absolute references.• Incorrect units.• Function arguments in the wrong order.

The best practice is to document,test/check and control spreadsheets. A

number of references discuss these threeprotocols, and much of that research canbe found at www.eusprig.org. The prin-ciples that follow were extracted fromthese and other publications.

Principles for spreadsheet design1. Design your spreadsheet so it can

be checked. Authors must ensure that thespreadsheet can be easily checked. Apoorly designed spreadsheet can take 10times as long to check as a properly de-signed one. This has a direct impact onproject costs.

2. Use version and document control.Version control tracks who prepared/mod-ified the document, who checked it, whoauthorized its release to the design team,why it was released, and the dates of theseactions. Version control also establisheswhich version of the spreadsheet is current.

Most users have some idea of how touse a spreadsheet, and spreadsheet soft-ware is installed on most computers.Hence, the risk that a file could be mod-ified, moved or renamed is much higherthan with a computer-aided drafting file.

Many quality assurance systems re-quire that calculations be printed out,

signed and initialed. In this case, the paper,not the electronic copy, is the record doc-ument. Nevertheless, the electronic ver-sion must be preserved, because the nextversion will build on it. It must be clear tothe design team which version (printed, orelectronic) is approved for design.

3. Document the spreadsheet. Thespreadsheet should document the objec-tive of the calculations, why the calcula-tions are being done, their scope, whatcodes and conditions apply, and whatmight change applicability of the calcu-lations (e.g., further data from the client).

4. Identify assumptions that have acritical impact on the design and maychange. There are two types of pertinentassumptions. The first is accepted engi-neering criteria or judgment (e.g., densityof water). New information is unlikely tochange these assumptions. Backup forthese assumptions should be includedwith the calculations. The second typehas a critical impact on the design andmay change (e.g., weight of a standbydiesel engine).

5. Be able to check the printed copy ofthe spreadsheet using a calculator. If a

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:34 PM


Project Management

spreadsheet is a design calculation, thenit should be possible to check it using acalculator when it is printed off. If this isnot feasible, then either the spreadsheetis laid out incorrectly, or it should beviewed as technical software (andchecked as such).

6. Spreadsheets must be standalone. Aspreadsheet should be designed to standby itself. If it requires outside references,then a copy of the references should ei-ther be pasted into the sheet (e.g., a tablefrom a textbook), or stored with the cal-culations.

7. Minimize links to other spread-sheets. The Allied Irish Bank fraud costthe bank over US$700 million. Thefraudster simply replaced the sourcespreadsheet that fed the bank spreadsheetwith one of his own making. This high-lights some of the issues that can arisewhen one spreadsheet reads in data fromanother. If there is an error in the sourcesheet, it will propagate throughout thosethat it feeds into. If there is a circular ref-

erence, Excel will not detect it acrosssheets. If a link is lost because a sheet ismoved, the primary sheet will not updateproperly.

8. All numbers and sheets should bevisible. Quality assurance rests on thepremise of transparency; nothing is hiddenfrom the reviewer or user. Hiding cells orsheets will increase the risk of errors. Thisis what occurred when Barclays Capitalpurchased assets from Lehman Brothersin 2008. A clerk resized rows to make thespreadsheet easier to read before heprinted it to a PDF file, not realizing thatit contained hidden rows and columns.When he resized the rows, these becamevisible and were printed to the PDF file.This added 179 contracts that were notsupposed to be included in the sale.

9. Enter numbers only once (andgroup them together). Data and cellsshould be grouped together in a logicalmanner, so data is entered once anddata/formulas are grouped by function.

10. Identify/protect cells containing

input or formulas. Cells typically containtext, formulas, links and data. Data mayinclude constants, arguments for func-tions, and input. At a minimum, the sheetshould clearly mark where data is inputinto a cell by a user. Formulas are nor-mally identified by placing an explana-tion next to the pertinent cells.

11. Include units and unit conversions.Unit conversion is a common source oferrors, which is why they should never beembedded in a formula. Data in Excel isunit-less. The user must track the unitsand provide unit conversions. This is par-ticularly important when moving betweenmetric and U.S. customary units. Unitconversion should be identified as aninput, so it will be checked as part of thequality assurance process.

12. Beware of functions whose behav-iour depends on one of its arguments.Many functions in Excel have argumentsthat change their behaviour. If the argu-ment is not specified, the function will

Type Description Note

Quantitative Mechanical Pointing to the wrong cell or mis- Easiest to detect typing a number

Logic Wrong formula because of an error Harder to detect in reasoning Something is left out Difficult to detect

Qualitative Latent An error that only manifests itself Very difficult to detect when an input changes

Table 1: Classification of blameless errors.


May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:34 PM


default to a preset behaviour. For exam-ple, YEARFRAC calculates the fractionof the year represented by the number ofwhole days between two dates. The func-tion has three arguments: start date, enddate and basis. The default value for thebasis argument is 360 days per year.Good practice is for the user always tospecify the argument, and have it appearas an input in the spreadsheet.

13. The use of rounding functionsshould be explicit. Excel includes a num-ber of rounding functions (e.g., ROUND,FLOOR, and CEILING). When they areused, the raw value should be displayedadjacent to the rounded value. There is adanger that the rounding may not be ap-propriate for all inputs.

14. Understand the different effectscut-and-paste operations have on ab-solute and relative references. Absoluteand relative cell references behave differ-ently during a cut-and-paste operation. Itis not uncommon to introduce externallinks accidentally to a spreadsheet, whencopying cells containing absolute refer-ences into another workbook.

15. Trap errors. There are several dif-ferent techniques for trapping errors. Forexample: • Use the built-in Excel error checking.• Expected range: check a result to see if it is in an expected range.• Cross-foot: sum rows and columns and check if they are equal.• Balance: a mass balance should balance (e.g., COD in – COD out = Methane produced expressed as COD).

• Percentages and normalized ratios should add up to 100% or 1.• Room for expansion: start and end sums at blank cells (to allow for room for expansion).

16. Identify iterations. Identify areasand provide the logic whenever GoalSeek or Solver has been used to obtain avalue. Do not create hidden iterationloops.

17. Avoid merged cells. Avoid usingmerged cells for calculations. (Try CenterAcross Selection first.) Merging cells im-pedes the user’s ability to cut, paste andsort data.

Training and toolsThe primary challenge of training is

that most individuals feel they do not needit. Therefore, training should focus on thesafe use of spreadsheets in an engineeringenvironment—similar to the Q-ValidusSpreadsheetSafe course (www.spread-sheetsafe.com/) or O’Beirne’s Spread-sheet Check and Control textbook.

Auditing tools expand on the featuresin Excel to analyze and audit spread-sheets. Many are designed primarily fortracking and checking financial spread-sheets. A listing of these can be found atwww.eusprig.org.

There are a few tools that can be usedto check engineering design calcula-tions. One is Spreadsheet Detective,published by Southern Cross Software(www.SpreadsheetDetective.com). It re-duces the time it takes to check a spread-sheet because it shades cells to identifythe types of cells, lists all formulas, cre-

ates a dependency tree for a single cell,and identifies external links. Anothertool is Formula Viewer by Lyquidity So-lutions (www.lyquidity.com), which al-lows a user to inspect a formula and itsreferences in a side pane.

To summarize, there are eight con-cepts that are critical to spreadsheet en-gineering: 1. Follow best practices for spreadsheetdesign and version control. They improveperformance and reduce risk.2. Know how a spreadsheet will be usedby others (e.g., will they use it directly orjust use the results?).3. Know the spreadsheet’s function (e.g.,will it be given to a client or appended toa report?).4. Predict future uses and adjust designaccordingly (e.g., can the spreadsheet bereused on another project?).5. Follow good software design prac-tices when building the spreadsheet (e.g.,grouping inputs into one part of thesheet).6. Account for situation-dependent bestpractice requirements (i.e., knowingwhen you can break the rules).7. Design your spreadsheet knowing thatsomeone else may modify or check it.8. Do it right the first time.

Patrick Coleman, PhD, P.Eng., is with AECOM Water.


Project Management

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Wastewater Treatment

solids can experience clogs when stringymaterial get woven into a mass that getscaught in the pump.

Pumps represent a large part of awastewater treatment facility’s total in-vestment in equipment and account for alarge amount of the energy consumed.Because of this, a pump that is able tocontinually perform at its Best EfficiencyPoint (BEP) while pumping sludge is theideal option.

To say that the wastewater treat-ment process is unforgivingand abrasive on pumpingequipment would be an under-

statement, so selecting the correct pumpfor specific applications is essential. Oneapplication where extra caution is neededis sludge transfer.

Due to the inherent difficulty ofpumping sludge, gravity is used to trans-fer sludge whenever possible. However,when this is not viable, heavy-duty pump-ing equipment is required. Since sludgeis a viscous, thick material that often con-tains large amounts of grit and grease, ifa pump has not been specifically de-signed for sludge transfer applications,the end-user often experiences a varietyof problems.

Although the wastewater treatmentprocess is designed to remove any largesolids before primary and secondarytreatment occurs, removal of these objectsis not a flawless process. Often, primarysludge and return or waste activatedsludge will still contain large, stringysolids, which frequently clog pumpingequipment. This happens when solidscome in contact with the pump’s im-pellers, especially if the pump’s dischargeport is too small to pass these objects.Also, even pumps designed to pass large

The solutionThe preferred pump for demanding

wastewater applications is the centrifugalvortex pump. This pump has been de-signed with a semi-open impeller re-cessed into the volute section of thepump, which allows for clear passage ofsolids through the ports.

Unlike typical centrifugal pumps, theimpeller of a vortex pump is recessed intothe back of the pump’s casing. It creates

Blackmer System One centrifugal pumps in a wastewater application.

Maximizing the return on investment of sludgetransfer pumps By Jim Becker

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:35 PM



a liquid vortex in the open casing, whichdirects solids, slurry, sludge, grit, and stringy or fibrous material through thepump.

In addition to allowing for the clearpassage of solids, because only 15 to 20percent of solids come into contact withthe pump’s impeller, corrosion is greatlyreduced. The design also allows for thehandling of entrained air. Because of theirconcentric casing design, recessed im-peller pumps offer more reliable opera-tion at low flows, and can even be shut

off for extended periods of time.Because pumping equipment can rep-

resent a large part of the facility’s invest-ment in equipment, it is also important tokeep in mind the total cost of ownershipwhen selecting a pump. Not only cancentrifugal vortex pumps help reducemaintenance costs, but they can typicallybe much less expensive to purchase.

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Indoor Air Quality

LEED environment for product selection,this may not be a significant change.

Since IAQ starts at the product selec-tion stage, it is beneficial for LEED pro-fessionals interested in pursuing thiscredit to have an idea of what materialsshould be a concern when consideringIAQ testing. In addition, knowledge ofstrategies to mitigate a problem, prior totesting or re-testing, is advantageous.

When buildings incorporate carpetwith Styrene Butadiene rubber (SBR)backing, an additional test for 4-Phenylcy-clohexene (4-PC) is required. Due to the

nature of the sampling and analysis of thiscompound, re-testing may not be an optionprior to occupancy. So this is a factor toconsider when selecting carpet. If it is theonly option, due to cost and/or designchoice, flushing air from the room prior totesting is the best preventative measure.

Ultimately, the best strategy for suc-

cess is to keep your IAQ testing consult-ant involved in the process from start tofinish. They can guide you through theprocess and provide recommendationsfor scheduling and preparation that arespecific to your building, based on thesize, function, and any site specific issuesthat need to be addressed.

This process can then continue, evenafter success is achieved. Considering theinvestment spent designing a building tocreate ideal IAQ, a system for maintain-ing this should be integrated into thebuilding’s operation.

And therein lies the challenge. Whatwill happen when occupants move inphotocopiers, repaint, add furniture froma discount supplier or seal the concretefloors in the mechanical room? Activitiessuch as these have the potential to impactthe indoor air quality and cause occupantdiscomfort. An annual monitoring pro-gram can ensure the IAQ at occupancy isnot a one-time achievement, but a com-mitment to work towards the goals thatare the foundation of LEED.

Aisling Dennett is with MTE Consultants.


With the new guidelines, the number of locations requiring testing is relative tothe number of ventilation systems.

LEED 2009 and indoor air quality monitoring plansBy Aisling Dennett

For indoor air quality (IAQ), andmore specifically, EQ Credit3.2: Construction IAQ Manage-ment Plan: Testing Before Oc-

cupancy, the era of LEED® Canada-NC2009 means a few important changesthat can benefit the buildings they applyto and the tenants who will occupy them.

Leadership in Energy and Environ-mental Design (LEED) sets the frame-work for better choices when it comes tointerior finishes and construction materi-als. One credit that provides tangible ben-efits from these choices for buildingowners and occupants is EQ Credit 3.2.

Not long ago building flush outs wereoften the preferred approach to Credit 3.2as IAQ testing was considered a gamble.It was an expensive choice and resultstook days, if not weeks, which wouldoften rule out the possibility of re-testinglocations and/or parameters that failed.

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Water Quality

trapped in the anaerobic phase of thecycle.

In some cases, the water has been poi-soned with chemical algaecides or indus-trial pollution, so severely that there arefew or no beneficial indigenous microbesremaining.

Once loaded with nutrients and or-ganic matter, a pollutant sludge layer isformed at the bottom of the water bodywhich is also where the microbial popu-lation resides. Therefore, the solution liesat the bottom of the water body.

Sustainable solutionsThe EOS-2000 System restores water

bodies by increasing dissolved oxygenlevels throughout and clarifying the water.This is accomplished without mechanicalaeration or chemical treatment. It has beenproven to reduce unhealthy odours andturbidity, and reduce/eliminate undesir-able algae (including cyanobacteria), mil-foil and elodea.

Natural aerobic processes are en-hanced by the system to rejuvenate thewater. Under aerobic conditions, mi-crobes bring the water’s ecosystem intobalance, eliminating excessive organicdebris. This technology operates on theprinciple that the bottom layer controlsthe water quality. By increasing DOthroughout the water body, aerobic mi-crobes are stimulated to convert colloidaland dissolved carbonaceous organic mat-ter into various gases, like CO2, N2, celltissue, and precipitant complexes of sul-fur, sulfates, and phosphates in the water.These nutrient complexes are locked inthe bottom aerobic sediments, thereby

Suitable levels of dissolved oxy-gen (DO) are important for thehealth of fish, molluscs, aquaticplants, and aerobic microbial

populations; they are also critical torestoring, or maintaining, healthy watersystems.

When oxygen supply is limited inwater, microbes may completely depleteit, if they are faced with an overabun-dance of nutrients and organic matter todigest. With low DO levels, aerobic mi-crobes essentially become dormant andanaerobes prevail. Most ponds and waste-water lagoons experience cycles of anaer-obic and aerobic conditions.

Aerobic and facultative microbes pro-liferate with a greater efficiency under aer-obic conditions and efficiently perform the“housekeeping” functions of degrading or-ganic sludge and clarifying the water.However, when these microbes use up theDO, the water becomes anoxic and bacte-ria are forced to enter an anaerobic phase.

During the anaerobic phase, oxygengets scavenged from the sulphates, ni-trates and phosphates, reducing them tomalodorous hydrogen sulfide and ammo-nia. Phosphorus is freed into the watercolumn, making it available to feed algaeblooms and consequently contributing toeutrophication. Anaerobic zones alsocarry harmful polluting bacteria, includ-ing methanogens and sulfur-reducingbacteria that produce greenhouse gases.The rate of pollution at times overwhelmsthe natural processes that ponds, lakesand lagoons use to increase DO. Whenthis occurs, water bodies often remain

helping to maintain a balanced andhealthy ecosystem.

Specialized coherent low energy wavesgenerated by the system facilitate and en-hance ionization of water and formation ofhydronium and hydroxyl ions. As the en-ergy and concentration of these energywaves (of specific frequencies) increases,a coherency factor is imparted to the water,arranging the ions in orderly units.

Furthermore, this specific energybreaks the hydroxyl bond and facilitatesthe formation of the superoxide anion(O2

-). DO being generated in this ionicform is more efficient (readily reactiveand easily assimilated by the organisms),than gaseous oxygen. This reactive formof oxygen stays in the water until it isconsumed and it has also been provensafe for fish. Some pH and hydrogenshifting may take place, but is non-mea-surable.

Additionally, this technology ampli-fies a natural process of dissolution ofoxygen into water. With the overall in-crease in the energy, molecular hyper-bolic centripetal rotations (vortexingaction) take place, causing suction of at-mospheric oxygen from the air, throughthe water-air interface.

During the course of treatment, a dra-matic cyclic pattern has been consistentlyobserved. The peaks depict high DO con-centration levels near saturation. Theseare followed by troughs that indicate vig-orous consumption of excess DO by ac-tive proliferation of the aerobic andfacultative microbial population. Theselow levels of DO are quickly remedied

Anaerobic water condition. EOS-2000 System.

DO system helps restore lakes, ponds, and lagoonsBy Astha Vashisht


Water Quality

with the EOS-2000 System as it is con-stantly generating DO. This cycling con-tinues until the body of water achieves anecological balance.

Under conditions of enhanced oxygensupply, facultative bacteria behave aero-bically, converting complex organicsludge into simpler compounds. Aerobicnitrifying bacteria (Nitrosomonas and Ni-trobactoer) convert the ammonia to stablenitrates. Nitrates in the presence of highDO undergo aerobic denitrification andare converted to nitrites, nitric oxide, ni-trous oxide and finally to diatomic nitro-gen gas, which leaves the water system.

Enhanced oxygen directly oxidizeshydrogen sulfides and the phosphorus(organic and inorganic), precipitating sul-fur and phosphate complexes in the bot-tom sediment. Therefore, oxidation ofhydrogen sulfides eliminates the problemof malodours, because aerobic conditionsneeded by healthy water systems arebeing maintained.

Locking up phosphorus as complexsalts (aluminum, iron and calcium phos-phates) in the bottom, reduces feed for thealgae and keeps it, or excessive aquatic

plants, from growing.Chemical treatment has been a com-

mon way to treat stressed water bodies.However, chemical intervention treatssymptoms and not the whole water body.Some commonly used chemicals includeFeCl3 and alum (hydrated potassium alu-minum sulfate). Both of these chemicalsare harmful to aquatic organisms, andtoxic to beneficial microbes and compactsoils/sediments.

Using the EOS-2000 System, the

water’s ecosystem is revitalized in a nat-ural way, in the absence of chemicals,making it a safer habitat for aquatic floraand fauna. It is solar powered and can beemployed in remote areas. This not onlymakes it eco-friendly, but also very cost-efficient, since there is no cost of gener-ators, blowers or chemicals.

Astha Vashisht is with WCI Environmental Solutions Inc. E-mail:

[email protected]

Aerobic water condition.

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:36 PM

34 | May 2012 Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine

Infrastructure

Former U.S. President RonaldReagan once said “trust, butverify,” when referring toAmerica’s relations with the

former Soviet Union. While the subse-quent fall of communism arguably rankshigher in historic significance, stormpipe infrastructure is clearly importantenough to warrant the use of Reagan’ssignature phrase as well.

The deteriorating state of aging infra-structure has become a pressing concernat all levels of government. In some cases,long-delayed repairs to bridges, highwaysand roadway pipeline drainage systemscan no longer be postponed. In others, de-cisions made in hopes of saving money inthe short term are coming home to roostin the form of earlier-than-expected re-placement and repair bills.

Many of these expensive projectscould have been avoided. One simple stepcan mean the difference.

Post-installation inspection of all cul-

verts, storm, and sanitary sewer systemscan ensure proper design life and safe op-eration of the roadway systems they sup-port. This common sense approach toquality assurance should become stan-dard operating procedure with provincialtransportation ministries, regional gov-ernments, and municipalities.

Storm and sanitary sewer system own-ers have long recognized that the onlyway to adequately ensure a product’sservice life is to confirm that it has beendesigned and installed correctly. Opera-tors recognize that some type of post-in-stallation quality assurance is essential.This will confirm that the culvert, orpipeline system, was not damaged duringconstruction in a way that could result ininadequate structural capacity, require ex-cessive maintenance, or cause unantici-pated failures.

Over the past several decades, tech-niques for the inspection of sanitary sew-ers have steadily improved. Remotevisual examinations with camera andvideo equipment have become common-place over the last 20 years. Inspectiontools that can confirm shape control of

Remote visual examinations with camera and video equipment have becomecommonplace. Photo: Courtesy of American Concrete Pipe Association

Why post-pipeline installation inspection should bestandard operating procedure By Professor A. Abolmaali

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flexible pipeline systems were developed,as flexible conduits entered the sanitarysewer market decades ago.

More recently, laser profiling and lasermicrometer measuring devices are speci-fied more commonly, and an increasingnumber of contractors are equipped toperform this work as an enhancement totraditional video inspection. Laser profil-ers are stand-alone tools used with closedcircuit television video (CCTV) surveysystems to collect data and create reports.This technology measures faults and fea-tures inside the pipeline, including pipesize, water levels, deformation, and hy-draulic capacity. Laser micrometers arenormally part of the camera apparatus andcan be used to measure cracks, joint gaps,and other conditions that might be foundinside the pipe.

Though laser technology has beenaround for more than a decade, recent de-velopments in digital video analysis havemade it a substantial improvement overtraditional video inspection and mandreldeflection testing.

The benefits of post-installation in-spection to each of the stakeholders in the

storm and sanitary sewer installationprocess are many, and clearly outweighthe modest additional cost associatedwith performing them.

Design engineers benefit from the re-assurance that their design assumptionswere correct and that proper installationstandards were followed. This, in turn,mitigates their liability due to prematurefailure.

Installers gain from the reduced like-lihood of liability, because any damagethat may have occurred during the instal-lation process should be identified, prop-erly evaluated, and remediated if needed.Knowing in advance that an inspection isscheduled to take place provides furtherincentive for installation crews to remainvigilant throughout handling, storage,and installation.

Project owners benefit from post-in-stallation inspection by receiving athird-party “seal of approval” that theinstallation was sound and trouble-free.This, in turn, ensures that the pipeline’spredicted service life will likely be metor exceeded, and the risk of an expen-sive failure or excessive maintenance is

unlikely. Pipe producers and suppliers with

stringent quality control standards wel-come the independent confirmation ofstructural integrity in the field environ-ment. Post-installation inspection ensuresthat their product was installed properly,reducing the potential for liability due tounanticipated maintenance or failure.

The public deserves safe roadwaysand the structurally sound infrastructurethat supports them. Pipelines are the “un-seen bridges” of our ground transporta-tion systems. As such, requiring theadditional step of post-installation in-spection of these critical systems is a rareexample of an “everyone wins” approachto construction.

Professor A. Abolmaali is with the University of Texas at Arlington.

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Awastewater treatment process that uses a highly ef-fective adsorbent to reduce mercury to extremelylow levels has been developed by ZorbTech Envi-ronmental Solutions.

During the course of research to develop this process, a spe-cial adsorbent was formulated that has the capacity to absorbmercury and potentially other heavy metals.

An independent research laboratory in the United States wascontracted by Biosafe Environmental to test the adsorbent, athio-based functional resin, and compare its performance withseveral known media now used for the removal of mercury.Using wastewater samples from a chlor-alkali plant, bench testsdemonstrated that 99.999% of the soluble mercury in the con-taminated stream can be removed.

Mercury, when released into the environment, is often con-verted into more toxic methyl mercury chloride by aquatic or-ganisms and accumulated in the tissue of fishes and birds. Whenadult humans consume seafood and fish with high levels ofmethylmercury, it affects the nervous system, resulting inParkinson’s-like symptoms. In small children, it can cause per-manent damage to the central nervous system.

For these reasons, mercury must be removed to very low lev-

els from the wastewater generated by industries such as chlor-alkali plants, gold mines and metal smelting and plating opera-tions. Traditional treatment methods, such as sulphide/carbonsystems cannot reduce mercury to the levels required by newregulations, so more effective wastewater treatment methodsneed to be developed.

Understanding the complexities surrounding mercury, andits ability to attach itself to a multitude of compounds, is the firststep in solving this difficult problem.

New regulatory limitsStrict regulations on the amount of mercury to be removed

from highly contaminated waste streams have been imposed incertain U.S. states. For example, all mercury discharges into theOhio River must not exceed 0.012 ug/L. This is 12 ng/L, or 12parts per trillion, and has proven to be extremely difficult toachieve in waste streams that are highly contaminated with mer-cury. Unlike sewage waste streams, which have an average mer-cury content of 120 ng/L, the contamination levels in these wastestreams in some cases exceed 1,600,000 ng/L.

As discharge limits reach parts per trillion, established watertreatment methods fall short. For example, the standard polymerand sulphide approach for mercury achieves average removalrates of 1,000 to 10,000 ng/L.

One of the current approaches to achieve the new regulatorylimits is to add a carbon bed to an existing system. These retrofitsetups do achieve a lower mercury concentration, but not con-sistently to the 12 ng/L level. What is left is dissolved mercuryat levels that are still in the 200–500 ng/L range.

Often the carbon medium is depleted faster than anticipated.The result is that high levels of mercury are still discharged intothe ecosystem. New treated carbons and synthetic media havehad some success, but suffer from rapid depletion, as well as in-creased cost.

Starting from scratchThe testing phase of the new process for removing mercury

initially utilized methods such as modified isotherms that wereestablished for carbon. Carbon media and other natural and syn-thetic media are not the same, so comparing data was like com-paring apples to oranges. However, the capacities of variousmedia were compared in order to establish a benchmark in termsof how each medium could adsorb a given volume of mercury.

For example, the results of the study showed that carbon wasable to adsorb 1,170 ng/gm of mercury from an initial concen-tration of 320,000 ng/L. The proprietary adsorbent DioSorb™was able to adsorb 145,000 ng/gm from the same concentration.

During the course of these tests, the research team began toexplore why the amount of mercury being removed did not meetcertain expectations or preconceived levels, based on the resultsof earlier tests. It was determined that a new approach wasneeded.

The first new approach was based on the theory that other

Canadian company develops cost-effective methodfor removing soluble mercury By Don Wilson and Bill Purves

Continued on page 63...

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-06-01 7:46 PM

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-06-04 10:05 AM

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Water Resources

and polishing of tertiary wastewater, alongwith lake restoration.

Fisheries managers will be especiallyinterested in the productivity potential af-forded by a biological system, which canreduce algae and grow more (and bigger)fish.

An enhanced floating treatmentwetland (FTW) that incorpo-rates air diffuser technologyis under evaluation in an on-

going study at Floating Island Interna-tional in Montana. The latest-generationsystem lifts and circulates water throughfloating streambeds within the FTW. Thiscombination of FTW and improved watercirculation/aeration is part of a productrange called BioHaven®. The primary ob-jective of the study is to determinewhether biofilm-based microbes can pro-vide nutrient removal, while increasingfish productivity.

This system, which is a new type ofconstructed wetland, has been evaluatedfor treatment of agricultural effluent andmunicipal wastewater. Cost-effective treat-ment options for end users with limitedfunding will be its greatest benefit. It canprovide treatment of agricultural-impactedwaters, municipal wastewater, stormwater

OverviewWetland areas have been reduced

worldwide, while nutrient loading has in-creased with growing human popula-tions. Mass-production agriculture, aspractised in many developed nations, cancontribute to hyper-eutrophication inwater bodies that were previously low innutrient concentrations. In fresh water,partly as a result of normal seasonal strat-ification, nutrient loading can depleteoxygen levels within the livable temper-ature zone for fish species.

Over the last 11 years, Floating IslandInternational (FII) has developed the Bio-Haven FTW technology, which mimicsthe ability of natural peat-based wetlandsto purify water. The Leviathan™ extrap-olates this technology by maximizingsurface area and circulation, which arekey components of wetland effectiveness.The islands are also designed to provideoptimal perennial plant habitat.

Figure 1. Fish Fry Lake near Shepherd,Montana.

Floating treatment wetlands mitigate lake eutrophication By Mark Reinsel

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:36 PM


Water Resources

System backgroundDissolved oxygen and temperature

measurements taken on Fish Fry Lake,FII’s 6.5-acre research lake in 2008/2009indicated that stratified water near thesurface was too warm to sustain a trout

fishery. While temperatures below thestratified warm water layer were suffi-ciently cool for trout, that zone containedlow dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. Dur-ing late summer, no strata of water couldconsistently provide the cold-water, high-

DO environment demanded by fish, suchas rainbow, brown and Yellowstone cut-throat trout.

Groundwater containing variable nu-trient concentrations enters the lake at an


Figure 2. Schematic of Leviathan floating treatment wetland.

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Water Resources

estimated average rate of 18 m3/hr. Sur-face water also flows into the lake withvariable nutrient concentrations and flowrates. Evaporative loss and outflow arebalanced to maintain the lake level, whichis approximately 9 m deep.

As the lake was filled several yearsago, a series of BioHaven floating islandscovering 5,200 square feet (480 m2) oflake area and providing over 9.3 ha of sat-urated surface area was installed. Severalislands were positioned next to the inflow

to maximize exposure to the highest nu-trient concentrations. These islands weredesigned to maximize production ofbiofilm (organisms attached to underwa-ter surfaces), and to move nutrients intoand through the food web.

After addition of the last 232-m2 FTW,floating islands now cover approximately715 m2, or 2.7% of the lake’s surface area.

Active treatment system with floating streambed

Leviathan is an enhanced form of con-structed wetland, and is FII’s latest effortto move excess nutrients into the foodchain or harvest them. It integrates high-volume, low-pressure circulation withmatrix surface area constructed of post-consumer (recycled) polymer fibers, formaximum wetland performance. Air-dri-ven directional diffusers circulate up to2,300 m3/hr, pushing it through the Bio-Haven matrix and plant roots.

The system’s floating streambed con-tributes to aeration and nutrient uptake.The FPZ-brand air diffusers require 3 hp(2.2 kW) to operate, typically with 230Vsingle-phase power.

Leviathan is designed to provide the

Figure 3. Dissolved oxygen and temperature gradients at Fish Fry Lake, before(2009) and after (2010) Leviathan implementation.

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Water Resources

complete “wetland effect,” including aer-obic, anaerobic and anoxic microbial nu-trient conversion. This allows it to treatlarge, nutrient-rich stratified bodies ofwater, including “dead zones,” in bothfreshwater and marine settings. Removalof ammonia, nitrate, phosphate and solu-ble organic carbon has been demonstrated.

The system can move nutrients fromany depth into and through the islands’biologically active substrate. In theprocess, these nutrients are digested bybeneficial microbes and form periphyton(attached plant and animal organismsembedded in a polysaccharide matrix,similar to biofilm), which is the base ofthe freshwater food chain. As these ex-cess nutrients transition into the foodchain via biofilm/periphyton, both waterquality and fish growth rates can be dra-matically improved.

Leviathan can de-stratify water bod-ies, resulting in greatly expanded habit-able zones for targeted fish species. Aspart of this process, high DO levels canbe achieved and maintained, and watertemperatures homogenized.

ResultsA 232-m2 Leviathan system, incorpo-

rating floating streambeds and grid-pow-ered water circulation, was installed inthe lake in April 2009. This system circu-lated up to 770 m3/hr through the streamchannels within the island. Each cubicmeter of Leviathan’s matrix, averaging0.64 m in thickness, provided 820 square

meters of surface area. After 17 months of operation, water

clarity had improved from a low of 0.36m of visibility to as much as 3.3 m. Clar-ity is now at 5.8 m. Simultaneously, thewater temperature gradient was reduced,creating a larger zone of “livable” waterfor fish. Two age classes of Yellowstonecutthroat trout were introduced 13 and 14months into the test. Through the summerof 2010, a favorable temperature/dis-solved oxygen strata, ranging from thewater surface down to a depth of at least3.7 m, was maintained as potential cut-throat trout habitat.

One-year-old and two-year-old blackcrappie were also introduced two monthsinto the test, and naturally-occurringnorthern yellow perch were present in thelake when it was filled. All three specieshave flourished.

The new aeration scheme in the lakeimproves water quality by incorporatingdissolved phosphorus and nitrogen intothe aquatic food web, in the form of pe-riphyton, while limiting the growth ofdeleterious algae. Total phosphate con-centrations are reduced from about 0.04mg/L to 0.02 mg/L, while nitrate-nitro-gen concentrations decrease from about0.6 mg/L to 0.01 mg/L.

Fish Fry Lake is relatively unique inthat it supports fish accustomed to coldwater (Yellowstone cutthroat trout), tem-perate water (perch) and warm water(crappie). Montana officials have made

two unsuccessful attempts at sustainingcutthroat populations in an adjacentstretch of the Yellowstone River.

Fish catch rates and growth rates arenow being monitored at the lake. Initialdata show that experienced fishermencatch an average of one perch every twominutes. Visual observations from divingand an underwater viewing station indi-cate that perch approaching or exceedingthe Montana state record of 1.0 kg nowinhabit the lake.

The perch harvest at Fish Fry Lake av-eraged 12 kg of fish per week from May-November 2011. With a phosphoruscontent of 0.9% in perch, phosphorus re-moval from the lake via fishing averaged0.10 kg/wk, or 84% of the estimatedphosphorus input to the lake.

In summary, Fish Fry Lake was poisedto become another eutrophic waterway,until a new form of applied stewardshipwas introduced, which reversed theprocess.

Mark Reinsel is with Apex Engineering.E-mail: [email protected]

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

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F)

Depth (ft)

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Figure 4. Maximum livable depth for Yellowstone cutthroat trout at Fish FryLake, before and after Leviathan implementation.

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Flow Measurement

immune to chemicals, abrasives and pres-sure. They work on non-conductive flu-ids, including oils, and are not affected byelectromagnetic fields or radiation. Theyhave a wide temperature operating range,plus excellent repeatability and reliableoperation.

At the heart of each ultrasonic trans-ducer is a piezo-electric crystal. Thepiezo-electric crystal was discovered in1820 by French physicist Pierre Curie,but it was not until the mid 1900s, that thetechnology was applied in industrial sens-ing applications. The piezo-electric crys-tals, which are glass disks about the sizeof a coin, are embedded in rugged metalor plastic housings. Specially-selectedmaterials conduct sound efficiently,through the face of the transducer.

These crystals are polarized and ex-pand, or pulse, a minute amount whenelectrical energy is applied to the surfaceelectrodes. As it pulses, the transduceremits an ultrasonic beam approximately5 degrees wide, at an angle designed toefficiently pass through a pipe wall. Thereturning echo (pressure pulse) impacts asecond passive crystal and creates elec-trical energy. This is the received signalin a Doppler or transit time transducer.

Transit time flow meters must have apair of transducers. One transducer trans-mits sound, while the other acts as a re-ceiver. As the name suggests, these flow

Doppler and transit time aretwo very popular types offlow meter for non-invasivemeasurement of flow in full

pipes. These technologies are often con-fused, because they are both ultrasonic,and both measure flow by using sensorsclamped onto the outside of a pipe. Theyactually work best in opposite applica-tions and successful installation dependson understanding the differences andmaking the right choice.

Ultrasound is sound generated abovethe human hearing range, i.e., above 20kHz. Ultrasonics are a mature technologyand widely used in medical and industrialapplications.

The transducer clamp-on design ispopular because the flow meters can beinstalled without cutting the pipe, or shut-ting down flow. There is no pressure drop,and the non-contacting transducers are

meters measure the time it takes for an ul-trasonic signal, transmitted from one sen-sor, to cross a pipe and be received by asecond sensor. Upstream and down-stream time measurements are compared.

With no flow, transit time would beequal in both directions. With flow, soundwill travel faster in the direction of flow,and slower against the flow. Because theultrasonic signal must cross the pipe to areceiving transducer, the fluid must notcontain any significant concentration ofbubbles or solids. Otherwise, the highfrequency sound will be attenuated andwill be too weak to traverse the pipe.

Transit time transducers typically op-erate in the 1-2 MHz frequencies. Higherfrequency designs are normally used insmaller pipes and lower frequency de-signs for large pipes up to several metresin diameter. Operators must select trans-ducer models/frequencies, according tothe application.

Transducers can be installed on oppo-site sides of the pipe, so that the ultra-sonic signal travels once diagonallyacross the pipe. This method is called ‘Z’mounting and typically is used in largepipes, or weak signal applications. Themost common mounting configuration is‘V’ mode. Transducers are installed onthe same side of the pipe, with the soundbouncing off the opposite pipe wall, sothat it crosses the pipe twice. ‘W’ modemounting is often used in very small di-ameter pipes, where the signal crosses thepipe four times.

As calibration parameters are entered,the flow meter’s software will normallyspecify the recommended mountingmethod and transducer separation dis-tance.

The Doppler Effect was first docu-mented in 1842 by Christian Doppler, anAustrian physicist. It is the distinct tonechange, for example, from a passing trainwhistle, or the exhaust from a racing car.We hear this tone change, or Doppler Ef-fect, only because we are stationary andthe sound transmitter - the train or theracing car - is in motion.

Doppler flow meters use the principal

Portable Doppler flowmeter.

Comparing Doppler and transit time flow measurement technologies

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:36 PM


Flow Measurement

Transit Time Ultrasonic

Doppler Ultrasonic 640 kHz to 1 MHz frequencies, and workon a wide range of pipe diameters.Doppler flow meters manufactured byGreyline Instruments use a single-headsensor design allowing fast, simplemounting on the outside of pipes.

Dual-head Doppler flow meters areoften confused with transit time metersbecause they also use separate transmitand receive transducers. Although theylook very similar to transit time, dual-head Doppler instruments are still onlymeasuring the frequency shift of thetransmitted signal from one transducer tothe received signal by another. Whethersingle-head or dual-head design, Dopplerinstruments always work by measuringthe frequency shift of signals reflectedfrom moving particles, or bubbles in thefluid.

Doppler flow meters work best indirty or aerated liquids, like wastewaterand slurries. Transit time flow meterswork best with clean liquids like water,oils and chemicals.

For more information, E-mail:[email protected]

that sound waves will be returned to atransmitter at an altered frequency, if re-flectors in the liquid are in motion. Thisfrequency shift is in direct proportion tothe velocity of the liquid. It is precisely

measured by the instrument to calculatethe flow rate. So, the liquid must containgas bubbles or solids for the Dopplermeasurement to work.

Doppler transducers usually operate at

Water is the connection

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May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:37 PM


Environmental Management

in the Rouge Park and must be created ifoverall wetland complexes are improved.Finally, ground surveying (ground-truthing) of all existing and potential wet-land sites was performed.

ArcMap 10.0 was used to provide avisual analysis of the Rouge Park land-scape to pin-point ideal wetland locationsfor potential and restoration sites. Fourmain layers were overlaid for site analy-sis, including watercourses, drainagelines, hill shade and aerial imagery. Areaswhere drainage lines naturally ended atlarge depressions in the ground, or bowl-shaped areas, were classified as potentialsites. Once all current water bodies andpotential restoration sites were mapped, a

Toronto Zoo's Adopt-A-PondWetland Conservation Pro-gramme aims to provide com-munity groups with resources

and opportunities to help conserve, re-store and protect wetland habitats andbiodiversity. The objective for the RougePark Wetland project was to partner wet-land assessment with organizations de-voted to restoration initiatives like theToronto and Regional Conservation Au-thority (TRCA), and to make recommen-dations to improve wetland habitatquality in the urbanized regions of theGreater Toronto Area.

This project took place in Rouge Park,which is a biodiversity refuge in an urbanlandscape for some of the only remainingpopulations of Species at Risk turtles inthe GTA, including Blanding's turtles(Status: Threatened), Map turtles (Status:Special Concern) and Snapping turtles(Status: Special Concern).

Assessment of the Rouge Park wet-lands was unique, as it was performedusing the habitat requirements of Bland-ing's turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) as bi-ological indicators of wetland quality.Blanding's turtles served as the focalspecies of this study because they arelong-lived animals that use a variety ofwetlands types to complete their life cycle(i.e., permanent deep ponds, ephemeralswamps, marsh lands, etc.). They are alsoa top wetland predator species, which,when present, indicate a robust ecologicalfood chain.

Blanding’s turtles’ diverse habitatneeds serve as an excellent model to de-sign wetland landscapes, which attract arich biodiversity of species.

To assess each site, GIS technologieswere used to analyze and develop a com-prehensive inventory of existing wetlandsand areas identified as potential siteswhere wetland creation could occur. GISwas also used to model areas of highquality nesting habitats, so that wetlandrestoration or the creation of new wetlandsites were located in close proximity toprime nesting habitat. This project foundthat nesting habitat was a limited resource

visual interpretation of the area was usedto identify areas where nodes or clustersof wetlands stood out. This data was thenadded to the known inventory of waterbodies of the Rouge Park Conservationwetland layer. The map included all pool-ing water bodies, such as wetlands,ponds, oxbows, storm water retentionponds, etc.

Ground-truthing was completed to as-sess wetlands sites predetermined by theGIS analysis. Assessment included meas-uring water chemistry, soil characteristicsand biodiversity parameters at existingwetland sites, and assessing suitable wet-land creation at potential sites. Each sitewas ranked according to a biological and

Co-author Shannon Ritchie conducting survey.

Using Blanding’s turtles as biological indicators forwetland assessment and restoration By Shannon Ritchie and Magda Kula

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 10:41 PM


Environmental Management

water quality analysis in relation toBlanding’s turtles ideal habitat require-ments. Sites were then digitized as poly-gons to determine size and abundance inthe Rouge Park.

Only 117ha of the 4700ha of RougePark parkland was determined to be wet-land habitat, and most was not of suitablequality to support Blanding’s turtles.However, an encouraging 52.30ha of land

was found to be suitable for wetland cre-ation.

The majority of sites visited in thisstudy are man made. Dominant agricul-tural activity in what was historically awetland area has left the Rouge Park pre-dominantly free of natural wetlands.Water quality analysis found that com-plexes had generally sufficient watercharacteristics (pH, dissolved oxygen,conductivity) to support aquatic life.

Blanding’s turtle habitat requirementsserved as an excellent model for wetlandassessment and creation specifications.Based on this assessment, Rouge Parkhas the potential for approximately 180ha of available wetlands, if all remedia-tion and wetland creation took place.

Shannon Ritchie and Magda Kula are with the Toronto Zoo.

For more information, E-mail: [email protected].

(All photos were provided by TorontoZoo's Adopt-A-Pond Wetland Conservation Programme.)

A Blanding’s turtle basking in the sun.


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May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-06-01 7:46 PM

A diverse range of case histories and new developments is reviewed in ES&E’sES&E’s

semi-annual look at tanks, containment systems and spill management.


Around the world, inflatableleak-sealing bags and acces-sories are used for temporaryleak sealing of tanks, drums,

barrels, tanker trucks, railway tankers,pipes and containers of all shapes andsizes.

Inflatable rubber plugs, bags, band-ages and accessories are available for in-ternal or external sealing of liquid leakson virtually any container. Many of thesefeature specially formulated, oil-resistantrubbers that are reinforced with a varietyof fibres, including Kevlar®, polyesterand rayon, to meet the challenge of seal-ing and containing a wide variety of liq-uids. The fibres vary with each type ofbag or plug.

Internal sealing is accomplished by in-serting an inflatable pipe plug into theopen end of the pipe where the flow is tobe stopped. Multi-size outside diametersof the plugs overlap for greater userchoice and, therefore, provide a wide ap-plication range. Plugs from 1 to 72 in. di-ameter are available, each capable ofsealing several pipe sizes, e.g., 4 – 8 in.,8 – 16 in., 15 – 30 in., etc.

Blocking plugs are used to block theflow until a permanent repair is made. By-pass plugs will also block the flow, butallow liquid in the pipe to be drained

pipe diameters and accessories to suit theneeds of users’ applications. Plugs aremade with anti-static, electrically con-ductive rubber to eliminate the possibilityof sparking.

If access to the inside of a leaking pipeis not feasible, there are many externalsealing solutions.

Pipe-sealing bags are wrapped aroundpipes or small round containers and are

through a built-in bypass into a securecontainment vessel. Plugs are flexibleenough to bend easily around tight cor-ners, or when being installed in manholes.

A full assortment of pipe plug acces-sories such as protective sleeves, inflationpumps, hoses and controllers are alsoavailable. Prepackaged in waterproof andcorrosion-proof cases, pipe plug kits canbe provided with a range of plugs with

Large leak sealing bag. Mini leak sealing bag.

Inflatable sealing plugs and bags protect againsthazmat leakage By Peter Wall

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:37 PM


held securely in place by integral ratchetstraps. They seal small leaks instantlywhen inflated. There is no need to shutdown an entire process because of oneleak; a sealing bag can be placed on theleak temporarily and then a permanent re-pair can be made at a later, more conven-ient time.

Tank-sealing bags are available in awide range of sizes, from mini bags thatcan seal anything that the Velcro® strapscan reach around, to large bags that areused to seal leaks in tanks, large-diameterpipes and containers of all shapes andsizes. The bag is simply strapped in placeover the leak with ratchet belts and in-

flated to the required pressure. Lowerpressures from 22 psi, through mediumpressures of 87 psi, to higher pressures of145 psi are used as required to suit the na-ture of each leak. Acid bags and sealingplates are available if needed to protectthe sealing bags.

Depending on the degree of dangerassociated with a leaking liquid, it may benecessary to stand at a safe distance fromthe leak source. A remote placement andsealing lance can be used to keep awayfrom the leak as it is sealed. A speciallydesigned plug is inserted from a distanceinto the leak and inflated to stop the flow.

Small, medium and large wedge-

shaped plugs work well to quickly sealstraight-line punctures, such as thosecaused by forklift blades, while cone-shaped plugs are suitable for round punc-tures.

If a leaking vessel needs to be drainedwhile a leak is contained, there are two op-tions available. The first is a leak drainagebag, which is held onto the tank withratchet belts. Drainage sealing bags havean inflatable sealing perimeter that stopsthe leak but still allows venting and con-trolled drainage of the liquid from thetank.

The second alternative is a vacuum-sealing drainage bag that seals and sticksto the tank with a vacuum so belts are notneeded. Vacuum is achieved using a high-pressure air source and a venturi vacuumgenerator. The vacuum-sealing chamberseals the outside perimeter of the bag,while the inner low-pressure chamber isused to drain the liquid. These bags cancover holes up to 8 in. diameter.

Mega sealing kits can be used to han-dle virtually any leak. They are deployedat chemical processing plants, oil refiner-ies, liquefied natural gas plants, explo-ration and drilling platforms, oceantransport vessels, railway tankers andpipeline transport facilities.

The mega kit is completely self-con-tained and requires no external energy orequipment support. Its lightweight, non-corrosive design is especially well suitedfor saltwater environments. The mouldedwaterproof case will not rot or rust, andwhen sealed will float indefinitely in anyposition. The integral pressure purgevalve will allow safe air transport as thecase self-equalizes its own internal airpressure.

Finally, there are occasions when liq-uids need to be collected and containedas they leak, before an inflatable leak-sealing bag can be installed, or when abag is not available immediately. In suchcases, a portable inflatable containmentberm can be deployed until the bag andassistance arrive. These units are avail-able in various sizes and configurations.

Leaking hazardous liquids, such asoils and fuels, are easily contained withinflatable leak-sealing bags and low-pro-file capture and containment berms.

Peter Wall is with Footage Tools Inc. E-mail: [email protected]

Inflatable containment berm.

Remote placement and sealing lance.

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 10:41 PM


better. Aboveground berms need to sup-port the full hydrostatic load they are sub-jected to when storing liquid, without aseam pulling apart.

3. Cold Crack (ASTM D-2136): Thisspecification is used to determine howwell a fabric will work in cold weather. Inthis case, the lower the temperature, thebetter.

4. Diffusion (ULC-ORD-C58.9 andMIL-T-52983): The diffusion rating is

perhaps the most important and mostmisunderstood number of them all. Thistest determines how much fuel transfersthrough the fabric and potentially entersthe environment in the event of a spill.

In Canada, the Canadian Council ofMinisters of the Environment (CCME)requires secondary containment to meeta minimum permeability rate and refersto the ULC-ORD-C58.9. This states thatpermeance or diffusion rate that can bedetermined (by conducting a MIL-T-52983 test) cannot exceed 5g/m2/h forbelow-ground secondary containment

Today, it is common for inspec-tors to request that operatorsprovide secondary contain-ment around fuel drums and

other bulk fuel storage sites. Dependingon the location, some regulations mayalso require spill prevention equipmentin fuel transfer areas. For operators whodon’t comply, heavy fines and expensivework stoppages can result and, if an un-contained spill occurs, the consequencesare even more costly.

In contrast, implementing a spill pre-vention plan and owning the proper spillprevention equipment is a low-costmethod of insuring against penalties andnon-compliance outcomes. One of thebasics tools in the spill prevention toolkitis a berm that is designed to meet yourspecific requirements, whether storingfuel, chemicals or black water.

Since not all berms are created equal,it is important to choose a berm fabricwith the correct specifications. To makethe right choice, you will need to under-stand some key specifications:

1. Strip Tensile (ASTM D-751): Thisspecification is used to determine howwell a fabric will perform when it ispulled in opposite directions (the higherthe test result, the better). When a bermis full of liquid, a force pulls on both sidesof the fabric, which means a low strip ten-sile strength may result in a fabric tear.

2. Adhesion (ASTM D-751): Thisspecification is used to determine howstrong the bond (weld) is between the lay-ers of fabric. Again, a higher test result is

and 10g/m2/h for above-ground second-ary containment materials.

Certain provinces, territories or abo-riginal lands have lower diffusion ratesand any area near waterways may have alower rate as well.

5. Chemical Resistance (ASTMD471): Chemical resistance is tested bythe immersion of the fabric in a liquid,then by measuring any mass loss to de-termine the fabric’s capability. Mass loss(typically, plasticizer loss) during expo-sure to a liquid over time is measured asa percentage. The lower the percentage ofloss and the longer the exposure time, thebetter.

In most cases, spill berms are used toprovide secondary containment for mate-rials hazardous to the environment in theevent that the primary storage containersbecome defective or damaged. Using theright berm fabric can have a significantoutcome for both the operator and the en-vironment.

One of the most advanced berm fab-rics on the market today is a proprietarymaterial called Arctic-Shield. Developedby SEI Industries Ltd. of Delta, BritishColumbia, this fabric was built specifi-cally for above-ground secondary con-tainment of fuels in arctic climates atremote sites.

Arctic-Shield fabric has a high striptensile and adhesion strength, a low coldcrack temperature below -50º C, and lowdiffusion rates (well below the CCMEand ULC requirements). It was designedspecifically for long duration fuel expo-

Using the right berm fabric can

have a significant outcome for both the operator and the environment.

Table 1.

Choose the right berm fabric toensure proper spill protectionBy Nancy Argyle

Comparison Table

Arctic-Shield™ Common Berm FabricStrip Tensile 363/373 lb/in 200/140 lb/inAdhesion 40 lb/in 10 lb/inDiffusion 0.019 g/m2/h N/AChemical Resistance: Mass Loss <3.0% <5.0%Chemical Resistance: Duration 30 days 7 days

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:37 PM


sure that might occur if a fuel spill wereto happen at a remote site that is un-manned for the winter.

SEI offers the fabric on its Insta-Berm(framed and L-Rod models) as well as itssmaller Mini-Berm. For comparison,Table 1 shows the difference betweenArctic-Shield fabric and another com-

RainDrain safely holds back fuel, whilerainwater is allowed to drain out. Bermsneed to remain empty to have the capac-ity to contain any spills.

Nancy Argyle is with SEI Industries. E-mail: [email protected]

Framed berm. L-Rod berm.

monly-used berm fabric.Once you have selected the right berm

for the job, you need to include an over-flow option like SEI’s RainDrain. Thisfilter automatically removes rainfall andwater, which normally collect inside aberm, while also holding back hydrocar-bons. Using a go-no-go gravity filter, the

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 10:41 PM


often provide a less stringent winter re-quirement for communities in cold re-gions. Summer discharge limits can bemore stringent, since removal efficiency

Cold climates present seriousdifficulties for biologicalwastewater treatment. Fallingtemperatures produce lowered

biological activity in lagoons, which re-sults in lower BOD removal rates. Totalnitrogen removal and ammonia removalrates also decline as air and water tem-peratures decrease.

Ammonia removal is a particular chal-lenge. Ammonia is removed from lagoon-based wastewater treatment systemsthrough several processes, including oxi-dation by nitrifying bacteria into nitrates(NO₃) and nitrites (NO₂). Nitrates and ni-trites are subsequently converted to mo-lecular nitrogen (N₂) by denitrifyingbacteria. The action of these two types ofbacteria is highly temperature-dependent.

Recognizing the difficulty of ammo-nia and total nitrogen removal at coldertemperatures, environmental authorities

reliably rises with increasing temperature.Activity of the bacteria responsible forBOD removal also slows as temperaturesdecline.

The addition of a LemTec insulatedmodular cover to aerobic, facultative oranaerobic lagoons retains the temperatureof the incoming wastewater so that bio-logical activity can continue even underextremely cold conditions. This allowsBOD and ammonia removal rates to bemaintained in every season. The patentedfloating cover consists of individual cas-ings of closed-cell extruded insulationsealed between two sheets of durableHDPE geomembrane.

The insulating factor in each cover canbe adjusted per the design requirementsas determined by the specific temperatureparameters of each application. This canrange from an R-value of 4 to 15, or evenhigher if needed. Experience has shownthat, in the majority of cases, an R-valueof 5 is usually sufficient to retain heat andkeep incoming wastewater at tempera-tures adequate for effective biologicaltreatment.

The LemTec biological treatmentprocess, using the modular cover, canmeet stringent effluent limits. When com-pared with activated sludge systems, bothcapital and operations costs are lower, asare annual maintenance costs. The process

Lemna Technologies designed a two-pond biological wastewater treatmentplant for the town, using insulated covers to retain the heat of the influentwastewater.

Cover system helps optimizewastewater treatment in cold climates By Poldi Gerard

Assmann Corporation Garrett, IN 46738Fax: 888-TANK FAX (826-5329) E-mail: [email protected]

Manufacturing facilities in Garrett, IN and Marshall, TX

Toll-free: 888-357-3181www.assmann-usa.com

• First Crosslink tanks approved for chemical storage by NSF

• Linear polyethylene tanks certified by NSF International to ANSI 61 standards for potable water

• FDO (Full Drain Outlet) outlet assembly provides the ability to fully drain your tank without the need for mechanically installed nozzles

• Certified tank models ranging in size from 20 to 12,000 gallons

• Variety of options available to modify tanks to meet your specifications

Certified to NSF/ANSI 61

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:37 PM


is simple and operator-friendly, making itparticularly attractive for smaller commu-nities. The floating cover is easy to installon any water level and works well withfluctuating water levels. Existing treat-ment facilities can be retrofitted with theinsulated modular cover to achieve heatretention and significantly improve coldweather performance.

Case studiesOne small town of 560 people needed

a wastewater treatment plant. Mean tem-peratures for the month of January in thearea hover around –4°C, and a nearbyweather station reported an all-time lowtemperature of –29.4°C in 1982.

Lemna Technologies designed a two-pond biological wastewater treatmentplant for the town, using insulated coversto retain the heat of the influent waste-water.

After preliminary treatment (screen-ing), wastewater flows to a three-cell aer-ation pond covered with a LemTecinsulated modular cover with an R-valueof 10. During winter, the mixer in the firstaeration cell is used to create completemix conditions. In summer, this mixercan be turned off and the cell can be op-erated as a partial mix cell. The two otheraeration cells are partial mix cells. Thesame type of cover, also with an R-valueof 10, was placed on the settling pond fol-lowing the aeration pond.

This small facility was required tomeet a winter ammonia limit of 2.6 mg/land a summer limit of 1.9 mg/l. The BODlimit was 25 mg/l.

The system has performed well sinceits installation in 2005. The insulatedmodular cover has kept the temperature

in the lagoons within a few degrees of theinfluent temperature, even as the air tem-peratures have varied dramatically fromseason to season.

Because the water temperature in theponds was maintained at a level suitablefor biological activity of the various bac-teria, the community was able to meet itsdischarge requirements reliably. Biologicaltreatment remained effective throughoutthe year, regardless of air temperatures.

The LemTec floating insulated modu-lar cover can also be used to retrofit ex-isting lagoon-based treatment systems toboost performance and/or increase flowcapacity. A recent retrofit of an existingsystem was made in a town of 1,700 in-habitants. The wastewater treatment plantwas failing to meet ammonia effluentlimits of 4 mg/l in winter and 2 mg/l insummer. In fact, its average effluent am-monia ranged from five to seven timesthe permitted level.

January is typically the coldest month,with average temperatures ranging from alow of –15.6°C to a high of –5.6°C. Dur-ing the winter months, most days have anair temperature below freezing. The town

Installing tank cover.

retrofitted its biological wastewater treat-ment ponds with the modular insulatedcover, which was easily installed whilewater remained in the ponds.

The cover’s ease of installation meantthat it could be installed during cold win-ter weather. In spite of the frigid air tem-perature, the water temperature in theponds quickly rose to 6°C and the townhas since recorded no water temperaturelower than 5°C. Adding the cover to theexisting wastewater treatment system wasmuch more cost-effective than designingand building an entirely new plant. Oper-ations and maintenance costs were alsolower than would have been required in anew activated sludge facility.

In warmer climates, the cover func-tions to control odours and prevent algaegrowth. It performs these functions incold climates as well, but there it hasproven its worth in heat retention and op-timizing cold-weather performance of bi-ological wastewater treatment facilities.

Poldi Gerard is with Lemna Technologies. For more information,

visit www.lemnatechnologies.com

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:37 PM


rubber, Plexiglas, herculite, wood, porce-lain, tile grout, and vinyl ceramic andlinoleum floor tiles. When the hydrogeldries, the product locks the contaminantsinto a polymer matrix. The film containingthe encapsulated contamination can thenbe peeled off and disposed of according toapplicable government regulations. It cap-tures radioactive isotopes and hazardouswaste, including PCBs, beryllium, mer-cury, and chromium.

Beyond buildings The CBI Polymers team collaborated

with partners in Japan to remediate harmfulradiation from the campus of AsahimachiBaptist Church and Little Lamb Kinder-garten in Fukushima, Japan. Childrentoday are playing outside on swings, slidesand a playground once deemed hazardouswhich kept the youngsters inside for morethan four months following the meltdown.CBI Polymers donated $250,000 worth ofDeconGel toward this effort.

March 11, 2012 marked oneyear since a 9.0 magni-tude earthquake rockedthe northeastern coast of

Japan, generating a tsunami that endedoperations at the Fukushima Daiichi Nu-clear Power Plant. The disaster stemmedfrom a series of events, the first of whichwas the massive tsunami, followed by aseries of equipment failures, nuclearmeltdowns, and releases of radioactivematerials. It is the largest nuclear disastersince Chernobyl in 1986.

The Fukushima Plant was one of thelargest nuclear power stations in the world.While the plant itself covers 860 acres, theeffects of the disaster extend far beyondand will affect human lives and the envi-ronment for decades.

Removing and decontaminating Caesium-137

DeconGel™, a product invented byCBI Polymers, Inc., is one of the solu-tions being considered for Japan’s long-term decontamination efforts, especiallyto remove Caesium-137 (Cs-137) whichis a radioactive isotope of caesium whichis formed by nuclear fission. It has a half-life of 30.17 years.

As a result of the disaster at theFukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant,significant outdoor areas have surface con-tamination, predominantly Cs-137. Be-

cause of the prolonged exposure toweather, most of the contamination has be-come more difficult to remove from out-door surfaces. DeconGel’s efficacy hasbeen proven through extensive testing inFukushima Prefecture, including govern-ment and municipal buildings, residences,and the Fukushima Daiichi Control Room.

The water-based DeconGel coating canbe applied to horizontal, vertical and in-verted surfaces, including bare, coated andpainted concrete, aluminum, steel, lead,

Cham Dallas, PhD, a radiation mitiga-tion expert and Director of the Institutefor Health Management and Mass De-struction Defense at the University ofGeorgia, oversaw the application of De-conGel and removal of radiation for theproject. Unlike traditional methods ofusing soap and water which moves the ra-diation into the soil and water table, De-conGel absorbs the harmful radioactivematerial and provides a safe environmentfor personnel while preventing the toxinsfrom spreading. Personnel peel back thethick dried hydrogel and roll it up like apainter’s tarp for safe disposal.

Linda Jameson is a former NBC/CBSnews reporter and US Pacific Command analyst. For more

information, visit www.decongel.com

While the plant itself covers 860 acres, the effectsof the disaster extend far beyond and will affecthuman lives and the environment for decades.

Applying DeconGel.

Letting it dry.

The film containing the encapsulatedcontamination can then be peeled offand disposed of.

DeconGel helps decontaminateJapan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant By Linda Jameson

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:38 PM

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Assmann Corporation of America

Prevent chemical spills with double walltanks from 20 to 6,550 U.S. gallons,with heavier-top sidewalls and dome, aprimary inner tank and a secondarylocked on outer tank. Assmann’s linearpolyethylene tanks are certified toNSF/ANSI Standard 61 and high-den-sity crosslink resin tanks are certified forchemical storage. Their quality manage-ment system is ISO 9001:2008 certified.www.assmannusa.com/Double_Wall_Tanks

Double wall tanks

Denso Bitumen Mastic is a high buildsingle component, cold applied liquidbituminous coating that is used to pro-vide economical corrosion protection onburied pipes, valves, flanges and under-ground storage tanks. Denso BitumenMastic is self-priming, VOC compliantand can be applied by brush, roller orspray. Tel: 416-291-3435, Fax: 416-291-0898E-mail: [email protected]: www.densona.comDenso

Corrosion protection

Geomembrane Technologies Inc. (GTI)designs, fabricates and installs coversystems on tanks and lagoons world-wide. Wastewater and water plants useGTI covers to control odours, block sun-light, collect gas, or reduce heat loss.

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Cover systems for tanks andlagoons

The patented Hexa-Cover® system canbe used on all kinds of liquids. It is theideal solution for eliminating: • Evaporation • Organic growth • Emission • Odour The unique design makes the elementsinterlock by wind pressure and ensurethat the Hexa-Cover tiles mechanicallyconstitute a coherent cover.

Tel: 519-469-8169, Fax: 519-469-8157E-mail: [email protected]: www.greatario.com

Greatario Engineered Storage Systems H2Flow Tanks & Systems

Water reservoir & tank mixer

PAX Mixer is a very innovative, simplemixer designed to mix water storagereservoirs and standpipes. It offers supe-rior mixing performance with little en-ergy consumption, easy installation, lowcapital cost. It eliminates stagnation andstratification, minimizes residual loss,prevents nitrification.Tel: 905-660-9775, Fax: 905-660-9744E-mail: [email protected]: www.h2flow.com

MegaDome

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To avoid any majorreoccuring expenseslike oil/water filtra-tion, shoveling snowand debris, or incur-ring tainted waterdisposal costs, Trans-

port Environmental Systems offersopen collector pan models andcloseable lid models to help avoid col-lecting snow, rainwater and debris.Also available are roll-under spill col-lector pans and other products fortrain/tanker truck loading, unloadingand spill containment.Tel: 252-571-0092, Fax: 252-489-2060E-mail: [email protected]: www.transenvsys.com

Spill containment systems

Westeel

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May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:38 PM


Water Supply

Institute is the foremost organization inagricultural water management. Theirwork has led to new policies and invest-ments in agriculture that have not onlyenabled more productive use of water, buthave enhanced food security, economicdevelopment and environmental healtharound the world.”

On receiving the news, Dr. ColinChartres, Director General of IWMI said:“It is an incredible honour for our organi-zation. The real winners, of course, areIWMI’s dedicated staff members who, for

The International Water Man-agement Institute (IWMI),with headquarters in Colombo,Sri Lanka, has been named the

2012 Stockholm Water Prize Laureatefor pioneering research that has served toimprove water for agriculture manage-ment, enhance food security, protect en-vironmental health and alleviate povertyin developing countries. H.M. King CarlXVI Gustaf of Sweden will present theprize at a Royal Award Ceremony duringthe 2012 World Water Week in Stock-holm on August 30.

Seventy percent of global freshwaterwithdrawals are used in agriculture. Withglobal food demand projected to doubleby mid-century, more food will need tobe grown with less water. IWMI has beenthe driving force promoting policies andtechniques to help farmers to produce“more crop per drop”, and to implementsolutions that enable agriculture to culti-vate enough food to feed the planet’sgrowing population with limited water re-sources.

In its citation, The Stockholm WaterPrize Nominating Committee states:“The International Water Management

just over a quarter of a century, have con-sistently delivered research of the highestquality. This work has had a profound in-fluence on water management policythroughout the globe, delivering real ben-efits for some of the poorest people onearth.”

Leading global knowledge and local solutions

Over the past quarter century, IWMIhas established its place as the definitivesource for comprehensive data andknowledge on global water resources.From 2002-2007, IWMI led a team of700 scientists to produce one of the mostimportant research programs of watermanagement ever conceived. The result-ing publication, Water for Food, Water forLife: A Comprehensive Assessment ofWater Management in Agriculture, estab-lished an unprecedented knowledge baseon the status of global water and land re-sources, and is one of the most influentialstudies ever produced on water and agri-cultural policy.

By providing clear evidence of whereand how water scarcity has increased andits impact on all sectors of the economy,the report’s findings have placed sustain-able water resource management as a pri-ority issue for governments, industriesand international organizations aroundthe world.

The Institute’s extensive work with ir-rigation reform has led the way for newand improved design, operation and main-tenance of irrigation systems throughoutAsia and Africa. IWMI has also helpedshape the current international guidelineson how wastewater can be safely used inagriculture, a practice that is employed bytens of millions of farmers worldwide.IWMI continues to lead new initiatives toestablish business models to attract invest-ments in wastewater reuse systems thatcan benefit rural communities in develop-ing regions. Mapping the world’s water resources

IWMI’s advancements in the appli-cation of remote sensing and geographicinformation systems (GIS) analysis havedramatically improved the ability to

A vast repository of data has helped its scientists and partners develop sophis-ticated models. These have been used to inform complex water managementdecisions and ensure that users get the quality and quantity of water they need.Photo: Timothy Syrota/IWMI

International Water Management Institute named2012 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate

Dr. Colin Chartres, Director-General,IWMI Photo credit: IWMI

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:38 PM


Water Supply

measure the availability and efficiency ofwater use, and directly enable farmersacross the world to better manage agri-cultural water resources. IWMI’s WaterData Portal, and its global maps on water

scarcity, irrigation use, environmentalflows, and drought patterns, are amongthe most important information sourcesin the water science arena. Over 100,000publications are downloaded from the

90% of agriculture in Africa is rain-fed. Finding out how its productivity couldbe improved will benefit some of the world's poorest farmers.Photo: David Brazier/IWMI

IWMI website every month, and arewidely read on leading digital reposito-ries worldwide.

This work has also led to the creationof a water accounting system that can de-termine the amount of potentially usablewater in a basin, assess where the wateris going and calculate the actual cost percubic meter. The tool is widely used byplanners to identify where water can besaved, and how it can be used most effec-tively.

Bold vision for the future The 2011 publication, An Ecosystem

Services Approach to Water and Food Se-curity, led by IWMI and the United Na-tions Environment Programme, outlinedhow a new ‘ecosystems-based’ approachto agriculture can protect natural systemsand potentially double agricultural pro-duction. The continued work in this areacan radically change how agriculture ispracticed in the future and ensure foodsecurity for a global population set toreach 9 billion by 2050.

For more information, visit www. siwi.org

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For more information please contact:Rob Alton or Mark JaniecPAg, CCA-CA PAg, CCA-CA905-312-4095 905-878-2800 ext 223

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 10:41 PM


Communications

PocketPC, etc.) One constant challenge,of course, is trying to guess which oper-ating system will survive in the future andnot become obsolete. Often companieswould be unsure what choice to make, sothey would postpone the decision.

But as time went by, the choices gotmore difficult. Consider that only twoyears ago there was no iPad, and Androiddevices were still rare in the marketplace.Clearly, the mobile market is volatile, andthe ability to foresee what it will look likein the future is difficult. Committing de-velopment resources to a single operatingsystem can be quite risky.

In addition, specialized skills are re-quired. Creating and deploying mobileapplications are different from buildingan enterprise database application, orprogramming a web site. Mobile appli-cations are typically written in special-ized environments like J2ME or C Sharp,which are uncommon skills in a com-pany’s IT department.

Then there are real-time issues, likenetwork outages, modal changes from 3Gnetworks to WiFi, priority interruptionsfrom events such as phone calls or alerts.Furthermore, the development of a robusttest environment to ensure appropriateoperation on various carriers and on allpossible device types can be costly anddifficult, especially if users are some-times disconnected from the network.

What has changed?Some companies, most notably Fed-

eral Express and others in the parceltransport business, were pioneers in mo-bile communications, growing from ana-logue telecommunications to digitaldatacomm as the technology evolved.This development was essential to theirbusinesses, but it was also very difficultand expensive, costing FedEx hundredsof millions of dollars.

At least four major elements havechanged since then that now allow enter-prises to deploy mobile applications at afraction of the cost, with very little riskand in a fraction of the time.1. Mobile devices. Expensive single-pur-pose mobile data terminals have histori-

In the consumer market, the adop-tion of mobile devices and mobileapplications has exploded over thelast few years. Smartphones, tablets

and apps are ubiquitous. Industry ana-lysts Gartner and IDC have both reportedthat almost 500 million smartphoneswere sold worldwide in 2011 alone. LastDecember, Apple announced there arenow over 500,000 different applicationsavailable in its AppStore.

Mobile advances have made an obvi-ous impact in the consumer space. How-ever, much of this same technologicaladvancement has gone unnoticed and un-exploited by many enterprises, includingthose that have highly mobile workforces.

While numerous companies in “steel-toe” industries (engineering, construc-tion, oil and gas, etc.) have deployedsmartphones to their field workers, oftenthese are used for little more than e-mailand everyday voice communications.However, these mobile devices can easilyrun data-centric applications such assafety inspections, work orders, buildingassessments and field data collection.

By using smartphones, or tablets,companies can reduce service-relatedcosts, avoid “paper shuffle,” reduce oreliminate data transcription and resultingdelays and errors, and capture and cen-tralize information in “near-real time”.Mobile platforms can easily allow theuser to create finished PDF reports, orsend structured data to a back-office sys-tem, such as MS Access or Excel, or evento complex enterprise systems like SAPor Oracle.

Past challengesIf it’s so easy to deploy enterprise mo-

bile apps, why aren’t more companiesdoing it? The main reason is that, untilvery recently, it was quite expensive andstill fairly risky to develop mobile appli-cations for business purposes.

In the first place, a company had tomake a mobile operating system decision.There was little in the way of platforminter-operability, so a decision had to bemade about which platform to adopt (e.g.,Windows Mobile CE, BlackBerry, Palm,

cally cost a few thousand dollars each.While they are very capable pieces ofequipment, they can in many instances beadequately replaced by volume-pricedsmartphones or tablets. Adequate capa-bility may be provided for some by digitalpens, which, while not as fully featuredas smartphones, are less expensive andmay be suitable for some applications.2. Network access. Mobile pioneersoften had to build out their own privatedata networks, leasing dedicated band-width across the continent, sometimesrunning on long-haul fibre, microwavebackbone or even satellite communica-tions. Today, companies have near-uni-versal access to the digital network via3G/4G phone service in virtually allurban centres, and via WiFi in an ever-in-creasing number of buildings.

Enterprise applications are often de-signed for “occasionally connected” users.Similar to travelers using e-mail in air-plane mode, these apps allow users towork locally on their mobile devices evenwhen not connected, then sync back to theserver when they reconnect to the network.3. Dedicated servers. Early mobile usershad to build out the mobile service fromthe ground up within their own data cen-tres, with complex protocol convertersand communications brokers, speaking“mobile” out one side and “enterprise”out the other. Today these services arerunning “in the cloud” and are availableto the end user as software-as-a-service(SaaS) from numerous providers.

Getting started on these pay-as-you-go services is inexpensive (often less than$50 a month) and about as simple assigning up for a Hotmail account.

4. Software platforms. Finally, mo-bile software also had to be designed andcoded “from scratch” with few tools orsoftware development kits available. Itwas not uncommon for the budget for acomplex mobile application to be$50,000 to $100,000, and to require sixman-months of effort. Today, by usingapplication development solutions thatoffer intuitive web-based design studios,many forms-based applications (work or-

Mobile apps now make environmental data collection accessible and easy By Stephen Grant

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:38 PM

Communications

ders, inspections, assessments, surveys,etc.), customized to a company’s businessneeds, can be designed, built, tested anddeployed in only a few days, for wellunder $10,000.

By building and deploying an applica-tion based on the current class of soft-ware platforms, companies can realizethe following benefits:

• The enterprise application is easy toset up, use, and manage, and it often re-quires no software installation on the cus-tomer’s premises. (It all runs as a nativeapplication on the mobile device, talkingto services running in the cloud.)

• Use of a platform dramatically re-duces development and deployment of aforms-based application. It is often saidthat, if you have an idea for a mobile ap-plication, someone has already writtenthe first 85% of it. And that portion —the difficult part of mobile applicationconnectivity — is now available throughthe mobile platform service.

• The mobile platform service handlesall the difficult mobile elements: devicecharacterization (keyboard layout, eventkeys, touch screen, etc.), memory man-agement, various screen sizes, data

synching, network outages, real-timeevents, security, account managementand integration to built-in device periph-erals like camera, signature capture andGPS functionality.

• A single form or application defini-tion is published from a design studio andruns on all major device types (Black-Berry, iPad, iPhone, Android tablets, etc.)simultaneously.

A case studyOpus2 Mobile Solutions recently un-

dertook a mobile application project withConcentric Associates International, anOntario-based environmental engineeringfirm, which showed the flexibility and re-sponsiveness of this technology.

The partnership began in early 2010on a construction project at a hospital ina major Canadian city. To ensure that dustand fumes from the work would nottravel into the rest of the hospital, thefirm was hired to perform daily inspec-tions for appropriate seals and negativeair pressure.

A form was created in a single busi-ness day. Employee accounts were cre-ated and software was downloaded “overthe air” to the BlackBerry smartphones.

Field technicians were using the applica-tion in the field in less than a week. Anemployee would complete the form onthe smartphone, tap the “send” button,and a completed PDF report, with the in-spection data, would be sent immediatelyvia e-mail to the project manager.

Then, late in 2011, Concentric wascontracted by a federal governmentagency to perform extensive building in-spections throughout Nunavut. Opus2Mobile Solutions worked with Concen-tric to design and deploy a lengthy in-spection report with over 400 questionsor data points, as well as GPS coding andnumerous comment fields and photo-graphs. A draft version of the form wasready in about three days and deployed toan iPad for testing in Concentric’s Ottawaoffice.

Within two weeks of project start,Concentric had a team travelling throughNunavut communities gathering impor-tant facilities data on iPads and providingcritical planning information for the gov-ernment department. Based on the suc-cess of this initial project, the technologyis scheduled to be rolled out for similar


May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 10:36 PM


Communications

projects in another 25 national regions. What if you’re still not ready?

For some companies, the technology may be ready but thecorporate culture is not. Even companies that are not yet preparedto deploy smartphones to their workforce may want to considerusing digital “smartpens.” These provide similar data-gatheringcapability, but work using regular ink and paper. Innovative dig-ital pens are available that allow a user to complete an inspection,

assessment or work order using standard ink on forms printedon standard paper. No user training is required and solutions canbe deployed within days at modest cost.

Intelligence is built into the form using software that namesfields, assigns unique form serial numbers, and prints this infor-mation in a barely visible microcode pattern integrated into theform graphics. When the user is filling out the form, a tiny in-frared camera, integrated in the pen, reads what is written andcreates a digital copy of the information, while also reading in-formation from the micro-coded dot pattern. It can, therefore,create not only a PDF image of the completed form, but also astructured data representation of the information that has beencollected. Data can be transferred via USB or Bluetooth to thenetwork.

Advanced editing and auditing (review) capabilities can bebuilt into the data collection process to ensure that all digital in-formation transmitted to a database is valid and correct.

Smartpens may be a sensible interim solution for an organi-zation, providing some of the key benefits of electronic field datacollection, until smartphones become more common in theirworkplace. Intelligent planning can ensure that forms designedfor smartpen use will be compatible with smartphone-basedforms definitions, if and when the company chooses to deploysmartphones or tablets more extensively.

The use of mobile applications implemented on smartphones,tablets or even digital pens can help environmental companies,or operational arms of companies with environmental objectives,to improve compliance, timeliness and auditability of field-col-lected data. Building these applications on the new class of ap-plication platforms can provide for fast implementation withminimal upfront investment. These platforms allow a companyto deploy apps to numerous mobile device types simultaneously,thereby “future-proofing” the organization as the mobile land-scape evolves.

Stephen Grant is with Opus2 Mobile Solutions. E-mail: [email protected]

Caption

The use of mobile applications implemented on smartphones, tablets or even digital pens can help environmental companies with environmental objectives.

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May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:38 PM



which is highly resistant to abrasion andchemical attack. Lastly the entire surfacewas protected from further deteriorationwith two coats of Belzona® 5811 (Im-mersion Grade), a high performance bar-rier coating. This would also aid in the

Staff at a water pollution controlplant in Southwestern Ontariorecently expressed concern overthe condition of the concrete

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Drinking Water Treatment

concentration x Time) concept, wherebya standardized calculation is performedto verify compliance with regulatory re-quirements.

From a day-to-day operations perspec-tive, water plant operators have dealt withthese regulations in several different ways.Some have created standard operatingprocedures (SOPs) that require operatorsto complete hand calculations manually at

Of the many operational chal-lenges associated with deliv-ering clean, reliable drinkingwater, the management of

the disinfection process in surface-watertreatment plants is among the most diffi-cult. Raw water, whether from lakes orrivers, contains small amounts of natu-rally occurring pathogens that must beremoved and/or inactivated before thewater is fit for human consumption.

The key process step used to accom-plish this in a multiple-barrier treatmentprocess is primary disinfection. To workeffectively, primary disinfection requiresthat the dosage of the disinfecting agent,water flow rates and the amount of timethe water spends in contact with the disin-fecting agent be carefully controlled, mon-itored and alarmed. This is an applicationwhere computerized supervisory controland data acquisition (SCADA) systemshave proven to be an important tool.

Better primary disinfection calculation tools

Using mathematical models for mod-eling primary disinfection is not a newconcept. In fact, disinfection regulationshave existed in Ontario and various otherjurisdictions for many years, specifyingstandardized “contact times” and disin-fectant “dosage residual concentrations.”

This has resulted in the CT (Chlorine

set times during the day. Others have cre-ated spreadsheets, or have utilized com-plex third-party software applications tohelp them perform the calculations.

In Ontario, drinking water systemsmust comply with the Safe DrinkingWater Act, along with its accompanyingregulations, technical bulletins and stan-dardized procedures. In 2006, the OntarioMinistry of the Environment issued a setof updates to its Procedure for Disinfec-tion of Drinking Water in the Province ofOntario in the form of updated log inac-tivation tables.

Rather than seeing this change as justanother modification to its existingspreadsheet tools, Niagara Region care-fully thought about how it could leveragethe new procedures and use them to helpoptimize its water plants. With the helpof the engineering firm Stantec, the Re-gion embarked on a project to use thenew regulations to develop a more so-phisticated, feature-rich, spreadsheet-based model of the primary disinfectionprocesses.

By utilizing key disinfection-relatedprocess parameters, that an operator could

Using SCADA for real-time water disinfection calculations, modeling and alarmingBy N. Hallas, H. Sim, K. Sayers, N. Sherwood and G. Nasby

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:38 PM

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enter into the spreadsheet, the Region nowhad the ability to see exactly how well itsdisinfection processes were performingand use these figures for process optimiza-tion. After a successful pilot project, theRegion implemented the updated spread-sheet models at a number of its facilities.

While the spreadsheets were accurate,they did not offer a real-time view of theCT value. Each time operators wanted touse the spreadsheet, they had to collectthe relevant process values from the plantand enter them into the calculator. Whatthe Region really wanted was to be ableto use the spreadsheet calculations in realtime and free the operator from having toenter in numbers manually each time.

Fortunately, the Region already hadthe powerful tool of SCADA in each ofits water treatment plants. In fact, whenoperators were entering numbers intothe spreadsheet, they were getting infor-mation from the SCADA system’s com-puter screens. So why not put thespreadsheet functionality right into theSCADA system?

Leveraging SCADA technologyWith the help of Eramosa Engineer-

ing, R.V. Anderson Associates Ltd. (RVA)and Stantec, the Region converted thespreadsheet calculations into real-timeprogramming in the SCADA system’sprogrammable logic controllers (PLCs).By using one of its smaller plants as apilot, and by consulting with the opera-tors who would use the new online calcu-lator, the team created a set of computerscreens that displayed a schematic of theCT process, key disinfection process pa-rameters and the all-important “chlorineconcentration and time ” calculations.

Eramosa and RVA jointly imple-mented the real-time online calculatorand the results were positive. Operatorsespecially appreciated that CT calcula-tions could now be done in real time, uti-lizing live process values.

Based on the successes of its pilotproject, the Region embarked on a pro-gram to add the new SCADA-based CTcalculator to the rest of its surface-watertreatment plants. By 2008, all of NiagaraRegion’s plants were either using the newcalculator, or in the process of having itinstalled.

Additional features possible with SCADA

The original CT calculation spread-

sheet included the determination of a“safety factor” for the disinfection process.Measured as a percentage, it gave opera-tors an indication of how much additionalactive disinfection capacity they had avail-able at any time. Good operating practiceis to always maintain some additional on-line capacity, but not too much. Having toomuch extra online capacity is costly, canresult in higher chemical use than neces-sary, can potentially affect disinfection by-product formation, and the taste/smell of

the treated water. The inclusion of prioritized real-time

alarming was another major advantage ofthe new system. Using the SCADA alarmsystem, the CT calculator can offer both“warning” and “critical” level alarms. Ifcalculated CT values continue to de-crease below the warning level, theSCADA system issues a critical alarm,set at a higher priority, which notifies op-erators that the disinfection system re-


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quires immediate attention.As an added feature for the operators,

a “virtual calculator” was incorporatedinto the PLC logic and SCADA. Opera-tors like the tool, because they canquickly check to see what the effect of aproposed process change would be, suchas operating at a lower reservoir level, orturning on an additional high lift pump,without having to type all of the valuesinto an offline spreadsheet. When theywant to test out a process adjustment,they can simply enable the virtual calcu-lator by clicking a button on the SCADAscreen, adjust the values in the virtual cal-culator in which they are interested andwitness the outcome. This provides oper-ators with a higher level of control overthe disinfection process.

The CT calculators have also beenseen as a benefit with local regulatoryagencies, as they enable enhanced report-ing and trending information.

Putting technology investments to work

When it implemented the online CTcalculators, the Region was careful toleverage existing technology investments,

instead of using a third-party application. Additionally, the online CT informa-

tion, calculations and alarms were easilyintegrated into the Region’s existing his-torical SCADA databases. Best of all, byusing the existing SCADA infrastructure,the Region now had a system that couldbe easily maintained, without requiringthe ongoing services of an outside con-sultant.

Real-time calculations as a technology

Using the SCADA system for onlinecalculations and implementing real-timeprocess models, such as the Niagara Re-gion’s primary disinfection processes, en-ables this technology to be applied to awide variety of processes and applica-tions.

For the Region’s disinfection CT cal-culators, real-time process values such asflows, temperatures, levels and pH, alongwith physical plant geometry, are used tocalculate actual disinfection perform-ance. Values calculated by the SCADAsystem include the actual CT, minimumrequired CT, log reduction achieved, logreduction required, and derived values

such as a safety factor.To use this same technology for other

applications and processes, the inputs andoutputs and the programming that linksthem together could be easily replaced byother mathematical models. Other mu-nicipal waterworks applications could in-clude implementing process models forreverse osmosis membrane performance,monitoring degradation for residual sec-ondary disinfection and modeling ongo-ing filter performance.

This technology could be used inwastewater treatment for mass balancecalculations, thickening/dewatering pro-cesses, and tracking solids transport inactivated sludge systems.

N. Hallas and G. Nasby are with Eramosa Engineering Inc. H. Sim is

with Niagara Region. K. Sayers is withR.V. Anderson Associates Ltd., and

N. Sherwood is with Stantec ConsultingLtd. For more information, E-mail:

[email protected]


May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:39 PM



chemicals must be competing for activesites located on the surface of themedium. It was found that water contain-ing sulphide used in the current mercurytreatment process was creating site prob-lems. This required removing the bulk ofthe mercury from the raw water using aprocess that would not introduce a com-pound that would take up active sites inthe media.

The second approach was to use themost active medium to remove the re-maining mercury in the water to achievethis goal.

The system is a pre-filter, followed byseries of columns that reduce the mercuryconcentration to less than 1,000 ng/L, andthen a series of media columns to removethe remaining mercury from the water.The system is designed as a continuousflow process. The bench design is capableof removing mercury to under 12 ng/L.This design processes the water in justless than 1.5 hours.

Based on previous experience andflow controls, the system can be speededup or slowed down, depending on thefinal concentration needed. The originalsetup was based on processing 120gal/min. Table 1 shows data achievedfrom three trials.

Based on these results, it can be con-cluded that reducing mercury to the ex-tremely low levels required by the newregulations can be achieved. ZorbTech isin the process of setting up a pilot-scaleplant in order to illustrate this technology.

Much of the processing information isa variation of a previous pilot study andplant. The information learned in this lat-est study will allow the pilot plant to berefitted and demonstrate the scaling up ofthe process. The plant, as currently devel-

oped, can process up to 40 gal/min, andthe redesigned plant may have the samecapacity.

A larger bench scale system is beingdesigned to process up to 5gpm of water,utilizing the multiple columns and mediaprocessing on a continuous basis. Thissystem will allow various media to betested in a real working system. If the the-oretical data generated to date is close toan actual removal rate, even the benchscale will treat a significant volume ofwater. The early estimates indicate 1 kilo-gram of DioSorb can treat upwards of170,000 gallons. A metric tonne of thisadsorbent could have the capacity to treat

170,000,000 gallons of water. The esti-mated treatment cost per gallon is in therange of $0.00035 per gallon.

The system can test mercury levels atvarious points and a complete mass bal-ance of the mercury can be calculatedfrom start to finish. Loading capacitydata and the cost per gallon will be avail-able when the test is completed later thisyear.

Don Wilson and Bill Purves are withZorbTech Environmental Solutions.


ZorbTech’s mercury removal wastewater treatment pilot plant.

Test Initial Concentration Final Discharge

Test 1 Merculite Diosorb 1,600,000 ng/L 11.7 ng/L



Table 1.

Canadian company develops cost-effective methodfor removing soluble mercury (Continued from page 36)

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-06-01 7:46 PM


Drinking Water

tive, natural conditions, as well as the hy-drological and hydrogeological environ-ment in which the policy will beimplemented, must be understood. Toachieve this, the Act requires the determi-

nation of the susceptibility of municipaldrinking water to contamination.

For groundwater, one of the ap-proaches considered acceptable by theMOE is to determine the advection timeof a contaminant released at surface to

Ontario’s Clean Water ActSource Water Protection Pro-gram provides a consistentframework for science based

assessment of ground and surface watersources and has resulted in the develop-ment of effective policies to protect mu-nicipal residential drinking water sources.

The science upon which the Programis founded is presented on a watershedbasis within the Assessment Reports. Pro-tection of the municipal residential drink-ing water sources is afforded by theSource Protection Plans. Both the assess-ment reports and the Plans are developedby a local multi-stakeholder committeeand approved by the Ontario Ministry ofthe Environment (MOE). These Planscontain policies to either prohibit or man-age activities that have been prescribed asdrinking water threats through the Act.

Technical rules in the Clean Water Actinclude requirements that must be fol-lowed for the completion of groundwaterand surface water technical studies thatform the basis of the assessment reports.These reports describe for each municipalresidential drinking water system the spa-tial extent of where policies are appliedand how restrictive policies can be for bothexisting and future land use activities.

The Grand River Watershed is locatedwithin the Lake Erie Source ProtectionRegion. It covers an area of approxi-mately 6,800 square kilometres in southcentral Ontario and flows 300 kilometresfrom the headwaters of the Upper Grandto Lake Erie. Groundwater provides ap-proximately 82 percent of the population

in the Grand River Watershed with theirpotable water, and is used in agriculture,industry, and the commercial productionof bottled water.

To develop ground and surface waterpolicies that are implementable and effec-

travel to the aquifer of interest: the Sur-face to Aquifer Advection Time (SAAT).Two separate components are deter-mined. The unsaturated zone advectiontime (UZAT) is computed using valuesassumed for the depth to the water table,mobile water content and infiltration rate.The water table to aquifer advection time(WAAT) computation includes aquiferporosity, thickness of the geologic layer,vertical hydraulic conductivity and thedifference between the head in the con-fined aquifer and the water table.

Within large areas of the Lake ErieSource Protection Region, the SAATmethod is used to calculate regional vul-nerability, which forms one componentof the vulnerability analysis of a munici-

Technical rules in the Clean Water Act include requirements that must be followed for

the completion of groundwater and surface water technical studies

Lake Erie Source Protection Region Boundary.

Protecting the Grand River Watershed’s sourcewater from chemicals and pathogensBy Emily Stahl, Martin Keller and Gregg Zwiers

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 10:41 PM


Drinking Water

pal residential drinking water well.Wellhead Protection Area (WHPA)

mapping is based on the time of travelcapture zones delineated for each munic-ipal well field. These capture zones arebased on current and future pumpingrates of municipal wells within the satu-rated zone. Determination of the WHPAsidentifies the 100 metre, 2 year, 5 yearand 25 year time of travel zones as shownfor the Community of Arthur. TheseWHPAs are overlain and integrated withthe SAAT map to produce vulnerabilityscores for each. The higher the score, themore susceptible groundwater is to po-tential drinking water threats.

For surface water, the approach iden-tifies Intake Protection Zones (IPZ)around the surface water intake, as pre-sented for the City of Brantford. IPZ-1 isbased on a one kilometre radius circle forGreat Lake intakes and 200 metres forriver intakes. The IPZ-2 is defined as theminimum two hour travel time to the in-

take. The IPZ-3 includes areas beyondIPZ-2. Both IPZ-2 and IPZ-3 comprisespecified setbacks from the edge of thewatercourse. Further, an analysis of anynatural or human-made transport path-ways such as tiled fields and gullies wascompleted and, as necessary, included inIPZ-2.

Vulnerability scoring was determinedfor each zone, based on factors such asrun off potential hydrological and hydro-geological conditions, depth and distanceof the intake to land, and historical waterquality concerns. The vulnerability scorefor each zone refers to the likelihood of acontaminant entering the surface waterand impacting the water supply intake.The higher the vulnerability score in anarea, the more vulnerable the intake isfrom spills and contamination.

After determining vulnerable areas,identification of existing chemical drink-ing water threats (e.g., solvents, fuels and

Wellhead Protection Area for Community of Arthur.


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May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 10:41 PM


pesticides) and pathogen drinking waterthreats (e.g., sewage, manure) is under-taken. Specific activities have been iden-

tified as drinking water threats and areoutlined in the Act. The ranking ofthreats into significant, moderate and

low is based on the combination of thevulnerability score and a hazard score.The hazard score considers the toxicity,environmental fate, and quantity of thecontaminant and is being determinedthrough technical rules.

The scientific basis of the WHPAs,IPZs and vulnerability scoring enablesdevelopment of municipal based drinkingwater policies that are more effective anddefensible. For example, restrictive poli-cies requiring the prohibition of an activ-ity can now be directed to areas where,through the assessment of local groundand surface water, conditions have beendetermined to be very susceptible to con-tamination. Therefore, more stringentpolicy measures can be implemented inthat area.

Through the Source Water ProtectionProgram, historical raw groundwaterchemistry was also analysed for each mu-nicipal drinking water system. Analysisdetermined if concentrations of contam-inants were present at the well, whichwould lead to deterioration of the qualityof the water used for drinking. In suchcases where monitoring data showed ele-vated nitrate or chloride levels, an “Issue”was noted for this system. For each iden-tified Issue, an Issue Contributing Area(ICA) was developed. In most cases, thisis the 25 year time of travel capture zone,as presented for the County of Brant. TheICA is the area within which activitieshave, or are likely to contribute to the el-evated contaminant at the well.

The focus of policy development in

Surface Water Intake Protection Zone for City of Brantford.

Drinking Water

Water For People–CanadaDe L’eau Pour Tous–Canada

255 Consumers Road, Suite 300 Toronto, ON M2J 5B6Phone (416) 499.4042 Fax: (416) 499.4687

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Water For People is dedicated to creating reliable access to safe drinking water, improved sanitation facilities, and hygiene education programs in Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America.

It’s not enough to help some but not others. In

the regions where we work, we are committed to

providing access to every person–today and in the

future–and we monitor our work for at least 10 years

post-implementation to guarantee its impact.

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-06-01 7:46 PM


Wellhead Protection Area for the City of Brant.

these areas is to control, reduce or elimi-nate potential sources, therefore reducingcontaminant loading over time. There arecases where municipalities are successfulin reducing the loading of contaminants,such as nitrate and chloride at their wells.

With greater understanding of local en-vironmental conditions, the scientific basisin the development of source water protec-tion plan policies allows for effective pro-tection from chemical and pathogenthreats. Vulnerability mapping shown inthe assessment reports identifies areas thatneed to be protected, to ensure long-termquality of drinking water supplies.

As Source Protection Plans are ap-proved and implemented, the requiredmonitoring of the effectiveness of poli-cies will allow for an analysis of the suc-cess of this program.

Emily Stahl is with WESA Inc. MartinKeller and Gregg Zwiers are with theGrand River Conservation Authority.

For further information, E-mail: [email protected], or visit

www.sourcewater.ca, orwww.grandriver.ca.

Drinking Water

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:40 PM


Infrastructure

deteriorated sewage system and is treatedas sewage before being discarded. This iscostly and environmentally unsound.

The results of a survey carried out inseveral Canadian cities by the Centre forExpertise and Research on Infrastructurein Urban Areas (CERIU), show that thetotal annual cost, for a city, due to breaksand water loss is estimated to be between$500,000 and $100 M depending on thesize of the water system. It is evidentfrom these results that important potentialsavings can be achieved by simply reduc-ing or eliminating water main breaks andleaks by implementing a water main re-newal program.

Up until 10 to 20 years ago, open cutreplacement was the method of choice forreplacing old deteriorated water mainswith newer ones. Compared to otheravailable methods, open cut can be verycostly and disturbing to residents. Now,most Canadian cities are reverting totrenchless cured-in-place piping (CIPP)to renew their water mains. CIPP meth-ods use a lining system that allows theowner to renew their water mains with afully structural solution without the in-convenience of digging trenches.

Distribution water mains, which ac-count for the majority of mains installedin North-America, are typically muchsmaller in diameter (150 mm to 300 mm)

As were metals in the 19thcentury and oil in the 20th,water is becoming the mostvaluable commodity in the

21st century. It is common knowledgethat water infrastructure is ageing andpast its useful life in many areas of theindustrialized world. Therefore, our mostprecious resource must be managed tominimize loss in water distribution net-works.

In Canada, most of the water infra-structure was built in the post-WW II era.Every year, cities, large or small, have torepair many breaks and leaks at a greatcost to the community. For example, theCity of Toronto experienced 1,115 breaksin 2011. These repairs can cost as muchas $5,000 to $8,000 each, which canamount to hundreds of thousands if notmillions of dollars annually for certaincities. This does not include the cost ofwater lost and the hardships endured bycitizens.

Large Canadian cities lose as much as42% of the water treated in the distributionsystems. The lost water often flows to the

than transmission mains. They are alsoequipped with service connections lo-cated at every home and business in orderto provide them with drinking water.

Although trenchless technologies suchas pipe bursting, slip lining and horizon-tal directional drilling could be used torenew these small diameter distributionwater mains, their installation methodsrequire the excavation of every serviceconnection in order to restore water serv-ice to the home owner. These technolo-gies can be more easily used in largerdiameter transmission mains where thereare few or no service connections.

Structural CIPP has been installed inwell over 900 kms of water mains inNorth America. The technology not onlyprovides a structural solution but it alsoallows for the reinstatement of the serviceconnections from inside the pipe with theuse of robotics.

Sanexen Environmental Services Inc.developed the AQUA-PIPE® technologyin the mid nineties to provide a low digstructural solution for deteriorated watermains and the robotic reinstatement ofservice connections. AQUA-PIPE is theonly Canadian liner certified for potablewater use by the BNQ to NQ Standard3660-950 and by NSF to NSF/ANSIStandard 61.

Two projects awarded in 2010 and

Water main break. (Photo courtesy of City of St-Jérome.)

Installation of the structural cured-in-place liner.

An innovative Canadian water infrastructure rehabilitation approach saves money, water and reduces greenhouse gas emissions By Joe Loiacono

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:40 PM


Infrastructure

2011 required the structural rehabilitationof 20 km and 10 km, respectively, ofsmall diameter distribution water mainsthroughout a dozen boroughs of the Cityof Montreal. Both contracts specified thata hydrostatic pressure test be carried outon the water mains before the start ofconstruction, and that a similar test becarried out after work was completed.The final results of these tests can be seenin Table 1. The overall annual water sav-ings for these two projects are over 99%.

For the years 2008 to 2010, the Citysaved over $60 M in direct constructioncosts for the structural rehabilitation withCIPP of approximately 36 kms of watermains, compared to replacing the pipesusing the open cut method.

Structural CIPP provides many otherbenefits beyond being a low dig and lesscostly structural solution, including: in-creased pressure and flow capacity; pre-vents future tuberculation; possibility toline through bends; rapid and less disrup-tive construction; reduced breaks andwater loss; reduced social impacts.

Another important benefit of CIPPtechnology is the reduction of greenhousegas (GHG) emissions. Calculations ofAQUA-PIPE’s GHG emissions werecompleted according to a rigorous quan-tification protocol based on the ISO140642-2 international standard, the prin-ciples of life cycle analysis and two othervalidated protocols. The quantificationreport has been verified by the BNQ, a

Description 2010 2011

Length of CIPP installed in the City of Montreal (km) 20.0 10.0Total water loss before rehabilitation (L/h) 90 963.9 46 297.7Total water loss after rehabilitation (L/h) 927.5 285.9Overall water savings (L/h) 90 036 46 011.8Overall water savings(m3/year) 788 719 403 063

Table 1. Total water savings after CIPP rehabilitation of distribution water mains.

standard development organization, ac-cording to the requirements of the ISO14064-3 international standard.

It was determined that AQUA-PIPEreduces GHG emissions by 84% com-pared to traditional open cut replace-ments. This figure does not include GHGsavings due to other impacts such as traf-fic detours and increased vehicle idling.

Structural CIPP is now a proven tech-nology which is approved and used bywater utilities throughout North America.

Joe Loiacono is with Sanexen Environmental Services Inc. E-mail:[email protected]. References

are available on request.

1912-2012Celebrating 100 years in Canada

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:40 PM


Guest Comment

clean tech companies across Ontario hadtold us that they often do not apply forgovernment programs because it takestoo much time and places an undue bur-den upon them that is not matched by thepossible outcome. “If it costs us $10,000in time to apply for a $50,000 grant thatwe might not get, what’s the point?” saidthe CEO of one firm.

The Drummond panel picked up onthis concern and strongly recommendedthat the province’s various support pro-grams be rationalized. The Ontariobudget committed to take 40 programsthat offer more than $2-billion in supportacross seven different ministries and

amalgamate them into one “Jobs andProsperity Fund.” This commitment wasaccompanied by a parallel pledge tomake this new fund “administrativelymore efficient.” Environmental andclean tech firms will only benefit fromthis rationalization, however, if the waysmall- and medium-sized companies canapply for this support is made more re-alistic and accessible.

There may be an opening to do thisthrough a new “Jobs and ProsperityCouncil”, which was also established inthe budget. This new Council will pro-vide advice to government on “…im-proving research and development(R&D) tax credits to increase businessR&D expenditures and simplify compli-

Earlier this year, Ontario FinanceMinister Dwight Duncan un-veiled what he hoped would bea “Goldilocks” budget. Like

many of his predecessors from govern-ments of all stripes, he tried to hit thatsweet spot of “not too hard, not too soft,just right” that we all remember from thechildren’s story.

But was he successful? In a provincefacing an unprecedented budget deficit,the government is predicting it willspend $126-billion in the coming year,offset by just $112-billion in revenues.And while the Finance Minister reportshe is on track to balance the books by2017-18, many observers are disap-pointed that the province does not ap-pear to have fully embraced the boldvision offered in last month’s Drum-mond Report.

Most of the Drummond panel’s rec-ommendations focused on reinventingthe way in which government doesthings, calling for stronger partnershipswith the private sector and a rethink oflarge scale investments that are notbacked by independent research (such assmaller class sizes). The province ap-peared initially supportive of Drum-mond and had set an expectation that thereport would pave the way for large-scale changes in government operationsand public services.

While the budget does have a definiteausterity focus, it falls short of totally em-bracing the Drummond recommendations.To read ONEIA’s analysis of the Drum-mond Report, please visit www.oneia.ca

What can Ontario’s environmentaland clean tech companies take awayfrom this budget? There are numerousaspects that will affect them, from freez-ing the reductions in corporate taxes toincreased water usage fees. But, three ofthem bear closer scrutiny:1. Rationalizing programs – but willthey be rational? In ONEIA’s 2009Ready to Grow report, we called for thegovernment to restructure programs andsupport for firms in our sector to betterreflect their reality. Environmental and

What does Ontario’s budget mean for environmental and clean tech firms?

By Alex Gill

ance and administration.”2. Serious budget cuts at MOE – butwhere will the axe fall? The OntarioMinistry of the Environment will see itsbudget decrease by more than $50-millionin the coming year – a reduction of 9%from the previous year. As a large numberof the companies in the environmentaland clean tech sector rely on stable andprogressive regulatory enforcement, theywill be justifiably worried about what cutsof this magnitude might mean.

Traditionally, government depart-ments deal with budget cuts in one oftwo ways: a) they innovate and findways to meet their mandate by doingless, prioritizing or doing things differ-ently; or b) they try to do things the waythey always have, but with fewer re-sources. With both of these options inplay, ONEIA will be watching to seehow internal cuts at MOE play out andwhat impact they may have on a sectorthat is becoming one of the most consis-tent job creators in the Ontario economy.3. Approvals modernization will con-tinue, but at what cost? ONEIA’s Readyto Grow report also strongly urged theprovince to modernize the approvalsprocess at MOE. The Ministry respondedpositively and we are midway through aneffort to replace the former Certificatesof Approval (CofA) with EnvironmentalCompliance Approvals (ECAs) and anew electronic registry (or EASR).

While companies have been cau-tiously optimistic about this move, thisbudget announced that fees for this newapproval process will increase as part ofa move towards “full cost recovery.”While the budget also commits to “theestablishment of service standards … toensure timely and efficient approvals”,ONEIA will be watching this movecarefully, lest environmental and cleantech firms be stuck paying more for asystem that may not deliver faster ap-proval times.

Alex Gill is the Executive Director ofONEIA. E-mail:[email protected]

Environmental and clean tech

companies acrossOntario had told usthat they often do

not apply for government

programs because it takes too much time.

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:40 PM


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ACG Technology ACG Technology

ACG Technol-ogy’s packagetreatment sys-tem offers per-formance anddurability. Itprovides

sewage treatment within a small foot-print. Aeration, mixing and settling canbe accomplished in compact, easilytransported ISO containers, ideal for re-mote locations. Provides flexibility ofadding future parallel units, an econom-ical means of meeting the needs of anygrowing sewage loads.Tel: 905-856-1414, Fax: 905-856-6401 E-mail: [email protected]: www.acgtechnology.com

Package Treatment System Coalescing oil/water separators

ACG Technology’scoalescing oil/water separatorsare available incarbon steel, stain-less steel, FRP andpolypropyleneconstruction. Stan-

dard systems include air-operated di-aphragm pump, air filter and floatingskimmer. Adjustable weir and skimmerheight provides optimal oil removal andminimal disposal volume. Standardrange is 1 to 50 GPM.Tel: 905-856-1414, Fax: 905-856-6401E-mail: [email protected]: www.acgtechnology.com

American Public University

Online education

American Public University is a leadingprovider of quality online education.APU offers more than 170 undergraduateand graduate degree and certificate pro-grams for environmental science, policy,and management professionals. Whenyou’re ready to learn more, visit Studyat-APU.com/ESE.Tel: 877-777-9081E-mail: [email protected]: StudyatAPU.com/ESE

Air Liquide Canada

Oxygen for lagoons and activated sludge

To reduce BOD, odour, sludge volumeindex and polymer, activate your sludgesystems with a boost of oxygen. Ven-toxAL pure-oxygen transfer systems aredesigned for easy installation. Contactone of Air Liquide Canada’s specialists.Tel: 450-641-6218 E-mail: [email protected] 780-438-5635 E-mail: [email protected]

Phoenix Panel System

• Upgrades and optimizes all types of filters• Installs directly over existing underdrain system• Eliminates the need for base gravel layers• Improves backwash flow distribution• Provides longer filter runs and lower turbidity effluentTel: 403-255-7377, Fax: 403-255-3129E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.awifilter.comAWI

• Optimizes all types of filters• Extremely low profile; lowest available• Manufactured from corrosion-resistant stainless steel• Variable custom orifice sizing• Custom hydraulic design• Guaranteed uniform air scour distribution• Rapid, low-cost installationTel: 403-255-7377, Fax: 403-255-3129E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.awifilter.com

Phoenix Underdrain System

AWI

Bürkert Fluid Control Systems

Process Control

The Burkert mxControl type 8620 is de-signed to automate the control of processvariables within a water treatment system.This multi-purpose process and chem-istry controller can integrate an HMI,PLC, data logger, enclosure, and powersupply and is designed to be connectedlive to the Web with an on board Ethernetport. Tel: 905-632-3033, Fax: 905-632-3833E-mail: [email protected]: www.burkert.ca

C&M Environmental Technologies

Package treatment plant

WesTech Engi-neering’s Clari-Cell-B™Package Treat-ment Plant uti-lizes atwo-stage con-figuration con-

sisting of an up-flow buoyant coarsemedia roughing filter followed by a con-ventional down-flow fine media filter.Pre-engineered for simplicity, the Clari-Cell-B is easily installed and integratedinto new or existing flow sheets for low tomedium flow water treatment. Tel: 705-725-9377, Fax: 705-725-8279E-mail: [email protected]: www.cmeti.com

C&M Environmental Technologies

High rate filtration system

The WWETCOFlexFilter™from WesTechEngineeringprovides an in-novative solu-tion for CSO,primary treat-

ment, tertiary treatment and industrialwater pretreatment. The combination oftapered media compression, porosity gra-dient within the media bed and a low flowbackwash system make the FlexFilter oneof the most versatile and efficient filterson the market. Tel: 705-725-9377, Fax: 705-725-8279E-mail: [email protected]: www.cmeti.com

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:40 PM

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Canadian Safety Equipment

Portable lighting

The AirStarportable emer-gency lightingoperates from110V and willlight up awide area foremergencywork at nightor in poorly litareas. It isself-inflating,

pops up quickly and easily, and will workin all types of weather.Tel: 800-265-0182 905-949-2741, Fax: 905-272-1866E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.cdnsafety.com

Endress+Hauser

Multiparameter controller

Memosens sen-sor technologyand the newdigitalLiquilineCM442 plat-form make"plug & play"online analyz-

ers and samplers a true reality. Modulardesign allows for any combination of in-puts (DO, TSS, pH, conductivity, chlo-rine, nitrate, Ion Selective and blanketlevel). All are easily customized to yourspecific process. Tel: 800-668-3199, Fax: 905-681-9444E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.ca.endress.com/analysis

Heron Instruments

Groundwater data logger

The Heron dipperLog is the answer toyour long-term groundwater level moni-toring program. It will measure andrecord groundwater levels and tempera-tures over long periods of time. See howHeron Instruments has made groundwa-ter data logging easy and cost-effectivefor everyone who needs to monitor theirwater level and temperature. Tel: 800-331-2032Web: www.heroninstruments.com

Concept Controls

Concept Controls’ rental inventory is thelargest in Canada, giving our customers aflexible alternative to buying. We ensurethat we always have the most up-to-dateGas Monitors, Industrial Hygiene instru-mentation, and Environmental Monitoringequipment, calibrated and ready for you.Tel: 888-207-2212E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.conceptcontrols.com

Rentals department

Denso

Proven worldwidefor well over 100years, DensoPetrolatum Tapesoffer the best,most economical,

long-term corrosion protection for allabove and below ground metal surfaces.Requiring only minimum surface prepa-ration and environmentally responsible,Denso Petrolatum Tape is the solution toyour corrosion problems in any corro-sive environment. For applications inmines, mills, refineries, steel mills, pulp& paper, oil & gas, and the waterworksindustry. The answer is Denso!Tel: 416-291-3435, Fax: 416-291-0898E-mail: [email protected]: www.densona.com

Denso Petrolatum Tapes

The new CSF48fromEndress+Hausersets the bench-mark in waterquality monitor-ing. Choose be-

tween vacuum or peristaltic pumping,and multiple sampling routines. Opt forthe two industrial digital sensors (expand-ing to eight in the future) and connect tothe SCADA with the latest communica-tions protocols. A complete monitoringand collection solution responding totoday’s industrial requirements. Tel: 800-668-3199, Fax: 905-681-9444E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.ca.endress.com

Water sampler Process mixing system

Endress+Hauser

The HYDRAULIXmixing systems featurea unique double nozzledesign which allows foreven energy distribu-tion. This process opti-mizes solids suspensionand contact to promoteefficiency in a widerange of wastewater andbio-fuels applications.E-mail:[email protected]:www.greatario.com

Greatario Engineered Storage Systems

Greyline Instruments

Ultrasonic flow meter

The new Grey-line TTFM 1.0Transit TimeFlow Meter ac-curately meas-ures flow fromthe outside ofmetal or plastic

pipes. It includes clamp-on ultrasonictransducers for easy flow measurement ofliquids including water, oils and chemi-cals. Powerful new digital signal process-ing ensures high ±1.0% accuracy in awide range of applications and operatingconditions. Tel: 888-473-9546E-mail: [email protected]: www.greyline.com

H2Flow

H2Flow offersPinnacle’s revo-lutionary Zenithozone systems,producing up to600 lbs/day (5%wt.) per unit.With their highlyefficient design,they can be

turned up/down for 100% dosage vari-ability. They are built with solid compo-nents, are rugged, proven, extremelycompact, and water cooled, with noyearly maintenance.Tel: 905-660-9775, Fax: 905-660-9744E-mail: [email protected]: www.h2flow.com

Ozone systems

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IPEX Management

New technical reference blog

IPEX has launched ABetterSewer.com, anew blog for wastewater engineers, de-signers and operators. It will cover tech-nical issues related to drop structures,sewer hydraulics and odor control, andwill inform on technology and opinionsof industry experts with a specific focusupon the Vortex Flow Solution. Tel: 905-403-0264E-mail: [email protected]: www.abettersewer.com

John Meunier

Polymer hydration

HYDRA-POLSystems for thepreparation and In-jection of polymerpowder offer: aturn key package,pre-wired and pre-tested; completehydration of poly-

mer (4 zones); real-time monitoring ofpolymer activation available; posiportionvolumetric feeder; stainless steel tanks;and panels and controls specialized tocustomer requirements.Tel: 905-286-4846 E-mail:[email protected] Web: www.johnmeunier.com

KSB Pumps Inc.

Single-stage pumps

KSB’s line ofRDLO pumps arebest-in-class per-formers in splitvolute casingpumps. Reliableworkhorses formoving large vol-umes of fluid,

these powerful single-stage utility pumpscan handle a wide range of applications –from water transfer, irrigation and desali-nation to industrial water supply. Stan-dard RDLOs come with capacities up to10,000 m3/h and heads as high as 240 m. Tel: 905-568-9200E-mail: [email protected]: www.ksb.ca

The YSI Profes-sional Plus hand-held multi-parameter meterprovides extremeflexibility for themeasurement of avariety of combi-nations for dis-solved oxygen,conductivity, spe-cific conductance,salinity, resistivity,total dissolved

solids (TDS), pH, ORP, pH/ORP combi-nation, ammonium (ammonia), nitrate,chloride and temperature.Web: www.hoskin.ca

Multiparameter meter

Hoskin Scientific

The YSIProODOTM hand-held DO meterprovides extremedurability for themeasurement ofoptical, lumines-cent-based dissolved oxygenfor any field application.

Web:www.hoskin.ca

Hand-held DO meter

Hoskin Scientific

Huber Technology

The Strainpress® Inline Sludge Screenfrom Huber Technology is designed toeffectively screen sludge in pressurizedlines. Reduces maintenance costs andincreases the operating reliability ofdownstream sludge treatment systems.The Strainpress is precision manufac-tured of stainless steel. There are morethan 700 installations. E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.huberforum.net/ESE

Sludge screen

Huber Technology

Huber Technology’s RoS3Q InclinedScrew Press provides high performancesludge dewatering in a compact, en-tirely enclosed machine. The RoS3Qprovides efficient and reliable operationwith minimal operator attendance. Theslow rotational design is simple and en-ergy-efficient. E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.huberforum.net/ESE

Screw press

Strescon Limited inSaint John, NewBrunswick, has sup-plied the largestStormceptor everinstalled in AtlanticCanada, an STC

14,000 installed at the Costco Whole-sale site in Fredericton. The site encom-passes Corbett Brook and adjacentwetlands on the grounds of the Univer-sity of New Brunswick, which are hometo various species, a mature forest andwetlands. Tel: 800-565-4801E-mail: [email protected]: www.imbriumsystems.com;www.stormceptor.com

Protecting sensitive watershed

Imbrium Systems

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Physicochemical pretreatment

HYDREX™water treat-ment chemi-cals areformulated tomeet the indi-vidual specifi-cations ofcustomers inthe industrial

and municipal sectors. They are key com-ponents in physicochemical pretreatmentof water, including clarification, anti-scaling, anti-fouling and corrosion miti-gation applications.Tel: 1-888-LINKVWS (546-5897)E-mail: [email protected]: www.johnmeunier.com

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:40 PM

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MSU MGSafety Hatches- the open andshut case forhatch stan-dards. With single, doubleand multi-doorconfigurationsin aluminum

and stainless steel, they are made righthere in Canada. Check us out on the web www.msumississauga.comTel: 800-268-5336, Fax: 888-220-2213 E-mail: [email protected]

Safety hatches

MSU Mississauga

MSU MG Safety Hatches set the standard in Canada for fall-through protection. They withstand pedestrian and occasional traffic loads. With single,double and multi-door configurations inaluminum and stainless steel, they aremade in Canada. Tel: 800-268-5336, Fax: 888-220-2213 E-mail: [email protected]: www.msumississauga.com

Safety hatches

ORIVAL, Inc.now providescomplete waterfiltration systemsdesigned for spe-cific municipaland industrial ap-

plications. These systems include filters,manifold, valves and control. ORIVALORG and OR Series of Automatic Self-Cleaning Filters are designed to with-stand the day-in and day-out rigours ofPOTWs. A wide range of filters is avail-able from ¾” to 24”, and filtration de-grees from 5 to 3000 microns. Tel: 201-568-3311, 800-567-9767E-mail: [email protected]: www.orival.com

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Water reuse systems

The Dräger X-zone 5000, incombination withthe Dräger X-am5000, monitorsup to six haz-ardous gases andwarns at pre-setlevels. This easilytransportable, ro-bust and water-

proof instrument extends mobile gasdetection technology to a unique systemwith many applications.Tel: 800-560-4402, Fax: 877-820-9667E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.ospreyscientific.com

Area monitoring

Osprey Scientific ProMinent Fluid Controls

Metering pump

The award-winning delta® with optoDrive®

provides di-verse controland operatingcapabilities ina capacity

range of 7.5 - 75 l/h, 362 psi - 29 psi.The delta from ProMinent has many ad-vanced features: pulsed or continuousdosing; automatic detection of airlock,low pressure and high pressure; and anautomatic degassing option.Tel: 888-709-9933, Fax: 519-836-5226E-mail: [email protected]: www.prominent.ca/delta

ProMinent Fluid Controls

Metering pumps

Feature-richand dependableSigma seriesmeteringpumps fromProMinent helpkeep yourchemical feedunder control.

Sigma pumps operate in capacities of upto 1000 LPH and pressures up to 174psi. Microprocessor controls are easy touse, with backlit LCD for rapid and reli-able adjustment.

Tel: 888-709-9933, Fax: 519-836-5226E-mail: [email protected]: www.prominent.ca

Schneider Electric

Solution architecture

Schneider Electric is the only global spe-cialist providing EcoStruxure, an inte-grated systems architecture unifyingprocess management, energy manage-ment and security management for waterand wastewater. Our solutions can saveup to 30% in operating and design costs.Tel: 800-565-6699E-mail: [email protected]: www.schneider-electric.com

Automation solution

The simple combi-nation design ofthe Smart ServoPackage allows foran extremely highlevel of flexibilitywith various ex-tension products,which can be op-

tionally combined to meet the require-ments of the application, communicationand automation structure.Tel: 905-791-1553E-mail: [email protected]: www.sew-eurodrive.ca

SEW-Eurodrive Smith & Loveless

Smith & Love-less Inc. an-nounces itslatest headworksinnovation,PISTA®

WORKS™, a pre-engineered packagedheadworks system, combining screen-ing, grit removal and grit washing intoone integrated system. It is pre-assem-bled and shipped direct to the job site,significantly reducing field-installationcosts, while allowing for a compactfootprint. All equipment componentsare constructed of stainless steel. Tel: 913-888-5201, Fax: 913-888-2173E-mail: [email protected]: www.smithandloveless.com

Headworks system

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Conductivity levelogger

The LTC Levelogger Junior from Solinstallows datalogging of conductivity, alongwith water level and temperature. It com-bines memory for 16,000 sets of readingsand a 5-year battery in a small water-proof housing, with 2% accuracy from500 to 50,000 μS/cm.Tel: 905-873-2255, Fax: 905-873-1992E-mail: [email protected]: www.solinst.com

Solinst Canada

Groundwater sampling

The HydraSleeve Dis-creet Interval No-PurgeSampler provides a for-mation quality samplewith very little effortand cost. In independ-ent studies, the Hy-draSleeve was found tobe 50%-80% morecost-effective thanother sampling meth-ods.Tel: 905-238-5242,Fax: 905-238-5704E-mail: [email protected]:www.waterra.com

Waterra Pumps

USF Fabrication

Hatch safety netThe lightweightHatch Safety Net isdesigned to be per-manently installedand easily re-tractable in floorand roof openings where the risk of fallthrough is present. When closed, thenet system allows people to movefreely around confined space openingswithout fear of falling into the opening.It also allows visibility of inspectionsand accessibility for limited mainte-nance and float adjustments. Whenentry/exit is required, the net can beeasily unhooked on all but one side ofthe opening. Tel: 604-552-7900, Fax: 604-552-7901E-mail: [email protected]

Xylem

Xylem’s newWEDECO EC-ORAY® ultravi-olet lamps offersignificant sav-ings in opera-tion and lifecycle costs. The UV lamps incorporate anew long-life coating and improvedoverall stability and performance. Aninnovative gas and amalgam mixture inthe lamp utilizes up to 80 percent lessmercury. Corresponding electronic bal-last cards have been fine-tuned to thespecific requirements of ECORAY lampaging characteristics.Tel: 514-695-0100, Fax: 514-697-0602Web: www.xylemwatersolutions.com/ca

New Amalgam UV lampsBased on the clog-free Flygt N-pumps, the newFlygt jet aeratorfrom Xylem hasbecome easier toinstall and main-tain. The majorchanges in the newgeneration jet aera-tors are: an im-

proved lift in/lift out structure, and astrengthened stand equipped with rubberdampers. Available with up to three ejec-tors, the Flygt jet aerator is a flexibleaeration solution for small- and medium-sized tanks.Tel: 514-695-0100, Fax: 514-697-0602Web: www.xylemwatersolutions.com/ca

New jet aerators

Xylem

Peristaltic pumps

The PegasusAlexis® PeristalticPump from Wa-terra is a self-con-tained samplingstation that in-cludes all the bestfeatures of thesedevices. Packagedin the rugged Peli-

can™ 1430 case and incorporating itsown power supply and charger, this pumpwill keep you sampling in the field allday long. Tel: 905-238-5242, Fax: 905-238-5704E-mail: [email protected]: www.waterra.com

Waterra Pumps

Inline disposable filters

Waterra

Waterra currently has three Inline Dis-posable Filter options available: the 0.45Micron high turbidity FHT-45, the 0.45Micron medium turbidity FMT-45, andthe 0.2 Micron CAP300X2. All our fil-ters use high quality polyethersulphonefilter media (which offers excellent par-ticle retention above the target micronsize range) and are pre-rinsed with 1Lof de-ionized water to ensure purity. Tel: 905-238-5242, Fax: 905-238-5704E-mail: [email protected]: www.waterra.com

Mechanical actuators

The portable, elec-trically operatedHydrolift has beenone of the mostpopular mechani-cal actuators forthe Waterra InertialPump, and we've

been working to make it better. Today,the improved Hydrolift is more durableand easier to use and, most importantly,more affordable than ever.Tel: 905-238-5242, Fax: 905-238-5704E-mail: [email protected]: www.waterra.com

Waterra Pumps

Waterloo Barrier

Waterloo Barrier is alow permeability cutoffwall for groundwatercontainment and con-trol. It is a new design ofsteel sheet piling, fea-turing joints that can besealed after the sheets

have been driven into the ground, andwas developed by researchers at the Uni-versity of Waterloo. It has patent/patentpending status in several countries.Canadian Metal Rolling Mills assisted indeveloping the product. Tel: 519-856-1352, Fax: 519-856-0759 E-mail: [email protected]: www. waterloo-barrier.com

Controlling contaminated groundwater

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:41 PM


Impacts of Canadaʼs 2012Economic Action Plan

With federal program funding cuts beingannounced, the impacts of the "2012 Eco-nomic Action Plan" are now being realized.

Public Safety Canada (PSC) has an-nounced that they are closing the Cana-dian Emergency Management College.The College provided emergency manage-ment training to practitioners. Justificationfor the closure is that this training is widelyavailable from provincial and municipalgovernments, as well as colleges, univer-sities and private sector organizations. Thegovernment is examining ways of offeringe-learning and other alternative course de-livery options.

PSC has also announced the termina-tion of the Joint Emergency PreparednessProgram (JEPP). The original objectivesof this program, namely, to enhance localemergency preparedness and response ca-pacity, have been met. Federal contribu-tions for emergency preparedness projectsunder JEPP will end in 2013 as will fed-eral funding provided under JEPP forUrban Search and Rescue and for CriticalInfrastructure initiatives. Funding contin-ues to be in place for projects submittedfor consideration in 2012-13.

It is also believed that the federal gov-ernment is making cuts to its water pro-grams. Among other programs, it will stopfinancial support for the implementationof the WaterSense labeling program inCanada. WaterSense provides verificationand labeling for water efficient appliancesand fixtures. It may also discontinue theNational Municipal Water and WastewaterSurvey, which provided data on water use,treatment, and discharge. Finally, theWater Resources Strategies Section of theSustainable Water Management Divisionwill cease operations.

WEAO produces newbiosolids video

The Water Environment Association ofOntario has produced a new video,Biosolids: Naturally Sustainable.

This 18 minute documentary exploresthe use of biosolids as a safe, effective fer-tilizer alternative for Ontario’s agriculturalsector. The video has been nominated forthe award for best educational tool givenby the Water Environment Federation.

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CWWA appoints new Executive Director

Robert Haller has been selected as the newexecutive director of the Canadian Waterand Wastewater Association. Haller hasworked with the City of Ottawa, the Town-ship of Goulbourn, the Town of Prescott,Tay Valley Township, and as a municipalconsultant.

www.cwwa.ca

Endress+Hauser Canadadonates $1.4 million to trades and technology

complex

Endress+Hauser Canada is making a $1.4million donation to the new SAIT Poly-technic Trades and Technology Complexin Calgary, Alberta. The donation willfund the Endress+Hauser Process Lab,which will provide state-of-the-art trainingto students attending the prestigiousSAIT’s MacPhail School of Energy. Thelabour shortage in this specialized trade,coupled with growing demand in the com-ing decade, make the donation very timely.

The lab will be outfitted with the latestflow and interface measurement technolo-gies, in addition to guided-wave radar in-struments and nuclear density profilingsystems. The company will also provideguest lecturers and various training mate-rials that explain the different measure-ment technologies.

www.ca.endress.com

Canada's GHG emissionsremain steady

Canada’s Environment Minister PeterKent and Parliamentary Secretary JacquesGourde recently announced that Canada’sgreenhouse gas emissions remainedsteady in 2010, even though the economygrew.

“We are seeing good progress in oursector-by-sector approach to reduce ourgreenhouse gas emissions by 17% below2005 levels by 2020,” said Gourde. “Emis-sions have declined in almost all sectorssince 2005.”

The Government of Canada simultane-ously released the National Inventory Re-port, the Greenhouse Gas ReportingProgram facility-level data and related

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overview report, and the greenhouse gasindicators of the Canadian EnvironmentalSustainability Indicators program. The re-ports showed that:• Between 2009 and 2010, emissions remained steady despite economic growth of 3.2%.• Since 2005, annual greenhouse gas emissions have dropped by 48 megatonnes.• Emissions have declined in almost all sectors, including oil and gas, and electricity generation, since 2005.• Per capita emissions remain at an historic low of 20.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide.• Equivalent per person, their lowest level since tracking began in 1990.• While emissions have grown 17.5% since 1990, Canada’s economy has grown 60.5%.

www.ec.gc.ca

KSB appoints rep for Western Canada

KSB Pumps Inc. has appointed Calgary-based Waste’n WaterTech Ltd. as its exclu-sive distributor for the municipal water andwastewater markets in Western Canada.

The company offers a diversified lineof equipment and technologies needed tohandle water, wastewater and biosolids.

www.ksb.ca

Changing NB water andwastewater commissions

Water and wastewater commissions inNew Brunswick would be subject togreater accountability and strengthenedgovernance rules under amendments pro-posed to the Clean Environment Act, inaccordance with recommendations madeby the Auditor General in 2011.

The new measures include: settingterm limits for commission members; al-lowing municipal and rural communitycouncils to appoint their own members; re-quiring commissions to submit annualbudgets, financial statements and reportsto communities and the Minister; requir-ing commissions to conduct annual gen-eral meetings that are open to the public;and authorizing the Commissioner of Mu-nicipal Affairs to direct a financial audit ofa commission.

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BCʼs brownfield renewalfunding program

British Columbia is providing up to $1.8million this year to revitalize brownfieldsites. Since its creation in 2007, the Pro-gram has provided more than $4.2 milliontoward 60 projects in 44 communities. Thefunding program is part of the BC Brown-field Renewal Strategy, developed to en-courage redevelopment. Recipients canuse the funding to conduct environmentalstudies to determine if a site is contami-nated and the options and costs of site re-mediation.

www.brownfieldrenewal.gov.bc.ca

Cigarette waste to be collected and recycled

TerraCycle and Canada’s largest tobaccomanufacturer have launched a free pro-gram to collect and recycle cigarettewaste. The Cigarette Waste Brigade pro-gram will divert used cigarette butts, alongwith cigarette foil and plastic packagingwaste, from landfills.

Waste collected through this free pro-gram will be recycled into plastic palletsfor industrial use. The organic parts of thewaste – the paper and remaining tobacco– will be composted.

Everything but the recyclable card-board box is accepted – the filter, the alu-minum and plastic packaging. Filters canbe collected in receptacle like ashtrays asusual. Collectors then deposit the waste inany plastic bag which gets recycled aswell. Once enough waste is collected, par-ticipants log into their account and print afree prepaid UPS shipping label to returntheir box at no cost.

www.terracycle.ca

Regulations for geothermalsystems strengthened

Ontario is strengthening the regulation ofvertical closed loop drilling for geothermalenergy systems, with new rules that takeeffect immediately. The province is im-proving public health and safety by requir-ing geothermal installers to: obtainprovincial approval for vertical closed loopgeothermal systems; consult with a certi-fied geoscientist or engineer before


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drilling; and develop an emergency planbefore drilling.

The Ministry of the Environment willconsult with industry stakeholders in thecoming months on the new regulations. Itwill also be conducting inspections to en-sure installers are meeting safety standards.

Since 2008 more than 8,800 geothermalsystems have been installed in Ontario.

Quebec commits $4.6 million for Plan Nord

environmental protection

Québec’s Minister of Sustainable Devel-opment, Environment and Parks, PierreArcand recently announced a trio of meas-ures designed to strengthen environmentalprotection and monitoring in the territory

of Plan Nord. “Plan Nord will become an interna-

tional reference in sustainable develop-ment. We have committed to protect 50%of this territory, a total of some 600 000km2. With new resources, an advancedmobile laboratory and a centre for north-ern and mining expertise, our monitoringand environmental control will be evenmore rigorous and effective,” declared theMinister.

In total, 38 additional people will be as-signed to activities concerning the territoryof Plan Nord. This will significantlystrengthen the ministry’s effectiveness inthe area, notably for environmental moni-toring and handling authorization requests.

Also, for swift and effective interven-tion in the event of an environmental

emergency, an advanced mobile labora-tory will be created that can get to placesinaccessible by road. Nearly $1 millionwill go to the purchase of stand-aloneportable equipment that can be transportedeasily by helicopter. With the new labora-tory, the ministry will be able to sample forcontaminants in the air, water and soil, andobtain results in real time. In all, thirty test-ing devices will be devoted specially toproblem analysis and environmental emer-gencies in Québec’s north.

$1 million provided to support watersheds

The British Columbia government is pro-viding further support for the BC LivingRivers Trust Fund with an injection of $1million for their core programs. Thismoney is in addition to the $21 millionthat was given to the organization between2002 and 2006.

The Living Rivers Trust Fund supportsdelivery of critical fisheries research andfish habitat restoration programs through-out BC. It was established by the provin-cial government to provide a legacy basedon healthy watersheds, sustainable ecosys-tems and thriving communities.

The trust is administered by the LivingRivers Advisory Group and focuses onthree major program areas, including: theFraser Salmon and Watersheds Program,the Georgia Basin/Vancouver Island Pro-gram, and the Skeena Fisheries Program.

Over the past six years, the fund has en-abled 450 projects and leveraged theprovincial investment by at least threetimes through shared funding with otherorganizations. Nearly $8 million has beeninvested in the Georgia Basin/VancouverIsland regions on numerous initiatives toimprove management of watersheds forthe health of fish, aquatic environmentsand the people who use those resources.


CEO pleased with the newOntario budget

Ontario’s consulting engineers are pleasedwith the recent provincial budget an-nouncement about infrastructure fundinglevels.

The province announced it will main-tain spending for infrastructure at $35 bil-lion over the next three years. “Finance

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proval system and the role of bodies suchas the National Energy Board, but this isonly the tip of the decision-making iceberg.

Keeping Pace: Improving Environmen-tal Decision-Making in Canada is part ofthe Canada West Foundation’s Our NaturalAdvantage project, and provides a diagno-sis of the state of the current decision-making process used to manage theenvironmental effects of natural resourcedevelopment. The report is based on inter-views with 23 experts, including formersenior civil servants, industry leaders, for-mer Cabinet ministers, renowned scien-tists, and environmental leaders. Thereport outlines both the shortcomings ofthe environmental decision-makingprocess and how they can be addressed.

The general consensus of these expertsis that science is not properly integratedinto the decision-making process and thatwe have to move beyond what has becomea highly polarized debate about what is oris not appropriate when it comes to re-source development.

The report recommends a renewed em-phasis on scientific information, greaterintergovernmental cooperation, and amuch clearer articulation of how electedofficials plan to address the combinedchallenges of resource development andenvironmental protection.

For a copy of Keeping Pace: Improv-ing Environmental Decision-Making inCanada, visit www.cwf.ca

Minister Dwight Duncan’s decision tomaintain infrastructure spending for nowis a good one,” said Barry Steinberg, ChiefExecutive Officer of Consulting Engineersof Ontario (CEO). “While we understandPremier McGuinty and Minister Duncanare under immense pressure to address thebudget deficit, cutting infrastructure fund-ing will cost more money in the longterm.”

Mr. Steinberg delivered a deputation toFinance Minister Dwight Duncan duringhis pre budget consultations in December2011, stressing the importance of reinvest-ment into the province’s electrical, waterand wastewater assets, to help reduce agrowing infrastructure deficit.

www.ceo.on.ca

New MB rules aimed at protecting well water users

The Manitoba government is proposing toupdate its almost 50-year-old groundwaterregulations as part of a strategy to betterprotect the 25 per cent of its residents whorely on well water.

About 1,500 water wells are drilled inManitoba each year. There are currentlyabout 35,000 active water wells. The pro-posed legislation would include newdriller responsibilities and liability insur-ance requirements that would protectlandowners, including protection from thecost of uncontrolled flowing wells.

Property owners who construct wellswith their own equipment on their ownproperty will not require licenses or certi-fication. However, well construction stan-dards and other measures would apply toall to ensure that groundwater is protected.Requirements would also apply to geo-thermal, geotechnical and monitoringwells that are not addressed in the existinglegislation.

The new rules would build on previ-ously introduced regulations for sewagedisposal introduced in 2009 and wouldsupport long-term aquifer protection frombacteriological contamination.


Improving environmentaldecision-making in Canada

Canada’s environmental decision-makingprocess can and should be improved. Atpresent, the focus is on the regulatory ap-


May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-05-31 5:41 PM

Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine

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AECOM ...........................................12

Air Liquide Canada........................38

American Concrete Pipe Assoc. ..67

American Public University ..........39

American Water/Terratec Env. ......55

Assmann Corporation...................50

Associated Engineering..................5

AWI ..................................................21

Barr Plastics...................................42

Black & Veatch...............................26

Canadian Safety.............................22

CCS Corporation ......................28-29

CIMA+ .............................................58

Cole Engineering ...........................27

Concept Controls...........................27

Corrugated Steel Pipe Institute ....84

Delcan Water ..................................24

Denso .............................................23

Endress + Hauser ..........................25

Envirocan ......................................83

Greatario.........................................51

H2Flow............................................49

Hoskin Scientific......................15, 33

Huber Technology ...........................9

IPEX.................................................31

John Meunier .................................17

Kemira.............................................43

Levelton Consultants ....................34

Master Meter.....................................3

MSU Mississauga ..........................19

MTE Consultants ...........................59

Mueller Canada ..............................69

Neptune Chemical Pump ..............41

Ontario Clean Water Agency ........13

Opus2 Mobile .................................36

Osprey Scientific ...........................43

ProAqua..........................................37

ProMinent .........................................2

SEW-Eurodrive...............................22

Smith & Loveless...........................16

Solinst Canada...............................11

Stantec............................................59

Tervita ........................................28-29

Transport Env. Systems ................49

Water for People ............................66

Waterloo Barrier.............................35

Waterra ...........................8, 40, 45, 62

WEFTEC..........................................61

XCG Consultants ...........................35

Xylem ................................................7

MB changing its Contaminated Sites

Remediation Act

Proposed amendments to the Contami-nated Sites Remediation Act wouldstrengthen the investigation and manage-ment of sites that could affect humanhealth and safety, according to ManitobaConservation and Water Stewardship Min-ister Gord Mackintosh.

The original act, introduced in 1996, isbased on the principle that the polluterpays for the cleanup of a site that is desig-nated as a contaminated site.

The new bill would require the owneror occupier of a site that is contaminatedto a level above the environmental qualitystandards to report it to Manitoba Conser-vation and Water Stewardship. Under theamended legislation, sites that pose an im-mediate risk would continue to be desig-nated as contaminated. But sites whichcould pose a risk would be designated asimpacted. A new process would be estab-lished for the management of impactedsites and the remediation of any desig-nated site would have to be authorized bythe department.

Tervita acquires well abandonment technology

Tervita Corporation, a North American en-vironmental and energy services company,has acquired an exclusive patent for Di-rexit, from Renelco Energy. Direxit is achemical that more effectively seals wellswith surface casing vent flow (SCVF) orgas migration (GM) problems.

More than 10,000 wells in Albertaalone are impacted by SCVF or GM chal-lenges, two conditions that require expert-ise and technical knowledge to reduceliability and abandonment costs while mit-igating groundwater contamination.

Direxit was developed by a major oil &gas producer to improve sweep efficiencyin enhanced oil recovery projects. It hasalso found success in water shut-off,SCVF and GM applications.

“This patent complements and en-hances Tervita’s current environmentalservice offerings,” said John Gibson, Ter-vita president and CEO. “Direxit has beenused for a number of years for a variety ofpractices. We strategically acquired thisproduct because we see a definite need

among our clients to seal wells with in-tegrity problems.”

GM, SCVFs and casing leaks are prob-lems that have been solved by Direxitwhen no other material succeeded. Thelow viscosity water-like solution allows itto penetrate the pore space and block pres-sure losses up to 170 MPa/meter of core(7,500 psi/ft).

Environment Canada set toreduce its workforce

Meteorologists, chemists and other scien-tists are among 700 Environment Canada(EC) employees, who are facing job cutsin the coming months. Weather monitor-ing and other services could be affected asa result of the $3 million in budget cuts,according to one of the unions represent-ing EC workers.

While it is not known yet exactly howmany jobs will be lost, according to theFederal Government they will eliminateduplication on water monitoring andsave money on a program that alreadyhas a high rate of compliance. The cutswill not affect Canada’s ability to meetits air pollution and GHG targets, ac-cording to a statement by EnvironmentMinister Peter Kent.

With regards to protecting water qual-ity, the government said that much of thewater monitoring work needed is alreadydone either by Statistics Canada, provincesor municipalities. EC cuts in this area sim-ply will eliminate duplication of work.

Gorman-RuppCanada

appoints new GM

Gorman-Rupp, a globalmanufacturer of pumpsand pumping systems, has

appointed Robert Furneaux as GeneralManager for its Canadian operations,which are based in St. Thomas, Ontario.He will succeed current VP Gary Creeden,who is retiring July 1, 2012.

Mr. Furneaux began his career with theCIBC and has held various senior man-agement roles with Pella/Hunt, Romaco,Herman Miller, CanWel, Weston Forestand PTM Industries.

www.grcanada.com

May2012_ES&E_4_2010 12-06-01 7:47 PM

131 Whitmore Road, Unit 13,Vaughan, ON, L4L [email protected]

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Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine May-June 2012

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Transcript of Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine May-June 2012