Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine November-December 2013

November/December 2013

www.esemag.com

Lac Mégantic disaster affects water plants

Reducing wastewater treatment costs

Using UV and ozone in tandem

Special Sections:• Consultants’ Forum

• Storage Tanks, Containment & Spills

Nov.Dec.13 Cover.indd 1 12/5/13 5:48 AM

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FEATURES

ISSN-0835-605X • Nov/Dec 2013 Vol. 26 No. 6 • Issued December 2013

6 Noise pollution - music to woo certain maidens by...

10 UV and ozone used in tandem for Terrebonne water plant upgrade

12 Precoat filter aids can reduce wastewater treatment costs

16 Non-active biocatalysts are like a multivitamin for wastewater bacteria

20 Operations maintained during reconstruction of Hamilton’s waterworks

26 Northern College takes water treatment instruction to a new level

28 Water filtration – a 4,000 year evolution

32 Doing sample collection the easy way

34 Activated carbon offers micro pollutant treatment options

36 Taming the UK’s River Douglas cures flooding

52 Software evolving for water and wastewater systems

PAGES 38 - 5138 Understanding the shifting business landscape

40 Using social collaboration tools improves communications

42 Questions, not answers lead to good design decisions

46 Consultants increasingly use BIM to drive project performance

48 Phased water and wastewater systems suit rural growth

50 Twitter, Klout, and LinkedIn help show credibility in a digital age

PAGES 55 - 7155 Development of tank testing protocols benefits new composting facility

58 Storage, containment and response are the keys to managing spills

60 Lac Mégantic disaster increases awareness of water plant vulnerability

62 Rehabilitating Toronto’s West Don Lands

64 Proper static electricity grounding essential when transferring flammables

66 Wasauksing First Nation installs new water system and elevated storage tank - Cover story

68 Vapour intrusion can hurt your bottom line

ContentsDEPARTMENTS

Product Showcase . . . 72-75

Environmental News . 76-82

Professional Cards . . . 76-80

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

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

Founding Editor TOM DAVEY

Sales Director PENNY DAVEYE-mail: [email protected]

Sales Representative DENISE SIMPSON E-mail: [email protected]

Accounting SANDRA DAVEYE-mail: [email protected]

Circulation Manager DARLANN PASSFIELDE-mail: [email protected]

Design and Production EINAR RICE

Editorial Assistant PETER DAVEYE-mail: [email protected]

Technical Advisory BoardArchis Ambulkar

Brinjac Engineering, Pennsylvania

Jim BishopConsulting Chemist, Ontario

Bill DeAngelis, P.Eng.Associated Engineering, Ontario

Marie MeunierJohn Meunier Inc., Québec

Peter J. PaineEnvironment Canada

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

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

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

Canadian Publications Mail Sales Second Class MailProduct Agreement No. 40065446 Registration No. 7750

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

ESE Contents_Nov.Dec.13.indd 4 12/6/13 6:18 PM

ASSOC.ENG_Fl.Pg_NovDec.13_TP.indd 1 10/25/13 6:42 AM

Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine6 | November/December 2013

The problem appears to be increas-ing. Taxis now routinely show up in the early hours, sounding their horns to let fares know they have arrived; and it is becoming common for house guests to conclude their nocturnal farewells with two or three loud blasts as they drive away.

There is also an especially effective instrument of torture currently in vogue – the bulb-operated bicycle horn. For a

simply by squeezing a rubber bulb, can saturate an entire neighbourhood with a persistent yapping sound; it’s the equiv-alent of poking thistles in the surround-ing population’s ear drums.

Lawn care also has become a per-sistent source of noise pollution that has grown dramatically in recent years. By itself, one gas powered lawn mower is bearable, but the cumulative effect of several mowers can drench entire sub-divisions with industrial strength noise for several hours. If a new factory were to emit such protracted noise levels near a residential area, it is certain that in-dignant demonstrations would erupt at

More acoustical horrors add to the botanical cacophony. These include gas powered lawn-edging tools, rotary grass trimmers, and – worst of all – leaf blowers, which combine a jet-like whine with a raucous engine noise. Quite often entire neighborhoods are seriously disturbed for quite trivial

In celebration of Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine’s 25th year of publication, we are pleased to reprint some of Founding Editor, Tom Davey’s editorial comments.

Dozing off on a languid sum-mer’s day, I was brutally awakened by the strident blasts of a car horn. Even

in an age where drivers routinely honk away during their trivial pursuits, this acoustical vandalism was excessive. Now aroused, still sleepy but angry, I confronted the driver, whose car held three youths clad in leather jackets.

An insolent smirk greeted my pro-test. “What do you think GM put this horn here for?”, he leered. I replied that, according to various Highway

warning for emergencies, not mating calls for juvenile delinquents. Blows might then have been exchanged, but for the timely arrival of his girl friend.

When I saw the object of his acousti-cal entreaties, I conceded to myself that his modus operandi was not entirely without logic. A balcony and classical guitar might well be inappropriate to woo this particular maiden.

often cause great pain and inconvenience to their neighbours by blasting away on auto horns at all hours. In dense urban concentrations, a single thoughtless blast can disturb the sleep of hundreds of peo-

cost to the community.William Shakespeare accurately de-

scribed sleep as “nature’s sweet restor-er.” But it is a fragile healer. There are thousands of tired, nervous people who,

jolted awake by the hooting horns and squealing tires of nocturnal motorists. Then there are babies, shift workers, and sick people, deservedly enjoying the healing balm of a daytime nap, only to be disturbed by the random use of an instrument that was specially designed to warn and alarm.

gardening chores. In an environmental audit, these three gardening activities would collectively total the biggest do-

Air pollution, too, from gas powered gardening equipment can be surprising-ly serious. Designers of an experimen-tal Saab, recently claimed there would be less air pollution driving this car across North America than operating a lawn mower for two hours.

to unnecessary noise. Years ago I visited the National Research Council in Otta-wa to do a feature on sleep experiments being conducted there. Scientists told me that many people, whose sleep is disturbed by noise pollution, frequently go into shallower, less desirable sleep patterns, without ever knowing that their slumbers had been disturbed. Next day, they may wonder why they felt tired after a “good night’s sleep”, never realizing they were victims of unwel-come noise intrusion. It robbed them of a deep, health-restoring sleep, just as surely as if they had been burglarized.

If the real costs of absenteeism, low-er productivity, and other health related effects of noise pollution were added up and published, I suspect there would be a national outcry against unneces-

that individuals get from their cavalier

Their effect on society is painful, pro-longed and far-reaching.

Noise and chemicals can cause neurotoxicity

Articles, government sponsored ads, and public announcements all warn of the dangers of second-hand cigarette smoke. But second-hand noise can also cause deafness, raise pulse rates, dis-turb sleep, and seriously affect human health in diverse ways. Researchers at the Medical Research Council in Sur-

noise and the brain’s susceptibility to damage from toxic chemicals.

Comment by Tom Davey

Noise pollution – music to woo certain maidens by…..

continued overleaf...

#1 Ed_Noise Pollution.indd 6 12/5/13 5:54 AM

November/December 2013 | 7 www.esemag.com

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MRC News

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-

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-Daily Telegraph,

-

-

London Independent

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Comment by Tom Davey

This editorial was published in

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the Polls Tell”.

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Water Treatment

Located 30 minutes northeast of Montreal, Québec, the City of Terrebonne has the last drink-ing water intake of the many

cities along the Rivière des Milles-Iles.

-rebonne and its 125,000 consumers.

First established in 1861 to only

evolved tremendously in recent years, in order to serve the constantly growing

also required after the creation of the RAIM (La Régie d’aqueduc intermunic-

-ed distribution to the adjacent munici-

--

-ticles.

UV disinfection is used to eliminate

water is stored in three underground

feed the 35 km distribution network.While only minor civil engineering

sound investment for the RAIM in col--

growth of the city of Mascouche, it was

demand, as well as ensure that environ-mental regulations were met.

Ozone oxidation for organic removalDue to the constantly changing water

quality of the Rivière des Milles-Iles, a

ensure that the drinking water met stan-dards. The combination of ozone and

ozone after -

es, including breaking down organics

-

-

-

one on standby. The ozone generators

Using ozone at Terrebonne results

longer carbon lifetimes and reduced wash -

UV disinfection

-

circulates through the reactors, UV light

This renders them “inactivate” and un-. UV disinfection was

selected for its effective results and low

-

Liquid chlorine residual is then add-

water.The log reduction for Cryptosporidi-

um, Giardia and viruses are regulated to

UV and ozone used in tandem for Terrebonne WTP upgrade By Martine Warda

Efforts to modernize and expand the plant began in 2008.

Due to the constantly changing water quality of the Rivière des Milles-Iles, a multi-barrier approach was required, to

ensure that the drinking water met standards.

#16 Terrebonne.indd 10 12/5/13 5:58 AM


Water Treatment

be 2, 5, and 6 logs, respectively. At the RAIM, use of this multi-barrier approach has led to the plant achieving log reduc-tion levels far beyond this. Given these results, the plant has since established its

own objectives and benchmarks.Running smoothly since its comple-

tion in 2011, the plant now has a ca-pacity of 120,000 m³/d. This will allow the RAIM to serve more than 250,000

consumers, over the next 50 years.

Martine Warda is with Xylem Water Solutions. For more information, visit

www.xylemwatersolutions.com/ca

To ensure continuous flow there are two ozone generators in the facility. Nine UV reactors have been installed.

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Wastewater Treatment

Proper selection of filter aid ma-terials and methods of applica-tion in a precoat filter enable it to meet challenging wastewa-

ter treatment applications by improving filtration efficiency, extending operat-ing life, reducing cleaning cycles, and reducing chemical costs.

There are numerous types of filter aid materials available to enhance pre-coat filter effectiveness. In addition, there are two approaches to filter aid utilization, which can also improve per-formance.

The most obvious application of the filter aid is as a coating layer on top of the porous support or septum. This is referred to as the “precoat layer” and it may be as thin as 0.0625 of an inch. The precoat layer is generated, prior to filtration of the wastewater, by passing one or more aqueous solutions contain-ing the filter aid(s) into the feed side of the precoat filter. The filter aid is retained on the feed side surface of the septum.

Different precoat layers can be de-posited on the septum as stratified lay-ers, which each provide a particular benefit to the wastewater treatment op-eration. Depending on the type of pre-coat filter, it can include mechanisms to ensure that the precoat layers are evenly distributed over the septum.

Another approach to applying filter aids in the precoat filter is referred to as a “body feed”. In this approach filter aid(s) can be added into the wastewa-ter, upstream of the precoat filter, either continuously in-line with a static mixer or batch wise by way of a mix tank. The objective in utilizing the filter aid as a body feed is to maintain permeability of the forming cake. This is achieved by continuously generating a filtering layer with the collected body feed, which creates pores to trap suspended solids in the wastewater. This approach is usually applied in situations where the forming cake becomes impermeable, due to the sticky or tacky nature of the retained solids from the wastewater.

As previously mentioned, adding fil-ter aids to the precoat filter can greatly reduce overall costs for wastewater treatment operations. In the case of wastewater containing emulsified oils with a droplet size 1 μm in diameter or greater, the filter aid can be utilized to directly remove them without the use of coagulants and flocculants. Operating costs are not only reduced due to the elimination of coagulant and flocculant chemicals, but also because fewer oper-ations are required for wastewater treat-ment. This means lower capital cost.

Sludge generated from the precoat filter cake containing non-flocculated suspensions is lower in moisture con-tent, compared to sludge generated from flocculated suspensions. Smaller sludge volumes generated by the precoat filter can be substantial on an annual basis, reducing overall disposal costs.

If the precoat filter utilizes a cellu-lose-based filter aid, then the filter cake may have fuel value when retaining emulsified oils. This waste sludge is now

a potential source of revenue, instead of a disposal cost.

Examples of filter aid materialsDiatomite, a filter aid, is obtained

by milling and calcining diatomaceous earth (DE). DE is the fossilized remains of hard shelled algae, known as diatoms, that are encased in a cell wall of silica. Since DE crumbles, it is generally ob-tained in particle sizes from 30 - 200 μm in diameter. The silica content of DE can be as high as 80% to 90%, with an aluminum oxide content of 2% to 4%. Diatomite is a relatively low cost media, which is also utilized in drinking water treatment.

Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass formed by the hydration of obsid-ian. Since perlite is high in water con-tent, it can be expanded. Upon receiving sufficient heat, its volume will increase by 20 or more times. The surface struc-ture of expanded perlite is jagged, which allows for interlocking of the particles.


Precoat filter aids can reduce wastewater treatment costs By Ken Rilling

Figure 1, Scanning electron micrograph images of diatomaceous earth, perlite, bentonite, and cellulose filter aid materials.

#17 Precoat Filter.indd 12 12/5/13 6:03 AM

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This, combined with its expanded volume, provides for a large network of microscopic channels within the media layer. This filter aid contains 70% to 75% silicon dioxide and 10% to 15% aluminum oxide.

As the United States is one of the world’s largest suppliers of bentonite, there is a relatively inexpensive and abundant source of this filter aid material in North America. It can be rich in magnesium oxide, calcite, dolomite or quartz, depend-ing on the origin of the clay. This clay is used for purification of oils and greases, as well as the clarification of beverages.

Cellulose is a filter aid that continues to gain popularity. Due to its allowable operating pH range of 4 to 10, and poten-tially higher, it can be used in processes such as brine filtration and the Merill-Crowe precious metal circuit, where the pH is well above diatomite and perlite pH tolerance. The develop-ment of surface modification approaches for cellulose fibers, such as fibrillation, has improved their filtration efficiency.

Filter aids can be obtained as a multifunctional, premixed blend of materials. For example, commercial blends are avail-able which contain activated carbon, ion exchange resin and zeolite. These blends can be effectively applied for polishing wastewater, prior to discharge to sanitary sewers. This ensures that local discharge requirements for particular wastewater pa-rameters, such as biochemical oxygen demand and metals, are not exceeded.

Other materials that have been applied as filter aids are: paper stock, plastics, powdered glass, rice hull ash, talc, and wood pulp. As the types of filter aid materials continue

to increase, so will the applications for precoat filters as a cost-effective approach for wastewater treatment.

Filter aid selection and process equipmentThere are a number of factors involved in the selection of

the appropriate filter aid materials. These include: minimum particle size of the suspended solids to be retained; required permeability of the cake layer; contaminants to be removed; clarity of filtrate; prevention of cake cracking; sludge volume generated; and sludge disposal requirements.

Filter aid particle size determines the size of the suspended particles in the wastewater stream that will be retained in the resulting cake. Materials such as diatomite and perlite are available over a relatively large range of particle sizes and distribution. These particles tend to be hard and spherical in shape, generating a precoat layer that is relatively well defined in particle size retention and cake permeability.

An issue with cakes based exclusively on these filter aid materials is the potential of cracks developing, which negates the benefit of this process. Cellulose fibers, being needle like and amorphous, are able to pack tightly to form a thin dense cake, or porous mat, which can be “paper like”. This prevents cracks from occurring in the filter cake, even under relatively significant pressure changes.

Filter aids, such as cellulose, paper stock, and wood pulp are compressible. Utilizing the appropriate pressing equip-ment can result in as much as 20% of the moisture being re-moved from the cake generated by these filter aids. This is a significant volume and mass reduction and helps to avoid thermal drying.

An additional benefit of a cellulose-based filter aid is that cellulose burns ash free. Depending on the wastewater treat-ment application, the resulting sludge may be suitable for use as a low grade fuel. Cellulose, being biodegradable, can be of benefit where there are constraints on the types of landfill waste allowed. Manufacturing practices in a facility may require that the treatment materials be from a renewable resource. This makes cellulose-based filter aids an appropriate material.

The economics of a treatment operation are always of prime importance, but one can be misled by upfront material costs as is the case with cellulose. Although the cost of cellu-lose is significantly more than for diatomite and perlite, other factors contribute to make it a cost-competitive option. For some applications, the amount of cellulose required for the treatment may be as much as 50% of that required by conven-tional filter aid materials. Not only is there less raw material consumption, but also the amount of waste generated is sig-nificantly reduced which reduces disposal costs.

The same feed system, as well as slurry mixing and transport operations, can be utilized for most of the filter aid materials. This allows for considerable flexibility in the precoat filter op-eration, as the facility does not have to stay with a particular filter aid material. The precoat filter treatment approach can be modified by changing to one or more different filter aid ma-terials to meet changes in wastewater treatment requirements.

Ken Rilling, P. Eng., Ph.D., is with Conestoga-Rovers & Associates. E-mail: [email protected]


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harsh chemicals. Instead, these envi-

degradation of contaminants and con-version into water, carbon dioxide and

NABCs do this by enhancing the -

regardless of their environment. The dissolved oxygen content of the water is

-

-vironment, they do not have the limita-

-

biological environment.

Industrial pre-treatment-

Wmeeting or trying to get the kids dressed in the

morning, we all need vitamins and other ---

same goes for bacteria.

have a negative connotation. In the -

-

The effectiveness of the good bacte--

more trace elements as cofactors than anaerobic bacteria. If the availability of

-come dominant.

growth of other microorganisms. Ad-

-

Non-active biocatalystsBacteria are a key factor in waste-

water treatment, as is evident from the

aeration on its own can be a slow and

-

any given wastewater stream, active

reaction and be detrimental to the treat-

-

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facilities meet local and federal waste-

-ment and systems.

Biocatalysts in action

-

a bad batch of starch. The facility was


Non-active biocatalysts are like a multivitamin for wastewater bacteria By Dan Peter

The wrong active enzyme additives may be detrimental to the treatment process.

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two weeks, but still was unable to settle the tank.

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Various types of foam can be produced during wastewater treatment.



Bulking and foamingFilamentous bacteria play a vital role

in the activated sludge process. Their long strands interconnect with each oth-er to form a mesh that is the key factor

manageable portions for better settling, as well as snagging smaller particles. Filamentous bacteria also do an excep-tional job at removing BOD.

The key to successfully utilizing these bacteria is balance. Too few of

properly settle. An overabundance also absorbs excessive amounts of organic material and inhibits the growth of more desirable organisms. The most common issues that stem from this are sludge bulking and foaming.

Sludge bulking occurs when the sludge becomes light, increases in vol-

--

ing) forming massive segments. Many times, these segments trap air bubbles,

(sludge scum or foam). This interferes with the compaction and settling of the sludge, resulting in bulking. This also results in a high Sludge Volume Index (standard measure of the physical char-acteristics of activated sludge solids), overload of the solids handling systems, additional haul-off costs, and degrada-

Sludge foaming is the result of the -

mentous bacteria, mainly Nocardia and to a lesser extent Microthrix parvicella. An opportunistic strand, Nocardia thrive when nutrients are low, the health of nat-urally occurring bacteria is vulnerable, and high levels of fats, oils and grease are present.

Various types of foam can be pro-duced during sludge processing, or startup of activated sludge plants. These disappear once the process is estab-lished. Another type is brown, heavy foam that accumulates on the surface of the aeration tank and then transfers

if it gets too thick and won’t settle. The

the tank is also severely degraded with high levels of TSS.

This brown foam occurs when un-digested nutrients rise to the surface. A key indicator of foam caused by Nocar-dia is low BOD levels.

Maintaining desired levels of dis-solved oxygen, F/M (low organic load-ing rate), nutrients and pH are all vital to

process. When issues (e.g., bulking) do occur, the addition of remedial meth-ods such as chlorination or hydrogen peroxide can temporarily stabilize the

properly applied.-

mentous bacteria, as well as the overall biological health of the system. NABCs, can strike this delicate balance.

NABCs not only provide a cost-ef-fective solution for WWTPs, but also industrial facilities that need to pre-treat wastewater, or cities and towns that may have H2S or other odor and corrosion issues in their sewer lines or lift stations. NABCs are 100% natural, biodegrad-

NABCs are not limited to just waste-water treatment. They can be used to

operations, as well as lagoons, ponds and industrial facilities. In addition to odor control, NABCs can enhance methane production for companies that capture, process and sell this natural energy source.

Dan Peter is with Apex Engineering Products. For more information, visit www.apexengineeringproducts.com


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Located in Hamilton, Ontario, the 909 ML/d Woodward Av-enue Water Treatment Plant was originally constructed in

the 1930s and expanded in the 1950s. While process upgrades had occurred, much of the plant’s aging superstructure had not been serviced in over 70 years.

While the City of Hamilton could have built a new plant, it would have been an expensive undertaking. The anticipated cost was hundreds of mil-lions of dollars. Instead, it was decided to rehabilitate the existing plant’s su-perstructure, despite the inherent com-plexities of retrofitting an active plant on such a large scale. Although the superstructure was deteriorating, the core processes of the Woodward plant remained in generally good condition, and, more importantly, they worked.

The City and R.V. Anderson Associ-ates Limited (RVA) had undertaken the restoration design in the mid-2000s, but the construction had been deferred until funding became available. When the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund became available in 2009, the $25M project was reactivated. RVA updated the drawings to reflect current standards and condi-tions, and the project was tendered and awarded. Alberici Constructors Ltd was the general contractor for the project and construction continued from 2009 through to 2011.

The restoration included the high-lift pumping station, filter building and nine smaller ancillary buildings, totalling 5,800 m2.

A new two-storey administrative building addition was also constructed for the water system operators. Eramosa Engineering Incorporated programmed the Supervisory and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system and implemented the change over for the new operations centre.

Maintaining operations during construction

Architectural and structural resto-ration included replacing nearly the

entire plant’s existing superstructure around existing and active processes. The Woodward plant is Hamilton’s main source of drinking water, and could not be taken offline during con-struction. Complex sequencing was required to keep the plant operational to meet seasonal City water demands, while allowing construction to proceed in a timely manner.

The project left the original layout intact, as well as the original filters, in-cluding media, foundations, main filter galleries and the operations centre. The rest of the superstructure was completely

demolished and reconstructed from the ground up. Protection measures, includ-ing multi-layer covers, were required to minimize construction impacts on the existing filters and pipe gallery.

During construction, one half of the plant was in continuous service. Site ac-cess was clearly defined in the Contract Documents. Due to weight restrictions, no work was allowed to be completed from the roof of the existing sedimenta-tion tanks or in-ground reservoir. Since the site was very constrained, much of the work was staged and completed


Operations maintained during major reconstruction of Hamilton’s waterworks By Kirk Worounig and Bill Docherty

A key goal of the restoration was to restore the historical appearance and features of the facility.

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Water Treatmentfrom the existing roadway circling the plant.

Work had to be completed during specified times, normally through the winter months when water demands were less. This allowed more of the plant to be taken out of service.

If a delay occurred on a specific component, the entire project could have been delayed at least six months. To help manage this issue, a senior contract administrator and inspec-tor was provided by RVA. This inspector was a professional engineer with over 30 years of experience, including past work at the Woodward plant. This experience allowed the in-spector to work with the contractor to address any unforeseen issues that arose, minimizing delays associated with involving other off-site engineers.

Construction began in portions of the filter gallery, moved to the operations tower, then moved back to the filter gallery. Work was spread out in four- to six-month periods, as neces-sary, to allow the plant to continue meeting its water demand requirements.

Construction scheduleThe plant is divided into four quadrants, which allowed for

one half of the plant to remain in operation, while the other half was removed from service. Construction occurred one half (or module) at a time, beginning in September 2009 with the tearing down of the southwest quadrant of the filter build-ing, and then the northwest quadrant. Those sections were reconstructed first and turned over to the City in the summer of 2010. Construction then began on the former water tower.

In the winter of 2010, construction began on the northeast quadrant and then the southeast quadrant, which was finished in the spring of 2011. In the summer of 2011, the south addi-tion was constructed and the operations centre was relocated.

The project also included replacement of some of the orig-inal hydraulically-operated filter effluent valves with motor-ized valves, and the disassembly and cement mortar relining of some piping. These components were integrated into the overall sequencing plan to verify that the valve replacements and piping rehabilitation would not affect plant operations.

During restoration, other construction projects were ongo-ing at the Woodward Avenue plant site, such as construction of an additional chemical feed building and upgrades to the high-lift pumping station. All work was designed by different engineering consultants, but constructed by the same contrac-tor. This eliminated any issues associated with the City being deemed the “Constructor” under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

RVA’s contract administrator was made responsible for issuing progress payments for all construction elements, re-gardless of the original consultant. This allowed work to be coordinated through a single point of contact, which helped streamline the administration component and keep the sched-uling on-track.

To verify that all parties knew what work was required within a certain time frame and the associated operational impacts, construction meetings between the contractor, City management and operations staff, and RVA were held every two weeks. The contractor was required to present an updated schedule at every meeting, as well as mitigation and remedia-tion measures for any risks or delays.

Additional challenges during constructionOperator safety - City water system operators were con-

tinuously on-site during construction. The water tower, under-neath which the operations centre was located, was part of the reconstruction works. It was decided that only the tower’s façade would be reconstructed, allowing the structure’s framework to be maintained. This meant that safety measures to protect the operators were required.

Work on the tower was regularly coordinated with the op-erators, with construction undertaken in stages. Clearly defined routes allowed operators access to the tower and the plant itself. They were kept informed of changes to access routes.

During filter gallery reconstruction, temporary walls were constructed to block off access to the operations centre from the gallery under construction. This protected operators and gave the construction areas clearly defined limits.

Winter construction - Because of the tight timelines and the sequencing requirements, much of the construction was done during the winter months. Concrete and mortar, of which the superstructure is constructed, do not cure very well in the cold.

To insulate against the cold and minimize the effects of storm events, the building façades were covered with insulated tarps

Construction began in portions of the filter gallery.

During construction, a time capsule was located and opened for the first time.



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Water Treatment

and heated with space heaters. Temporary heated structures were built to hold materials like sand, brick and water to prevent freezing and keep them useable.

Coordinating with multiple stakeholders - Extensive consultation with various City de-partments was required throughout the project. Especially for the sequencing, where various processes were removed from service and then brought back online. The system operators were key stakeholders throughout the entire project. They were involved in workshops and coordi-nation meetings to develop detailed sequencing plans for each component of the work.

The rehabilitation concept had the added bene-fit of streamlining the approvals processes, which is an important factor when working under tight deadlines. Discussions with the Ministry of the Environment were required concerning meeting water quality objectives when key processes were out of ser-vice. A new Certificate of Approval was not necessary, which helped to expedite the schedule.

Maintaining the historical heritage of the plantWhile rehabilitation offered cost savings, it was not the

only reason for the decision against reconstruction on a new site. Hamilton takes great pride in the unique character and history of its infrastructure. Many of its water and wastewa-ter facilities have been designated as heritage buildings. The Woodward plant, in particular, has a very distinct and attrac-tive architectural appearance, with an 80+ year history.

A key goal of the restoration, therefore, was to maintain and restore the historical appearance and features of the facility. The project involved a great deal more architectural detailing than normally undertaken during a WTP upgrade. Care was taken to give the final works an almost museum-quality appearance.

The brick and other materials chosen were matched very closely to the original unique ‘Art Moderne’ building features. Care was taken to maintain the general “feel” of the original building, with generous natural lighting provided through tall windows and a windowed clerestory above the filter gallery.

Unique exterior features included the removal of the In-diana limestone along the base of the building and along the top coping. The stones were numbered so that they could be replaced in the exact same location as when the building was constructed. Damaged stone was specified to be replaced from the original quarry, so that the match was nearly identical to stone from the 1930s and 1950s. The exterior doors to the building were replaced with historical replicas, while interior features included terrazzo flooring, oversized hanging light fixtures and yellow glazed block.

The original 1930s construction included a time capsule encased inside the cornerstone of the building. This capsule included valuable historical information about the plant and the City of Hamilton. During restoration, the capsule was lo-cated and opened for the first time. Its contents are now dis-played in the new welcome centre, a mini-museum located in

the former operations centre. The welcome centre includes historical documents, photographs and water treatment history in the City of Hamilton.

Upgrading plant performanceAs was common in the 1930s, the original buildings were

without insulation or vapour barriers. Temperatures inside them were difficult to regulate. This sometimes caused process problems because of condensation or freezing, and occasion-ally created uncomfortable working conditions for operators.

The new construction included insulation and vapour bar-riers for the entire superstructure to allow for better control of the temperature within the filter galleries. The existing filters were enclosed behind glass walls.

Water system operations efficiencyIncreasing efficiency of the operations of the entire water

system was of key concern to the City’s operational staff. The plant had been retrofitted with administration spaces and SCADA systems that allowed remote operation of the entire water system. However, this retrofit did not allow for highly efficient operations, due to space constraints.

Accordingly, a new two-storey administration building was constructed to the City’s specifications, allowing a more efficient and comfortable set-up for the operators. Since the administration building was not critical to the plant’s opera-tion (it could be run from the existing operations centre), the administrative building was constructed last, so that critical path components were not delayed.

Improved energy efficiencyThe new superstructure was insulated to help regulate tem-

peratures. This allowed a significant reduction in heat loss, increasing the plant’s overall energy efficiency.

Kirk Worounig, P.Eng., is with R.V. Anderson Associates. E-mail: [email protected]

Bill Docherty is with the City of Hamilton.

Aerial view of the Woodward Avenue Water Treatment Plant.


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Untitled-1 1 11/20/13 8:23 AM


Water Treatment

In September 2013, students and faculty at Northern College’s Kirkland Lake campus in Ontar-

treatment.This unique, self-contained system

is actually a fully operational pilot

-plication, as they learn their trade.

The students are registered in the college’s Environmental Technician -

-

-

practical experience in a real treatment plant

Operator license.In the past, students had to rely on

jar tests and visits to operating plants

-

they can put their learning into practice -

ble before. According to Richard Kallio, Coor-

dinator of Environmental Programs at Northern College, the college had been thinking about an on-campus plant for

-tion expertise to make the concept a re-ality. “Our committee members from the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA)

plans, supplied many of the parts from spares, built the plant and recruited in-dustry partners to make donations.”

Eric Nielson, senior operations man-ager for OCWA’s northeast Ontario hub, said the Agency’s participation at the college helps to ensure the industry has steady access to quality graduates. “We’re on the advisory committee to represent industry needs and provide curriculum advice to the college,” says

Nielson. “This on-campus treatment plant helps students graduate into the industry hands-on ready. They need less real-time on-the-job training in the

good for the college and good for the industry.”

Water can be trucked in from any

10 minutes. It is then pumped into a

and coagulation. The third tank is the

and gravel. It is then pumped to a clear

been treated at a provincially approved facility by licensed operators, it is not permitted for drinking.

Northern College takes water treatment instruction to a whole new level

This self-contained system is actually a fully operational pilot water treatment plant located right on campus.

#29 OCWA N.College.indd 26 12/5/13 6:08 AM


Water Treatment

The school’s plant was also con-structed with viewing windows and clear piping so that students can see what’s happening throughout the entire process.

In addition to providing an invalu-able teaching tool, the college’s water treatment plant can also serve as an in-valuable resource for the industry. “If

there’s an issue at an operating treat-ment facility or if we have new ideas about treatment chemicals or dosages, we have been limited to jar testing,” says Nielson. “Now, we can bring sam-ples to the college and try different vari-ables at the plant to see what happens. It’s a real world test and jar testing just isn’t the same thing.”

If a municipality has problems with the physical characteristics of their drinking water, they can bring samples to the college and the faculty and stu-dents can help them conduct real on-line testing for potential solutions. The self-contained system allows students and faculty to run the full gamut of bench top testing and provide empirical results, without any risk to the commu-nity. This kind of testing simply cannot

be done in a municipal water treatment plant, since everything is online. Oper-ators cannot experiment, without affect-ing the quality of water being distribut-ed to residents’ homes.

The college’s on-site water treatment plant is also scalable. The school is al-ready planning for addition of program-mable logic controllers (PLCs), that will

allow fully automated operation. Not only will this provide additional safe-guards, but it will also let students in the instrumentation program at the col-lege’s Haileybury campus, 100 kilome-tres away, monitor and actuate the plant remotely. Funding for PLCs is already in place and the units are scheduled to be installed soon.

Other potential additions to the facil-ity could include ultraviolet disinfection and reverse osmosis components. The college could hypothetically continue adding components until the plant in-cludes every piece of water treatment technology available in the industry today.

Kallio says the plant can also ben-

Operators course provided through

collaboration with other colleges. Col-lege instructors have received training so they can teach the course on their own campuses. For most, the content is all theoretical. However, Northern College now offers the added value of hands-on experience in their real-world laboratory.

College students on co-op placements,

value the treatment plant brings to their

with experience operating Northern College’s on-campus plant, will go out on co-op placement in the summer of 2014.

Systems program is unique in the indus-try, because it provides the fastest path to licensing in the province. Students can graduate with a Class 1 license in two years. The curriculum is also tai-lored to drinking water and wastewater systems operation. Others are either compliance-based, or approach envi-ronmental technology from a broader spectrum that includes air and soil.

-ing and that means making mistakes,”

Northern College, students can make mistakes in a safe environment. Later, when they’re working in the real world, they’ll know how to avoid mistakes and

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

If a municipality has problems with the physical characteristics of their drinking water, they can bring samples to the college

and the faculty and students can help them conduct real online testing for potential solutions.

OCWA operators at work on plant piping: (L to R) Tony Janssen, Rob Treverton and John Seguire.

OCWA’s process and start-up phase crew: (L to R) Marc Desbiens, Jeff Tuerk, John Seguire and Anthony Danis.

#29 OCWA N.College.indd 27 12/5/13 6:09 AM


Water Treatment

Mankind began filtering drinking water over 4,000 years ago, when the Phoe-nicians ran their water

through columns of sand to make it more palatable. This method of filtration is still used today in many municipal, industrial and agricultural applications.

In addition to granular media filters, there are many more methods of filtra-tion employed, from rotating screens, to membranes, that can remove individual atoms and ions (<0.00000004 inches).

FiltrationFiltration, in its simplest terms, is a

sieving process. It removes solid parti-cles from a fluid (liquid or gas), usually by passing it through a porous medium. The media is often a perforated or woven material, which provides holes through which the fluid can pass but the solid particles in question cannot. Granular media can also be the active component in the filtration process.

With the popular use today of membranes, the definition of filtration needs to be expanded somewhat to in-clude high pressures exerted on water containing high total dissolved solids (TDS). This pressure forces water mol-ecules to migrate across the thickness of a semi-permeable membrane, leaving the solids on the high pressure side.

Filtration degreeFiltration degree is the smallest par-

ticle size one wants to remove from a fluid stream for a specific application. Units of microns, inches or mesh are used when specifying the filtration de-gree. A micron is simply one-millionth of a meter (the hair on your head av-erages about 100 microns in diameter). The term “mesh” has found common usage for describing the filtration de-gree. In reality, it is a vague unit, with no standard means of measurement. This term is taken from the textile in-dustry and is defined as the number of threads per linear inch of weave.

Years ago, the filtration industry bor-rowed the term, modifying the defini-tion to “the number of holes per linear

inch”. However, the thickness of the wires used to weave this cloth is never provided and often regarded as “secret” or “proprietary”. Therefore, one really does not know the actual size of the openings that determine the filtration degree. Conversion charts are available, but they all differ by small amounts. The term is not an actual measurement. Microns and inches are measurable by physical means.

Effective filtration areaThe effective filtration area is the

actual area of the filter medium that is subject to fluid flow being usable for the filtration process. Any solid barriers making up a structural member of the filtration media must have their surface areas perpendicular to the flow path of the fluid stream removed, when calcu-lating effective filtration area.

Filtration open areaSome manufacturers use this term

interchangeably with effective filtration area. Generally though, there is a differ-ence in definition. Filtration open area is the sum of the areas of all the holes in the filter media. It is most often ex-pressed as a percentage of the effective filtration area and thus, essentially the same as porosity. Filtration open area is a very important design parameter and can vary greatly with different filter media construction.

Many parameters make up water quality. Some are of a chemical nature and do not generally influence the de-sign process of a filtration system, other than maybe directing the selection of materials of construction. More import-ant are physical parameters, such as the following:


Water filtration – a 4,000 year evolution

Table 1. Filtration Spectrum.

Table 2. Comparison of filtration open areas.

Weave-wire – square weave.

Weave-wire – Dutch weave.

Wedge-wire construction.

#10 Orival.indd 28 12/5/13 6:10 AM

Untitled-4 4 9/23/13 7:51 AM


Water Treatment

1. Total Suspended Solids (TSS): TSS is defined as the concentration of total solids, larger than about 1 micron, ex-pressed in milligrams per liter (mg/L) — mass of solids per volume of fluid.

For most practical purposes, the unit of parts per million (ppm) can be used in-

terchangeably with mg/L. Surface water sources, such as rivers, lakes and oceans can have very large unexpected TSS changes due to weather, development activities, boat traffic, etc.

2. Particle Size Distribution (PSD): PSD, as its name indicates, is the dis-tribution of particles according to size. The most common expression of this pa-rameter is the number of particles in dif-ferent size ranges for a given volume of fluid. This representation almost always skews the results towards lower parti-cle sizes since there are often 100,000s of particles in the 1-5 micron range in a small sample. This is due to bacteria, cell detritus and other fine, nearly col-loidal materials.

Though the counts and percentage of total number of particles in these fine size ranges are very large, the actual volume or mass is very small. A much better way of presenting this parameter is percent volume, or mass per particle size range, and not particle counts. Vol-ume or mass units are a true represen-tation of the amount of TSS (mg/L) in each size range. Filters remove TSS and not just a certain number of particles.

3. Particle Characteristics: Some par-ticles are ridged three-dimensional ob-jects (i.e., sand), while others are flat

Vertically oriented filter.

Stacked horizontal filters to maximize screen area in the smallest footprint.

Horizontal filter.

Electric drive filter.

Filter hanging from ceiling.

#10 Orival.indd 30 12/5/13 6:10 AM


two-dimensional structures (i.e., rust flakes, pipe scale). Other TSS parti-cles are soft and plastic (algae, slime). They appear to be three-dimensional, until they are pressed against a filter medium, where they deform into a large flat two-dimensional blot. Particle char-acteristics will determine how quickly a given TSS will clog a filter element.

Areas of importance to filtration de-sign are numerous. An obvious, yet too often unknown, is flow rate. It should be a fundamental value, but many custom-ers answer with “6-inch pipe or 12-inch line” when asked what flow rate they wish to filter.

Pressure of the system is more readily known. It can be measured by a simple pressure gauge, or by knowing flow rate and looking at the pump curve for that particular pump. But, the filter designer may find that the customer recited aver-age pressure. In reality, pressure varies over a wide range of values, depending upon what processes are taking place downstream of the measurement point.

Some automatic self-cleaning screen filters must have a minimum pressure during their self-cleaning cycle, so min-imum operating pressure is a valuable design condition. Such filters also open a rinse line to a waste drain during their cleaning process so the flow rate at the inlet of the filter will increase. This in-crease in flow may or may not influence the system pressure, depending on the layout of the piping system.

If a dedicated pumping system is sup-plying fluid to the filter, then pressure will drop as the pump(s) try to keep up with the increase in flow rate. However, if the supply piping to the filter comes off a larger header, then a small increase in flow rate will likely have no effect on pressure values.

Knowledge of the process down-stream of the filter can be valuable in the design process. If the purpose of the filter is to protect heat exchangers, then a filtration degree between 80 and 200 microns is most likely sufficient. How-ever, if the downstream process involves spray nozzles, or other fine orifices, more attention needs to be paid to the filtration degree.

Generally, if particles in the fluid are ridged and three-dimensional in na-ture, then the filtration degree should be about one-third the size of the smallest orifice diameter. This will prevent two or three particles getting to the orifice at the same time and bridging the gap, or wedging in the hole.

If the particles are soft and plastic in nature, then the chance of particles sticking to the perimeter of the orifice is greater. If enough particles stick, a threshold may be reached at which point the accumulated soft particles will collapse and plug the orifice. When particles of this nature are known to be present, it is best to set a filtration de-gree about one-fifth the diameter of the smallest orifice.

Fluid temperature normally does not have much influence on the filtra-tion process, except when dealing with membranes, (especially reverse osmosis ones), where small changes in viscosity can have a great impact on filter capac-ity. Fluid temperature can sometimes influence materials of construction. Ambient temperature ranges determine whether freezing could be a seasonal problem. For automatic self-cleaning screen filters, it may be best to operate rinse valves and other moving compo-nents pneumatically to minimize freez-ing problems.

Available power source on-site will determine whether a transformer is needed, or even if batteries will be re-quired for the filter controls.

Physical properties of the site can influence filtration design. Some sites have low head clearance but ample floor space. A filter body that is configured horizontally may be best suited for these conditions. In other situations floor space may be a premium, but headroom is abundant. Sometimes there is no floor space at all so a hanging installation may be required.

If the available pressure is minimal for a self-cleaning screen filter or rinse water must be kept at a minimum, an electric drive filter may be best.

Dr. Allhands is with Orival, Inc. E-mail: [email protected], or visit

www.orival.com

Water Treatment

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Environmental Management

Being lazy usually has a negative connotation. How-ever, good can come of it if we realize what is mak-

-

that something else is software. -

result, whenever we have been tasked with something that starts

checking that the lab results received match what we asked for.

What we have largely done is transform work that was tiresome

-

the lab library consists of the following information:• • •

• receive results later.

• labels on.

• -

true, if you want to merge in historic data, or analyze it using

-

-

-

Doing sample collection the lazy way has many benefits By Kelsy Brennan

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#15 Sample Collection.indd 32 12/5/13 6:11 AM


Environmental Managementonto chains of custody, where last minute details are entered before printing. Final-ly, when the lab sends back test results, these are imported into the database and auto-reconciled against the chains of custody.

We also have users involved in much smaller projects that simply log samples into the system as they happen (un-scheduled mode). There are still others that log the sampling in after the sam-pling has already occurred. This way,

and lab data reconciliation.In another example, a consultant

These are used to map sample locations, mark samples as collected, enter sam-

pictures of sample locations. All of this data is immediately synchronized with the main database and available to staff

In all cases, there are a number of

• Accuracy: There is an immediate drop in transcription errors. Since the bottle labels and chain of custody labels are computer printed, the lab can read and transcribe the sample names, dates, test names, etc., with fewer errors. With lab data auto-rec-onciliation, transcription issues in the lab results become abundantly clear.

• Compliance: If the sampling pro-gram has been pre-defined, forget-ting to collect samples is extremely difficult. The SiteFX forecast and sample status tools can help show what is coming and alert users of samples that are in danger of becom-ing overdue.

• Consistency: There is also an in-crease in consistency from user to user and one sampling event to the next. Sampling programs can be set up as recurring, or duplicated and edited if necessary. Sampling details (sample locations, lab tests, samples due, etc.) are picked from pre-defined lists. This can be especially beneficial for new staff.

• Documentation: Changes to a sam-pling program are tracked and doc-umented automatically. Adding or removing sampling locations, or changing a lab test is tracked by SiteFX, using the current user name

and date/time stamp. In certain cases, it prompts the user to enter a reason for the change. All chains of custody are stored in the chain of custody li-brary and can be recalled at any time.

• Effectiveness: Staff can become more effective by spending time on tasks that are important rather than tedious and mundane ones. Essentially, they are working smarter and not harder.

There is a learning curve and resist-

ance to change involved in using any new software. However, the keys to successful implementation are realistic expectations and a properly planned roll-out, including training and often customized user guides. So the next

think that there must be a better way to do things, you may be right.

Kelsy Brennan, P.Eng., is with EarthFX Inc. E-mail: [email protected]

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#15 Sample Collection.indd 33 12/5/13 6:11 AM


Water Treatment

In 1971, Professor Philip Walker of Penn State University made his famous quote “carbon, an old but new material” and predicted that

“… the development of new carbon materials and the improvement of old carbon material will continue.” He said this when accepting the Skakel Award at the 10th Biennial Carbon Conference of the American Carbon Society,

In the four decades since Professor Walker made these comments, his words have proven prophetic. The award of two Nobel prizes to “old but new” car-bon materials in recent years (Chemis-try 1996 to Curl, Kroto and Smalley for fullerenes, and Physics 2010 to Geim and Novoselev for graphene) attests to the fact that carbon, such an abundant and commonplace element, remains a material full of new possibilities.

Activated carbon, like other forms of carbon, possesses both old and new characteristics. Examples can be readily found of new applications for old forms of carbon, as well as new forms of car-bon for old applications. This article will focus on one example of each.

Medical residues/endocrine disrupting compounds

The presence of active pharmaceuti-cal ingredients, radio-opaque substances and endocrine disrupting chemicals in wastewater is a relatively new issue in relation to water quality. Because of the potential toxicology of these difficult to treat pollutants, links to the emotive and headline grabbing health issues of carcinogenicity and effects on human population fertility are emerging. To remove these substances from wastewa-ter, the “old” contact treatment process with powdered activated carbon (PAC) has found ready application.

Studies on the removal of these mi-cro-pollutants by PAC have recently been completed by the Biberach Univer-sity of Applied Science, at a full-scale sewage treatment plant in Southern Ger-many. Activated carbon grades, with a pore structure well suited to adsorption of medicinal residues, were applied and

met the treatment objectives.For the 15 key pharmaceuticals de-

tectable in water, the removal rate after PAC application was >50% for carba-mazepine and >90% for diclofenac. This is a very effective reduction of these medical residues. (See Figure 1a.)

The study also investigated the pos-sibility of removing radio-opaque sub-stances, commonly termed x-ray dyes, which are often used in medical investi-gations and industrial processes. Although the investigation was limited to iodine containing substances, this provided a representative study. These compounds

are the most common and most persistent members of this group in water.

Radio-opaque substances are highly polar molecules, in comparison to the pharmaceuticals investigated in this study and, therefore, they show significantly lower removal rates (See Figure 1b.). Nevertheless, activated carbon has a sig-nificant impact on the residual levels of radio-opaque substances after treatment and is proven effective in their removal.

DechlorinationBeing a powerful oxidant, effective

against almost all bacteria and virus

Activated carbon offers micro pollutant treatment options By Steven Ragan and Holger Fuchs

0

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Carbamazepine Diclofenac Dehydrato-Erythromycin A Sulfamethoxazole

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Removal rates for four pharmaceuticals- PAC dosage: 10mg/L -

Lignite Based PAC

Peat Based PAC

Figure 1a. Removal of drug residues.

t th t t t bj ti th t d t i t t

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Figure 1b. Removal of X-Ray “dyes”.

Iopamidol Iopromide Amidotrizoic acid

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Removal rates for several radio-opaque substancesLignite Based PAC (10 mg/L)Peat Based PAC (10 mg/L)Lignite Based PAC (20 mg/L)

#12 Carbon.indd 34 12/5/13 6:12 AM


Water Treatmentparticles, dissolved chlorine gas or hy-pochlorous acid released by chemicals such as calcium hypochlorite or sodium hypochlorite has proven the most effec-tive and widespread disinfection process.

However, the very oxidative and re-active property of available, or “free”, chlorine requires its careful control in process water to prevent interaction with specific process chemicals. The undesir-able nature of chlorinated by-products in brewing or beverage preparation, e.g., cola drinks, is obvious.

Removal of this free chlorine, i.e., dechlorination, by flow in contact with activated carbon is one of the oldest process applications of carbon. How-ever, it is important to realise that de-chlorination by activated carbon does not remove reactive “free” chlorine by adsorption. Rather, it results in its transformation to the less reactive and tasteless chloride (Cl-) ion. The dechlo-rination capability of granular activated carbons (GAC) is typically measured using the half-value length (the method first published in DIN 19603). This test measures the bed depth of carbon that halves a free chlorine concentration of

5 mgL-1. For typical activated carbons, the half-value length is typically 3-5 cm.

However, the dechlorination perfor-mance of GAC is very sensitive to exter-nal surface area to mass ratio. It is known to be favoured by small particle sizes. New fibrous forms of activated carbon, including cloths or felts, offer very high external surface area/mass ratios.

The dechlorination performance of one such punched fabric product is shown in Figure 2. Although the felt layer was only 4 mm thick and weighed 2.5 g, it was shown to dechlorinate or “transform” a concentration of 2 mgL-1 chlorine at >75% removal efficiency for over 200 litres. This was achieved at a flow veloc-ity of 12.5 cms-1, which was considerably quicker than the 1 cms-1 velocity used in the DIN 19603 half-value test method.

Such fibrous forms offer improved dechlorination performance in compari-son to traditional GACs. They illustrate a “new” form of activated carbon offering enhanced performance for “old” treatment processes and wastewater applications.

Steven Ragan and Holger Fuchs are with Jacobi Carbons.


Figure 2. The dechlorination performance of one punched fabric product.

#12 Carbon.indd 35 12/5/13 6:12 AM


Flood Control

Centuries of history as a Lan-cashire mill town and coal mining centre have shaped the town of Wigan’s devel-

opment in the ood plain of the iver Douglas. The town was featured in the book “The Road to Wigan Pier” by George Orwell and is also the birthplace of Environmental Science & Engineer-ing’s co-founder, Tom Davey.

However, the river that powered its industrial revolution also left a destruc-tive legacy for homes and businesses at its mercy during peak storm events. The UK’s Environment Agency’s de-termination to reduce the risk and pro-vide much-needed stimulus for urban regeneration has resulted in a £12 mil-lion solution, which was six years in the planning.

The natural Douglas valley, still un-developed less than a mile away from the centre of town, provided an obvious solution to the town’s ooding troubles and the protection of around 600 homes and 170 commercial properties.

The Environment Agency’s ood al-leviation solution was to build a dam to hold back the river during a ma or ood and create up to 370,000 cubic metres of

temporary storage along a one kilome-tre stretch of the valley.

The rst phase of the solution was to raise ood defence walls along the

iver Douglas in the town centre. This was completed in 2008. Constructing temporary ood storage was the obvi-

ous next step. The dam’s design needed to provide a means of attenuation only during severe ooding, while allowing the river to ow naturally through the valley at other times.

The initial solution for the dam was to install gates with real-time controls. However, these gates would require power and back-up power, regular maintenance and operator intervention.

By changing the dam design to use two 2 m diameter Hydro-Brake® Flow Controls, neither power nor ongoing maintenance would be necessary. (The Hydro-Brake Flow Control is known as the Reg-U-Flo® Vortex Flow Control in North America).

Use of these ow controls was vital, because it enabled the dam to be ne-tuned. The reservoir footprint was re-duced signi cantly, compared to a con-ventional ood gate solution. iver water can ow unimpeded through the dam, un-til it reaches a pre-designed level. At this point the device is engineered to trigger a vortex, which throttles back the ow, re-leasing it at a strictly pre-determined rate. This means that a great deal more river water can ow through the dam, before the need to start attenuation.

A new design of the Hydro-Brake Flow Control, with an adjustable in-take, was developed speci cally for the project by Hydro International, in close co-operation with Jacobs, the consulting engineers, and the Environ-ment Agency teams. Adding specially designed restrictor plates on the ow controls’ intakes enables the median 10,000 litres per second ow rate from

Adding specially designed restrictor plates on the flow controls’ intakes enables the median

10,000 litres per second flow rate.

The inlet to the dam is protected by a series of debris screens and a specially-designed debris screen capable of withstanding loads of 50 kilonewtons.

Taming the UK’s River Douglas cures centuries old flooding

#22 Wigan.indd 36 12/6/13 6:37 PM


Flood Control

the outfall to be adjusted by plus or mi-nus 20% in future.

he ne desi n ill enable the o of the river downstream to be adjust-ed in future to take account of climate chan e or to alter the out ow based on ongoing experience. The Environment Agency is continuing to monitor river

ows closely.

ConstructionThe cone-shaped Hydro-Brake® Flow

Controls, weighing 15 tonnes each, were installed into the dam using a 200-tonne crane.

The main contractor moved some 70,000 tonnes of earth to create the dam and ood storage area, including a still-ing basin immediately upstream of the dam. Construction challenges included the specialist removal of tonnes of Jap-anese Knotweed and the investigation and ground stabilisation of nearby coal mining sites.

The inlet to the dam is protected by a series of debris screens and a special-ly-designed debris screen capable of withstanding loads of 50 kilonewtons.

Flow controls put to the testMore than 100 mm of rain, equiva-

lent to one month’s rainfall, fell in just a few hours in the North of England during one weekend in June, 2012.

The Environment Agency’s ood alle-viation scheme on the River Douglas was put through its rst major test, as torrential downpours lled the new ood storage

area. At the centre of the dam, just a mile from Wigan town centre, the two giant Hydro-Brake ow controls successfully held back ood waters in the carefully-en-gineered ood storage area.


or visit www.hydro-int.com

The main contractor moved some 70,000 tonnes of earth to create the dam and flood storage area, including a stilling basin immediately upstream of the dam.

#22 Wigan.indd 37 12/6/13 6:38 PM


The mission of Consulting En-gineers of Ontario is to “pro-mote a sustainable business environment for members”.

Its strategic goals are aimed at shaping public policy through Government Re-lations, promoting fair procurement and

(Client Relations), better communicat-ing the CEO message (Communica-tions and Public Relations) and provid-

(Member Services). This is all well and good and nec-

essary to enhance the sustainability of but it

doesn’t explicitly address the needs of our clients and our interconnection.

Our landscapes are constantly changing, whether we are in the public, private or government sectors. This is a situation that necessitates a periodic re-think of strategy. While we typically use traditional analytical tools (num-

-ness strategies, it has been proposed that a narrative approach may serve us well as we move forward. (Michael G. Jacobides, Harvard Business Review, January-February 2010, pp.77-84)

Jacobides feels that the use of words over numbers allows entities to focus on

the causes of change, allowing enablers to update their strategy constantly. He does this by setting up a playscript, wherein characters and their roles are described, followed by the evolution of plots, sub-plots and story lines. This may seem far-fetched to those of us with technical backgrounds. However, most people can understand and visu-alize a verbal presentation more easily than they can comprehend the impact of numbers when describing the perfor-mance of a sector, company or public entity.

Simply put, a playscript is the frame-work within which the analysis takes place. The outcome is then set up at the corporate and business levels, prior to being translated into the day-to-day op-

The corporate playscript speaks to value generation, and is further broken

sub-plots. The synergies subplot looks at the various parts of an organisation and

-nancial subplot looks at how the compa-ny uses its assets to generate a return.

The business playscript is important in that it describes the main players in a sector and how they interact. It covers linkages between companies in the in-

dustry, and story lines about how com-petitors in a sector generate value.

-proach would follow a three-step analy-sis process, with a fourth step added for implementation:

1. How do we work today? Write current corporate and business play-scripts. Describe the current setting in

players (including regulators) and their

with others in the same sector, then out-line your value proposition and how it currently works.

2. How can we be better? Rewrite the playscript, rethinking and reshaping

identify and respond to customer needs and at other options for adding value.

3. If we make these changes, are they sustainable? Future-proof the playscript. Make sure it can survive by understanding customer needs and market trends, being aware of compet-itor actions, and anticipating how others will respond to your approach.

4. Can we actually do this? You need to ensure your organisation is prepared to re-tool to implement the

-sational capabilities and gaps needs to

Understanding our shifting consulting landscape – narratives versus numbers Bill De Angelis, P.Eng., MBA

Each year, ES&E invites experts and leaders in environmental consulting to share their opinions, experiences

and values with our readers. We continue to be honored every year with erudite responses from some of our leading

consulting engineers. Their opinions are based on many years of collective experience in maintaining high standards,

while keeping up with the diversity and complexities of environmental engineering and managerial leadership.

#30 Consulting Forum Section.indd 38 12/5/13 6:15 AM

be addressed, and mechanisms to foster acceptance of the new approach must be developed. One of the positive out-comes of this approach is its ability to gain employee acceptance, because it is easy to understand.

When it comes to consultant-client relationships, there is often a disconnect between what clients want and what the consultants perceive they want. When

of each side (sub-plot), it is seen that the private sector exists to make money

that end goal. Alternatively, the public sector’s motivation is to spend money

There is some commonality here, but also some subtle differences that prevent both parties from gaining maxi-

Restating the relationship in terms of playscript narratives can help iden-tify gaps and opportunities within each other’s business models, to bring both sides closer together. Each party will

this type of analysis.Let’s look at how some of the ele-

ments of a playscript might be laid out and identify where synergies, common-alities, gaps, issues and opportunities may exist. This type of exercise doesn’t

analysis, but may help illustrate where -

The role of the private sector is to provide competent designs for new infrastructure. The role of the public sector is to deliver infrastructure as di-rected by council, at the least cost to the public.

The corporate playscript looks at

terms of synergies, success relies (on both sides) upon the interactions be-tween the project managers, clear proj-

-bers, and effective project delivery.

The business playscript looks at the main players in the business, their com-petencies and capabilities, linkages be-

notion of how those entities intend to

business, we know who our competitors are, and what they present in terms of resources. We now have many instances

to deliver successful projects. Consul-tant selection is often on the basis of cost, all else being equal. Team weighting is often towards junior staff, in order to keep overall rates and prices low. Gaps are seen in staff training and develop-ment and this has a negative impact on the industry.

Consultants need to better understand

wants; consider outsourcing more de-sign to lower costs; move to higher level CADD training and execution; hire new

gaps; and maintain quality.The client will want to: improve the

clarity of Request for Proposal docu-mentation to reduce scope and cost im-

of a candidate pool; hire new staff from external sources to stimulate new ways of thinking and project delivery; revamp its internal organisation to reduce dupli-cation of services; better equip project managers to get projects out sooner; and continue to focus on development of long-term capital plans.

-

costing can improve selection process-es and elevate the quality of deliver-ables. Placing consulting staff in mu-nicipal settings and vice versa, allows both sides to better comprehend issues and improve opportunities for future collaboration.

Consultants may want to develop a

expand and contract depending on the types and availability of capital proj-ects. They need to anticipate what cli-

ents want and incorporate those needs and directions into the playscript.

The public sector has been mov-ing for some time into the realm of

to adopt private sector practices around the allocation of risk, responsibility and accountability.

Continued and increasing frequency of communication between the consul-tant and client sectors, about expecta-tions, timelines and funding/budgets will ensure adequate time to prepare for and mitigate impacts of changes in the public and political environments.

• -liver the new model.

• Look at linkages to external service providers to assist.

• Look at new product offerings to meet future needs.

• Convince its political leaders that change is warranted.

• Look to similar successful organisa-tions for assistance and guidance.

• Communicate changes early and clearly to staff to ensure buy-in.

Where does all this take us? The narrative approach is a tool that allows us to evaluate how we are performing

More importantly, it provides both sides with insights into where we can collec-

-ability, survivability and prosperity are words on everyone’s minds these days. Therefore, we need to be open to look-ing at our industry from every angle to identify and implement changes that will make us stronger.

Bill De Angelis, P.Eng., MBA,Vice President and General Manager,

Associated EngineeringE-mail: [email protected]

November/December 2013 www.esemag.com



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E-mail was once lauded as the tool to ease our communica-tion woes, but it is no longer delivering on that promise.

Who among us has not experienced the dread of returning to an untouched inbox after a few days away? Not only do you have to sift through the sheer volume of mail, but also spend time deciphering the various threads within an e-mail chain. Why was this person added? Do I have an action item in here? Was this purely FYI? Has every-thing already been dealt with and have I just wasted the past 15 minutes getting caught up to three days ago?

Managing e-mails feels like a losing battle, and one that often pulls us away from customer-focused project work. We keep such a large collection of cor-respondence, so that we can go back and reread a conversation for context. However, this is a cumbersome method for gaining a sense of the history of a topic, and certainly for sharing that his-tory with others. There is also the chal-lenge in the final step of the e-mail life cycle – what do you do with it? Delete it? File it?

E-mail is not a conversation tool, but has been forced to become one. It is not the ideal platform for having ongoing dialogue among multiple contributors, or for building an accessible knowledge base.

The advent of social media has trans-formed the landscape in this regard. It is no longer just the vapid, entertain-ment-focused medium, that it was once thought to be. Social media platforms are actually poised to better facilitate conversation than e-mail. Social busi-ness is an opportunity to bridge the worlds of social media and the tradi-tional ways of doing work.

At Burnside, we have recently initi-ated the use of an internal social busi-ness platform that allows us to leverage the concepts more typically associated with Twitter, Facebook and Wikipedia, to enable collaboration across our of-fices, without relying entirely on e-mail. This system allows us to enhance pro-ductivity, make communication more efficient, and harness the collective knowledge base of our colleagues.

Each employee has a profile describ-ing themselves and their areas of exper-

tise. Employees then build a community of colleagues, that can be based on of-fice location, project work, technical discipline, or other logical groupings. Interactions on the network can take a variety of forms: status updates, forum discussions, activities (interactive, col-laborative “to-do” lists), wikis, or blog entries. For example, individuals can send status updates to the people they have added to their community: “I’m out on site today; back in the office on Friday” or “Finishing up proposal with Bob for submission tomorrow”.

Team members can discuss project questions or the status of a deliverable in a forum or even within an activity app, which is like an interactive, col-laborative “to-do” list. A subject matter expert might populate a wiki with useful content that the rest of the organization can access, write a blog post about best management practices, or provide a link to updated legislation or new regulations.

Too often, information is tied up in a silo, based on who is included in an e-mail chain. Questions are sent to the resident expert and that response is only provided to an individual. While this

Using social collaboration tools improves business communications By Morgan Pel



solves an immediate query, the expert has probably received this question mul-tiple times. Now, instead of sending this e-mail to ‘Everyone’, they could post a blog update or start a wiki entry. If the question is posed on a forum, then it is simply a matter of responding, and the knowledge in the response will be ac-cessible to others as well. This informa-tion is now searchable and accessible to a much wider audience, allowing more people to benefit.

Now, answers to questions can also come from anyone within the company. In the past, information transfer has often followed a hierarchical pattern, from manager down to junior employee. However, it may no longer be the man-ager that has the answer. Often a more junior professional can pitch in and pro-vide that knowledge, and social collab-oration tools can facilitate this.

Project-specific communities have been developed to allow team members access to information in a central location. Managers can provide direction to their team, monitor progress and workflow, and ensure that relevant documentation is readily available. Collaboration among team members can occur more smoothly. There is an opportunity to ask the right questions of the right individuals and have focused conversations in context.

In a project forum, an engineer could post that they are finishing a review of a drawing set. The CAD operator knows

that there are revisions coming his way and the project manager knows that this task is on track. The person who is writ-ing the corresponding report knows that the drawings are almost complete and they should be able to review the final set soon.

All project documents are integrated with a file management system allow-ing the entire team to have access to the most recent files. Questions can be posed to the team as necessary. A his-tory of interaction is inherently saved on the platform, solving that end-of-life e-mail question. Key lessons learned are then searchable for future projects, allowing us to build on our success and learn from our mistakes.

Managers are no longer relying on a spreadsheet that they pull out once a month to track progress. They don’t need to call, text, or e-mail their team to see what the status is. If a task is as-signed to someone, the onus is on them to complete it and then to indicate it is done. There is a sense of accountabil-ity, as people are not anonymous on the network. A project can be managed from our Mississauga office, but have contributors in Calgary, Phoenix, and Orangeville. Project managers have a newfound sense of assuredness that tasks are being completed on time.

Change is not instant, and our firm is still in the adolescent phase of adopt-ing this technology. We are under no

illusion that any one tool can be the ul-timate solution to all the challenges of managing communication and access to information. Having the best tools for the task is certainly important, but it is how they are used that will make the difference.

A wide demographic of people in the company, from new millennial workers to seasoned veterans of the “boomer” generation, has embraced the opportu-nity to collaborate in a new way. This has been especially evident in our teams, that are geographically separated and with the wider adoption of flexible work time hours. People have the opportunity to react and respond to information on their own time and have a resource that is more responsive than past methods.

When you put new tools in the hands of capable and curious people, it is quite interesting to see what they will do with them. This is especially true if these tools facilitate collaboration, and allow people to further experiment and to learn from each other how to best use them. As feedback loops go, it is one that is most definitely positive. Besides, who among us doesn’t want to see a dra-matic drop in e-mail traffic?

Morgan Pel is with R.J. Burnside & Associates Limited.

E-mail: [email protected]

Maple Reinders has been delivering innovative environmental construction projects for the Canadian market for over 46 years including design, operation and private financing.

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Design decisions are like bricks in a wall, with each layer built upon the preceding one. In an organization, these critical

“bricks” are “laid” by teams of engineers and other professionals.

One would expect these decisions to be rationally based on good data and best practices. In the real world, howev-er, risk aversion, habit, and uncertainty can cloud or limit rational thinking, es-pecially in dynamic environments where regulations, technology, opinions, and budgets are continually changing.

However, project managers can use quality assurance/quality improvement/quality control processes to control poten-tial design process-related quality failures resulting from engineer bias, team dynam-ics, and organizational culture.

Understanding quality failureA Quality Management System

(QMS) consists of three types of mea-sures. Quality assurance (QA) and quali-ty improvement (QI) are a set of proactive measures taken during design develop-ment to prevent errors and encourage innovation. Quality control (QC) is a set of reactive measures that trap and correct errors in deliverables. If a team commits to the vision on which these measures are founded, these measures will ensure that

Quality failure can rarely be linked back to a single cause or person. It is a myth that one person can be made ac-countable for a design failure. When managers proceed with this view, they

is because a failure often results from a series of small errors that cascade to

affect a design, consider the holes in a block of Swiss cheese, and imagine that

-

holes don’t line up, or cascade. Similarly,

there are “holes” in every design, but an error made at one stage in a design may become irrelevant, or may be corrected at a later stage in the design process.

However, if an error propagates throughout the design, the integrity of the design is compromised. As a result, the earlier an error is made, the larger the number of subsequent decisions at risk. For this reason, errors in design

-water temperatures, and understanding of neighborhood and environmental is-sues, can compromise a design.

For example, the owner of a new se-quencing batch reactor (SBR) plant was

limits and, therefore, started legal ac-tion against the contractor. A third par-ty expert was asked to assess why the plant could not meet its permit. When he clocked the cycle time during dry weather, he found the length to be be-tween the programmed storm and dry

should have been in this transition peri-od for one cycle when it switched from dry to wet weather and again when it

at the operation of the terminal pump station and discovered that its opera-

-gorithm to switch between wet and dry weather operation.

Failure to “look upstream” in the ear-ly part of the design process, meant the SBR operated on a cycle time that was

A well managed collaborative design team committed to a well thought out set of QMS measures would not have made these types of errors.

Individual biasDesign decisions are often made by

engineers, not teams. How these are communicated to the rest of the team

-ence the making and communication of

the decision must be managed carefully.

much invested in a particular outcome, favors what they are comfortable with, or is blind to new ideas, they may make or support the wrong decision. Some com-mon types of individual biases include:

: If a team member

limit discussion to issues that support their agenda. In turn, the team may

-pertise, rather than biased opinion. Dis-missing an idea, simply because it is outside of one’s experience (e.g., “It’s not done that way here”) is a sure sign

-experienced engineers, working with bi-ased ones, may be reluctant to ask ques-tions, and lose an opportunity to learn and grow professionally. 2. Sunk cost: If an engineer has invest-ed time and the client’s money to devel-op a plan, their loyalty to that plan may be inappropriately strong. When chal-lenged with an alternative, the engineer may argue “there’s no budget for that” or “we can’t go there”. If a new option is proposed by an external expert, they may try to unfairly discredit it, or the expert, to protect their own reputation.3. Availability: An engineer may favor technologies they know and understand well, rather than explore alternatives and seek the information they lack, so that they can evaluate other options

engineer favors a new technology, they know little about, because they are bored with established ones and seek a new challenge.4. Anchor: An engineer’s decisions may

point, or history, on a project. If the path -

neer may be reluctant to retrace the steps

5. Egocentrisman engineer attributes more credit to

Questions, not answers lead to good team decisions By Pat Coleman



their contribution in a decision made by a team than an outside independent body would, particularly when they have been hired into a new position based on their “experience” and cannot deliver. Such an engineer may inhibit a team’s productivity, because the other members may pull back when they see this person taking credit for their work.

Additional biases-

engineer believes there is a correlation between two elements, when in reality there is not. If the burden of proof shifts from the correlation being proved to the correlation being disproved, the team will be reluctant to challenge this bias. At this point, the project manager may have to step in and ask the individual to provide evidence to support their as-

the design stalls, further data may have to be collected, or a third party expert opinion solicited. The second occurs when an engineer believes they have proven their concept,

based on previous designs which have not been tested, or are not at capacity. One way to break this impasse is to ask for details on the design and call the sys-tem’s operator.

Team dynamicsProject managers must understand

how the team “frames” the design, or creates a mental model of the task. The frame must encompass the full scope of the project drivers, if the end product is to meet client and community expecta-tions. Time spent at the start of the proj-ect to correctly “frame” the task is never a waste.

-ect manager should encourage the team

-ing goals early in the design process.

innovation. -

Team dynamics impact the end prod-uct, because the team’s needs may be-

come more important than the end prod-

opportunities, consume budget early, and leave no money for later decisions. Or, it may slip into relying solely on per-ception and opinion.

The most common negative dynam-ics that plague teams are:1. Dysfunction: This occurs when fault lines develop and air time is not man-aged. A design then develops that allows the team to function, but not meet client expectations. When the project manager

-tion part of what they want, the design becomes a political compromise that

2. Group think -dent of its superiority, it may agree on a solution, while rationalizing away data and discounting warnings. A sure sign

forth a single solution to different situ-

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ations. To avoid losing the client’s con-

wake the team up

3. Impotence

-

-

decision. 4. Misapplications of analogies: This

-

-

5. No formal analysis-

6. Procedural injustice: If one faction

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-

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You must decide whether you are either on or off the bus No negative thinking will be tolerated for the rest of the meeting”.

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Composition -

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Project managers need to understand how their organization’s culture affects decision making within teams.


volved in the design process?b) Context: What type of environment should the design team operate within?c) Communication: What are the means for dialog and participation in the design process?d) Control: How will I control the de-sign and decision making process?

These factors include allowing con-ict and debate while developing an

open culture of politeness candor con-structive scuf ing and creativity The manager must appropriately engage external staff to keep forcing underly-ing assumptions and orthodoxies to the surface to challenge assumptions which are past their due date and to frame the problem to encompass all the project’s goals unctional teams produce func-tional designs

Organizational cultureProject managers need to understand

how their organization’s culture affects decision making within their teams There are three common cultural issues that impact the design process:1. Normalization of deviance: The the-oretical capacity of a process consists of three parts: a) what is required now; b) additional capacity required between now and the design year; and c) addition-al capacity to account for uncertainty in the design data safety factor) There is a risk where the duration of design con-struction and realization of capacity is long enough that the designer has moved on to another project The designer may start to underestimate the real risk and re-duce the safety factor on the next design leading to a design failure 2. Practical drift: When organizations develop procedures they take into ac-count how engineering disciplines work together If a group nds a simpler more ef cient method to accomplish the same task but it deviates from procedure there is a risk their savings will be made at the expense of someone else’s budget If there is no means to communicate this deviation from procedure the rest of the organization will falsely assume that procedure is being followed

A common manifestation of this prob-lem is when a group shifts from disci-pline to self-checking when checking is done by younger less expensive staff or even worse when a group opts out of checking altogether because of budget

limitations veryone must play by the same rules for a quality system to work If a change needs to be made the change should be to the rule not by an engineer-ing department’s method of working

Response to an ambiguous threat: When an unanticipated concern is raised late in the design process there is a small window during which the risk can be assessed and remedial action taken If the team is unable or unwilling to as-sess the risk they tend to do nothing and time runs out

Asking the right questions Peter rucker a well known busi-

ness thinker believed that taking action without thinking is the cause of every failure He argued in his seminal work “The Practice of Management” that “the most common source of mis-takes in management decisions is the em hasis on nding the right ans er rather than the right question.”

People tend to lter what they tell their superiors They assume superiors do not want to hear about problems only solutions This means that by the time the

manager is aware of the problem the cost of xing it has ballooned or this rea-son managers must ferret out problems by asking the right questions

QA/QC processes are not rituals to be executed without thought They should be an encapsulation of best prac-tice and be embraced They work best when all are committed to collaborating and are ready to confront bias dysfunc-tion and culture when they get in the way of making the right decisions

The last word goes to Professor Mi-chael oberto of ryant niversity

hode Island whose Critical Decision Making lectures inspired this article: “ uestions not ans ers. f ou can build good processes and get people asking good questions ou can get to good decisions.”

Pat Coleman P. ng. is ith lack eatch Canada Compan .E-mail: [email protected]

November/December 2013 | 45 .esemag.com

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#30 Consulting Forum Section.indd 45 12/6/13 6:42 PM


Over the past few years, con-sultants have seen para-digm shifting changes in the way projects are procured,

designed, constructed and operated. Increasingly, teams are assembled to ad-dress a project over its entire life cycle, and owners are looking for solutions which maximize life cycle value. Sus-tainability is a theme which underpins the evolution of successful projects.

Years of insufficient focus and fund-ing have created a critical need for upgrade or replacement of major phys-ical infrastructure across many sectors. Governments at all levels are prioritiz-ing funding for large capital projects. Against this backdrop, consultants are being asked to produce designs and doc-uments for increasingly complex projects

in an integrated team environment. This has to be achieved within much shorter delivery timelines than many of us would have thought possible not too long ago.

One of the keys to successfully de-livering projects in this new paradigm is the use of building information modeling (BIM) to drive project performance. Our experience on major projects, such as sev-eral underground stations for the Crossrail in the UK and the Freedom Tower in the US demonstrated that only through the use of advanced BIM modeling were we able to address revised client priorities, stake-holder requirements or site conditions.

As we have increasingly incorporated the use of BIM into our way of work-ing, we have documented a few lessons learned, which might be of benefit to those consultants just beginning to use it.

Typically, consulting firms, which are well along the road to integrating BIM into the way they execute projects, will begin to realize efficiencies in re-duced time and cost to deliver a proj-ect, as well as better quality documents. However, it is important to understand and accept that moving from CAD to BIM often results in increased project execution cost and time during ramp-up.

Beyond the initial transition from 2D to 3D documents, there is moving from using BIM as just a 3D CAD tool, to fully capturing the potential across 3D (virtual building creation/embedded element attributes), 4D (time/phasing/schedule), 5D (quantity/cost), 6D (sus-tainability optimization strategies) and 7D (facilities and asset management).

Consultants increasingly use BIM to drive project performance By David Bannister

E. [email protected] W. www.terratec.amwater.com

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This requires a serious and ongoing commitment to the time and cost of developing corporate skill sets.

Our experience on major projects around the world has demonstrated to us the need for corporate proficiency in these advanced BIM capabilities, in order to respond effectively to client expectations. Training and development regimes must be implemented in order to remain at the forefront of project delivery.

BIM and the need for project team integration.In the past, consultants would undertake the design and

preparation of documents. The contractor would then take them and construct the facility. Finally, the owner would as-sume the facility and be responsible for ongoing operation and

maintenance. Increasingly, owners are looking for a projection execution approach which addresses substantially, or even completely, full facility life cycle. The move by governments to using a public private partnership (P3) or alternative financ-ing and procurement (AFP) project procurement process, is an example of this trend.

Fully capturing the cost efficiency and quality enhance-ment potential of a life cycle approach requires an integrated team approach, with all players involved along the entire proj-ect timeline. BIM allows owners/project applicants, designers, contractors and operators, to quickly and comprehensively ex-plore options and alternatives. Also, they are able to clearly understand the impacts of a decision, or strategy, proposed by one discipline on the other disciplines or project members.

Typically, this requires the BIM model to be addressable by all integrated team members. Lead responsibility for the BIM model management must be passed seamlessly from one project team member to another as the project passes from the design, construction, and operation and maintenance stages. The use of BIM models, developed to this advanced level of information, requires the active and ongoing participation of everyone involved.

The fast pace expected for project delivery, coupled with the size and complexity of many current or contemplated in-frastructure projects, may require the involvement of multiple consultant firms, or multiple offices of a single consultant. It is critical to ensure that protocols are in place to support this need.

For example, GENIVAR recently completed a $500M proj-ect that involved over 100 employees working in several dif-ferent offices across Canada. The entire project was delivered exclusively using BIM tools, with over 250 BIM models devel-oped by the participating disciplines. GENIVAR has overseas design/CAD/BIM centres, which are used extensively to sup-port project delivery in the UK, Europe and North America. A suite of tools and technology (such as Revit Server, Remote Desktop Services, Cloud-based solutions) is used to enable ef-fective and efficient collaborative work on BIM projects, with

geographically distributed teams and models. In our experience, good communication, clear lines of

responsibility and authority, standardized project delivery design and document platforms, and well developed project execution protocols are essential to efficiently deliver a proj-ect to the level of quality and assurance that clients demand.

Moving to BIM, as the primary platform for project de-livery, offers significant efficiencies in design and document production. More importantly, a basic proficiency in BIM is increasingly required as a condition of participation on many project teams, whether under a traditional or P3/AFP process.

The global practice of GENIVAR across most consulting engineering sectors has benefited enormously from a corporate commitment to BIM capability. Moving from 2D, to basic 3D documents, and on to advanced BIM, has allowed us to inter-act and contribute as part of integrated project teams in ways we would have never imagined only a few years ago.

As consultants contemplate where they are on their BIM journey, we would encourage them to think about how using it to drive their firm’s project performance will benefit both cli-ents and staff.

David Bannister is GENIVAR’S GTA Buildings Sector Leader. E-mail: [email protected]

Moving to BIM, as the primary platform for project delivery, offers efficiencies in

design and document production.

Marketing ManagerA National Trade Association committed to promoting

the appropriate use of its members’ Construction Prod-

ucts to the Highway, Municipal and Resource Sectors is

seeking a person for the position of Marketing Manager.

If you are familiar with the workings of Canada’s Heavy

Construction Industry and have experience in sales

and marketing to these groups, we would like to speak

with you. You probably have a University degree in Civil

Engineering or a related field.

The position requires the ability to work under little

supervision with a wide variety of interest groups, often

bringing these groups together to find common ground

and effective solutions to complex technical issues. You

must be able to present sound, clear technical arguments

in writing and public speaking, often to large groups, in

the English language. A working knowledge of French

would be an asset. You will work from a base of your

choosing in Canada, near a major airport, as extensive

travel is a requirement for this position. Working closely

with Member Companies you will develop and carry out

a sound Marketing Plan.

Please submit letters of interest with your resume and salary expectations in confidence to: [email protected]



Recently, the number of inqui-ries from rural land developers and resort operators has in-creased dramatically regarding

the design, build and operation of water and wastewater treatment systems. We believe that there is a significant oppor-tunity in these situations to reduce the ini-tial capital investment required, by using build-to-suit (phased) servicing, matched to the build rate.

Clients are excited about this new ap-proach, which matches interim treatment system capacity with actual effluent flows, without sacrificing the ability to achieve final design treatment capacity. ASI has successfully incorporated this strategy into a number of development projects, miti-gating multiple financial and project risks for our clients and host municipalities.

We see a trend for this project struc-ture in many small municipalities, where development is constrained by wastewater treatment capacity and the cost for expan-sion. People want to move into these com-munities and the communities want the people. But, financing a treatment plant, with capacity for a population that won’t arrive for years, just doesn’t make sense.

The trend toward Build-to-Suit, Phased or Just-in-Time Servicing is being implemented across the US and western Canada and is beginning to pick up mo-mentum in Ontario. This approach to servicing leverages best-in-class technol-ogy and the construction of decentralized wastewater treatment plants. The concept is elegant in its simplicity and exceeds all regulatory requirements, with suitable treatment capacity, and infrastructure.

The strength of this approach is based on the relationship between developers and the municipality involved.

Developers are known for optimis-tic absorption rates for their proposed developments, which take several years of approvals, and construction. Over the course of a development’s evolution, many outside influences, including eco-nomic down turns, can alter the original anticipated growth. This can lead to over-sized, inefficient wastewater systems and significant investment risk. A phased ser-vicing strategy manages the risk of out-side influences either developing faster or slower than initial forecasts.

A build-to-suit strategy provides flexibility that limits the risk of a devel-opment’s failure, and increases the long-term sustainability of a community.

Phased water and wastewater systems suit rural development growth By Marshal Deane

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Every servicing project, whether pri-vate or public, is driven by balancing initial capital expenditure, operations/ maintenance costs, and management of as-sets, with revenue generated through user fees or utility income. Build-to-suit ser-vicing is a tool that balances this equation in many ways. Typical residential devel-opments progress slowly, once pre-sales and construction begin. Initial servicing requirements during this time are minimal.

Matching servicing requirements with treatment capacities is an essential part of balancing upfront capital expenditures. Additionally, minimizing up-front capital expenditures and operating costs, includ-ing labour, energy, gas, chemicals, and assets management allows capital to be used in other areas of the development.

Along with reducing initial capital re-quirements, and reducing early phases of operating costs, long-term financial benefits can be achieved. Traditionally, wastewater treatment facilities are designed for a pop-ulation density that reflects a combination of different size and/or style of residential units. Proposed densities are then translated into forecast wastewater flow rates, based on government design guidelines.

The build-to-suit strategy allows for real-time collection of actual flow data in the first phase, and raw sewage char-acteristics that can be used to re-rate the anticipated capacity of the ultimate plant capacity (right-size). Experience tells us that design forecast wastewater flow rates are typically higher than actual flow rates, so the build-to-suit approach provides an opportunity to defer, or eliminate, future phases of a project.

If the required wastewater plant is con-structed to service the ultimate popula-tion of the proposed development, initial wastewater flows generated by the few residents will not provide sufficient flow. All wastewater treatment plants require a minimum hydraulic and organic load to effectively remove the specific parame-ters of the raw wastewater. The cost im-plications of a facility that cannot operate effectively are a key factor in upsetting the financial balance discussed earlier.

These types of operational issues can also lead to unforeseen design and con-struction changes. The worst-case sce-nario for an over-designed facility that can’t achieve approved performance, is that the Ministry of the Environment will

issue Orders or Fines to the plant owner and operators.

Ultimately, if the plant cannot op-erate effectively at the smaller flows, it is often more cost-effective to mothball it and truck raw wastewater to another treatment plant. This will again add to unplanned operations costs.

Developing a phasing strategy, that meets the requirements of a residential/resort/commercial, or even municipal project, involves several inputs. These include the ultimate population to be ser-viced, anticipated rate of growth of the development, effluent criteria, discharge location, and cash flow.

A build-to-suit strategy is continuing to help private development projects ob-tain municipal approval. In the coming years, more development projects will involve variations of this strategy to pro-cure and deliver water and wastewater infrastructure.

Marshal Deane is with ASI Group Ltd, E-mail: [email protected]



Being seen as the ‘go-to’ person or acknowledged thought-leader in your field is a good place to be. You don’t need to

look for clients; they come to you. They don’t wince at your fees. You can pick and choose the projects you find particu-larly interesting, and work just with peo-ple you like. And they buy lunch.

But the ways you demonstrate thought leadership and credibility seem to be changing, with a deluge of new infor-mation technologies. Many business professionals, particularly consultants, are asking themselves: Just how do I get acknowledged as a thought-leader today? This question is particularly vital for con-sultants, whose value depends largely on their reputation for innovation and effec-tiveness. Demonstrating that you both understand and know how to use these

tools effectively can help communicate that you are at the leading edge of your field through your content and comments.

To understand which of the new tools are effective for demonstrating thought leadership, it’s important to understand what tools have been traditionally effec-tive. These include academic and pro-fessional designations, published papers in professional or academic journals, presenting papers at recognized profes-sional conferences, publishing a book and a strong CV.

Changing role of expertise To see how this is changing, consider

how potential clients look for expertise. Generally, it’s because they have a prob-lem they need to solve, or an opportunity they want to access. Increasingly, they want a ‘name’ on their project, someone

who has credibility.They look for indications of credi-

bility to help them differentiate among potential problem-solvers, and also because they may need to defend their choice. Getting buy-in matters, because of the increasing number of business de-cisions today that are made in consulta-tion with other stakeholders.

In the Google age, such searches are conducted online, and in two main ways: topic search and name search. Anyone wanting to learn about a new subject area will enter some keywords about the topic into a search engine. If the consultant has generated enough content about their subject area, that content should come up ideally near the top of the search results.

However, it is more likely that some-one will already have heard about the consultant, or met them at a networking

Social media can help consultants show credibility in a digital age By Rebecca H. Goldberg and Carl Friesen

PROUDPARTNER OF:

YOUR PARTNERFOR PROCESS &ENVIRONMENTALMONITORING

Wayne HarrisonSPD Sales Limited would

like to welcome Wayne

Harrison to the SPD team,

where he will be fulfilling

the role of Area Manager

for Eastern Ontario. Wayne Harrison has an exten-

sive professional history, rooted in the sales and

technical expertise of chemical dosing pumps.

His previous experience as a District Manager for

both Siemens Water Technologies and US Filter/

Wallace and Tiernan brings a wealth of transfer-

able knowledge and value to SPD. Educated as a

Mechanical Engineering Technologist, Wayne’s

career began in Engineering and Technical Service

at Wallace & Tiernan, before making the transition

into chemical dosing sales. Wayne’s passion for sales

derives from his innate enthusiasm for customer

relations, travel and the thrill of the sale. Quite

simply, Wayne says, “I enjoy meeting people!” Wayne’s interest in environmental issues and con-

cerns is a personal commitment as he volunteers

his time to industry organizations such as the

Ontario Pollution Control Equipment Association,

of which he is a former president.

If you would like to contact Wayne, he can be

reached at: [email protected]

#30 Consulting Forum Section.indd 50 12/9/13 8:11 PM

event. They can type the person’s name into a search engine to see what evi-dence there is of that person’s expertise.

The digital age has spawned a wide range of emerging vehicles for demon-strating thought leadership which can complement and bring more attention to the long-established means described above.

Many consultants find the sheer va-riety of content marketing and social media tools to be overwhelming. If this has been your experience, keep two questions in mind: What do you want to be known for, and whom do you want to reach? Then, develop a plan that is an appropriate blend of “established” and “emerging” tools.

Remember: your name is your brand. It’s relatively easy if your name is some-what unusual. For example, there are only seven people on LinkedIn with the name ‘Carl Friesen,’ but ‘Rebecca Goldberg’ returns 73 results. This is why Rebecca distinguishes her name as ‘Rebecca H. Goldberg’. You might consider some similar way to make your name “yours” online and carry it

through when choosing profile names for yourself. One of the best-known on-line ‘scorecards’ is one’s Klout Score (klout.com) which is a 1-100 number showing how influential you are. Emerging thought leadership vehicles• YouTube: Right after the question, “is this consultant a recognized author-ity in his field?” a potential client will ask, “would I enjoy working with him?” That’s a question a consultant can an-swer through effective use of YouTube. Videos of a presentation you’ve given, or just you talking to the camera about a development in your client’s industry, go a long way to showing you as an ap-proachable kind of person.• Twitter: Although Twitter seems to be everywhere, it really isn’t. According to recent figures by social media guru Jay Baer, only seven percent of Americans use Twitter. But still, this micro-blogging platform is emerging as an effective way to demonstrate thought leadership• SlideShare: This little-known plat-form allows you to share presentations developed on PowerPoint and similar programs, presenting ideas in infograph-

ics including charts and graphs, text, photographs and other elements. It’s a good way to provide a tight dose of in-formation on a specific topic.• LinkedIn: Standing midway between the “established” and “emerging” tech-nologies is LinkedIn, which at its most fundamental is an online CV. It’s also likely the first result someone will come to if they Google your name, so it needs to put you in your best light. But, more than just a resume, LinkedIn is a vehicle to aggregate all your published articles and papers, slide shows, audio files, videos, infographics and other content in one easy to find place.

Rebecca H. Goldberg, MES, is an inde-pendent interactive media consultant.

E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: goldberg_r

Carl Friesen, MBA, CMC, is Principal of Global Reach Communications Inc. E-mail: [email protected]

Twitter: carlfriesen




Plant Operations

The future of water and waste-water automation lies with collaborative technologies and interactive communities that

empower innovation. The availability of proven connectivity protocols, along with cloud-based collaborative tools, will minimize bid costs and maximize the global reach of system integra-tor (SI) and equipment manufacturer expertise.

Collaborative technologiesA collaborative community could

be made up of internal employees and partners, such as SIs, equipment sup-pliers, etc. Cataloging applications created internally, and/or created on your behalf, could be easily stored and retrieved as required. An online community of water and wastewater professionals could compete to solve client challenges as per posted spec-

i cations. arge, widely distributed facilities, or small remote ones, could take advantage of the global reach and expertise of such a community.

Development and operation in the cloud

Cloud-based architecture enables con-trollers to be created, con gured, simu-lated, deployed and operated from a sin-gle point of connect, via any devise with a browser. It provides a collaborative online environment for building of sys-tems, the reuse and sharing of entire ap-plications, and the exchange of ideas with colleagues.

A cloud-based platform for con-nected devices gives full functionality for creating, deploying, managing and maintaining control systems.

This single point of con guration for life cycle management of the control system enables improved business per-

formance and pro tability in multiple ways.

There would be no more software to install and maintain. Instead, you can manage and access digital content from any device with a browser. ibraries of code and function blocks more easily enable development engineers to nd, co-create, and implement software solu-tions for the task required. This highly scalable platform turns a network of devices into an ecosystem primed for adaption and survival.

The “Industrial Internet” platform can communicate with intelligent con-trollers that manage the automation system down to the nodes and back to the cloud. The result is far greater resolution of device-level data that can be stored in the cloud for real-time automation control and life cycle man-agement.

Planning your move to the cloudAn organization’s data security and

privacy requirements are very import-ant. Your legal, risk, and compliance counterparts should review all privacy and data protection requirements. If special data types must remain on-site, consider a hybrid deployment mod-el. It’s also important to protect your mobile device users.

Identify the necessary features of your current security arrangements and compare these with the software as a service (SaaS) provider’s capabil-ities. Review the SaaS’s road map to determine if there are any missing fea-tures. Then you can add enhancement requests into contractual obligations. Also, you must carefully understand and negotiate service-level agreements for availability, reporting, performance and accuracy.

Despite the robust availability that SaaS inherently provides, it is impera-tive that you have a clear understanding of their disaster recovery plan. In the event of an incident, what are the impli-cations for you, and what is your plan during the interim period?

Software evolving for water and wastewater systems By Ivan Romanow

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Our experienced team proro ividees s s s aa a quququuiccicckk tutut rnnnrnrnarararrououuououundnddnddn o ooon n nn quququqqqq ottoto esesess,drawings and deliveries. Callllll usuuu todododdo aayayayy 1 .88.8.8.88.800000 .6.666686868686868686866 .44535333335353535333 3 3 3 3 or email us at [email protected]

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to meet virtually any all pplication. TTTThhhhee ssyyyystststststemememem aaaaaaaalllllllllllowowowowwows s s fofofofoff r r r rrrououuuuuutititittittt nnnenen mammmaaamamammaam iiiintntnttnnnnteneneenennennnenenenaanananannnncccee eee ofofofofofofo p p ppppummmmmmmmpspss

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dangerous fall-through.

#27 Software Evolving.indd 52 12/6/13 7:24 PM

• Meeting Federal (E2), Provincial, Regulations• Site Emergency Preparedness & Response Plans• Industry Specific Standards, ISO 14000, International

Cyanide Management Code, Aboriginal Agreements

• Hands on Chemical Testing & Evaluation of Chemicals, Reagents, Process and Waste streams as well as Mixed Spilled Substances

• Best Management Practices, Why & When to Patch, Over-pack or Transfer for transport, product recovery or waste disposal

• Deal with Time Critical Issues and Hierarchy of Event• Discharges >1,000 gallons per minute in all terrain• Laboratory size to train derailment, pipeline size spills, all-terrain• Selecting conditions, flow rates, wind conditions, recovery• Improvise Countermeasures to reduce cost & contamination• Boat & Boom Deployment in river, open water

Spill Management Fl.Pg. Ad.indd 1 12/7/13 12:01 AM


In 2002, the City of Toronto started its Green Bin Program for Source Separation of Organics (SSO). It is a critical component of “Target

70”, the City’s goal of achieving a 70%

Toronto currently collects more than 110,000 tonnes of residential and commercial SSO annually, from green bins at more than 500,000 single family dwellings. To meet a collection target of around 180,000 tonnes of SSO per year, the City is now embarking on the next phase of its strategy. This involves providing green bins to multi-family dwellings, including schools, apart-ments and high rise condo buildings.

To-date, the majority of the SSO collected has been processed by aerob-ic composting. However, this process does not harness its energy potential. To meet current and future processing capacity and to capture the renewable energy potential of the collected SSO, Toronto has expanded its existing Dufferin Organics Processing Facility (DOPF), which utilises an anaerobic di-gestion (AD) process.

It has also added a second AD fa-cility on Disco Road, located just east of Lester B. Pearson Airport. The City

contracted an AECOM-led team to de-liver a full design-build-operate service for the new Disco Road facility. Once both projects are completed, the City will have two facilities with a combined pro-cessing capacity of up to 130,000 tonnes annually. (55,000 tonnes per year from the Dufferin plant and 75,000 tonnes per year from the Disco Road plant).

The BTA ProcessR is the technology selected for the new Disco Road facility. It is the same process that has been in operation since 2002 as a technology

demonstration project at the DOPF. Key features of the two AD facilities include the BTA Hydropulper and BTA Grit Removal (hydrocyclone) preprocessing technology. This pre-treatment stage pulps and cleans the SSO material, pri-or to digestion, separating both the light (mostly plastic) and heavy (glass, stone, metal, etc.) contaminants.

Removing contaminants, prior to digestion, ensures trouble-free digester operation and that the digested organics


Continued development of tank testing protocols benefits new green bin composting facility By Darrin Hopper

In 2011, H2Flow Tanks & Systems Inc. erected a Permastore glass-fused-to-steel bolted tank at the original DOPF.

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

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

Tanks.indd 55 12/5/13 6:21 AM


SSSSSSSpppppppiiiiiiilllllllllllllsssssssSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

are suitable for producing Category A compost at external composting sites. Under the new draft Ontario Compost Guidelines, this compost can be mar-

-cial fertiliser and soil conditioner.

The anaerobic digestion stage of the process converts volatile organics of the SSO into biogas, with a meth-ane content of around 60%. Biogas at

are underway to review options for energy utilization for both facilities by upgrading the biogas. This in-cludes biomethane for injection into the natural gas pipeline network and fuelling City-owned vehicles.

In 2011, H2Flow Tanks & Systems Inc. erected a Permastore glass-fused-to-steel bolted steel tank at the origin-

2001, required shut down for main-tenance and cleaning. Erection of the new tank allowed for future expan-sion and growth to meet the City’s green bin demands. H2Flow worked closely with BTA on this project, which helped with the design of the much larger Disco Road facility.

H2Flow and AECOM worked together to get the design, layout and structural requirements of eight bolted steel tanks coordinated and shipped to site for erection within a tight timeline. H2Flow also provided the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) treatment system and associated tanks for the liquid waste from the facility.

One very interesting aspect of this project was the regulations around pressure testing and sign off of the ac-cess requirements. These are governed by the Technical Standards & Safety Authority (TSSA) - Fuels Safety En-gineering Program. They are the body in charge of upholding the CAN/CGA B105-M93 and the newly released code CSA-B149.6-11. Clause 8.3.1 of CAN/

roof of a digester with an internal diam-eter larger than 15m, there shall not be less than three manholes, at least one of which shall not be less than 1.05m in-

allow a man equipped with an air pack, easy access into the digester using a portable ladder.”

The other manholes are for venting

and are typically distributed evenly around the roof.

This code was written around typ-ical municipal concrete pancake di-gesters that are not designed for mixing

production. Access to these digesters was typically designed through a large opening in the roof structure as they had no sidewall access. Because steel tank structures have grade level access there is not a requirement for such a large opening in the roof structure. The structural beamed roof design actually precludes design of an access manhole this large.

TSSA simply provided a letter of variance and the work done in the dis-covery and letter of variance on the DOPF site helped facilitate work on the Disco Road site.

The newly released code CSA-B149. 6-11, soon to be adopted in Ontario, does not qualify the tank by a percent-age of pressure drop. It has formulas to calculate the loss of volume ex-trapolated over a 24 hour period. It is understood that during the re-writing

process for this test the committee members agreed not to state a max-imum percent loss per volume. This is because there is no historical value to set a reasonable standard. Instead, it was agreed for committee members to collect data to be used to establish loss criteria for the next edition of the code.

testing has certain environmental con-ditions which cannot be accounted for, such as wind conditions and the exact placement of a signal thermal couple inside the tank. It is also common knowledge that steel tanks are affect-ed more by these conditions than con-crete tanks.

Based on Permastore’s experience

measure of determining that there are no gas leaks in a bolted steel tank is with a soap test. This is typically done at 1.5 times maximum operating pres-sure, over the period of time it takes to soap the gaseous zone of the tank.

The experience gained from tank testing at the Dufferin Organics Pro-cessing Facility site was invaluable. This included an attempt to eliminate the temperature variance by getting

the tank up to pressure for three hours at night in order to eliminate temperature variance from the sun and the wind. The

time it took to build pressure as the tem-perature was dropping. Tank testing at the Disco Road site was a much simpler process as it followed the European time tested method of bringing the pressure up to the 1.5 times max operating level (as per the CSA code) and soap testing the gaseous zone of the tank. The new CSA code was applied and some of the

calculation of allowable pressure loss formula.

The Disco Road project is almost fully completed and is entering the com-missioning stage. The majority of the tanks are now covered with insulation and cladding, in order to maintain the required operating temperatures for the anaerobic digestion process.

Darrin Hopper is with H2Flow Tanks & Systems Inc.

The project involved eight tanks.

Tanks.indd 56 12/5/13 6:21 AM

KG SERVICES

Tanks.indd 57 12/5/13 6:21 AM



Industries involved with chemicals of any kind are facing unprecedented pressure from government and the public to avoid spills or chemical releases, no matter the cost.

“We’ve come a long ways from the days when I start-ed in spill response 35 years ago. Then, the response to minor and major spills might only involve a drum of sand, a bale of sorbent material and a few shovels,” says Cliff Holland, Environmental Director of Spill Management Inc. in Stoney Creek, Ontario.

Holland feels that industry and institutions can take major steps towards meeting the demands of both the government and the public, and their own commitments to protecting the environment, if they approach their preparedness from the perspective of: Storage, Containment, Response. This involves having a complete and comprehensive emergency response plan, that considers all potential incidents; hands-on training for responders in handling product and in containing and cleaning up spills; good housekeeping and storage practi-ces; and adequate containment areas that are free from debris.

Safe storage, says Holland, usually begins with a system that segregates substances according to their chemical prop-erties. This will reduce and eliminate the possibility of in-compatible substances coming into contact and causing heat,

suitable for the materials they are holding. Containment areas with adequate capacity to handle a spill

are essential to safe storage of chemicals. Over the years, the impact of spills into containment areas has been lessened by reducing the size of storage containers and the total volumes that are allowed to be stored on sites, or transported by land, air or water. But, there are many situations where containment

-ence of materials such as petrochemicals in a long and remote pipeline.

Emergency responders must provide the containment. First, though, there must be corporate support for the neces-sary training and resources. Responders need to have the au-thority to take whatever actions are necessary. Too often, says

with reducing the environmental impact of a spill, yet are making the decisions on how to respond, based on visibility and public opinion.

effective response to an environmental incident and keeping regulators and the public informed of what is being done,” he

direction of a response may be to make a statement to the media and address public issues, rather than responding to the spill.”

Responders, he says, must have training to meet worst-case scenarios. This includes how to slow the advance of a spill, how to divert it away from environmentally sensitive

areas, how to stop it and how to shut down the source. All need to be carried out without waiting for approval from sen-ior management.

-es that not only meet environmental regulations, but health and safety requirements, corporate policy, industry standards and the interests of any concerned community groups. In fact, says Holland, industry should work closely with community groups and municipal response agencies because they may be able to reach a spill site much more quickly than a company response team. Ensuring that these local agencies have the

in environmental protection and community good will. “No one intends to create a spill,” says Holland. “But when

there is one, there is no time to try to avoid taking the blame. It has to be reported to the appropriate regulators and help must get to the scene to contain or stop the spill and clean it up. Time is the critical issue in any emergency.”

“But there’s another aspect that the chemical industry has to be aware of. That is the potential for complacency

clothing, the information in Material Safety Data Sheets, guidebooks and manuals and monitoring systems,” says Hol-land. “Today’s training focuses on reading technical data.

in sampling and testing chemical properties to determine the potential consequences of a spill,” he says.

He believes that successful spill response today must learn from the lessons of the past. Then, emergency responders had to understand the hazards of what was spilled and to stay back

Storage, containment and response are the keys to managing spills By Charles Ross

Checking for gases.

Tanks.indd 58 12/5/13 6:22 AM


SSSSSSSpppppppiiiiiiillllllllllllllssssssSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

until all of the risks could be evaluated. Responders relied on what were called “stability tests” to verify the degree of

factors. Training for response in winter conditions is an aspect of

spills that often gets little consideration because it may be costly, inconvenient and uncomfortable. There is an entirely different set of conditions in winter in forests, mountains or on lakes and rivers, than on the same terrain in summer. A spill can disappear under layers of ice or snow. There is also a greater risk to the responders who may have to cross ice, or work in slush, snowdrifts or even whiteout conditions.

“Sometimes responders spend entirely too much time in classrooms, studying the theory of what they should do in winter weather, rather than being outside and developing the real skills that they will need,” says Holland. In addition, in preparing and planning for winter response a corporation must provide supplies and support, including possible med-ical help for its responders in a remote, snowbound location.

The Canadian government has moved in an interesting direction to reduce the number of spills at fuel tank systems located on federal and Aboriginal lands. It has increased the emphasis on spill management, rather than spill response. Be-tween June 2008 and June 2012, new technical requirements were phased in, including effective secondary containment, leak and spill detection and methods for alerts if tanks are

The consequences of not being aware of what is required at each level of an operation to ensure compliance with environ-

Recent court cases in Ontario indicate that the province appears to be tightening enforcement of recently revised en-vironmental regulations, according to Holland. Many com-

to allow a contaminant to be discharged into the natural en-

vironment, if it “causes” or “may cause” an adverse effect –

Requirements for reporting spills have also been tightened.

-sonable stops to prevent the corporation contravening en-vironmental regulations. Therefore, storage, containment and response will all be important factors in any legal defence, or to mitigate a public relations disaster.

Charles Ross works with Spill Management Inc. E-mail: [email protected]

Preparing a receiving area for spills. Vacuum for cleanup.

Cutting ice during winter training.

Tanks.indd 59 12/5/13 6:22 AM



A train pulling 72 tank cars, laden with oil from hydrau-lic fracturing (fracking) in North Dakota, derailed and

exploded in Lac-Mégantic, Québec on July 6, 2013, killing 50 people. Such accidents are a product of the boom in “pipeline on rails” methods of shipping oil. In 2009, a mere 500 tank cars of oil were transported by rail in Canada. For 2013, this was projected to be as high as 140,000 tank cars.

This disaster has heightened aware-ness in drinking water suppliers to the consequences a similar disaster or local incident would have on continuity and safety of supply.

Incidents have been reported from pleasure craft, commercial vessels, highway accidents, oil and gasoline storage tank failure and industrial inci-dents. Water plant managers and super-visors consider this an unlikely risk, but one with high impact.

The consequence of having a plant shutdown for cleaning and replacement

enough on its own. However, contamin-ation passing through the plant will re-quire water quality announcements and

media and public.

Health risks-

zene contamination of the drinking water supply. Benzene forms between

gasoline. Levels are regulated at a max-imum concentration of 0.5μg/l in drink-ing water across the developed world. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene can cause leukemia.

Monitoring for benzene in treated -

operators, managers and customers

often received several days after sam-pling. Also, with changing levels during spill conditions, treatment methodolo-

GroundwaterContamination of an aquifer is rarely

an immediate effect of spills. Volatile organics (VOCs) migrate through the soil and rock, which results in delayed peaks in incoming levels to the plant. However, with complex geology and hydraulics, spills can affect drinking water supplies tens of miles away from the incident.

Each aquifer has a low natural total VOC (TVOC) content and any sig-

indicator of chemical contamination. There are few online techniques for measuring this, particularly at levels below 100ppb. One method is the use of electronic nose sensors to “sniff” the air above the water. The Multisensor MS1200-SYS Total VOC monitoring system does this.

It is non-contact, and reagent free, and provides an immediate response

to incoming VOCs. The system works by sampling air in a controlled sam-ple tank. It then correlates the results, using gas laws, to show μg/l TVOC in the water. Accuracy is ±10% at 80 μg/l

-ported every 20 minutes to a 4-20mA output, on a unit display or by triggering

-els. This allows immediate action to be taken, and changing VOC trends to be

An example is shown in Figure 1, where contamination was present for four months, peaking at 70 μg/l TVOC. It was above the high alarm level for three months. In the period where the contamination was high, mobile acti-vated carbon adsorbers were deployed onsite and for the peak period of three months. Finished water was treated with granular activated carbon polish-

Lac Mégantic disaster increases awareness of water treatment plant vulnerability By Dr. Mark R Brown

Figure 1. Groundwater intake VOC monitoring.

GAC Treatment

Figure 2 shows that, over the period from June to October 2012, there were several incidents at this intake to the water plant.

Tanks.indd 60 12/5/13 6:22 AM



(primarily benzene). The ability to accurately monitor

incoming TVOC levels in real time en-sured carbon was only used at the times required and, more importantly, was de-ployed prior to system contamination. The result was safe water, at minimal cost to the consumer.

Surface water Surface water plants are vulnerable

to spills of chemicals and hydrocarbons, as current monitoring methods do not provide immediate online results with the accuracy and frequency required to protect them. Rapid action is required

to the dynamic and ever changing na-ture of surface water sources.

In one case, waste oil was illegally dumped directly upstream from a water plant intake. The resultant contamina-

was passing through the plant into the distribution system, and the plant was shut down.

Lost production and re-routing of -

tion and resulted in additional cost to the plant operating company. However, the largest cost was the cleanup procedures required prior to re-commissioning. Re-

beds, carbon absorbers and detergent

cost.This plant now operates with the

Multisensor MS1200-SYS Total VOC monitoring system which was installed at the intake from the river. As most plants are unmanned throughout the night, the relays in the Multisensor monitor automatically control the in-take pumps. If gross contamination

switches off the intake pumps and alerts the control center of the problem.

Each river has a natural background TVOC level which changes throughout the seasons but tends to be in the range 5-10 μg/l. The low alarm is, therefore, set at 20 μg/l above background level. This is purely an early warning to po-tential problems. Corrective actions are to perform further investigation and re-view trends for TVOC levels. The high alarm is set at 50 μg/l above background level. This automatically triggers shut-ting down the intake pumps and alerts the control center.

Figure 2 shows that, over the per-iod from June to October 2012, there were several incidents at this intake

small localized contamination events,

quality. However, in early July an event

caused the inlet pumps to be switched off. This incident was traced back to a localized spillage. The automated system allowed the contamination to pass downstream, before the plant was placed back into service.

ConclusionRemedial costs from contaminated

monitoring for incoming VOCs should be an integral part of plant protection. Unfortunately, monitors are often only installed after a pollution event has occurred.

Dr. Mark R. Brown is with Multisensor Systems Limited.


MS1200 VOC concentration monitor.

www.greatario.com 519-469-8169 [email protected]

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Tanks.indd 61 12/5/13 6:22 AM



low site preparation and construction to begin in late 2011, the timeline for all environmental work had to be com-pressed. A project of this size and scope would typically take between three and

-lective efforts of a large team and a com-mitment to an aggressive schedule, the environmental activities in the West Don Lands were completed in 20 months.

How do you transform a for-mer abandoned industrial wasteland at the mouth of

area suitable for residential and commer-cial development? For years, environ-mental remediation was considered far too costly for this polluted tract of land

experienced a major economic boom in the early 2000s, the West Don Lands

an ideal location for development.-

mental practices had evolved from poli-cies that constricted development in the

-ible by 2006.

CH2M HILL partnered with key stakeholders to envision a clean, indus-trial site for mixed community use, in-

were present and in what quantities, the -

study enabled the team to remove soil se-lectively where dangerous levels of tox-ins were found (approximately 16,000 tonnes) and treat the soil that remained appropriately. Previous environmental regulations would have required generic remediation, meaning that all soil, in this case, hundreds of thousands of tonnes, would have had to be removed and trans-

A new, tight deadlineWhen the Pan Am games were an-

nounced in 2010 and the West Don Lands site was chosen as the home of

Corporation (now Infrastructure On-tario) contracted CH2M HILL to com-plete the characterization, risk assess-ment and remediation activities at the West Don Lands.

Parapan Am Games. In order to al-

than 30 technical editors and document publishers from across North America.

chemists and analysts to deliver 900,000 pages of documents (an average of six complex deliverables per week) ahead of schedule and in line with the pro-

-

Remediating Toronto’s West Don Lands

West Don Lands rendering courtesy of Waterfront Toronto.

The green line outlines the West Don Lands site prior to remediation efforts in 2008.

Tanks.indd 62 12/5/13 6:22 AM



ative processes to concurrently deliver documents typically developed sequen-tially. These were four Phase 1 environ-mental site assessments (ESAs), eight Phase 2 ESAs (including 511 boreholes and 289 monitoring wells), eight risk as-sessments (RAs), eight remedial option feasibility studies, remediation of six Record of Site Condition (RSC) proper-

eight RSCs. This was all achieved be-tween April 20, 2010 and November 30, 2011.

Together with the provincial Min-istry of the Environment (MOE) and Infrastructure Ontario, CH2M HILL found solutions to address the many issues that plagued the site. These in-

-rier, dig and dump, a clean cap, granular material barriers, vapour barriers and a vapour collection system.

ultimately met the project’s aggressive November 2011 deadline, enabling the Province’s $514-million Athletes’ Vil-lage project to commence on time.

To date, the project team has re-ceived industry recognition across Can-ada by winning three Brownie Awards for achievement in Canadian brown-

Meeting the compressed timeline for

the completion of the environmental work was key to the overall construc-tion schedule for the Athletes’ Village, which is now well underway.

The following is an overview of ac-complishments on the West Don Lands project by the 335 collaborative project team members across 53 North Amer-

• Worked safely. Staff and subcontractors worked 140,000 incident-free hours.

• Met fast-track schedule. Completed 900,000 pages of documentation in 20

months (typically takes three to five years).

• Developed innovative solutions. Pro-moted sustainability through a risk as-sessment approach versus soil removal

disposal amounts. • Adapted for regulatory changes. Com-

pleted first submissions under new reg-ulations.

• Managed stakeholders. Navigated competing stakeholder agendas, in-cluding multiple levels of government applying new regulations at a politi-cally sensitive site.

• Worked with ongoing construction. Dealt with access and data interpre-tation challenges from working at an active site with constantly changing conditions.

• Derived value from a derelict brown-field site. Delivered innovative envi-ronmental risk management strategies, designed for simple and rapid integra-tion into redevelopment plans.

For more information, visit www.ch2mhill.com

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Meeting the compressed timeline for the completion of the environmental work was key to the overall construction schedule.

Tanks.indd 63 12/5/13 6:22 AM



Static electricity is known to most of us as the annoying phe-nomenon that we experience

the carpet and then touch a door knob. The momentary spark is alarming, but it doesn’t cause any real damage to us. For those people that work in jobs that

or gases and transferring them to storage tanks, the dangers of static electricity are quite different.

-

of life and equipment. Yet, many people are not practicing proper safe static bond-

in harm’s way on a daily basis.Static electricity is the culprit in many

most people think. According to the

in the US alone, at least 280 industrial accidents are caused annually by static electricity. And only those accidents that

-

are accounted for in this statistic. These accidents can occur in almost

processing or oil and gas are often the most at risk, as they deal with large

transferred into and out of storage tanks.

and the National Transportation Safety

risks within a storage tank from static electricity. Less well known (or at least

-lating to static electricity in a truck or

to and from the storage tank.-

terial with static electricity is so high,

-mables must drain the static electricity

how to proper-ly and safely drain static electricity from bulk trucks or rail cars. This leads many people to try different approaches, which

A recent study of 310 accidents in the chemical industry showed that 70% of the static electricity incidents were caused by improper grounding. Operators, mainten-ance personnel, and plant electricians are simply not trained in the proper way to ground static electricity and/or maintain static grounding systems.

Common static grounding mistakesThe most common mistake made,

when designing a static grounding sys-tem for bulk trucks or rail cars to inter-face with storage tanks, is to use clamps that are not designed for static discharge. For example, battery clips are used ex-

that will not withstand regular use. Quite

a strong grip, which will mean that there is no good metal-to-metal contact on the truck or rail car. The ground point and

during bulk transfer operations.Another incorrect choice is to use

stronger springs than battery clips, they

good metal-to-metal contact. Without

strong sharp points on the end, the clamp may not be able to penetrate paint, rust, or dirt, that has accumulated on the truck or rail car.

The second most common mistake is -

ing system. Most operators do not know if their static grounding clamps and wires will actually drain static electricity. Typ-ically, the static grounding clamp that is connected to the truck or rail car is at-tached to a plated steel or copper cable that then terminates at a known ground

wear and tear, weather, corrosion and other factors can quickly degrade the con-nection between the clamp and the known ground point, especially outdoors.

-ify this connection. This is typically done with an ohmmeter, measuring the resist-ance from the known ground point to the tip of the clamp.

-

done intermittently. This can result in a problem with a static grounding system that goes undetected for months. Recent-

grounding assembly for their bulk truck to storage tank transfers. It was connect-

thick insulated copper cable. It was al-

Static electricity dangerous when transferring flammables By Brian Astl

A Lind Equipment Staticsure portable static monitoring system, mounted on a drum.

Tanks.indd 64 12/5/13 6:22 AM


S llSSS iilllllllllllllllllSSSSSSSpppppppiiiiiiillllllllllllllsssssssSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSpppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

ways assumed that the cable could not fail, as it was mechanically very robust.

isual ins ections con rmed that the system was in place and should operate. However, the ohmmeter showed that there was no electrical continuity be-tween the clamp and the known ground point. Hence, the static grounding sys-tem was completely ineffective. Upon removing the insulated jacket, it was dis-covered that the cable had been severed. If the assembly were being monitored by a static monitoring system, workers would have been aware of the danger.

Ideal static grounding systemAn ideal static bonding and ground-

ing system uses properly designed and regularly maintained static grounding clamps, robust cabling, and a real-time monitoring system. This real-time mon-itoring system would warn users im-mediately if there was improper connec-tion to the known ground point.

A properly designed static grounding clamp has a very strong spring to pro-vide pressure on the points so that they are pushing against the metal surface.

The points themselves are typically made out of stainless steel and sharpened to cut through paint, rust and dirt. These clamps will last a long time, but must be regularly checked to ensure the spring is still strong and that the points are still sharp.

Clamps should be connected to the known ground point, using robust cables appropriate for the environment in which they are being used. Aviation grounding, for example, will often use plated steel cable, that is coated in a special plastic to resist UV and chemical degradation. This will also be coloured yellow, to pro-vide a trip warning to operators.

At bulk unloading sites, a retractable grounding reel is often used to provide up to 125 ft of cable that can ground any size truck, regardless of its orienta-tion or position. rum lling operations will often use coated, coiled, plated steel cable, that coils back up when not in use, keeping it out of the way. Copper cable can be used as well, but should be prop-erly insulated to avoid damage to the conductors inside.

Lastly, the static grounding operation will ideally have a monitoring system in

place that will warn operators if there is no safe connection. These systems work by sending an intrinsically safe signal through the entire length of the static grounding assembly. It then con rms that the clamp is connected properly to the truck or rail car, and that the cable will carry electricity all the way to the known ground point.

Static monitoring systemsTraditionally, static monitoring sys-

tems have been large, expensive, perma-nently xed point solutions, that are used at bulk loading and unloading bays. How-ever, new technology solutions are small, inexpensive, portable battery-operated units that can be used anywhere. These are small enough to be stored in a truck cab and be available whenever the need arises, at any location. This is particular-ly helpful for independent transport com-panies which travel to storage tank farms that have static monitoring infrastructure of varying quality in place, or none.

Brian Astl is with Lind Equipment. E-mail: [email protected]

BE WISE BE SAFECell: 519.860.5589 | Office: 519.542.6667 | Email: [email protected]

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The grand opening of Wasauk-sing First Nation’s new water supply, treatment and distribu-tion system, “Wen Shi Shing

Biish Wiigwaaming,” on October 18, 2012, was an important day in the histo-ry of the community.

Wasauksing First Nation (formerly Parry Island First Nation) is located on a 77 km2 island in Georgian Bay, just south of Parry Sound, Ontario. With 126 km of lakeshore, Parry Island is one of the larger islands in the Great Lakes. The Wasauksing community on the is-land consists of approximately 1,073 band members, with 379 living on the reserve.

Community leaders and staff have worked hard to ensure their infra-structure is able to service residents for present and future growth demands. En-suring safe, clean water has been a very important issue, as the community had been living under a boil–water advisory for 10 years.

Finally, in 2010, the federal govern-ment announced an initiative to improve water access in First Nations commun-ities. This enabled Wasauksing to apply for and receive the necessary funding to design and construct a water treatment system that would extract, cleanse, dis-tribute and store fresh water from Geor-gian Bay. The system consists of water mains, a treatment facility and a storage tower.

Detailed design and contract admi-nistration services for this $16.6-million project were provided by First Nations Engineering Services Ltd. (FNESL), a 100% aboriginal-owned engineering company. In the fall of 2010, FNESL tendered the design-build of the compo-site elevated storage reservoir. The do-

tank and a glass-fused-to-steel tank.

storage reservoir included:• 7.3m x 36.6m concrete pedestal, with

300 mm walls• 11.0m x 10.4m glass-fused-to-steel

tank — insulated and cladded • Tank piping• Geodesic dome• Mobilization and demobilization

• Environmental protection, including fencing, rip rap, rock excavation, etc.

• Site works, including site preparation and grading, granular drive and park-ing area, final site works

• Pedestal to include valve and chemi-cal injection roomsGreatario Industrial Storage Systems

submitted its bid as a general contrac-tor. The company’s experience working with First Nations communities and FNESL gave it an in-depth understan-ding of the project details and expecta-

very similar to a recent project Greatario was involved with for Henvey Inlet First Nations.

In February 2011, Greatario was awarded the Wasauksing project as ge-neral contractor, to design-build the elevated storage reservoir and also construct the pedestal base. The com-

began pedestal construction in March 2011.

Angus MacAlister, Greatario’s pro-ject manager, worked closely with the Wasauksing and FNESL team to en-sure the construction met everyone’s expectations and was completed in a timely manner. In addition to Greata-rio’s trained building crew, local labour and contractors were involved with the project.

“The local contractors were a great

New treatment system brings clean water and opportunities to Wasauksing First Nation

The tank is supported by a 36.6m high concrete pedestal.

To be able to provide clean potable water to our community members for generations to come is a big

source of pride for Wasauksing.

Tanks.indd 66 12/5/13 6:23 AM


SSSSSSSpppppppiiiiiiillllllllllllllssssss ~~~~~~SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

asset to our team. Understanding the local culture and weather conditions enabled us to accomplish the project within the First Nation guidelines,” says McAlister. Final insulation and cladding of the tank were completed, when war-mer weather arrived in the spring.

This new drinking water treatment and distribution system consists of a new raw-water intake and low-lift pumping station, water treatment plant,

-nation pre-treatment, UV and chemical disinfection, SCADA system, elevated

storage reservoir and heated storage building to house a new water delivery truck.

The system services 114 homes, an elders’ complex, day care centre, school, health centre and administra-

safe drinking water, the new distribu-tion system includes hydrants for added

well as cisterns for 33 homes unable to be serviced by the core water main.

Ryan Tabobondung, director of pu-blic works for Wasauksing First Nation, says: “The members and leadership of Wasauksing are thankful and honoured to have the opportunity to work with the federal government (AANDC) on this project. To be able to provide clean po-table water to our community members for generations to come is a big source of pride for Wasauksing. The employ-ment and various economic offshoots

community for many years.”


Tanks.indd 67 12/5/13 6:23 AM



Vapour intrusion, though in-visible to the eye and inau-dible to the ear, gives those who are aware of it, a reason

to pause. Its movement, via preferential pathways into overlying buildings and other enclosed spaces, is the concern. Vapour toxicity and its potential impact on human health is the overriding peril.

Vapour intrusion results when vol-atile chemicals from sub-surface con-taminated groundwater or soil, enter an overlying building or enclosed space. Vapours are emitted from volatile chem-icals and may migrate through subsur-face soil and into indoor air spaces. They follow the path of least resistance, such as cracks in a building’s founda-tion and openings for utility lines.

Examples of volatile chemicals in-clude volatile organic compounds, se-lect semi-volatile organic compounds and some inorganic analytes, such as elemental mercury, radon and hydrogen

Samples are taken from different media to assess the intrusion of vapour. Of the different media - indoor air, outdoor air and sub-slab soil gas - soil

-cantly affected by background interfer-ences. These can confound the interpre-tation of indoor air sample results. The challenge with soil gas sampling and analysis is the use of widely differing protocols. Environmental consultants

may lead to further differences in test-ing outcomes.

Regulation of vapour intrusionIn Canada, federal and provincial

governments focus their vapour intru-sion efforts on protecting the environ-ment and human health. In all cases, consideration of the applicable contam-inated sites regime is necessary.

At the federal level, a contaminated site is, “one at which substances occur at concentrations above background levels and pose, or are likely to pose, an immediate or long-term hazard to

human health or the environment, or

and regulations.” There are no federal statutes or regulations for contaminated sites. However, the federal government has published contaminated sites and vapour intrusion guidance.

At the provincial level, “contaminat-

example in Ontario, the assessment of -

nitions such as “contaminant” and “ad-verse effect” and the application of the Records of Site Condition Regulation.

“contaminated site”. In British Columbia on the other hand, the term “contaminat-

At the federal level, the Federal Contaminated Site Risk Assessment in Canada, Part VII: Guidance for Soil Vapour Intrusion Assessment at Con-taminated Sites focuses on vapour in-

tier uses qualitative screening to catego-rize sites according to their potential for vapour intrusion. Under this tier, a de-termination is also made about whether the assessment should proceed to the second tier.

The second tier uses a quantitative risk assessment, where representative

factors allow for an estimation of indoor air concentrations and prediction of hu-man health risks. This guidance docu-

-sociated with the use of soil data at sites that are contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons. It recommends that addi-tional information, such as groundwater data and indoor air data, be obtained for chlorinated hydrocarbon impacted sites.

Also at the federal level, the Cana-dian Council of Ministers of the Envi-ronment (CCME) created a National

Sites (NCSCS). This document func-tions as an important management and screening tool, for prioritizing, inves-tigating and remediating contaminated sites under the federal program.

Recently, the CCME’s Soil Quality Guidelines Task Group created a re-placement for its 1993 sampling and an-alytical guidance documents. The 2012 draft Guidance Manual for Environ-mental Site Characterization in Support of Environmental and Human Health Risk Assessment (Volume I: Guidance Manual) has a chapter devoted to soil vapour guidance. It describes methodol-ogies for completing site characteriza-tion programs, at sites to be evaluated for soil vapour intrusion into buildings.

Vapour intrusion can hurt your bottom line! By Marc McAree, Luciella Longo and Mark Youden

Railways must be careful about how they degrease engine and rolling stock, as witnessed by the Windsor vs. Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. (CPR) case.


Tanks.indd 68 12/5/13 6:23 AM

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Denso Bitumen Mastic is a high build single component, cold applied liquid bituminous coating that is used to pro-vide economical corrosion protection on buried pipes, valves, flanges and under-ground storage tanks. Denso Bitumen Mastic is self-priming, VOC compliant and can be applied by brush, roller or spray. Tel: 416-291-3435, Fax: 416-291-0898 E-mail: [email protected]: www.densona.comDenso

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To avoid any major reoccuring expenses like oil/water fil-tration, shoveling snow and debris, or incurring tainted water disposal costs,

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brentwoodindustries.com

Comim ng in 2014

A NEWSTORMIS ONTHE

HORIZON

This 2012 draft guidance document was developed in parallel with similar guid-ance on soil vapour for the Ontario Min-istry of the Environment (MOE) and Alberta Environment.

The 2012 draft Guidance Manual for Environmental Site Characterization in Support of Environmental and Human Health Risk Assessment (Volume III: Suggested Operating Procedures) pro-vides guidance on the installation of soil gas probes and the collection of soil gas and sub-slab gas samples for chemical analysis. It also sets out a suggested pro-cedure for conducting leak testing of a soil gas probe and sampling train. The

-cal guidance document is expected to be released in late 2013.

Most provinces deal with vapour intrusion within their respective con-taminated site regimes. In Ontario, the MOE has developed the Draft Technic-al Guidance on Soil Vapour Intrusion Assessment. This guidance document provides those undertaking risk assess-ments with tools to identify, review and

evaluate sites for vapour intrusion. It -

ces for designing, conducting and as-sessing site conditions (i.e., soil vapour

-low for accurate assessments of poten-

This guidance document also func-tions as a tool for MOE staff, in iden-tifying sites where soil vapour, sub-slab vapour and/or indoor air should be monitored, in formulating assessment

Environmental Protection Act (EPA) orders.

Recent Canadian civil cases -

way Ltd. (CPR) is about vapour intru-sion from contamination caused by the use of a degreaser. The solvent, known as trichloroethylene (TCE), was used in the repair and maintenance of engine and railway rolling stock.

In September 2007, the Alberta

of a class action against CPR. The ac-tion was brought by residents of prop-

erties adjacent to a CPR maintenance and repair shop in southeast Calgary. CPR used TCE as a degreasing solvent in its maintenance shop from the 1950s, through to the 1980s.

The plaintiffs alleged that TCE from the CPR shop contaminated ground-water beneath their properties and then seeped into their homes. There was evi-dence before the Court that CPR volun-tarily installed fans to vent the vapours. The plaintiffs are claiming damages for reduction in property values and rental values, as well as physical dam-age to property from remediation mea-sures. This case is currently proceeding through the litigation discovery process.

In Wamboldt vs. Northstar Aero-space, a January 2006 class action was brought by Cambridge, Ontario resi-dents, who were neighbouring property owners to the Northstar Aerospace plant. The neighbours claim that TCE contam-ination from the facility resulted in va-pour intrusion into their homes, causing

claim alleges that TCE from the North-

Tanks.indd 70 12/5/13 6:23 AM



star plant migrated into soil and ground-water beneath the plaintiffs’ homes. The plaintiffs claim $200 million in damag-es for reduction of property value, loss of rental income and inability to obtain

punitive damages. Subsequent testing of indoor air re-

vealed concentrations of TCE at levels

residences tested between July 2005 and January 2006, 54 per cent required ongoing monitoring of indoor air qual-ity, 39 per cent required installation of basement ventilation, and 6 per cent re-quired temporary evacuation until base-ment ventilation could be established. At the time, Northstar took a range of steps to reduce TCE concentrations in the indoor air of individual homes, in-cluding installing soil vapour extraction units, heat recovery ventilator systems and photo-catalytic oxidation units.

Remediation of TCE in groundwater is expected to take up to ten years, po-tentially resulting in long-term impacts on property values.

In 2009, there was negotiation of a settlement agreement. The settlement took the form of a series of funds set up

-erty damages fund and extraordinary damages fund were set up for the class members. The property damages fund is distributed to members on a pro-rata basis. The extraordinary damage fund compensates members for damages not covered by the damages fund.

property damage fund and another $3 million was paid by promissory note. Northstar contributed $500,000 to the extraordinary damages fund and $550,000 towards the legal costs of class members. The settlement did not affect any personal injury claims, remediation required by the MOE, or Northstar’s payment to members for increased char-ges on their hydro bills.

ConclusionThere is limited consistency in how

vapour intrusion is regulated. General-ly, federal and provincial governments

have opted to focus on guidance rather than implementing laws. Much focus has been on streamlining what we know about vapour intrusion into concise guidance documents. Authorities are also trying to achieve consistency and uniformity in sampling methods and mitigative approaches.

Courts are grappling with the nex-us (causal connection) and evidentiary burden of vapour intrusion claims. Most recently, the Courts have dealt with mo-tions brought by defendants seeking the dismissal of vapour intrusion lawsuits.

In the future, there will be greater fo-cus on vapour intrusion and the re-open-ing of previously assessed contaminated sites, where vapour intrusion was not then known to be a concern.

Marc McAree is a partner at Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP. Luciella Longo and Mark Youden were students at Willms & Shier.


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Multisensor’s MS1200 On-line VOC/Hydrocarbon Monitor is designed for water and land remediation applications. It utilizes a contactless measurement technique, sensing headspace gases or volatiles in the environment, and provides a measurement system with proven reliability and very low maintenance requirements. It offers high sensitivity

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ES&E NEWSCanada signs treaty to

reduce mercury emissions

The Government of Canada has signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global agreement to reduce mercury emissions and releases to the environ-ment. The Convention is a legally-bind-ing treaty negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Pro-gramme (UNEP).

As an Arctic country, Canada is one of

It has reduced its own mercury emissions by over 90% in the last forty years. How-ever, over 95% of the mercury deposited in Canada from human activity comes from foreign sources.

The Convention addresses all aspects of the life cycle of mercury, includ-ing providing controls and reductions across a range of products, processes and industries where mercury is used, released or emitted. The pace of mercu-ry reductions will depend on a number of factors, including which countries ratify the treaty, how many ratify (50 required for entry into force) and what actions the parties to the treaty decide to take.

Canada and BC renew monitoring agreement

The governments of Canada and Brit-ish Columbia have renewed their water quantity monitoring agreement. The Memorandum of Agreement for Water Quantity Surveys ensures the ongo-ing collection, processing, publication and distribution of water quantity data in BC. The BC network of approxi-mately 450 water quantity monitoring stations has been co-managed by En-vironment Canada and BC’s Ministry of Environment since 1975. The agree-ment provides for shared operating costs of approximately $7 million each year. Approximately one-third is cov-ered by Environment Canada, while BC’s Ministry of Environment cov-ers two-thirds and recovers half this amount from third-party clients such as BC Hydro, First Nations, industry, local governments and agencies.

Similar partnerships exist between the Government of Canada and all of the provinces and territories. Collective-

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ly, these bilateral agreements establish the framework for the national network of more than 2,500 water quantity mon-itoring stations.

Bill to protect Great Lakes passes second reading

Bill 6, the proposed Great Lakes Pro-tection Act 2013 recently passed second reading in the Ontario Legislature. The proposed act would provide new tools to restore and protect the lakes and create a Great Lakes Guardians’ Council to iden-tify priorities and recommend actions to address them. The bill has now been referred to the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills. Public hearings on the bill are anticipated to occur later this year.

Ontario’s Great Lakes form the lon-gest freshwater coastline in the world, stretching more than 11,000 kilometres. The basin is home to 40 per cent of Can-ada’s economic activity and more than 80 per cent of Ontarians get their drink-ing water from the Great Lakes.

Turning spill penalties into environmental benefits

Ontario is using penalties collected from environmental violations to fund 10 projects to restore and protect the environment. These include waterway habitat improvements, shoreline tree plantings, and spill prevention.

Environmental penalties are issued to industries that have spilled a con-taminant into the environment, or that did not comply with regulatory require-ments. The Ontario Community Envi-ronment Fund (OCEF) uses the penal-ties collected to support environmental improvement projects, if possible in the watershed where the violation occurred.

Municipalities, schools, conserva-tion authorities, First Nations and Mé-

organizations in the 13 communities where penalties were collected may apply for the more than $320,000 avail-able for 2013. In 2012, 16 Environmen-tal Penalty Orders were issued, adding $165,395 to the Ontario Community Environment Fund.

ES&E NEWS


35 YEARS DREDGINGHIGH SPEED CENTRIFUGES

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Coarse & fine bubble aerationTames sludge buildupEliminates thermal stratificationEliminates seasonal turnoverOnly 4 hp moves 9 MGDHandles up to 5 acres per unitEfficient: Up to 15 lbs O2/hrLow maintenance & Simple!

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HYDRO-PULSELarge Bubble Mixing Technology



ES&E NEWSApproval processes

streamlined

A new Memorandum of Understanding will streamline environmental assess-

-ural gas projects in British Columbia by reducing duplication and improving timeliness.

The BC Oil and Gas Commission and

regulate many of the same projects in the oil and gas sector. By coordinating their work and sharing information, the two agencies will manage a single, predict-able regulatory regime for LNG projects, from inception through closure.

Improvements include: sharing infor-mation to eliminate the need for compa-nies to submit the same reports to both agencies; working with companies to identify opportunities for environmen-tal assessments and permitting reviews to run concurrently; sharing information and attending meetings together to en-sure a comprehensive approach to First Nations’ engagement; and joint inspec-tions for a coordinated approach to com-pliance with environmental assessment

A copy of the memorandum is available at: http://www.eao.gov.bc.ca/

eao_ogc.html

Keeping unwanted creatures out of Alberta lakes

Under a new watercraft inspection pro-gram, boats and water equipment en-tering Alberta from other jurisdictions will be examined for invasive plants and animals, like Eurasian watermilfoil and zebra and quagga mussels.

If a boat is found to have zebra or quagga mussels, it will be decontami-nated or the owner will be asked to keep the watercraft out of Alberta’s waters for up to 30 days. If Eurasian watermilfoil or other plants are found on the water-craft, it will be washed on site.

The inspections are part of a larger program safeguarding Alberta’s water-ways from non-native species. The ini-tiative also includes a new monitoring program for adult and juvenile mussels as part of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development’s ongoing sur-face water quality monitoring program.

WELL AND PUMP MAINTENANCEPerformance Testing, Inspections, Well Rehabilitation & Repairs

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Tel: (705) 733-0111, Fax: (705) 721-0138E-Mail: [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL WATER SUPPLY LTD.WWW.IWS.CA

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Package Wastewater Treatment Plants/SBR/MBR/RBC/EA/DAF

P: 519-763-0700 F: 519-763-6684 150 Stevenson Street, South Guelph, ON N1E 5N7 www.insitucontractors.com

• Dewatering systems• Mobile groundwater treatment systems• Well and pump installation and maintenance• Pump, filter, generator rentals• Sediment tank rentals• Insitu groundwater remediation systems

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Package Water Treatment Plants/Gravity/Pressure/Membrane/Ion Exchange/GAC



ES&E NEWSHelping rural Ontario protect drinking water

Protection of local drinking water sourc-es in small, rural municipalities is being strengthened in the province of Ontar-io. Almost 200 municipalities are eli-gible for grants ranging from $18,000 to $100,000 to help carry out source water protection plans. An additional incentive of up to $15,000 is available to municipalities that work together to implement these plans.

The province has already provided over $240 million for drinking water source protection planning, which was a recommendation of the O’Connor in-quiry into the Walkerton tragedy.

Québec commits to protection of drinking

water sources

The government of Québec has an-nounced the publication for public consul-tation of the Draft Regulation respecting water withdrawals and water protection. The Regulation implements a set of mea-sures that will make it possible to oversee oil and gas exploration and development projects in accordance with the safest re-quirements in North America.

Any drilling within 300 metres of water withdrawal sites will be prohib-ited. This is the minimum distance and may be increased according to any potential risks determined by the hy-drogeological study required for each drilling operation. In addition, drilling will also be prohibited in the outer pro-tection zone of a municipal groundwater withdrawal site and in the intermediate protection zone of a municipal surface water withdrawal site.

Companies will be required to carry out a hydrogeological study of the area in a two-kilometre radius of the drilling site. They will also have to set up a min-imum of three groundwater observation wells within 100 metres of the site. The government requires that water moni-toring measures be undertaken before, during and after exploration and devel-opment activities.

The Regulation also provides for im-plementing a new water withdrawal au-thorization system.


Consulting Engineers and Scientists

1-800-265-9662 www.rjburnside.com



ES&E NEWSBC proposes new act

British Columbians are being asked to review the government’s legislative pro-posal for a new Water Sustainability Act

legislative session.

This is the third time that the govern-ment has invited British Columbians to

Wa-ter Sustainability Act.

--

-

Deloro mine site cleanup continues

Ontario is taking the next step towards

-

-

-

been awarded to Tervita to build the

-

-bility for the site when the owner did

and abandoned the site. At the end of the -

BC sets out new regulations for pesticide use

The government of British Columbia

used safely and responsibly. These re-

-

-

areas.-

-

for use by untrained people will be

sold and applied in a private land-

-

-

New document published on corrosion

-

series of Steel Facts -“Newer fuels and stor-

age tank corrosion” presents the latest

blends and ultralow sulfur diesel.

underground tank systems storing new-

exteriors. That problem was solved long

systems for underground storage tanks.

valves and submersible turbine pumps.

NGWA provides H2S guidance

has developed an industry best suggest-

The greatest health threat is to wa-

-trations.

Reducing Problematic

Residential Water Well Systems,

sampling and testing for hydrogen sul-

--



fur dioxide. Available as a PDF, the BSP can be downloaded through the NGWA online bookstore.

www.ngwa.org

Eco trailblazers awarded top UN prize

Pioneers and trailblazers whose work -

given the United Nation’s highest envi-

(UNEP) in New York.

President of Google Earth, Brian Mc-

-

Other winners of UNEP’s 2013

-

---

Reserve in Mexico.

Work started to eliminate PCB-contaminated materials

-

the MDDEFP awarded a contract to

continuing the characterization of the

Swan Hills, Alberta.-

sued for soil characterization and soil

--

tion work.

Teck Metals sentenced for discharging sodium

hydroxide

Tec

under the Fisheries Act and the Spill Re-porting Regulation of the Environmen-tal Management Act, related to a release

River.

-

Cutting short-lived climate pollutants critical

--

in vulnerable ice and snow covered areas of the world such as the Arctic

around the globe, including the Arctic,

describes which actions – in addition

-

than twice the global average rate.

and coal for residential cooking and

According to the World Health Or--

-

--

“We have the technologies and the

-stitute for Governance & Sustainable

--

-



-

-

-

-

-

Dry cleaner fined for environmental offences

-

-

Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA, 1999)

Tetrachloroethylene

(Use in Dry Cleaning and Reporting Re-quirements) Regulations.

- -

-

CEPA, 1999

-

ES&E NEWS

Old foundry now part of the “ Steam Punk” movement

-

“I recognize some of

the items in the sculptures as I was a machinist back in the days at Dorr-Oliver. I cut the teeth in that big gear on the bottom in the middle of the picture.”

Adve

rtis

er IN

DEX

Company Page

ACG Technology ...........................83

American Public University ..........48

American Water Works

Association ....................................25

American Water/Terratec Env. .....46

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

Avensys .........................................50

BakerCorp ......................................67

Brentwood Industries ....................70

CALA ...............................................30

CIMA Canada .................................43

Cole Engineering ...........................43

Corrugated Steel Pipe

Institute .....................................47, 84

Delcan .............................................40

Denso ...............................................8

Endress + Hauser ..........................17

Engineered Pump Systems ..........52

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

Greatario.........................................61

H2Flow ............................................70

Hanna Instruments Canada ..........29

Hoskin Scientific......................18, 49

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

Indachem ........................................19

IPEX ................................................13

Jacobi Carbons..............................37

KG Services ...................................57

Landshark Drilling .........................31

Maple Reinders Group ..................41

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

Monitario ........................................21

MSU Mississauga ..........................15

National Hose.................................67

NETZSCH Canada ..........................45

Osprey Scientific ...........................32

Pro Aqua .........................................23

ProMinent .........................................2

SEW-Eurodrive ..............................14

Smith & Loveless...........................51

SPD Sales .......................................50

Spill Management Inc ....................54

Stantec............................................44

USF Fabrication .............................52

Waterra .........................11, 35, 53, 71

Westeel ...........................................63

WISE Environmental Solutions ....65

XCG Consultants ...........................44

Xylem ................................................7

Xypex ..............................................33

82 | November/December 2013 Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine

ESE Nov.Dec.13_News.indd 82 12/6/13 11:43 PM

CALL 905.856.1414 • 131 Whitmore Rd., Unit 13, Woodbridge, ON L4L 6E4

www.envirocan.ca

Ontario Pollution Control Equipment Association

PRIMARY TREATMENT• Complete line of fine screening equipment• Self-cleaning perforated plate screens• FlexRake® front-raked fine screens• FlexRake® front-raked bar screens• FlexRake® low flow• Screenings washer/compactor• Auger conveyor• Self-Cleaning trashracks• Muffin Monster® grinder (for sludge, scum, septage,

screenings & wastewater)• Channel Monster® grinder for pump stations and

sewage treatment plant headworks• Honey Monster® septage receiving station• Auger Monster® fine screen system• MSS fine screen & band screen perforated plate

fine screens with 2, 3 & 6mm perforations• Screenings washer/compactors• Rotating drum screens (down to 2mm perfs)• Raptor screenings washer press• Vistex™ grit separators• Grit washers and classifiersSECONDARY TREATMENT• Aqua-Jet® direct drive floating aerator• AquaDDM mechanical floating mixer• Fine bubble aeration systems using membrane

or ceramic diffusers with gas cleaning systems• Stainless steel coarse bubble aeration systems• Two & three rotary lobe P/D blowers• Centrifugal multistage blowers• Floating diversion curtains (for aerated lagoons,

activated sludge systems & clear wells)

• Subsurface jet aeration/mixing systems (for high rate & low rate treatment systems)

• Drop in jet aerators/mixers• Spiraflo & Spiravac peripheral feed clarifiers• Closed loop reactor oxidation ditch systems• Rotary brush aerators• High efficiency single stage integrally

geared blowers• Direct drive turbo type blowers• Chain & flight clarifier systems & components

(plastic, cast iron or stainless steel)• Aeration system controls & instrumentation• Half bridge, centre feed circular clarifiers• Spiral blade clarifiers

Two Companies • Many LinesOne Number To Call

SECONDARY TREATMENT cont.• Multi stage act’d biological process (MSABP)• Moving Bed Bioreactors• Sequencing Batch Reactors• Membrane Bioreactors TERTIARY TREATMENT• AquaDisk® - cloth media tertiary filterDISINFECTION• UV disinfection systems• Package & custom ozone systemsBIOSOLIDS PROCESSING/HANDLING• Sludge storage bins & live bottom dischargers• GBT & RDT for sludge thickening• Belt filter presses & screw presses• Centrifuges for thickening & dewateringODOUR CONTROL• Biofilters• Bioscrubbers• Carbon adsorbers• Chemical wet scrubbersCONVEYANCE• Shaftless & shafted screw conveyors• Screw pumps (open & closed designs)FLOWMETERS• Open channel flow metering (portable and

permanent; wireless data transmission)• Insertion mag flow meters with wireless

data transmission• Data loggers with wireless data transmission• Clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeterINDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT• PCl Series DAF with corrugated plates• PWl Series DAF low profile, from 20·800 GPM• Pipe flocculators• Industrial wastewater treatment systemsSTORMWATER TREATMENT• Downstream Defender® advanced hydrodynamic

separator• First Defense® enhanced hydrodynamic separator• Up-Flo™ filter• Reg-U-Flo® vortex flow controlsWATER TREATMENT• Pressure filtration systems (removal of iron

& manganese, arsenic, fluoride, radium, uranium)

www.acgtechnology.com

Formerly Bay Odor Control

and more...

ACGT 035 ES&E Mag March2013_FNL 14/03/13 10:38 AM Page 1

Untitled-6 1 11/22/13 7:40 AM

We’re fortunate to live in Canada, one of the world’s great nations. Accordingly, it is incumbent upon all of us who work in water/soil management to protect our abundance of precious resources, for our children and for generations to come.

We can all participate in this stewardship by improving the products, innovations and technologies used to manage our infrastructures and other resource related sectors to maintain our standard of living, while ensuring Canadian industry remains globally competitive.

That underscores the importance of the jobs we all do, day in and day out. Which is why CSPI created In The Trenches – an online industry newsmagazine for sharing information and new ideas. For many of us, its title may be a metaphor; but, it also re ects the reality that, regardless of whether we operate a backhoe, analyze water and soil, or sit at a computer creating things, we really are all in this together.

That’s why CSPI and its members encourage everyone in the industry to openly share their news, knowledge, successes and insights of how to do things better for less. Sharing knowledge empowers us all to succeed in making a better Canada.

We’re all members of this vital industry sector. And membership has its responsibilities.

For more news from In The Trenches visit us at cspi.ca

Join us In The Trenches and Make a Difference.

Untitled-5 1 11/22/13 7:38 AM

Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine November-December 2013

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Transcript of Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine November-December 2013