Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine May 2010

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FEATURES

ES&E invites articles (approx. 2,000 words) onwater, wastewater, hazardous waste treatment andother environmental protection topics. If you are in-terested in submitting an article for considerationin our print and digital editions, please contactSteve Davey at [email protected]. Please notethat Environmental Science & Engineering Publi-cations Inc. reserves the right to edit all text andgraphic submissions without notice.

ISSN-0835-605XMay/June • 2010Vol. 23 No. 3Vol. 23 No. 3Issued June 2010

7 An above and below ground perspective on corrosion – Editorial comment by Steve Davey

9 New technology used to inspect Halifax watermain while its still in service - Cover Story

12 Controlling hazardous conditions in ozone disinfection rooms14 Durham replaces road culvert, while improving fish passage16 CFB Trenton uses ultrafiltration to process aircraft washwater18 Measuring water and wastewater levels with radar20 Cluster wastewater treatment system for BC lodge22 Super-oxygenation as a solution to odour control and corrosion26 The economics of sustainable development planning30 Managing stormwater with subsurface infiltration systems33 Keeping Cambridge’s sewage pumping station on track36 A new twist to an old technology for replacing culverts50 Closing the wastewater recycling loop52 Manitoba’s new Environmental Amendment Act closes the regulatory gap54 Controlling algae in UV disinfection chambers56 A cost-effective solution for continuous emission monitoring systems58 Anaerobic treatment of food and beverage wastewater62 A package plant approach to decentralized wastewater treatment64 Fluid modeling improves wastewater treatment plant design67 Water Research Foundation issues report on residential water usage trends

Page 20Page 20

Contents

DEPARTMENTS

Product Showcase . . . 49, 70-73

Environmental News . . . 74-82

Professional Cards . . . . . . 74-82

Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

39 Containing spills during railway car transfers40 Retractable odor-control covers improve access to wastewater tanks42 Enclosing the Laguna Beach water reservoir43 Fiberglass storage building for septage equipment44 Professional refuelling reduces risk46 Using cisterns for low pressure water systems in First Nations communities48 New floating tile system available in Canada

PAGES 39-48PAGES 39-48Storage Tanks, Containment and Spills Section

Page 51Page 51

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:51 PM

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:52 PM

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May 2010 | 7www.esemag.com

place failing and failed culverts assoon as possible to protect associ-ated structures from premature fail-ure.”

In his article, he describes how anew culvert replacement technologyis saving money and reducing dis-ruption to the public during re-con-struction (see page 36).

While not glamorous subjects, ef-fective corrosion control measuresand innovative infrastructure rehabil-itation technologies can save hun-dreds of millions of dollars annuallyas well as creating growth opportuni-ties for the companies that developthem.

This is certainly the hope of theOntario government, which recentlyintroduced its Water Opportunitiesand Water Conservation Act to encour-age the creation and export of innova-tive clean water technology, promotewater conservation, attract economicdevelopment, and create jobs.

Canada’s municipal engineers andpoliticians must have the foresight toembrace locally-developed technol-ogy and products. Unfortunately, toooften in the past, Canadian compa-nies, like our actors and musicians,have had to search elsewhere forfortune and fame.

Steve Davey is editor and publisherof Environmental Science &

Engineering Magazine. E-mail:[email protected]

Motorists plyingCanada’s salt-drenchedwinter highways areonly too aware of the

severity of the corrosion process.Every spring, thousands of car en-thusiasts sink into deep depressionwhen they wash off the winter grimeand discover the gleaming surfaces,so lovingly polished in the fall, arenow dull or even pockmarked withrust blisters.

Their tarnished status symbols arehastily taken in for detailing, or inthe worse cases, a bodyshop for reju-venation. There, shop owners eagerlygreet the spring with open arms anda fresh cost-estimate pad.

Vehicles later emerge like metal-lurgical Phoenixes, their gleamingappearance somewhat anesthetizingthe pain caused by the large chargecard bill. Thus, corrosion must waitanother year to ravage its next hap-less car buff.

Unlike cars, which are stillrevered by a large segment of thepopulation, watermains, sewers andstormwater culverts, though vital toour very existence, lack glamour andprestige. Therefore, they are usuallytaken for granted by society, untilthey fail.

Water and wastewater pipelinestypically account for 80- 90% oftotal system construction costs.While automobiles can be repeatedlyundercoated, waxed and repaired,

piping systems must be effectivelyprotected from corrosion when theyare installed. Unfortunately, manypiping systems leak and or even faillong before their predicted lifespans,because of a lack of knowledge ofthe corrosion process, when theywere installed.

A greater understanding of ag-gressive soils, corrosive water, ca-thodic protection, impressed currentusage, barrier coatings, or other pre-vention techniques, is required, sosystems can be installed and oper-ated without fear of premature fail-ure or unexpected maintenance costs.

An article in this issue from ECOOxygen Technologies (see page 22)describes how super-oxygenation canbe used to prevent corrosion in sew-ers, as well as in other areas withinwastewater conveyance and treat-ment operations, such as head worksfacilities and primary clarifiers.

In this issue, contributing authorAl Tenbusch states that “publicworks officials are dealing with amassive infrastructure network thathas served us well, and is in need ofreplacement despite the shortfall infunds to fix every failing culvert. Theservice life of numerous drains isbeing extended by many means,some more effective than others, tomark time until funds are availablefor eventual replacement. Extendingservice life of failing culverts is notthe solution. It is important to re-

An above and below ground perspective on corrosion

Comment by Steve Davey

Steve enjoying his own “metallurgical Phoenix”- a 1970 Oldsmobile Delta 88. Lovingly rebuilt, only the hood remainedunscathed by rust.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:52 PM

sewer and, eventually, the wastewater treat-ment plant.

At wastewater treatment plants em-ploying secondary treatment (i.e., the ac-tivated sludge process), again, the PFOSmolecule is unlikely to be attacked bio-logically and will either report to thesludge fraction or be released in the finaleffluent.

That the PFOS issue is of importanceis acknowledged by environmental agen-cies and jurisdictions in other countrieswhich have phased out the use of PFOSin products. For Canada, the PFOS regu-lations promulgated by EnvironmentCanada in 2008 ("Perfluorooctane Sul-fonate and its Salts and Certain OtherCompounds Regulations") now requirethat metal finishing operations usingPFOS in fume suppressant formulationsstop the use of the PFOS containing for-mulations by 2013.

These regulations also apply to othersectors which use PFOS and the reader isreferred to these regulations for more in-formation.This is a very timely study andexcellent information which I have sharedwith my US colleagues.

Peter J. Paine is Senior Program Engineer with Environment Canada.

E-mail: [email protected]

Dear Steve:

I have only had the joy of driving asnowmobile once in my life. Readingyour March/April Editorial Commentmakes me think that only once will suf-fice!

You have written a great piece thatshows the link between engineeringtechnology and the simple fact that weare all just human. My bigger interest isto know at what point did the expletivesbegin flying up to the gods of “Murphy”– or was it a matter of just laughing athow incredibly bad everything went?

Chris MacEachern, CH2M HILL

Dear Steve:

The paper in the September 2009 issue ofES&E on "How to remove perfluorinatedacids from water and wastewaterstreams", by Kaya Forest and SierraRayne, is an extremely timely paper.Thank you for publishing this research.

The class of "fluorinated chemicals"referred to as perfluorinated alkyl (PFA)compounds are extremely resistant to bi-ological and chemical attack. This is dueto the strength of the carbon-fluorinebond. It is this property that made thesechemicals so useful to industry (in thefirst place) and a bit of an environmentalproblem (later on, when it was noted thatthey did not break down in the environ-ment and were bioaccumulative).

One important member of the PFAfamily is perfluorooctane sulfonate(PFOS), a substance used in fume sup-pressant formulations for the metal fin-ishing industry and for chromium platingspecifically. Fume suppressants whichcontain PFOS, when added to achromium electroplating bath, reduce thesurface tension of the plating solution andthereby significantly reduce the release ofchromic acid (a hexavalent chromiumcompound) mists from the platingprocess to both the workplace environ-ment and the general environment.

Chromium platers will add the appro-priate dose of fume suppressants based ontank (i.e., solution) volume and a typicalfume suppressant addition is 0.2% by vol-ume.

For the highly stable PFOS molecule,if it will not break down in the acidic andhighly oxidizing chromic acid plating so-lution, then it is not likely to break downin the environment.

Plating will also typically involve rins-ing operations and eventually these rinse-waters require treatment for metalremoval in order for the plater to meetprovincial or municipal effluent limits(e.g., City of Toronto Sewer Use Bylaw).PFOS will ultimately end up in rinsewa-ters sent to on-site wastewater treatment.

The conventional treatment of rinsewa-ters at metal finishing operations is physio-chem hydroxide precipitation (whichgenerates a metal-hydroxide sludge) andrelease of the treated water to sewer. ThePFOS molecule is not broken down by thistreatment process and will be released to

Letters to the Editor

Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine8 | May 2010

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

Consulting Editor TOM DAVEY

Sales Director PENNY DAVEYE-mail: [email protected]

Sales Representative DENISE SIMPSONE-mail: [email protected]

Accounting SANDRA DAVEYE-mail: [email protected]

Circulation Manager DARLANN PASSFIELDE-mail: [email protected]

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

Technical Advisory Board

Jim BishopStantec Consulting Ltd., Ontario

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

George V. Crawford, P.Eng., M.A.Sc.CH2M HILL, Ontario

Bill DeAngelis, P.Eng.Associated Engineering, Ontario

Marie MeunierJohn Meunier Inc., Québec

Peter J. PaineEnvironment Canada

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

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

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

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 IndustrialPkwy. S., Unit 30, Aurora, Ontario, Canada, L4G 3V6,Tel: (905)727-4666, Fax: (905) 841-7271, Web site: www.esemag.com

Printed in Canada. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without written permission ofthe publisher. Yearly subscription rates: Canada $75.00 (plus HST).

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:52 PM


Pipeline Inspection

signal distortion caused by broken pre-stressing wires, recording the precise lo-cation of breaks along the pipeline.

Originally used with manually-oper-ated mobile inspection units wheeledthrough dewatered pipelines, RFTC hasbeen used to successfully inspect over4,000 km of PCCP pipelines. The firstunmanned RFTC system was developedin 2005. It was a remote-controlled four-wheel-drive vehicle with onboard RFTCelectronics that included CCTV capabil-ity, which enabled the internal conditionof 24" and larger pipes to be observed

The first field trial of PipeDi-verTM, a high-tech pipe-condi-tion diagnostic device designedto be inserted directly into a

fully operating water main, took place ina trench dug in a narrow two-lane in NovaScotia. It would then swim through thepipeline while detecting damaged sec-tions, until it was retrieved at the otherend of the pipe.

The launch tube was fitted to a newly-installed hot tap outlet, and final checksconfirmed that the trial was a “go.” En-gineers watched anxiously, because suc-cess was critical to Halifax Water. Theysuspected that several pipe sections ofthe transmission main had suffered cor-rosion damage, putting the pipeline atrisk of failure. Until now, they hadn’tbeen able to inspect this line becausethey could not take it out of service or de-water it, both previously necessary forthis type of inspection technology.

PipeDiver offered a way to assess thecondition of the pre-stressed concretecylinder pipe, without taking the pipelineout of service.

Assessing pipeline condition with RFTC

The PipeDiver was developed by thePressure Pipe Inspection Company(PPIC), a Mississauga-based firm special-izing in developing large-diameter waterand wastewater pipeline condition assess-ment solutions. The Nova Scotia field trialharnessed patented Remote Field Trans-former Coupling (RFTC) technology, de-veloped to accurately establish thebaseline condition of pre-stressed con-crete cylinder pipe (PCCP), commonlyused by utilities throughout North Amer-ica and other parts of the world.

The RFTC system works by accu-rately assessing the condition of the pre-stressing wire wrapped around andimbedded within concrete pipe duringmanufacture. Breaks in this pre-stressingwire that would normally be undiscov-ered can be reliably detected by theRFTC technology. Producing an electro-magnetic field amplified by the pre-stressing wires within the pipe, thesystem detects, measures, and quantifies

New technology used to inspect Halifax watermainwhile still in service

Setting up the PipeDiver.

and recorded. Today, a miniaturized unmanned

RFTC system is capable of inspectinglines as small as 16" in diameter.

The PipeDiver inspection tool used atHalifax was developed to enable RFTCinspections of 24" to 48" diameter PCCPpipelines. The tool can be inserted andextracted by either attaching speciallydesigned tubes to flanged outlets at ei-ther end of the pipeline, or by insertingit into an open channel or chamber, andretrieving it from a similar opening or

By Allison Psutka

continued overleaf...

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:53 PM


Pipeline Inspection

Tracking the PipeDiver from above ground.

reservoir. Its flexible and modular designallows it to navigate through most but-terfly valves and bends in the pipeline. Preventing catastrophic pipe failure

Halifax Water’s big worry was thatpipe corrosion was so extensive that itmight lead to a catastrophic pipe failure.Corrosion and breakage of the high-strength pre-stressing wires that rein-force the pipe will compromise theintegrity of the pipe, and occasionally

lead to violent ruptures in which largeamounts of high-pressure water are re-leased. Failures like these can threatenpublic safety, cause widespread propertydamage, and create extensive service in-terruptions.

A total of 97 pipe lengths wereRFTC-inspected in the Halifax fieldtrial, and data analysis revealed 11 pipeswith wire breaks ranging from 5 to 25breaks per pipe. With this information,

Halifax Water made a decision to com-mit $1.5 million to renew the defectivepipeline, without being forced to takethe entire pipeline out of service and de-water the line beforehand.

Allison Psutka is with the PressurePipe Inspection Company. E-mail: [email protected]

Connecting the launch sleeve to the hot tap.

Carrying the PipeDiver.

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Disinfection

mal and emergency ventilation. Under normal conditions, the general

system will provide at least three airchanges per hour. In the event of anozone leak, the emergency ventilationsystem will be automatically activatedby a monitoring system when the gasconcentration exceeds 0.05 ppm. Theemergency system will provide at least30 air changes per hour in the room.

Exhaust vents will discharge air wellaway from any air intakes, and will beinstalled vertically down to 150 mmfrom the finished floor level of the roomto exhaust the ozone, which tends to set-tle at a low level. The exhaust fan will bean up-blast, roof-mounted unit whichwill throw the ozone-contaminated airhigh above the building to allow moretime for decomposition. Supply air willbe provided by a roof-top, indirect gas-fired air-handling unit.

The room will be ventilated with100% outside air with no recirculation.The air-handling unit will consist of twosupply fans: one for normal ventilation,the other for emergency ventilation. Thesystem is designed to maintain a temper-ature of 18°C in winter for normal con-ditions, and 10°C in an emergencycondition. The ozone room exit door willopen into a vestibule (air lock), whichwill be continuously pressurized by aseparate, small, make-up air unit in order

Ozone hazards are not wellknown because it was rarelyused in industry in the past.Now, however, it is increas-

ingly replacing chlorine as a disinfectantin water treatment plants, due to themany advantages it offers.

Ozone was first used in water treat-ment in the late 1800s. It is a highly toxic,dangerously reactive, oxidizing gas withgreater disinfection effectiveness thanchlorine against bacteria and viruses. TheAmerican Conference of GovernmentalIndustrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recom-mends the following time-weighted aver-age exposure limits for ozone: heavy work0.05 ppm; moderate work 0.08 ppm; lightwork 0.1 ppm; for two hours or less expo-sure time, heavy/moderate/light workloads 0.2 ppm. Its carcinogenicity desig-nation is A4 (not classifiable as a humancarcinogen).

Ozone is not combustible, but pureozone poses a serious fire and explosionrisk by reacting with combustible materi-als. The ozone molecule is composed ofthree oxygen atoms; it is an unstable gasthat decomposes slowly to oxygen, witha half-life of three days at 20°C and threemonths at –50°C. The rate of decomposi-tion is increased by light, trace organics,nitrogen oxides, mercury vapour, perox-ides, metals, and metal oxides.

It is a strong oxidizing agent, formingoxides with iron, manganese and sulphurin water to form insoluble metal oxides,which can be removed easily by post-fil-tration. Ozone is manufactured on de-mand using an on-site ozone generator.

Ventilation is one of the effectivemethods to control hazardous conditionsinvolving ozone. The ozone generatorand associated equipment should behoused in a separate room, preferably inseparate buildings, and the ozoneroom/building should have a separateventilation system.

Designing for ozone ventilationThe upgrade project at the Holmedale

Water Treatment Plant in Brantford, On-tario, designed by R.V. Anderson Asso-ciates, includes an ozone facility fordisinfection. The ozone room will beventilated by a two-stage system, for nor-

to avoid the spread of ozone to otherareas of the building. The ozone gener-ator will also be interlocked with a gasmonitoring system to shut down in anemergency.

Good engineering practices must beapplied to control hazardous conditions.Gaskets, piping, and sealing compoundsmust be made of compatible materials.Ozone piping should be kept as short aspossible and properly supported. Pipingshould be protected from shock and vi-bration.

People working with ozone shouldbe properly trained about its hazards andsafe use. No welding, cutting, soldering,drilling, or any other work should be al-lowed without inspection and a permit.The complete system and piping shouldbe purged to remove any traces of ozonebefore any kind of maintenance orproject work is performed. It should bechecked regularly for leaks.

Keep the ozone room clear of allkinds of combustible materials, andavoid electrical sparks and intense lightflashes. Regular testing of the controlsis required to make sure they are work-ing properly.

Piyush Patel is with R.V. Anderson Associates.


Controlling hazardous conditions in ozone roomsBy Piyush Patel

Holmedale Water Treatment Plant.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:56 PM

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:56 PM


Infrastructure

Ministry of Natural Resources, and Fish-eries and Oceans Canada, to obtain therequisite environmental permits prior toconstruction. As a condition of regula-tory agency approvals for the recom-mended culvert extensions, SRM wasadvised that the impediment to fish pas-sage through the existing portion of theculvert would need to be addressed.

Replacing the existing structure,which was in good order, was not feasi-ble, given the anticipated cost and con-struction logistics. The existing culvertwould have to be modified.

After considering various engineer-ing alternatives to improve fish passagethrough the culvert, Geomorphic Solu-tions, a recent addition to The SernasGroup, were asked to develop a designthat would restore low-flow fish passagein a manner acceptable to the permittingagencies. Their background review indi-cated that culvert modifications, incor-porating cobble and boulder-sized stonesplaced strategically to mimic naturalchannels, would provide the best oppor-tunity to improve fish passage.

Mimicking natural channelsReviews of previous fish passage

restoration efforts revealed that therewas limited integration of natural chan-nel design and geomorphic concepts. Itis well known that bed materials in nat-ural channels self-organize to developbedforms and structure that reduce near-

In the fall of 1998, SRM Associateswas retained by the Regional Mu-nicipality of Durham in southernOntario to carry out a Municipal

Class Environmental Assessment for thereconstruction and widening of TauntonRoad, in the City of Oshawa.

The results of the assessment hadshown that the road widening, fromTownline Road to approximately 200 me-tres west of Grandview Street, requiredthe extension of an existing 48.7-metre-long culvert, which conveyed flow fromHarmony Creek.

SRM’s transportation structures de-partment was assigned the task of ex-tending the existing 5.5 m span by 3.3 mrise cast-in-place concrete box culvert,which was generally in good condition.

To accommodate a future roadwidening to six lanes, an extension of10.8 metres upstream (north) and 16 me-tres downstream (south) was required.Although the existing structure provideda large waterway opening, the typicalflow passing through it was small anddominated by sheet flow (approximately1 m wide by about 20 mm deep), thusproviding limited diversity with respectto fish habitat. Additionally, the culvertoutlet was perched about 350 mm abovethe surface of the watercourse down-stream, thereby impeding fish passage.

SRM met and worked with CentralLake Ontario Conservation, the Ontario

bed velocities, increase depth duringlow-flow conditions, create micro-poolsand low-velocity resting areas, and, fi-nally, produce a more stable bed.

The consulting team developed a de-sign that mimicked these natural condi-tions to provide a relatively natural flowfield through the culvert and improvelocal fish habitat. More specifically,bedforms, including rock clusters andtransverse ribs anchored by large key-stones, were integrated into the designof the invert slab modifications.

Rock clusters are hydrodynamic fea-tures that tend to develop around singleor multiple keystones. Smaller materialscollect in the lee of clusters. Imbricationalong the front face and tails of smallersediments provides a hydrodynamicshape. These bedforms create low-ve-locity rest areas on the leeside, reducethe likelihood of entraining smaller bedmaterials, and provide additional bound-ary roughness to dissipate energy.

Transverse ribs are linear bedformsthat develop near-perpendicular to theflow field, and tend to have a spacingthat is positively related to the grain sizeof the largest sediments. The scaling isin the order of 10 times the particleheight. This provides a condition ofwake separation, thereby maximizingroughness and flow resistance.

The placement of rock clusters andtransverse ribs followed “identified nat-

Durham replaces road culvert while improving fishpassage By John Semjan and Paul Villard

Upstream (north) end of box culvert. Invert slab following installation of rock clusters and trans-verse ribs, and prior to culvert activation.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:56 PM


Infrastructure

ural scaling rules,” and, therefore, amore “natural” flow field was createdwithin the culvert. Given that bedformsare self-maintaining features, it is antic-ipated that this design will last a verylong time.

Further to the invert slab modifica-tions, which extend through the existingculvert and the upstream extension, theinvert elevation of the downstream ex-tension was stepped down 100 mmbelow the existing invert at the outlet ofthe existing structure. An embedment of300 mm at the new outlet was also de-signed to help maintain “natural” streambed characteristics and eliminate thebarrier to fish passage.

To facilitate installation, detaileddrawings of the transverse ribs and rockclusters were developed. Still, due to theunique nature of the treatment, therewere difficulties in relaying to the con-tractor the need to place the rock in strictaccordance with the design drawings sothat the treatment would provide the ex-pected function. To minimize the likeli-hood of construction issues for similarprojects in the future, it is recommendedthat contractors be screened or pre-qual-ified to ensure past experience in habitatrestoration projects.

Additionally, it is recommended thatthe work be supervised by an individualwith an understanding of hydrodynam-ics and geomorphology for the durationof construction.

The permitting agencies requiredconfirmation that fish passage was im-proved as a result of design implemen-tation. A five-year, rather than thetypical two-year, monitoring plan wasdeveloped to assess the success of thedesign. Monitoring included an assess-ment of the flow fields through the cul-vert, an evaluation of fish passagepotential, and the survivability of the in-stalled bedforms.

To date, two years of monitoring havebeen completed, with a total of five sitevisits from 2008 through 2009. Duringone site visit annually, the design ele-ments were photographed and the bedwas surveyed. In addition, water depthswere measured throughout the culvert,as well as time-averaged downstreamvelocities. In total, 53 paired depth andvelocity measurements were collectedaround and between the bedforms to as-

sess the changes in flow characteristics.Flow depths were in the range of 0.04 mto 0.16 m, and downstream velocities inthe range of –0.02 m/s (backwater eddy)to 0.42 m/s.

Figure 1 shows numerous low-veloc-ity refuges for fish, areas with upstreamvelocities, and areas of accelerateddownstream velocities, which demon-strate that fish habitat has been diversi-fied. Pathways with deeper flows andlower velocities provide improved fishpassage, and the barrier to fish passageat the downstream end of the culvert hasbeen mitigated, thus providing a connec-tion between the upstream and down-

stream reaches. Although a few keystones have been

lost as a result of high-flow events, wellover 90% of the bed is still in place.

Despite the need for minor restora-tion at the end of the monitoring period,the project to date has met the antici-pated design outcome.

John Semjan, P.Eng., is with SRM Associates (a member of The Sernas

Group Inc.). Paul Villard, Ph.D.,P.Geo., is with Geomorphic Solutions. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

Figure 1. Measured water depths and velocities on September 24, 2008.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:56 PM


Filtration

tinuous systems. Treatment is a pressur-ized process. A low pressure of 5 - 150psig separates the contaminants of con-cern from aqueous solutions using semi-permeable membranes. Solvent and anydissolved component that pass throughthe membrane are known as permeate.Components that do not pass through areknown as retentate.

Concentrate is disposed of by the mosteconomical means, or further processedif it contains valuable material. The per-meate stream is normally discharged to asanitary sewer, or recycled to rinse sys-tems, since it is relatively clean.

The membranes of the UF system in-stalled at CFB Trenton are tubular.Process fluid is circulated through thesemembrane tubes under pressure. Oil is

Under its sustainable develop-ment initiative, Canada’sDepartment of National De-fence (DND) is taking all the

required measures to ensure that defenceactivities will have minimal environ-mental impacts and will not compromisethe needs of future generations.

Installation of an ultrafiltration (UF)system to deal with aircraft washwaterat Canadian Forces Base Trenton, insouthern Ontario, is an excellent exam-ple of DND’s commitment to the envi-ronment. Since 2002, the system hasprocessed and recovered more than 5.5million litres of aircraft washwater andcollected 340,585 litres of hazardouswaste.

During the aircraft washing process,particulates such as dirt and sand, as wellas oil and grease, accumulate in the col-lected washwater. The filtration systembreaks down the chemical emulsion andseparates oil from water mixed with thecleaning product, which could be reusedif required. The washwater is collectedin a 60,000-litre underground tank out-side the hangar. Every three to fourweeks, about 40,000 litres of wastewatercollected in this tank are processed andtreated.

The process prevents corrosion andkeeps aircraft ready for their next serv-ice; this includes the Hercules that servein Afghanistan.

The filtration system eliminates theneed for wastewater to be transported fordisposal by a licensed handler. Recoveredwashwater is sent to the CFB wastewatertreatment plant for further treatment.

UltrafiltrationUltrafiltration is an industrial process

in which semi-permeable membranesare used to separate water and some dis-solved low-molecular-weight materialsfrom a mixture that requires processing.The goal of the process is to fractionatethe original process stream into a con-centrate stream and a very low concen-tration permeate stream.

A significant feature of UF is its abil-ity to separate and, through recirculation,to concentrate certain molecules in con-

retained and the water is separated fromthe mixture. The treatment package,consisting of prefiltration followed by aUF system, removes particulates downto 400 microns, as well as the hazardouscontaminants.

Ultrafiltration is not fundamentallydifferent from reverse osmosis, micro-filtration or nanofiltration, except interms of the size of the molecules it re-tains. The greatest need for this type offiltration is when the contaminatedwater can be reused, or recycled, follow-ing the separation of contaminants.

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

CFB Trenton uses ultrafiltration to process aircraftwashwater

Tubular membrane ultrafiltration treatment system.

Process tanks.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:57 PM

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 10-06-08 5:08 PM


Instrumentation

on sound waves has become knowngenerically as “ultrasound” (higher thanhuman hearing, more than 20 kHz), al-though in actual implementations, thetransducer can be in a frequency rangeanywhere from approximately 5 kHz(within the range of human hearing, i.e.,“sonic”) to 100 kHz or higher.

Low-frequency transducers, whichare generally very large and expensive,are used for long-range applications andthose where the sound must penetratedirty, dusty environments, such as bulksolids.

Transducers in the 80-100-kHz rangeare much smaller and offer better resolu-

Measuring liquid levels canbe very difficult, espe-cially in water and waste-water applications, where

obstructions, foam, floaters, and con-fined spaces are the norm.

While mechanical instruments arestill widely used to control levels in themunicipal market, they have given wayto newer technologies utilizing elec-tronic control functions. Advances suchas bubblers, hydrostatic/differential pres-sure, RF admittance/capacitance, and ul-trasonics, have become part of thelexicon of level applications.

Even so, technological evolution isrelentless, and these technologies are be-coming displaced in turn by other solu-tions. In this article, we will compareand contrast one of the most commonlevel technologies in use today, non-con-tact ultrasonic, with the fastest-growingtechnology in the marketplace — radar.

Ultrasonic level technologySound, the basis for an ultrasonic

level transmitter, is a mechanical formof energy that propagates by vibratingthe molecules within a vapour space. Inmunicipal applications, this is thevapour space above the liquid. Condi-tions within this space, as well as thesurfaces that the ultrasonic signals con-tact, including false targets, have signif-icant impact on the propagation of soundand the accurate transmission and col-lection of echoes.

Sound travels at approximately 1,000ft/sec at sea level, and the accuracy of anultrasonic transmitter is directly basedon the consistency of this speed. Ifvapour space conditions change propa-gation speed, transmitter accuracy willbe affected.

Level measurement technology based

tion and accuracy than their lower-fre-quency cousins. However, high-frequencysound is highly attenuated (weakened) asit propagates through the vapour space,“sees” smaller targets/disturbances, and ismore easily absorbed or disturbed by sur-face conditions.

The most common transducer is acompromise between the two frequencyextremes and generally resides in the 40-70-kHz range. This range yields a com-promise of size, cost, maximum range(attenuation), and vapour space per-formance (penetration).

The rise of radarWe are all familiar with radar, which

is used in microwave ovens, for trackingairplanes, and by the police for catchingus speeding down the road. Radar is aform of electromagnetic energy whichpropagates over long distances, eventhrough a vacuum, and at the speed oflight, which is approximately one mil-lion times faster than the speed of sound.

Radar has also been used to measurelevel for more than 30 years. Early de-signs were heavy, large, expensive,power-hungry and complex, but numer-ous advances in technology have led tothe development of a modern radartransmitter that is small, light, inexpen-sive, loop-powered and easy to use. Thenew designs are making this technologycompetitive with other, more commonlevel measurement technologies such asultrasonic.

The newest 24V DC, loop-powered,through-air radar transmitters operate bylaunching tens of thousands of high-fre-quency (generally 6.3 or 26 GHz) burstsof electromagnetic energy through theair. The high-frequency, electromagneticsignals travel easily over long ranges,and measurement is virtually immune tosuch common process conditions aswind, temperature and vapour gradients,moderate foam, and turbulence.

Output of electromagnetic energy atthe antenna of a radar transmitter is typ-ically around 1 mW, ensuring low powerconsumption, safety, and non-interfer-ence with other nearby instrumentation.This is hundreds of times less than the

The benefits of measuring water and wastewater levels with radar

27 foot deep wet well with Strobe.

Liftstation/Wet Wells Chemical Storage – Day and bulk tanksDigesters SumpsClear wells Scum pitSludge storage Open channel flowFuel storage Bar ScreensPAC tanks Lime or carbon slurriesSand filter beds Equalization basinsElevated storage tanks Nutrient removal systems

Some of the applications where radar is being used.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:57 PM


Instrumentation

pense. However, as the technologyevolved and innovations were applied,the cost started to creep down. As of twoyears ago, a radar transmitter could bepurchased for between 1.5 times andtwice the cost of an ultrasonic. For moredifficult applications, radar became a vi-able choice and adoption of the technol-ogy accelerated.

Today, the Model R82 from Mag-netrol is a high-performance radar trans-mitter that is available for under $1,000,which puts it very much in line with

two-wire-style ultrasonic transmitters. Radar is extremely well suited for use

in municipal applications, as water-based materials provide outstanding re-flective properties. In addition, radartransmitters, depending on frequencyand style, are virtually immune toprocess conditions such as condensa-tion, fog, vapour gradients, grease lay-ers, ice, wind, rain, and radiant heating.

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

output of a typical cell phone, for exam-ple. After the signal is launched into freespace, it travels through the air until itreaches the media surface and is re-flected back.

The strength (amplitude) of the re-flection off the media is directly relatedto the dielectric value of the media. Verylow dielectrics, like hydrocarbon, reflectvery little of the signal. High dielectrics,the most common form in water andwastewater applications, are extremelygood reflectors and return a much higherpercentage of the signal.

After being reflected, the signal beginsits return path until it is received at thetransmitter. The dielectric scale parallels,to a great degree, the conductivity scale.

The newest and most advanced signalprocessing techniques, such as ETS(equivalent time sampling), are used tocapture these high-speed electromag-netic events in real time (nanoseconds)and reconstruct them into an equivalenttime (milliseconds), producing outstand-ing resolution and accuracy.

Radar has inherent advantages; it canoperate without the presence of any at-mosphere (in a vacuum). In addition,electromagnetic energy has the ability,depending on its transmitting frequency,to penetrate materials such as foam.

Cracking the cost barrierWhy is ultrasonic currently the dom-

inant through-air technology? The an-swer is simple: cost.

Radar transmitters, when first intro-duced, were five to six times more ex-pensive than ultrasonic, and while manyrecognized the benefits of radar, theywere unable to justify the additional ex-

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May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:57 PM

Small Scale Wastewater Treatment

Brew Creek Lodge.

Cluster wastewater treatment system for BC lodge

Brew Creek Lodge in BritishColumbia consists of a num-ber of buildings which sprawlthroughout a multi-acre site

which is located on a flood plain, with acreek meandering through the middle.

Potable water is supplied from a wellinstalled in an unconfined aquifer. Allwastewater flows are regrouped andtreated by an advanced treatment tech-nology. The treated effluent is dispersedto two preferred locations, as identifiedin the environmental engineering studyof the site.

In order to house Olympic athletes in2010, the buildings needed to be ex-panded to accommodate as many as 70guests. This expansion significantly in-creased the production of wastewater tobe treated, so rehabilitation of the exist-ing treatment system was required.

The owners of Brew Creek Lodgewanted to find an “eco-efficient” solu-tion that met the following conditions: • An eco-friendly system that preserved

the sensitive environment and the

With a potentially highgroundwater level at thesites, Ecoflo concretetanks were selected.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:57 PM

Small Scale Wastewater Treatment

groundwater.• A low-consumption energy solution

that remained operational even during power outages.

• A treatment system that discreetly fit in with the immediate environment of the site.As occupancy is quite variable at any

lodge or inn, the treatment system had tobe able to handle peaks without compro-mising performance, while maintainingreasonable operational costs.

After evaluating a number of treat-ment technologies, MB Telder Engineer-ing concluded that the most suitabletechnology for this site was the Ecoflo®

Biofilter. The company chose a modularsystem option. Treatment units would beclustered on the property in three treat-ment plant locations, minimizing pipingruns and site disruption during construc-tion, and favouring the utilization of ex-isting infrastructure.

With a potentially high groundwaterlevel at the sites, Ecoflo concrete tankswere selected to enable in-ground instal-lation, which minimized the visual im-pact.

While a passive treatment system can

result in a bigger footprint than an activetreatment system, the below-grade lay-out reduced the impact. Native vegeta-tion was used to screen out at-gradefeatures, and no trees were removed dur-ing the installation. This was a worth-while trade-off and the site layout wasable to take advantage of gravity flowwherever possible to minimize the re-quirement for pumps.

Key considerations the project had toaddress were:• Minimal power consumption or

minimal need for stable power availability.

• Minimal use of pumps.• Minimal visible footprint.• No odour, no noise.• High reliability, ease of operation and

maintenance.• Minimal impact on the existing

natural setting of the retreat.Performance assessment by inde-

pendent testing facilities demonstratedthe capacity of the Ecoflo system to han-dle a multitude of loading conditions.The passive treatment process and resid-ual storage volume afforded by the treat-ment tanks, coupled with the few

required pump tanks, were advanta-geous because power failures are fairlycommon in this area. The lodge doeshave backup power, but the treatmentsystem and operational capacity are notadversely affected by power outages.

The treatment technology allows theowner of Brew Creek Lodge to reuse theexisting dispersal areas, with significantimprovement in effluent quality. For thenew low-pressure dispersal field closestto the drinking water well (which meetsprovincial setback requirements), it en-sures that the drinking water source isnot at risk.

Ecoflo Biofilters produce no processnoise or odour. The system is naturallyventilated without a fan, which helpsmaintain aerobic conditions in the filterand avoid the release of odours. Consis-tently high-quality output minimizes therisk of contamination. The modular na-ture (clusters) of the treatment technol-ogy allows for effective tailoring of sizeand location of the treatment modules tofit the constraints of any property.


May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:57 PM


Odour and Corrosion

Super-oxygenation as a solution to wastewater system corrosion and for odour control By Kevin Jacobs

gen oxidizes the H2S to H2SO4, whichwill corrode concrete and steel.

The average citizen rarely sees waste-water conveyance pipelines and treat-ment facilities. As most pipelines areburied, effects of corrosive environ-ments are not easily monitored. Unfor-

when additional biological activity con-verts the malodorous H2S into sulphuricacid (H2SO4). Corrosion occurs down-stream of the zone of H2S formation ifthe wastewater biota has access to ambi-ent oxygen in the available head space.The combination of the biota with oxy-

Odour emissions and corro-sion inherent in wastewaterconveyance and treatment,which present formidable

challenges to wastewater managers andoffence to nearby residents, are largelydue to the limited solubility of oxygenin water. These organically polluted wa-ters readily consume the very limiteddissolved oxygen (DO) levels availablein the carriage water, causing anaerobicconditions to persist.

Indoles, skatoles, mercaptans and,most significantly, hydrogen sulphide(H2S) are produced in the complete ab-sence of DO and nitrates in the carriagewater. These products are volatile com-pounds and are noxious even at very lowconcentrations. Unfortunately, an in-crease in temperature results in an in-crease in bacterial activity, while DOsolubility decreases, creating conditionsthat exacerbate odour generation.

Further compounding the problem isthe associated corrosion that results

In order to prevent corrosion from occurring, odour must first be prevented.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:57 PM


tunately, in many cases a sewer line collapse provides the firstindication of a problem. It then costs the local municipal gov-ernment a great deal of unbudgeted money for repairs, and thelocal populace much inconvenience.

Preventing odour before corrosionIn order to prevent corrosion from occurring, odour must first

be prevented. Two approaches are available to mitigate malodor-ous gaseous emissions. The first is to allow odour-causing com-pounds to form and then provide treatment. The second is toprevent the formation altogether.

If the first approach (which is the most common in waste-water treatment today) is employed, a wastewater operator is leftto treat odour using costly and potentially hazardous chemicals,or enclosing head spaces and scrubbing the foul off-gases. Thisapproach does not address the corrosive by-products.

The second approach is to prevent conditions favourable toH2S formation. The efficient addition of pure oxygen to waste-water is the simplest and most effective way to do this.

ECO2 SuperOxygenation technology is a preventative formof treatment for odour control. The system provides odour andcorrosion control at the force main discharge by sustaining aer-obic conditions throughout the force main, and preventing theformation of H2S.

This problem is exacerbated in long force mains due to highmicrobial oxygen uptake rates, long retention times, and low DOlevels. Since anaerobic conditions are precursors to H2S formation,a logical solution to its control is to induce aerobic conditions. Thisis accomplished by using the technology to dissolve pure oxygeninto a wastewater side stream, which is blended back into the forcemain flow. Additionally, H2S that has already been generated up-stream of the force main will be microbially consumed in this aer-obic zone.

Suitable applications for super-oxygenationIn Saskatchewan, the City of Regina embarked on a new com-

mercial and residential project to add 2,500 single family home-sites, 1,500 townhome sites, and 38 acres of office park space,in a project known as Harbour Landing. To accommodate thisnew development, a dedicated sewage lift station had to be con-structed.

To prevent odours and protect the force main line from cor-rosion, planners chose to install an ECO2 SuperOxygenation sys-tem. The system was designed and installed to add 280 poundsof pure oxygen per day to the flow from Harbour Landing. Asthe development grows, the system will continue to provide ef-fective results with no increase in operating costs.

Gravity sewers can also lend themselves to super-oxygenationfor odour prevention because of the low gas exchange rate at thesurface associated with deep, low-velocity interceptors. The gasexchange across the air/water interface in a sewer is dependenton the water velocity and depth, so in sewers with low water ve-locities and deep liquid depth, the rate of gas exchange is low,limiting DO absorption from the overlying air.

However, a significant advantage is gained if super-oxygena-tion is used for treatment because of the favourable economicsof pure oxygen compared with chemical oxidant alternatives.

Similarly, odorous conditions at the head works of a treatmentplant can be prevented by super-oxygenation of the influent

Odour and Corrosion


May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:58 PM


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Odour and Corrosion

sewer at a point at least 15 to 30 min-utes’ travel time before arriving at theplant. This allows complete biologicaloxidation of any existing H2S in thewastewater before it reaches the treat-ment plant, and prevents additional H2Sformation.

The head works facility of most

WWTPs is the first point of entry intothe treatment process. Large solids aregenerally screened out of the flow at thispoint, causing turbulent conditions. Thisturbulence provides a large interfacialsurface area for any dissolved H2S to be-come easily stripped to the atmosphere.Once it is airborne, odour problems can

be severe, and will also lead to severecorrosion.

Removing dissolved sulphides, aswell as preventing additional sulphidesfrom forming before the plant influenthits the bar screens in the head works,will prevent odours and corrosion.

Primary clarifiers are often the majorsources of odour. The main causes ofsuch problems are: • High BOD concentrations.• Long detention times.• Lack of oxygen transfer across the quiescent surface.• Anaerobic conditions.• H2S accumulation.• Volatile nature of H2S.• Extreme olfactory offence of low levels of H2S.• Efficient stripping of obnoxious volatiles in discharge weirs.

Odour prevention in the primary clar-ifier depends on a sufficient increase ininfluent DO to a concentration greaterthan that consumed in passage throughthe primary clarifier. Provision of 20 to30 mg/L dissolved oxygen will maintainoxic conditions and preclude H2S gen-eration in the bulk water, while allowing

Odour prevention in the primary clarifier depends on a sufficient increase in in-fluent DO to a concentration greater than that consumed in passage throughthe primary clarifier.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:58 PM


Odour and Corrosionbacterial oxidation of H2S flux from thesludge layer into the bulk water. In ad-dition, a direct reduction in DO con-sumption will occur in the aeration tankin proportion to the DO consumed in theprimary clarifier.

Thus, there is now the possibility ofachieving odour prevention with no netincrease in oxygen demand and no needfor costly tank covers and the extractionand scrubbing of foul off-gases.

The challenges and resulting costs ofodour treatment are well known in the

At this critical time, super-oxygenationtechnology is available to prevent odourproduction and corrosion of the infra-structure. The low cost of pure oxygenalso gives it a substantial advantage overthe use of alternative oxidizing chemi-cals.

Kevin Jacobs is with ECO Oxygen Technologies. E-mail:[email protected]

wastewater industry. Unfortunately, thecost of infrastructure repair and replace-ment is not so easily quantified. In manycases, municipalities that expect theirwastewater infrastructure to last for pe-riods of 50 or more years are experienc-ing unexpected failure much sooner.

The need for economical and effec-tive technology for odour and corrosionprevention and control is becomingmore urgent. Public intolerance ofodours near wastewater treatment plantsor conveyance operations is increasing.

Manitoba announceschanges to its sewage

ejector phase-out program

New options are now available for ruralManitoba homeowners with existingsewage ejectors. Homeowners consider-ing transferring, or subdividing, a propertymay now apply to Manitoba Conservationto retain an existing sewage ejector fol-lowing property transfer or subdivision,provided the sewage ejector is: • not located within an environmentally-sensitive area • located on a minimum of 10 acres • in compliance with all other regulatoryrequirements

Homeowners selling their propertymay also apply to transfer the responsibil-ity of phasing out the ejector to the newhomeowner, or to extend the time avail-able for the phase-out.

This amendment responds to the con-cerns of rural homeowners, while contin-uing to ensure the protection of humanhealth and the environment.

Sewage ejectors are used by homeswith septic tanks that are divided into twocompartments. Liquid overflows into thesecond compartment and a liquid levelcontrol starts a pump that pumps the liq-uid from the tank out onto the fieldsthrough a special ejector pipe. This pipe isdesigned to drain back into the groundafter the pump shuts off so that the systemdoes not freeze up in the winter.

For more information, visit www.manitoba.ca.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:58 PM


Environmental Management

A changing conceptTo understand the application of sus-

tainability principles to environmentalwork, it is important first to understandhow the concept has evolved.

The idea of sustainable developmentstems from the recognition that economicactivity must be carried out in ways thatrespect the integrity of the environment,while promoting social equity. It is cur-rently defined as development that meetsthe needs of the present while not com-promising the ability of future genera-tions to meet their needs.

Accordingly, a commonly used ap-proach to sustainable development in-volves three aspects: economic, social,and environmental. All three are impor-tant to a project’s success.

If its proponents cannot show that theproject will work from a monetary pointof view, they will have difficulty raising

There is much talk about sustain-ability these days, with politicalleaders, heads of companies,and the news media adding to

the chorus. While many members of theenvironmental professions agree with thesentiment, they deal in hard numbers andsound science, and may find there are fewtools they can apply in their work to sup-port sustainability principles.

This is particularly true when itcomes to property development, whichinvolves making decisions that involvetrade-offs and, sometimes, an effort tofind the best solution.

Just how does one wrap a spreadsheetaround the concept of sustainability? Theanswer is important not just to guide de-cision-making, but to do it in a way thatis quantifiable and defensible so thatproperty owners can demonstrate tostakeholders the reasons for their choices.

financing or generating a profit when itis completed. If social needs are not met,the project may run into local stakeholderopposition, which may translate into lackof support from political leaders, againmaking it hard to raise money or attractbuyers or tenants. Failing to address en-vironmental concerns will mean regula-tory delays and denials, as well asopposition from environmental stake-holders and organizations, making theproject unattractive to buyers and tenants.

Sustainable development can bethought of as a “triple bottom line” inwhich the evaluation of a project’s suc-cess goes beyond the financial profit orloss, to evaluating its success from anenvironmental perspective, and also howit meets the needs of people. Or, it canbe seen as a three-legged stool — allthree legs are important, and, if one isshorter than the others, the stool doesn’t

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The Biolac System’s design ensures the lowest-cost constructionand guarantees operational simplicity. With in-ground basinconstruction, the Biolac System’s various components combineto produce excellent quality effluent at the lowest total plant cost.

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work and can be unstable. The challenge for the environmental

professions is finding a practical, work-able way to determine ahead of timewhether all three “legs” will be of an ap-propriate “length” — in other words,whether all three aspects of sustainabil-ity are being adequately addressed.

Frameworks have been developed byseveral institutions to address this issue,including the International Federation ofConsulting Engineers (FIDIC, 2004),the World Business Council on Sustain-able Development (WBCSD, 2008), theOrganisation for Economic Co-opera-tion and Development (OECD, 2006)and the International Union for Conser-vation of Nature (IUCN, 2001), as wellas performance indicators from theGlobal Reporting Initiative (GRI, 2006)and the Equator Principles (2006).

These call for the need to tackle sus-tainability issues in a more pragmaticand transparent fashion.

The difficulty is in implementingthese frameworks at the project level andduring the design phase. Organizationsneed tools to evaluate project proposalseffectively and efficiently with a com-prehensive sustainability approach.Such an evaluation process needs to be:• Easy to understand and communicate;• Defensible and transparent to thestakeholders;• Flexible so that both quantitative andqualitative information can be processed;• Balanced and comprehensive regard-ing the sustainability principles;• Specific to the organization and its ac-tivities; and,• Pragmatic, so it can support sound de-cisions based on a rigorous evaluation of

project.A five-stage process

Golder Associates Ltd. has developeda decision-making software programcalled GoldSET© (Golder SustainabilityEvaluation Tool).

The decision-making involves a five-stage process:1. Site description. Setting out a de-scription of the site helps conceptualizesite conditions and determine the key is-sues the project must address. It includes

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and Conductivity

the prospect for sustainability perform-ance.

A comprehensive analytical frame-work can lead to sound decisions inwhich principles on sustainable develop-ment can be implemented at the projectlevel. This process will enhance the un-derstanding of the sustainability issues,which will, in turn, position the projectproponents so that they can engage moreproactively with their stakeholders, bet-ter manage their risks, and ultimatelyimprove the overall performance of their continued overleaf...

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:58 PM



To apply sustainability criteria to its railroad operations, in 2007, CN asked GolderAssociates to develop a customized version of its GoldSET software tool.

finding out who the key stakeholdersare, and their interests and needs. In thisway, the objectives of the project are un-derstood before the sustainability evalu-ation begins.2. Generating options. Because there isnot generally one “right answer” inproperty development, it is important todetermine the various possible ways ofattaining the project’s objectives. Op-tions must then be narrowed down ac-cording to whether they are able to meetthose objectives. For example, if a wa-terfront project must include a publicpark on the water, options that do notallow for easy public access must beeliminated. 3. Selecting indicators. Indicators tai-lored to the specifics of the project areselected, based on the context and thespecifics of the project. The indicatorsare chosen for their relevance to theproject appraisal because they reflect thecritical issues that will determine theoverall performance of a project. Theseindicators are chosen based on interna-tional and national references, as well asindustry-specific references and legalrequirements.

4. Ranking options. The sustainabilityevaluation of the project is performedbased on a structured system for rankingthe options. Depending on the size of theproject and the level of uncertainty ac-ceptable to the client (versus cost to re-duce this uncertainty), the frameworkcan be adapted to the requirements ofthe project.

For instance, project costs and rev-enues, energy consumption, greenhouse

gas emissions, water consumption andwastes can typically be calculated, whilehealth and safety, and the impacts on thelandscape and cultural heritage of a site,may be more difficult to quantify. 5. Interpreting data. It is an iterativeprocess, so if new information becomesavailable, it can be added. Sensitivityanalysis performed on the outputs canimprove the reliability of the findings.

The result of this process is a clearer

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understanding of the issues, the optionsand the trade-offs among them, to guideselection of an option that meets theproject objectives in the most sustain-able way.

Case study - railroad operationsTo apply sustainability criteria to its

railroad operations, in 2007, CN askedGolder Associates to develop a cus-tomized version of its GoldSET soft-ware tool. So, what was originally aqualitative tool was adapted to includequantitative analysis, including green-house gas emissions, energy consump-tion, water usage, waste generation,duration of work and Net Present Valueof options, tailored to the needs of CN.

Three examples of applying the ver-sion of the program developed for CNfollow:1. Diesel-impacted fractured bedrock.An operating rail yard, which had beenaffected by diesel within fracturedbedrock, was evaluated. The site hadbeen monitored for 10 years, and prod-uct recovery was ongoing but with lim-ited results.

CN asked Golder to complete a con-ceptual site model and a remedial option

evaluation. Five remedial options wereidentified, based on previous environ-mental site assessments. Initial evalua-tion using the software tool identifiedtwo options, multiphase extraction, andthe injection of oxygenated water, thatwere likely to have positive impacts oneconomic, social, and environmentalissues.

Additional site characterization andpilot testing refined these options. Testsindicated that naturally occurring atten-uation might be preventing migration ofboth the dissolved and non-aqueousdiesel phases. Therefore, natural attenu-ation was added to the list of remedialtechnologies to be considered.

Monitoring natural attenuation waschosen as it respects the overall manage-ment goals for the site and provides amore balanced approach with respect tothe three aspects of sustainability.2. Recovering weathered diesel. At aformer CN yard in Saskatchewan, therewas an existing treatment system for therecovery of weathered diesel. The soft-ware tool identified “easy-to-imple-ment” modifications for a high-energypump that would result in energy savings

of 17% and a 15-tonne CO2 equivalentreduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

During the evaluation of remedial al-ternatives, it was discovered that incor-porating a biological percolation systemto treat the hydrocarbon-charged efflu-ent would result in waste reduction of 90tonnes of carbon filtered over the ex-pected life of the project and 435 tonnesof CO2 equivalent reduction in gas emis-sions.3. Remediation of a hydrocarbon spill.Remedial options for a large diesel andgasoline spill in protected habitat (abog), where vegetation regrowth andnatural attenuation of hydrocarbons hadbeen observed, were assessed. The find-ings demonstrated that excavating thecontaminated area would completely de-stroy the habitat, and generate approxi-mately 5,000 tonnes of waste andemissions, translating into 320 tonnes ofCO2 equivalent in gas emissions.

Robert Noël de Tilly, Eng., andBernard Lefrançois, Jr. Eng., are with

Golder Associates Ltd. E-mail:[email protected],

[email protected]

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:59 PM


Stormwater Management

volves a subsurface retention/detentioninfiltration and storage chamber systemthat protects the environment and pro-vides solutions to various provincial andmunicipal requirements.

Stormwater management 101Containing stormwater can be ac-

complished with retention and detentionsystems. Retention is the process forstoring stormwater without subsequentsurface discharge. In underground reten-tion systems, the chambers capture andhold the stormwater until it is infiltratedback into the ground. While the conceptof infiltration is new to many Canadianprovinces, it is widely used throughoutthe United States.

In the detention process, runoff isonly temporarily stored until it is cast outto an offsite area, such as a storm drain,pond or wetland. A detention system isimplemented if a commercial buildingsite does not allow for infiltration prac-tices, because of local municipality reg-ulations or concerns for watershedpollution. Detention systems typicallyinclude all of the components of a reten-tion system, along with an imperviousliner to prevent the water from being in-filtrated and a back-end filter assemblyto treat the runoff before it is releasedinto a wetland or storm drain.

Controlling stormwaterToday’s stormwater BMPs are eco-

nomical solutions that factor in environ-mental implications such as waterquality and recharge as well as appropri-ateness for a particular site. These BMPscan be grouped into two broad cate-gories: non-structural and structural.

Non-structural BMPs include a rangeof pollution prevention, educational, in-stitutional, management and develop-ment practices, intended to limit theconversion of rainfall to runoff and toprevent pollutants from entering runoffat the source of generation.

Structural BMPs deal with stormwa-ter at the point of generation or the pointof discharge into the storm sewer systemor to receiving waters. They include thefollowing:

Throughout Canada, thousandsof stormwater systems are in-stalled in an effort to managerunoff effectively on developed

land and prevent pollution of water-courses. Many provinces have institutedstormwater regulations to counteract thepotential environmental effects of runofffrom impervious surfaces such as roofsand parking lots.

For example, Ontario enacted itsClean Water Act in 2006. In Alberta, theStormwater Management Guidelinesdocument was created in 1987, and up-dated in 1999, to provide design guid-ance under the Environmental Protectionand Enhancement Act and the Water Act.

To manage stormwater, many pro-jects employ certain best managementpractices (BMPs) to store runoff onsitetemporarily and then release it to a mu-nicipal system. One particular BMP in-

• Infiltration systems capture high-vol-ume runoff and infiltrate it into theground. These systems include under-ground storage chambers made of high-density polyethylene, such as Cultec’sContactor® and Recharger® chambers. • Detention systems capture runoff andtemporarily store it until it is released,but do not retain a significant permanentpool of water between snow or rainevents. Detention systems are designedto hold the water while infiltration sys-tems are engineered to allow for ground-water recharge. • Retention systems capture runoff andretain it until it is displaced in part orwhole by the next runoff event. Theymaintain a significant permanent pool ofwater between events. These include wetponds, retention tanks, tunnels, vaults,plastic chambers, and pipes.• Constructed wetland systems are sim-ilar to retention and detention systems,except that vegetation is incorporated,usually at the surface in pond applica-tions, and underwater in meadow-typesystems. • Filtration systems use a combinationof granular filtering media such as sand,organic material, carbon, or a membraneto remove debris in the runoff.• Vegetated systems (biofilters) such asswales and filter strips are designed toconvey or treat shallow runoff and tomimic the functions of a natural forestecosystem.

Advantages of subsurface infiltration systems

Subsurface chamber systems can beused in almost any type of stormwatersituation. They can serve as subsurfaceretention or detention systems and as re-placements for ponds, concrete struc-tures or pipe and stone installations.They offer many benefits, including:1. Freeing up space. One of the mainbenefits of using a subsurface system isthe maximum use of land. These sys-tems leave space for additional build-ings, parking and landscaping, which isespecially important in urban areaswhere land is at a premium.

Effectively managing stormwater with subsurface infiltration systemsBy Michelle Zwick

Neptune Chemical Pump Co.Lansdale, PA

Tel: 888-3NEPTUNE or 215-699-8700E-Mail: [email protected]

Web: www.neptune1.com

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May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:59 PM



2. Safety. Potential liabilities inherent inabove-ground water storage, such as wetponds, do not exist with undergroundsystems. Accessible standing water, apotential breeding ground for insectssuch as mosquitoes, is also eliminated. 3. Pollutants removal. Undergroundchamber systems remove a high percent-age of phosphorus, nitrogen, lead, zinc,suspended solids, and organic com-pounds from runoff through infiltration. 4. Groundwater recharge. Chambersystems offer significant groundwaterrecharge in areas with a high percentageof impervious surfaces. In addition, theyallow for more controlled infiltrationand replenish the surrounding soil andaquifer. 5. Cost savings. Chamber systems arecost-effective to install because the unitsare stackable, easy to ship, and do notrequire heavy installation equipment.Additionally, some systems are madewith interlocking connections to allow afast and straightforward installation. 6. Durability. The high-density polyeth-ylene used in many chambers is bothdurable and corrosion-resistant. The ma-terial also remains resilient in tempera-

tures below –37.8°C (–100°F) and re-sists breakdowns normally caused byroad salt, which is especially importantin cold climates.7. Structural integrity. Many subsur-face chambers feature the arch design,similar to the aqueducts used by the an-cient Romans. This design has proven to continued overleaf...

be one of the strongest structural engi-neering designs, and ensures the sys-tem’s structural integrity. Additionally,chambers may have interior supportpanels for added strength.8. Maintenance. These systems requirea combination of pretreatment measures,

Underground chamber systems can be installed in several ways to accommodatespecific project needs.

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Additional concerns might includelimited performance in areas with poorlypermeable soil, such as clay, as well asreduced infiltration due to excessivesediment accumulation.

Design of underground systemsA typical underground stormwater

system includes the inlet, water qualitydevice, conveyance device, and storagechambers. The process begins with runoffentering a collective device, ordinarilyfrom a basin inlet structure. From the

e.g., a catch basin and sump, to keep im-purities and debris from entering thestorage area. Maintenance is minimal,required only of the preliminary collec-tion system prior to feeding the bed orother filtering devices that may be used.

Limitations do exist. The under-ground system might not be appropriatein areas where groundwater is a primarysource of drinking water, due to the po-tential for contaminant migration if pre-treatment has not taken place.

Subsurface chamber systems can provide space for parking lots and landscapingareas.

Subsurface chambers can replace ponds, concrete structures, or pipe and stoneinstallations.

inlet, the stormwater passes through apreventative maintenance device con-nected to the front end of the system.

Stormwater then enters a manifoldsystem that conveys the runoff to the bedof stormwater chambers. A conventionalmanifold consists of a pipe and fittingconfiguration; however, an in-line sideportal manifold system eliminates theneed for an external pipe header system.

The stormwater chambers are dome-shaped, open-bottom, corrugated unitswith perforated sidewalls that storestormwater. They come in a variety ofsizes to accommodate varying site con-ditions, such as high groundwater andthe need for condensed high-volumestorage.

Many factors come into play when astormwater management system is se-lected, including regulations, the site’sterrain and layout, budget, maintenancerequirements, and environmental impactconsiderations.

A number of design aids and re-sources exist to help industry profes-sionals specify and apply stormwatermanagement and treatment devices.These include specification guidelines,online calculators and software model-ing programs, where many undergroundsystems are now included. Additionally,some chamber manufacturers offer freedesign assistance, including preliminarycalculations and job-specific CAD de-tails, and have their own design calcula-tors and software.

Specification and implementation ofa stormwater management system is im-portant to the success of any commercialbuilding project. Unlike conventionalBMPs, subsurface infiltration systemsare specifically designed to suit theneeds of commercial applications. Theseunderground systems offer economicadvantages, and provide solutions to var-ious provincial and municipal require-ments. Most importantly, they free upland to allow for further development inurban and urbanizing areas, while mini-mizing environmental impact.

Michelle Zwick is with Cultec Inc. E-mail: [email protected]

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:59 PM


of the construction period. In somecases, a risk analysis approach was usedto identify the best path forward.

Among the risks during the designphase, the following were the most sig-nificant:• Constructability concerns — rock ex-cavation, high groundwater table, de-watering and treatment of groundwater,close proximity to existing structures.• Design reviews — insufficient time forstandard review milestones of 30%, 50%,75%, 90% and 100% design, a need forexpeditious approvals of changes to thedesign.• External agency approvals — Min-istry of the Environment (MOE) Certifi-cate of Approval (Sewage) and Permit ToTake Water (PTTW); City of Cambridgebuilding permit and blasting permit; andGrand River Conservation Authoritypermit and other approvals.• Contractor and equipment procure-ment — selection of pre-qualified con-tractor, major equipment pre-purchase,expeditious construction commence-ment.

The most critical risks during theconstruction phase were:• Environmental issues — impact onnearby Provincially Significant Wet-

At the time of the federal gov-ernment’s announcement ofthe $4-billion InfrastructureStimulus Fund (ISF) last

winter, the Regional Municipality ofWaterloo and R.V. Anderson AssociatesLtd. (RVA) were in the preliminary de-sign phase for upgrades to the HespelerWastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) inCambridge, Ontario. As the project pro-gressed, it was recommended that theplant’s raw sewage pumping station bereplaced during the plant’s planned ex-pansion in 2016-2017.

However, funding under the ISF wastied to a project completion date ofMarch 31, 2011, with one-third of thefunds being provided by each of the fed-eral, provincial and municipal govern-ments. Projects funded by the ISF thatare not substantially completed by thatdate require their remaining expendi-tures to be paid entirely by the local mu-nicipal government.

Therefore the Region took the oppor-tunity of the ISF to advance this projectand was granted ISF funding in June2009. The pumping station had to be de-signed for a capacity of 440 L/s, with theflexibility to increase capacity to 520 L/sduring planned future expansion.

Implementation plan and risk analysis

The expedited design process began inJune 2009, with the goal of tenderingthe final design in January 2010. Thiswould have been unachievable if the Re-gion/RVA team was confined to tradi-tional project design delivery approaches.With non-negotiable internal deliverabledates, a commitment was secured fromall team members to maintain the highestlevel of engineering quality, while doingwhatever was necessary to finish the pro-ject on time. Not completing it on timecould have serious financial conse-quences for the Region.

Early in the project, the team con-ducted a review of the design and con-struction phases of the project, todetermine how best to manage the timeavailable in order to maximize the length

lands, groundwater table, Speed River(siltation and erosion protection).• Equipment delivery — delivery ofpumps, transformer, switchgear andMCC.• Specialized construction techniques— controlled rock blasting.• Working hours — a potentially longerwork week would be required, alongwith consideration of minor varianceswith local noise by-laws.

Challenging site conditions and constructability

Existing geotechnical and hydrogeo-logical information for the site was suf-ficient to begin preliminary design.Once the location and dimensions of thenew facility were established, con-structability issues were dealt with in anumber of meetings, and additional siteinvestigations (geotechnical, hydrogeo-logical, environmental impact state-ment) were conducted in parallel withthe design work. Based on this new in-formation, some specific design compo-nents were revisited and revised asrequired.

While the pumping station’s mechan-ical design issues were well-defined, theHespeler WWTP site itself presented

Keeping the Hespeler raw sewage pumping stationon trackBy V. Nazareth, V. Saknenko, G. Kenny, K. Yaji and S. Karlins

Project Management


As the project progressed, it was recommended that the plant’s raw sewagepumping station be replaced during the plant’s planned expansion in 2016-2017.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:59 PM


some challenging conditions:• Located in very close proximity to aformer landfill.• Surrounded by Speed River Provin-cially Significant Wetland Complex. • Bedrock underlies the site at a depthof 1.2 to 3.25 m.• Groundwater levels are consistentwith the elevation of the overburdenbedrock interface.• Twenty-nine wells located within a1-km radius of the site, including publicwater supply, domestic, stock andgroundwater monitoring wells.

As the design progressed, it becameapparent that bedrock excavation wouldbe a significant portion of the scope ofwork for this project. With a new pump-ing station footprint of approximately470 m2 and a depth of approximately11 metres, excavation of approximately5,000 m3 of bedrock would be required.For this excavation, controlled rockblasting rather than mechanical breakingwas recommended by the geotechnicalconsultant.

The Region was not familiar withcontrolled rock blasting. So a special-ized consultant was immediately re-tained to reduce the level of risk byadvising on the blasting scope of work,assisting in the preparation of project-specific specifications for blasting, andproviding a third-party review of a con-trolled blasting program and monitoringduring construction.

Employing rock blasting as a con-struction technique also introduced therisk of groundwater contamination fromnitrates in the explosives. This issue,while not an immediately obvious risk,had to be investigated. As a result, ni-trate-free explosives were specified forall site rock blasting activities, to avoidcontamination of the groundwater andcostly treatment that would otherwise benecessary.

The extent of dewatering requiredduring site excavation was investigatedby a hydrogeological consultant, andwas determined to be as high as 3.8 mil-lion L/day. Aside from the logistics ofdewatering such a large volume, the de-watering activities had the potential todisrupt the surrounding ecosystem.Therefore, a plan was developed onlyafter completing a specialized ecologicalsurvey. This ensured that the Provin-

Project Management

Critical risks during the construction phase.

cially Significant Wetland Complex ad-jacent to the Hespeler WWTP site wouldnot experience adverse effects as a resultof the dewatering.

To address any possible influence onthe nearby wells, numerical modelingsimulation was used for assessment. Thelocation of the wells, geotechnical prop-erties of the rock and amount of dewa-tering were all considered and showed noinfluence on the wells. However, the Re-gion will monitor groundwater levelsduring construction, and has informedthe surrounding property owners of thepossible chances of any influence. Pre-cautionary backup measures were alsoidentified.

Design deliveryTo fast-track the project design, it was

agreed that the number of design sub-missions would be reduced from five tothree (30%, 60% and 90%). Also, eachsubmission of project design drawingsand specifications would be followed bya workshop-style meeting with the Re-gion, the Ontario Clean Water Agency,the agency responsible for operating theplant, and RVA. The workshops allowedunresolved design issues to be addressedand finalized, and design preferences to

be clarified to avoid protracted decision-making delays.

Risk management was critical to theproject outcome, and the team evaluatedthe issues raised at each stage, based onrisk to the overall project schedule, andconsidered applicable risk mitigation.

For example, rock anchors were in-cluded in the design initially to protectthe pumping station from groundwateruplift during construction, which wouldtypically allow for a shortened dewater-ing period. However, the use of rock an-chors in the context of risk managementwas such that the benefits of shorteneddewatering time did not overcome theextended time required for rock anchorinstallation (estimated at four to sixweeks), and the additional cost and riskassociated with groundwater treatment toremove drilling debris.

Accordingly, although rock anchorshad been accepted by all parties, RVAproposed a late design change, after aninternal risk and quality review meeting,to remove the rock anchors from thefinal design and modify the structuraldesign. This was accepted by the Regionprimarily because of the benefit to theschedule.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:59 PM


general contractors, nine of which werepre-qualified. Six bids were received,and the contract was awarded to GrahamConstruction and Engineering on March24, 2010, for a total value of $6,780,000.

Apart from the general contract, theRegion decided to pre-purchase themajor equipment — pumps, transformerand switchgear — to minimize the riskof project delays from extended equip-ment lead times.

To expedite commencement of con-struction, Graham Construction wascontacted immediately after a recom-mendation of the contract award wasprepared. With the understanding of therisks involved without formal RegionalCouncil approval, they agreed to startwith low-risk project activities such aspreparing schedules, contacting subcon-tractors and holding a pre-constructionmeeting. As a result of these advancedactions, the contractor was preparedwhen Council approval was received.

The approach to expedite design andapprovals to maximize available time forconstruction has been successful prima-rily because of a team approach whereall parties were committed to the con-

Support from regulatory agenciesWhile a dedicated and committed

team was critical to its outcome, theproject would not have been successfulwithout the assistance of the regulatoryagencies and local authorities.

Regulatory approvals can often ex-tend project schedules by severalmonths, and such delays would havebeen detrimental to the Hespeler projectschedule. Early in the project, the regu-latory agencies (MOE regional and dis-trict offices, Grand River ConservationAuthority, and City of Cambridge) werecontacted and any potential issues thatcould delay approvals were discussedand addressed. As a result of this effec-tive collaboration, issues identified toobtain necessary approvals were clari-fied early and ultimately proved vital tomaintaining the project timeline.

Contractor and equipment procurement

As part of the risk management ap-proach, pre-qualification of general con-tractors was carried out so the mostqualified contractors would be biddingthe project. Twenty-three Requests forPrequalification were received from

cept that “schedule rules,” while main-taining a high quality of work. Eachparty demonstrated a willingness toallow the design to move quickly and ef-fectively, with quality control and qual-ity assurance built in through workshopswith the Region and its contract opera-tor, and internal reviews by consultingstaff.

This spirit has carried over to the con-struction commencement phase, with ademonstrated effort by the contractor tomove things along quickly. The projectteam is hopeful that this spirit will pre-vail, and barring any “curve balls” fromweather, labour disputes or ground con-ditions, substantial performance is ex-pected on or before the target date.

Vincent Nazareth, P. Eng., ValeraSaknenko, P. Eng., and Geneviève

Kenny, P. Eng., are with R. V. AndersonAssociates Ltd. Kaoru Yajima, P.Eng.,

and Susan Karlins, P.Eng., are with theRegional Municipality of Waterloo.


Project Management

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 9:59 PM


Trenchless Technology

ago, there were few plans in place to fi-nance maintenance of the structures andeventual replacement. Public works of-ficials nationwide are dealing with thenecessary replacement of a massive in-frastructure network, despite the short-fall in funds to fix every failing culvert.The service life of numerous drains isbeing extended by many means, somemore effective than others, to mark timeuntil funds are available for eventual re-placement.

Public works professionals are fullyaware that failures can be costly in termsof interruption to community servicesand commerce, and that the failure of

When commerce is dis-rupted, property destroyedand people injured, news-paper headlines point to

sinkholes as the cause. These stories arereporting on the consequences whensomething that we depend upon doesn’twork. However, they overlook the engi-neering and science that is being appliedto make our highways and local roadssafe, as buried infrastructure reaches theend of its service life.

Products used to construct the infra-structure that we depend upon have veryspecific service lives. When these prod-ucts were placed in the ground decades

one structural element may lead to thefailure of another. That is why extendingthe service life of failing culverts is notthe solution. It is important to replacefailing and failed culverts as soon aspossible to protect associated structuresfrom premature failure.

There are a series of questions thatmight be asked to determine solutionsfor failing culverts, such as:• Is the existing culvert size appropriate

to handle local and regional floods in the context of changing weather patterns and climate change?

• Is the existing culvert material flexible or rigid?

• Has the existing culvert changed shape?

• Has the existing culvert suffered deterioration in the invert?

• Is the culvert close to catastrophic failure?If the culvert does not need to be up-

sized and is rigid, or the flexible conduithas not changed shape, then the ownerhas options. These may include cured-in-place liners, and slip lining. Slip lin-ing can be done with different products,but all slip lining results in a smaller di-ameter conduit. In addition, slip liningrequires grouting of the annulus, or voidbetween the new pipe and the old pipe.

If the existing culvert has changedshape, or the invert has deteriorated andthe bedding loosened or allowed to shift,there are two very important details toconsider:

1. The existing pipe is likely to besurrounded with granular bedding ac-cording to installation specifications orstandards.

2. During a rain or thaw event, thereis always a certain amount of hydrostaticpressure upstream.

Because a change in shape or a dete-rioration of the bedding has already loos-ened material around the old pipeline orculvert, the obvious option would in-clude excavating the structure and loosebackfill and installing a new culvert withnew bedding and backfill. In this way,the culvert can be upsized if needed, andthe new bedding and backfill properlyplaced and compacted.

A new twist to an old technology for replacing culverts By Al Tenbusch

Highway 417 closure near Ottawa due to failure of a culvert.Photo courtesy of CBC Image Research.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:00 PM


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However, an open cut replacement ofa culvert can be expensive and the methodupsets communities because of the subse-quent disruption to traffic and local com-merce. However, there is another option,called “tunnel and replace” that adds anew twist to an old technology.

Tunnel and replaceWhen tunneling is mentioned, the ex-

pectation is that it is the most expensiveoption. This is often not the case. Tun-neling through an existing culvert orcross drain requires less material re-moval and takes less time.

The replacement may be with con-

ventional jacking pipe materials, such asclay, steel casing, polymer concrete pipe,or concrete pipe, or the replacement maybe with tunnel liner plate. In either case,it is possible to replace the existingstructure with the same size culvert, ora larger culvert of greater flow capacity.The failing culvert is replaced, as thetunnel is excavated.

It is important to compare replace-ment with jacking pipe and replacementwith tunnel liner plate. Jacking pipe isappropriate when the job can accommo-date a jacking pit. Since many culvertsstart at ground level on both the up- continued overleaf...

stream and downstream ends, the use ofliner plate is appropriate when construc-tion of a jacking pit is not possible.

When using conventional tunnelingwith jacking pipe, new pipe is jackedsegment by segment, as the crew re-moves the existing culvert in pieces andexcavates any face material, within aprotective shield. The shield has steeringcapability to maintain grade.

The jacking unit is substantial, andrequires a sizeable work pit. Jacking apipe column requires the use of a lubri-cant which will help reduce the surface

Existing culvert being replaced with jacking pipe. Liner plate installation by tunneling - no backstop is required.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:00 PM


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the liner plate tunnel can be largeenough to accommodate the insertion ofconcrete “carrier pipe”.

There is one other option. The fin-ished liner plate tunnel can be lined withreinforcing steel or mesh and then shot-creted with a concrete liner to create acontinuous concrete conduit.

For decades, corrugated metal pipe(CMP) culverts have been installedunder most highways and local roads.With a service life that does not oftenreach the design life of the roads theyservice, failures often take place and are

friction that the column will generate.The longer the column of new pipe, themore important it is to use lubricant.When the new pipe is in place, the an-nular space must be grouted.

When replacing with tunnel linerplate, the new liner plate is installed onering (typically 16 inches long) at a time,as the tunnel is advanced. The crew re-moves the culvert in pieces and exca-vates as necessary, within a protectiveshield which is advanced by hydrauliccylinders located in the shield that pushoff of the most recently assembled linerplate ring. The shield has steering capa-bility to maintain grade. The work areamust be long enough to launch the shieldand to allow for the safe entrance andexit of the crew and materials.

Liner plate installation does not re-quire a lubricant and the installed linerplate must be grouted at the end of eachshift or workday. Installation does not re-quire a jacking pit.

The liner plate can be as thick asthree eighths of an inch. It can be galva-nized and protected with other coatings.In areas where a concrete pipe is needed,

reported by the media before scheduledmaintenance and replacement can takeplace.

The good news is that the challengeof matching the service life of materialsand products to the design life of pro-jects is uppermost in the minds of publicworks officials. Federal, provincial andmunicipal officials must work with,among other things, limited funding,changing standards and specifications,new products and materials, changingtechnology, political action, and chang-ing weather and climate regimes.

There are options, however, to extendthe service life of culverts that are af-fordable. Tunneling culverts is a newtwist to an old technology that works. Ithas environmental, economic, and socialattributes that can quickly add value tomajor infrastructure assets. Somethingto consider in times of limited fundingand urgent needs.

Al Tenbusch is President of Tenbusch,Inc. E-mail: [email protected]

Use of concrete jacking pipe.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:00 PM


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

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

save by having one supervisor for thedouble-duty loading rack. If a tank carwas parked over the track pan on oneside, tanker trucks could use the otherside for loading. If there was no railroadactivity, tanker trucks could use bothlanes. The TESI track pans also allowaccess for maintenance vehicles.

A second collector pan set was or-dered, and delivered in early December.To improve all-weather transloading op-erations, a closed, heated shed wasadded on top of the loading rack struc-

Amotor fuel and asphalt refin-ery in Superior, Wisconsin,had been planning a majorrearrangement of its tank car

loading track to accommodate the ship-ment of diesel fuel by tank cars. The ini-tial plan in early 2009 was to retrofit anexisting asphalt loading dock to loaddiesel fuel and install track spill contain-ment pans to comply with Environmen-tal Protection Agency regulations.

After reviewing options, MurphyOil’s mechanical engineer selected atrack collector pan manufactured byTransport Environmental Systems, Inc.(TESI). The steel pan has a reinforcedbar grate deck so any loaded tanker truckcan drive right over it. It was ordered fora summer 2009 delivery.

Meanwhile, other factors, includingthe construction of new spur tracks,postponed the original plan, and theevaluation team concluded that, if two ofthe drive-over collector pans were in-stalled beside the same loading rackstructure, the expense of building a sec-ond truck loading rack facility would beavoided.

By simply re-routing the access road-ways to come up to and parallel the rail-road spur tracks, tanker trucks couldload or unload using the same loadingarms and other equipment, and even

ture to limit the amount of rainwater inthe open track pans, and a portablesteam generator was positioned to meltaway any accumulation of blown-insnow. There are drains in the ends of thetrack pans and the bar grate support ma-trixes can be lifted out and the track panfloor squeegeed or shoveled out ifneeded.

For more information, E-mail: Mark Jensen, Transport Environmental

[email protected]

Oil refinery gets double service from loading rack

The drive-over track collector pans have four, 4” drains in the ends of the track pans.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:00 PM


and diffusers at the bottom, and hosedown the sides of the basins.

For almost 20 years, the basins re-mained uncovered, but as part of theplant’s odour control upgrade, the dis-trict looked into options of how to coverthem. Carollo Engineers, an environ-mental engineering firm, was retainedby Vallejo to handle the design and con-struction management for the plantodour control upgrade, and began re-viewing different cover options for en-closing the basins.

“We wanted the covers first for odourcontrol, but they also needed to be cor-rosion resistant,” says Tim Tekippe, ofCarollo Engineers. “But we also neededthe covers to be easy to open and closefor access to the tanks for sampling,scheduled maintenance and repairs. Wefelt structurally-supported covers wouldbe the best system for the plant’s needsbecause of the better access they provideover other systems, like floating covers.

The Vallejo Sanitation & FloodControl District, in the SanFrancisco Bay area, has beenengaged in a program to scrub

off-gas odours from all aspects of itswastewater treatment plant. Early in theproject, the district had covered all of thefacilities in its headworks and primarytreatment steps to control off-gas.

Later, it developed a novel approachfor the management and disposal of itsbiosolids, including designing a special-ized hopper for storage of the plant’s de-watered solids and an automatedtruck-fill process for transportation ofthe solids to a district-owned landfill,again minimizing off-gas release.

The Vallejo Sanitation & Flood Con-trol District has a tradition of innovativeuse of technology in wastewater han-dling. It has been recognized by the EPAand awarded the National First PlaceAward as the most outstanding projectinvolving land application of biosolidsin the United States. The plant disposesof 20,000 cubic yards of biosolids peryear, to be used as a soil amendment toimprove farmland. The plant differsfrom most in that it uses no digesters inits process.

Recently, the wastewater plant has fo-cused on scrubbing off-gas odours fromits secondary treatment processes, andspecifically its two open aeration basins.

The Vallejo facility is permitted totreat 15.5 million gallons per day (mgd),but has the capacity to provide full sec-ondary treatment of 35 mgd. During wetweather, the plant is capable of process-ing 25 mgd primary treatment, combinedwith the 35 mgd secondary treatment, fora total of 60 mgd.

Streamlined aeration basin coversThe Vallejo plant’s two secondary

process aeration basins were originallybuilt in 1988, and are each 15 feet deep,15 feet wide and 110 feet long. Everyfew weeks, the Vallejo operators conducta visual inspection into the aerationtanks from the top. Once a year theydrain the tanks, go down inside to con-duct a physical inspection of the blowers

We first looked at rigid type covers suchas aluminum and fiberglass, but both ofthese proved more labor-intensive foroperators to gain access to the basins.”

“Along with our engineering firm,Carollo, we looked at a number of otherwastewater plants, and what they wereusing to cover their aeration tanks,” saysBarry Pomeroy, Director of Operationsand Maintenance at the Vallejo Sanita-tion & Flood Control District. “We wentto a water treatment plant in Coloradothat was using retractable, structurally-supported covers made with a geomem-brane fabric. They looked like theywould be very easy to remove for main-tenance, and we watched how easy theywere to open and close. We even walkedon them while they were in place overthe tank, to see how strong and durablethey were. Based on that trip, we de-cided to design these retractable coversinto our aeration basins.”

Vallejo’s new retractable, struc-

Retractable odour-control coversimprove access to wastewater tanks

Aeration basin off-gas venting connection.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:00 PM


turally-supported geomembrane coversystem, which was designed, engineeredand built by Geomembrane Technolo-gies Inc. (GTI), consists of a compositesheet of high-strength, UV-protected,coated fabric, tensioned across a seriesof low-profile aluminum arches whichspan the tank’s opening. Intermediatealuminum walkways spanning the tankare used to divide the fabric cover sec-tions into appropriate lengths for easyretractability.

The geomembrane cover fabric usedby GTI is made up of a laminated sheetof 40 mil specialty PVC, ethylene inter-polymer alloy, that acts as a gas-tightbarrier to keep the off-gas from passingthrough. It incorporates a highly special-ized weave design that provides maxi-mum strength-to-weight ratios. Sincethis topsheet is exposed to the sun, it isalso equipped with advanced UV in-hibitors. The material can withstandtemperatures to minus 30 degrees F.

Vallejo’s covers are gas-tight, operat-ing under negative air pressure. A venti-lation system draws air through the tankand underneath the covers, and pullsalong with it the off-gas from the aeration

process. Off-gas removal piping is con-nected directly to the cover system andout to a soil filter for odour scrubbing.

Although the membrane covers aregas-tight, they can be quickly detachedand easily rolled up along the frame.This gives operators access to inspectand maintain internal components of thebasins. Reattaching the membrane cov-

ers is quick and easy, making for a time-efficient and safe process. Additionalhatches in the intermediate aluminumwalkways allow access by plant opera-tors without retracting the covers.

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

Vallejo cover showing aluminum walkways.

www.zcl.com • (780) 466-6648 phone • (780) 466-6126 fax

InnovativeWater Storage

Green Building applications utilizingZCL fiberglass tanks include:

• Rainwater Harvesting

• Stormwater Management

• Water Efficient Landscaping Irrigation

• Onsite Wastewater Systems

• Greywater Recycling

• Chiller Unit Water Collection

Water is valuable. ZCL Composites Inc. can help you store it wisely whilealso earning LEED design points with cost-effective fiberglass undergroundtanks. Some of todays most innovative Green Building projects recognizethat water storage is a key element in maximizing water conservation designpossibilities.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:00 PM


Temcor recently completed thethird in a series of large waterreservoir cover replacementsin southern California, with

the erection of a 162' x 262' column-sup-ported aluminum roof. The most recentroof was built over an existing potablewater reservoir at the Laguna BeachCounty Water District, a non-profit,local government agency that providesretail water service to 25,000 people inan 8.5 square-mile area.

The Temcor cover at Laguna replaceda floating liner/cover system that hadreached the end of its effectiveness after15 years in service. The new cover is anall-aluminum "strut and panel" fixedcover system supported by 36 stainlesssteel interior columns. The cover's lowprofile - a rise of only eight feet at itshighest point – adds to the aesthetic as-pect of the cover and helps it to blend inwith its surroundings.

According to Temcor, the aluminumcover system is maintenance-free, long-lasting (minimum 50-year design life),secure, and environmentally friendly.Not only can the cover system be recy-cled after its service life, but now morethat 50% of the aluminum used in thesecover systems is recycled aluminum.

In addition to the design, fabricationand erection of the cover, the contractalso included the design and construc-tion of the new concrete footings andshear walls required to support the cover.The reservoir as a whole was updated forcurrent California Building Code seis-mic requirements during the design andconstruction phase.

It was extremely important for La-guna Beach Water to minimize theamount of time the reservoir was out ofservice. Construction of the footings andshear walls started in November 2009and the roof completion ended in March2010.


Temcor completes Laguna Beachwater reservoir cover

Laguna Beach County Water District reservoir cover under construction (above)and completed (below).

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:01 PM

iced. The company custom-designed anenclosure to accommodate servicing themachine. Custom access doors and aspecialty hatch were manufactured to fitthe design of the machine, allowing it tobe removed easily.

RM Products' fiberglass buildings areresistant to the highly corrosive environ-ment present in a septage receiving sta-tion. Fiberglass components are strongand durable, yet light weight, which al-lows them to be assembled rapidly in a

During development of awastewater treatment facil-ity, large equipment is oftenlocated before the building

is completed. This was the challenge atthe Allegan Waste Water Treatment fa-cility in Michigan.

With the newly installed septage re-ceiving equipment, RM Products Ltd.was requested to solve the issue of cov-ering the machine while still allowingthe equipment to be monitored and serv-

congested work space. This unit was assembled in two and a

half days complete with unique featuressuch as the raised hatch, doors, insula-tion, ventilation, and explosion-proofelectrics.

The flexibility of the fiberglass modu-lar components allows for easy expan-sion at a later date, if required.



Enclosure made to fit septage receiving equipment

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:01 PM


While you are filling yourgas tank, do you fret overwhat would happen ifyou spilled a bit of fuel?

Do you sweat over the impact it wouldhave on the environment, the facilityemployees, or their insurance rates? Ofcourse not. You think about other things.And so does everyone else, right?

Now consider the daily refuelling ofhuge fleets of trucks or the equipmentspread over large construction sites.Multiply that small chance of a spill bythe thousands of litres, the hundreds oftanks, and all those operators thinkingabout other things while they fuel.

It is stating the obvious to say that allthis poses enormous risk to employeesand the environment. But what’s less ob-vious is the impact this has on produc-tivity, employee health, insurance rates,and the staggering costs of cleaning upa fuel spill.

Professional refuelling reduces risk to employees, the environment and insurance rates

Certified fuelling professional refuelling a piece of equipment.

Print & Digital Publications | Newsletters

Corporate Branding | Custom Graphics

Print & Event Management | Signage

Banners | Websites | Advertisements

t.: 905.503.CMAC (2622) e.: [email protected]

Your Environmental Friendly Print

Management Source!

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:01 PM


For years we’ve provided the best residential and commercial water and wastewater tanks, pumps and accessories. Superior pre-filter separation tanks, lift stations and grease, oil/grit separators are just the beginning. Our custom-designed moulds, quality control concrete, special pouring technique and careful handling are just some of the reasons we’re the best in the industry.

Our trained professionals will always be there to help. With an unbeatable 20 year warranty on all tanks, plus a reputation for exceptional equipment and expertise, Alberta Wilbert Sales guarantees the job gets done right, on time.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

WWW.WILBERT.CA

Transport and construction compa-nies rely on three methods of refuelling.The first is commercial card-locks,which are time-consuming, about 20minutes per fill. But they are a relativelysafe alternative as long as drivers pay at-tention. The cost of most small fuelspills at card-locks are absorbed by thestation. But, if it’s a large spill, the cleanup is on your tab and it sometimes in-volves environmental inspectors.

The second method of refuelling isonsite storage tanks. This eliminates theloss of time spent travelling to card-locks but brings a new set of drawbacks.Keeping the tank full is the first concern;if you don’t have remote monitoring andit runs dry, you’re back to the card-lockand losing time again. But the biggestrisk is in using it. Every fuelling exposesyour staff, the environment and yourcompany to considerable risk.

If your dispensing equipment is old, ifyou don’t have detailed procedures, ordon’t carry out regular training, a spill isalmost inevitable. Large spills can causehuge environmental clean-up bills andhikes to your insurance rates. But the oddsmall spills that create cumulative con-tamination can result in clean-up costs notcovered by most insurance companies.

Over the years there have been hun-dreds of refuelling catastrophes. In onecase, a truck driver started filling histruck after a long day on the road andfell asleep, allowing thousands of litresof diesel fuel to flood the area. It getsworse. Instead of carefully removing thecontaminated soil to protect the ground-water and the community, the ownersploughed the fuel into the ground.

Wheel to wheel deliveryThe third method of refuelling is pro-

fessional fuel delivery. Wheel-to-wheelservice puts fuel in the hands of profes-sionals. Refuelling can be carried outwhile trucks are parked and equipmentis idle.

With wheel-to-wheel fuel delivery,operators are specially trained to mini-mize risk to employees, equipment andthe environment. You save time other-wise lost on trips to card-locks, and,compared to site fuel tanks, you savemoney spent maintaining tanks and pay-ing premiums for emergency service.

Using wheel-to-wheel and getting ridof your site fuel tank substantially re-duces your environmental risk exposure.

If you’ve ever had to clean up a spill,you’ll also know the high cost of the in-surance rates that follow for years after.Avoiding this cost can represent tens ofthousands of dollars.

According to Richard Frost, the LossPrevention Coordinator for National Ac-counts and Associations at the FederatedInsurance Company of Canada, “a busi-ness using professional refuelling serv-ices substantially reduces their exposureto costly fuel spill remediation. If yourpeople aren’t handling the fuel, they

aren’t spilling it either. “The difference is, a top-performing

wheel-to-wheel provider with profes-sionally trained drivers has a 0.001% in-cident rate, backed up with an excellentclean-up record. But if your drivers arefilling at card-locks or in your yard, therisk of a spill is considerably higher andso are all the associated costs.”

Jack Lee is President and CEO of 4Refuel Inc. E-mail:

[email protected]

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:01 PM


Many First Nations sites op-erate a community watertreatment plant and haulwater to cisterns at indi-

vidual home sites. Although the inci-dence of cistern contamination is notwell documented, the most frequentcauses are:• Faulty installation, such as failing tosanitize the tank before use. • Poor construction practices, such asdriving an excavator over the top of thetank to finish the landscaping.• Failure to protect the tank (e.g., withbollards or curbs) from overhead loadssuch as parked cars. • Vandalism, such as foreign materialbeing dropped into the tank.• Bad water delivery practices, such asdirty hoses and filling to the brim of man-way extensions (a particularly nasty prob-lem if the home is temporarily unoccupiedand temperatures are cold enough tofreeze the water in the extensions).

Many specifiers, regulators and FirstNations communities have consideredputting in full-pressure water distributionpipes as a way of getting rid of cisternsand eliminating water contamination.Problems with this idea include the unaf-fordable cost of constructing pipelines forlow-density development, escalation ofmaintenance and repair costs associatedwith high-pressure distribution systems,and the waste of constructing pipelines toclustered subdivisions without homes.

Advantages of low-pressure distribution

There is another way to distributewater to homes and eliminate bad waterdelivery practices, which are the mostfrequent source of contamination. In-stead of getting rid of cisterns, fill themfrom a more affordable low-pressurewater distribution system and seal themoff from the surrounding ground byusing a microcrystalline sealant.

Low-pressure water distribution pipe

can be installed and operated at a frac-tion of the capital and operating cost offull-pressure systems. Cisterns for thistype of system have two brass connectorsin the tank wall. One fitting connects onthe outside to the community water dis-tribution system, and on the inside to afloat valve that controls the flow of waterinto the tank. The other fitting has thetraditional role of connecting the cisternto the home, with either a submersiblepump located inside the cistern or a jetpump located inside the home.

These systems have been proven foryears in locations such as the PaddlePrairie Metis Settlement in northern Al-berta, and Strathcona County near Ed-monton.

There is a great deal of regulatory ac-tivity going on at present with respect tocisterns. For example, the CanadianStandards Association recently releaseda draft standard, CAN/CSA B128.3, Per-formance of non-potable water treat-ment systems, for public review, and arecently created CSA Technical Com-mittee is working on CAN/CSA Series126, Design, installation, and mainte-nance of potable water systems.

The B126 initiative is just underwayand could easily take one to two yearsbefore a standard is published. Mean-while, there are a number of steps thatforward-looking specifiers, regulators,and First Nations can take towards a sus-tainable future for cisterns:

1. Consider concrete tanks with mi-crocrystalline sealants embedded in thematerial. Although concrete has been aproven material for holding and transfer-ring water for thousands of years, micro-crystalline sealants are a new method forfilling its microscopic gaps and ensuringthat micro-size sediments, contami-nants, and bacteria cannot penetrate thetank wall.

2. Specify cisterns with both inletand outlet connectors, especially follow-ing designs from manufacturers with ex-perience in building tanks for thisapplication. At installation, the installercan simply plug off the inlet fitting forthe time being, and the home site will be

Turning down the pressure for FirstNations water systems By Emile Beaudry

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 10-06-08 5:08 PM


completely ready for a low-pressurewater line in the future.

At some sites, a connection couldeven be stubbed out to the edge of thelot where the future water line would belocated. Then, if and when a low-pres-sure community water distribution sys-tem is installed, there will be nodisruption or construction cost associ-ated with activating those homes on thenew system.

3. Specify low-profile, one-piece cis-terns. The low profile means the installa-tion requires shallower excavation, withless chance of digging in water-saturatedsoils and less chance of the tank sitting inthe water table. The one-piece construc-tion means that no site assembly of thetank is required, so there is less on-sitelabour, and no seams in the tank wall.

The incremental cost of fabricating acistern with an extra fitting and micro-crystalline sealant is nominal. There isno additional installation cost associatedwith these products, compared to tradi-tional cistern configurations, and thecost of stubbing a connection to theproperty edge is low compared to thepotential future advantages.

Low-pressure water distribution is aneconomical alternative for eliminatingcistern contamination associated withfaulty water delivery practices. It haslower initial and ongoing costs than high-pressure distribution systems and can re-sult in higher potable water quality than

truck-based deliveries, while eliminatingthe associated wear on community roadsand home-site landscaping.

Emile Beaudry is with Tanks-A-Lot Ltd.E-mail: [email protected]

Cisterns ready for connection to a low pressure water supply line.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:01 PM


The floating tiles can simply be poured onto the surface.

Their unique design makes them interlock by wind pressure.

Greatario Engineered StorageSystems has signed a distri-bution agreement with Hexa-Cover to introduce their

"floating tile" system. Hexa-Cover ® canbe used on all kinds of liquids, eliminat-ing evaporation, organic growth, emis-sion and odour. It can be used on almostall forms of basins, lagoons, reservoirs,containers, ponds and tanks for water, in-dustry and agriculture.

The tiles are hexagonal elements,with symmetrical ribs on both sides. Theribs make the floating elements distributethemselves naturally and uniformly onthe liquid surface without overlapping.Their unique design makes them inter-lock by wind pressure, ensuring that theymechanically constitute a coherent cover.They can withstand wind velocities up to32 m/s. The tiles are manufactured fromrecycled plastic, without the use of Freonor other harmful materials.

ApplicaionsHexa-Cover floating tiles cover up to

99% of the tank or lagoon’s total surface(dependent on the geometry). This elim-inates up to 95% of evaporation and en-

sures that organic growth, such as algae,is eliminated, since sunlight cannot pen-etrate the cover.

The floating tiles can simply bepoured onto the surface and, under theeffects of the wind and movement of the

liquid, will form themselves into a"cover". They are so designed that thetile edges will key into each other.

There will always be free access tothe liquid in the tank, for measuring,emptying, stirring, etc. There are no op-erational costs attached to the use ofHexa-Cover floating tiles. In fact,

Greatario says that, in most situations,there will be a reduction of total costs.Repairs to roofing, tenting or other cov-erings are eliminated. Water consump-tion will be reduced and there will beenergy savings in connection with cool-ing and stirring of the liquid. The needto use often harmful additives will alsobe reduced.

A life expectancy of 25 years is an-ticipated for these tiles.


Hexa-Cover tile system now available in Canada

Water consumption willbe reduced and therewill be energy savings

in connection withcooling and stirring.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:02 PM


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At Alberta Wilbert Sales we sell, serviceand deliver Alberta’s largest tanks, withcapacities as high as 10,000 gallons, andback them with a 20-year warranty. Four key manufacturing processes makeour tanks superior: custom-designedmoulds, quality controlled concrete, special pour techniques and careful han-dling. Tel: 800-232-7385, Fax: 780-447-1984Web: www.wilbert.ca

Quality tanks

Alberta Wilbert Sales

Transport Environmental Systems

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

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

Spill containment systems

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

Web: www.gticovers.com

Geomembrane Technologies Inc.

Cover systems for tanks andlagoons

Tanks-A-Lot

ADVANCED WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Spill Management

Specialist training

PracticalHands-onProgressiveFormats

Tel: 905-578-9666, Fax: 905-578-6644

E-mail: [email protected]: www.spillmanagement.ca

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

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

Greatario Engineered Storage Systems

H2Flow Tanks & Systems

Water reservoir & tank mixer

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

MegaDome/Harnois Industries

Clear span buildings

ZCL Composites

ZCL’s un-dergroundtanks areconstructedof non-cor-rosive fibre-glasscomposite

material and premium quality graderesin. They are marketed under the tradenames Prezerver® and Greentank®.Safe and durable, ZCL tanks have be-come the #1 choice for environmentallysafe storage of petroleum products.

Tel: 1-800-661-8265Web: www.zcl.com

Underground tanks

Every square foot of space is profitablein a MegaDome building. Ranging from30’ to 125’ wide and with no limitationto its length, MegaDome provides a pro-duction or storage area built in accor-dance with all building codes in yourarea. Tel: 888-427-6647, Fax: 450-756-8389E-mail: [email protected]: www.megadomebuildings.com

Packaged Treatment Plants and concretestorage systems up to 500,000 litres.Tel: 780-472-8265, Toll Free: 800-661-5667E-mail: [email protected]: www.tanks-a-lot.com

Onsite water and sewage solutions

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 10-06-08 5:08 PM


AquaDAF®

system advantages• Optimal removal of low-density particles• Unequaled loading rates • Polymer-free membrane pretreatment • Ease of retrofit or expansion without

additional basins• Efficient and economic operation due to

small footprint

Flexible ClarificationSolutions

Infilco Degremont, Inc. – 8007 Discovery Drive, Richmond, Virginia 23229 • (800) 446-1150

www.degremont-technologies.com

InfIlco

AquaDAF®: CLARIFIERHIGH-RATE DISSOLVEDAIR FLOTATION SYSTEM

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Other Clarification Solutions by Degremont Technologies :DensaDeg®, Accelator®, Superpulsator®

Water Reuse

governments respond to growing pres-sure from communities to preserve freshwater supplies.

Current industrial processes do bringsome unique challenges on the water re-cycling front. Certain contaminants havebeen extremely challenging to extractfrom the wastewater stream. In caseswhere this can be achieved, available so-lutions have been expensive, energy in-tensive, and can generate residual wastethat must be disposed of or stored tomeet environmental regulations.

New answers must be found, sincethe presence of dissolved metals, sul-fates, phosphates and other contami-nants in wastewater streams has comeunder increasing legislative scrutiny. Notonly do those contaminants represent along-term environmental liability, if theymake their way back into processstreams, they can lead to prematureequipment failure, increased energy con-

For decades water treatment ef-forts have been focused oncleaning wastewater for dis-charge back to the environ-

ment. However, this is no longer enoughto ensure a sustainable future. Rather,the way of the future will be findingways to not only treat water, but also toreuse it in order to reduce the strain onexisting supplies.

This only makes sense, since manyindustrial processes today may recycleless than 50 per cent of water consumedin extraction, processing or production.This is not a sustainable practice fromboth an environmental and economicstandpoint. In fact, new regulatory man-dates in regions such as the oil sands inAlberta are stipulating reuse rates up-wards of 90 per cent.

In addition, water licensing rights arebecoming more difficult to secure and insome regions, no longer available as

sumption and decreased operational ef-ficiency.

While the growing regulatory envi-ronment and water restrictions do pres-ent significant challenges, they alsobring opportunities. Industry is now ac-tively exploring and adopting alternativewater treatment technologies that prom-ise to dramatically improve their waterreuse/recycling efforts.

There have been great strides madein the area of contaminant recovery toturn waste into a useful resource. For ex-ample, sulfide precipitation processesallow operations to remove dissolvedmetals from waste streams in mining op-erations to create clean water and a mar-ketable metal by-product that can berecycled and sold to offset the cost ofwater treatment. This is now beingwidely used in a number of major min-ing operations as a means to reduce theenvironmental impact of acid mine

Closing the wastewater treatment loop is increasingly critical By Dr. David Kratochvil

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:02 PM


HOBO Conductivity Data Logger

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Water Reuse

drainage, generate additional revenues,and increase water quality for reuse.

Ion exchange processes can be usedto remove sulfate salts from wastewater

streams in a number of industrial appli-cations, including the energy sector. Notonly does this dramatically improve re-

cycling rates for water, it also reducesenergy consumption and reduces resid-ual waste from water treatment. Whenapplied to sulfate reduction, ion ex-change processes produce clean waterthat can be reused and solid gypsumwhich can be used as an input into fer-tilizers and building products.

It only stands to reason that the mosteffective water treatment methods mov-ing forward will be those that allow in-dustry to reuse as much water aspossible, while maintaining low lifecycle costs for treatment. If one can addthe ability to recover useful by-productsfrom wastewater streams, then the envi-ronmental benefits can be enhanced.

Regulation may have motivated thechange in how we deal with water con-sumption and reuse today. But it iscommercially viable, energy-efficient,environmentally effective technologiesthat will make widespread change a re-ality.

David Kratochvil is with BioteQ Environmental Technologies.


BioteQ’s sulfide precipitation technol-ogy selectively recovers dissolved met-als from contaminated water, producinga saleable metal product that can be re-cycled into useful products, and cleanwater that can be reused or safely dis-charged to the environment.

It only stands to reasonthat the most effective

water treatment methods moving

forward will be thosethat allow industry toreuse as much water

as possible.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:02 PM


Environmental Law

municipalities who do not want to findthemselves on the receiving end of EPOsshould start to plan and budget for in-evitable system upgrades.

The ability to issue EPOs comes witha powerful enforcement tool. If the per-son to whom an EPO is issued fails toperform the required work, ManitobaConservation can hire its own contrac-tors to perform the work and subse-quently obtain a court order allowing itto enforce its costs in the same manneras a court judgment. This includes gar-nishment of wages and income streams,and seizure of property.

The Ontario experience over the pastdecade has shown that, where the pri-mary party named in this type of orderis a corporate entity with limited assets,any directors, officers, or controllingshareholders with “deep pockets”, willalso be named in the order as persons re-sponsible. In certain instances, the addi-tion of such parties can be successfullychallenged.

EPOs can be appealed to the Ministerwithin 30 days, but are not stayed pend-ing appeal. Because of the short dead-line for filing an appeal, any personserved with an EPO should seek legalcounsel immediately or risks beingbound by the stipulated terms, no matterhow onerous.

Prohibition on pollutant releases –the elusive “adverse effect”

A new section 30.1 in the Environ-ment Act prohibits the release of any pol-lutant that causes or may cause a“significant adverse effect” unless ex-pressly authorized. Although the term isnot defined in the statute, the languagemirrors that of Ontario’s Environmental

For the past decade or more, theenvironmental industry in theprairie provinces has facedcomparatively lax environmen-

tal standards, while the rest of Canadahas been bombarded with an ever-in-creasing volume of laws, regulations,policies, procedures and guidelines.

On December 1, 2009, Manitobaclosed the gap. New obligations andmore stringent requirements representopportunities for consultants, engineers,and system providers, but may constitutetraps for the unwary. This article providesan overview of the primary changes re-sulting from Manitoba’s EnvironmentAmendment Act, S.M. 2009 c. 25.

Pre-emptive EPOs – a powerful remedy

Perhaps the most significant additionto the Environment Act is a new powergranted to Manitoba Conservation toissue pre-emptive Environmental Protec-tion Orders (EPOs). These can be issuedby provincial officers not only where apollutant is in the process of being re-leased, but also where there is a per-ceived risk that it may be released in thefuture. Until this amendment, ManitobaConservation’s power to issue such or-ders was limited to environmental emer-gencies.

Under the new regime, ManitobaConservation can require environmentalstudies, including Phase I and Phase IIenvironmental site assessments, as wellas specific remediation activities and on-going monitoring. It is important to notethat EPOs can be issued not only againstcurrent landowners, but against any“person responsible for the pollutant”,including former owners, tenants, for-mer tenants, contractors, fuel deliverycompanies, or other parties.

Shortly after the amendment cameinto force, the Province of Manitoba is-sued a press release indicating that it willincrease enforcement measures and in-tends to hire several new environmentalinspectors in 2010. Of particular con-cern to the Province appear to be themany failing small-scale and individualsewage systems found in rural areas andcottage country. Landowners and rural

Protection Act, under which an “adverseeffect” is not limited to health effects orenvironmental destruction, but includesmaterial discomfort, loss of enjoymentof the normal use of property, and otherfactors.

A similarly broad interpretation inManitoba could lead to an increasedcrackdown on nuisances such as odour,noise or dust, since the word “signifi-cant” leaves a lot of room for interpre-tation. Fines for breaching this provisioncan be as high as $50,000 for individualsand $500,000 for corporations, althoughactual fines will likely be lower.

As a concession to the many live-stock operations that form the economicbackbone of rural Manitoba, the prohi-bition set out above contains an excep-tion for “normal farm practices”, whichare legally protected under the FarmPractices Protection Act.

Anybody who finds him- or herselfinvolved in litigation involving a farmnuisance should pay close attention tothe publications that provide guidanceon what does and what does not consti-tute a “normal farm practice”. For hogbarns, which have proven to be the mostcontroversial operations in recent years,the applicable guideline is the Guidelinefor Pig Producers in Manitoba, 2007,available from Manitoba Agriculture,Food and Rural Initiatives.

As it stands, the reprieve granted toagricultural producers is quite generouscompared to the compliance require-ments demanded of other businesses.Mandatory reporting – it’s not just

for emergencies anymoreConcurrent with the more stringent

pollutant release prohibitions, the newsection 30.1 requires the reporting ofany release of a pollutant that maycause, is causing, or has caused an ad-verse effect (not just a “significant”one). Notably, this requirement is notjust limited to spills but can includeleaks or other ongoing discharges.

Reports must be made to ManitobaConservation, to persons responsible forthe pollutant, and to any other personwho could be directly affected by the re-lease. There is no time limit placed on

Manitoba closes the gap in environmental standardsBy Sven Hombach

The Manitoba legislature.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:02 PM


Environmental Law

the reporting requirement, but future guidance on this issueshould be expected from Manitoba Conservation.

Mandatory consideration of greenhouse gas emissionsPursuant to an amendment to section 12 of the Environment

Act, Manitoba Conservation must now take greenhouse gasemissions into consideration when issuing environmental ap-provals of Class 1, 2, or 3 developments as set out in ManitobaRegulation 164/88. This amendment may play an importantrole in the approvals process because both carbon dioxide andmethane are explicitly defined as greenhouse gases.

Any undertaking involving a combustion process necessar-ily emits carbon dioxide, even with environmental controls.Furthermore, a substantial number of landfills, septic systems,and anaerobic rural lagoons or sewage sludge digesters acrossManitoba, are releasing methane gas, which as a greenhousegas is approximately 20 times as potent as CO2. Brady Road

Landfill, one of Manitoba’s largest single-point sources ofmethane emissions, is currently slated to be retrofitted with amethane capture system by 2011. It is likely that in the futuresuch systems will be required for smaller methane sources aswell.

Public involvement in the permitting process Similar to the Environmental Bill of Rights introduced in

Ontario in 1993, the Environment Act requires certain envi-ronmental proposals to be posted for public comment. The Di-rector of Manitoba Conservation has traditionally had thediscretion to refer any project that garnered substantial nega-tive feedback to the Clean Environment Commission for ahearing.

The recent addition to the Environment Act makes it manda-tory to publicly post any decision of the Director not to referthe matter to a hearing and advise the public that there is aright of appeal to the Lieutenant Governor in Council. The ef-fect of this change is two-fold: firstly, it creates increased ac-countability for decisions to fast-track applications, and,secondly, it increases the chance of such decisions being ap-pealed and the applications receiving additional publicscrutiny.

ConclusionThe Environment Amendment Act of 2009 substantially

closes the gap between Manitoba’s environmental laws andthose of its non-prairie neighbours. In one of the last provincesto have taken a laissez-faire approach to environmental pro-tection, it demonstrates a commitment to take a more inter-ventionist role and require stricter compliance by residents andbusinesses alike. Manitobans and those doing business inManitoba should take heed.

Sven Hombach is with Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP. E-mail: [email protected]

The Environment Amendment Act of 2009 substantially closes the

gap between Manitoba’s environmental laws and those of its

non-prairie neighbours.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:02 PM


Operations

found that, with the brush system, thealgae were still able to grow on the scumbaffles, weirs, brackets and other areasof the launder walls, and to slough offand finally settle in the UV chamber.The sloughed algae appeared not onlyto provide a food source, allowing thetiny snails to flourish and multiply, but“seeded” the UV chamber, thus promot-ing colonization of attached algae on thechamber walls.

The solution and unit performanceThe purpose of the pilot study was to

determine the effectiveness of replacingthe brush system with a spray system tocontrol the attached algae and reducethe resulting snail infestation.

GillTrading.com had contacted Nes-tico to offer its Weir Washer AutomatedCleaning System as a solution to theproblem. This system is a non-contactcleaning approach, utilizing non-potableplant water to form a rotational spray.The water jet action allows uneven andporous surfaces to be cleaned, while min-imizing the amount of water used. Therotational spray acts as a lance, cuttingaway at the algae growth or debris at-tached to the tank surfaces. A program-mable timer or SCADA, which makes itfully automated, operates the system.

Nestico encouraged the company topilot their system at the Jewett Cityplant to determine if it would be able tocontrol the attached algal growth in thesecondary clarifiers and also reduce orprevent any UV tube fouling and snail

Following a changeover to UVdisinfection from chlorinationat some of Connecticut’s waterpollution control facilities, an

increase in attached algal growth, and aproliferation of a dense population of“tiny” snails (pouch snails) have beenobserved in the UV chamber(s).

This appears to cause an “artificial”increase in suspended solids in the finaleffluent, and at some facilities, the plantwater needs to be filtered before it canbe recycled back into the facility with-out maintenance problems.

The Jewett City Wastewater Treat-ment Plant (WWTP), which was built in2005 to process 1.1 mgd of wastewater,was selected as the best site for a pilotstudy, using weir washing technology.

Unit processes for this plant consist ofpretreatment, carousel-type nitrification/denitrification, clarification, and UV dis-infection. In 2006, plant staff documentedincreased suspended solids in the final ef-fluent samples due to snail shells becausea snail population had proliferated in theUV chamber(s). David Drobiak, superin-tendent of the Jewett City WWTP, re-quested assistance with this concern fromthe Connecticut Department of Environ-mental Protection (DEP).

DEP biologist Joe Nestico had sug-gested that the high snail population ap-peared to be the direct result of anavailable food source, i.e., attachedalgae growing in the UV chamber. Hesuggested regular cleaning of the at-tached algal growth on the clarifierlaunders and weirs, and washing of theUV chamber(s) to minimize or elimi-nate the snail population. The amount ofmaintenance by Jewett staff was gov-erned by the consistent reduction inalgal growth and, of course, the snailpopulation. In essence, there was a lotof work to be done in order to observe acause-and-effect change to the problem.

In the design of the plant, considera-tion was made for attached algae con-trol, and a conventional brush-typesystem was installed for the two second-ary clarifiers. Unfortunately, Jewett City

proliferation. There was also an expec-tation by all parties to minimize or elim-inate the need for regular manualcleaning by the staff.

In the fall of 2006, a spare secondaryclarifier was retrofitted so that only thistank with the spray system would befeeding clarified effluent into the UVchamber.

During the first year of operation, theplant water system that is needed to pro-vide the 30 gpm flow at 65 psi pressureto the spray washer system was found tohave a cracked pipe. For some time be-fore and after its discovery, this mini-mized reliable or satisfactory cleaningresults. However, even with inadequateflow and pressure, the Weir Washer ACSprovided better cleaning, less attachedalgal fouling in the UV chamber, and anobservable reduction in the snail popula-tion. In addition, manual cleaning was re-quired only once a quarter, instead oftwice a month.

Although the system removed andminimized the majority of attached algalgrowth and regrowth, a residual, blackgrowth remained. This was determinedto be dead, coccoid green algae, prima-rily a cosmetic issue as it does not ap-pear to be a food source for the snails.It was determined that the best way toaddress the remaining debris was to adda booster pump that provided a pressureof 120 psi.

Although more time will be neededto document sustainability of the clean-ing system while maintaining these sat-isfactory results, it appears to date thatthe Weir Washer ACS is an effectivemethod for controlling and/or eliminat-ing attached algal growth in secondaryclarifiers. It also appears to be effectivein snail population control in UV disin-fection chambers, and has vastly re-duced staff maintenance time.

David Drobiak is with the Jewett CityWWTP. Joseph Nestico is with

the Connecticut DEP, and Shawna Gillis with GillTrading.com, Inc.


Controlling algae and snail growth in UV disinfection chambersBy David Drobiak, Joseph Nestico and Shawna Gill

Weir Washer Automated CleaningSystem.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:02 PM


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Dear Mr. Dhillon and Dr. Fleet,

As an environmental engineer andan employee of the Ontario Ministryof the Environment, I'm very inter-ested in the climate change debateand read with interest your article inthe January 2010 Environmental Sci-ence & Engineering Magazine.

However, some of the "statistics"that are routinely thrown out to thepublic by the various parties in thisdebate are frustratingly inconsistentand sometimes appear to be some-what self serving. The damage doneto the climate change movement bythe recent "e-mail scandal" whichsuggested the manipulation of somedata by a few climate change scien-tists, has set public attitude back adecade.

I was, therefore, a little disap-pointed to see the unsupported state-ment in your article: "The Alberta oilsands contribute more than one thirdof Canada's emissions (of GHGs)".In a January 12, 2010 article by the

Conference Board of Canada theystated the following:

"Stemming consumers' long-termenergy demand also needs to be partof a climate change plan. In compar-ison to oil sands emissions of fiveper cent, road transportation - pri-marily due to consumer demand forlight-duty trucks, including SUVs -accounted for approximately 18 percent of total Canadian GHG emis-sions in 2007."

How can the estimate of the GHGemissions from the oil sands vary sowildly? I'm not suggesting you arewrong, or that the Conference Boardof Canada is right. I understand it ispossible you are both right, justusing different assumptions. How-ever to provide the “one third” state-ment without any explanation orjustification is irresponsible.

I understand your article may justbe an abstract of the full paper, and,therefore, some of my criticism isextended to ESE editorial staff aswell. ESE is for scientists and engi-

Letter to the Editorneers. For those of us who are not cli-mate change scientists, what we mayconclude from this is that estimatesof GHG emissions from the Albertaoil sands range from 5% to 33% ofCanada's total GHG output! Perhapsunfairly, this tends to erode our faithin the science of climate change.

Steve Reitzel, Sudbury, Ontario

Dear Mr Reitzel

Thank you for your constructivecomments. Our main objective in thisshort paper was to alert the businesscommunity to the need to plan for thetransition to the low carbon econ-omy. Certainly, irrespective of thecontribution from the tar sands to thetotal GHG emissions, Canada's envi-ronmental image could do with asubstantial improvement.

Dr. Bernard Fleet

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:02 PM


Air Pollution

quirement for a continuous emissionmonitoring system.

Manual test methods are not very ef-ficient for continuous compliance deter-mination, so regulatory agencies neededan alternative. This need was first satis-factorily met using continuous emissionmonitoring systems (CEMS) that utilizegas analyzers, calibration gases and ex-tractive sampling components. A dataacquisition system (DAS) is typicallyused to collect data, calculate emissionrates, alarm, and store historical datafrom these CEMS.

The Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) began to require continuous mon-itoring of larger sources such as gas tur-bines with the Clean Air Act regulation 40CFR Part 75. However, because of anumber of negative factors related tousing CEMS, such as high initial capitalcost, high operating cost, maintenanceand operator training, it became apparentthat an alternative needed to be found.

The difference between CEMS and PEMS

One such alternative is a predictiveemission monitoring system (PEMS). Inrecent years, the US regulations that re-quire CEMS also allow the use of pre-

Since 1990, US federal regula-tions under the Clean Air Acthave required continuous moni-toring and reporting of emissions

from large (over 25 MW) combustionsources. Initially, pollutants to be moni-tored were mass emissions of sulphurdioxide (SO2), carbon dioxide (CO2) andnitrogen oxides (NOx), as well as fuelflow and heat input. The purpose of theseregulations, which were under the AcidRain Program, is to use a market-basedapproach to reduce emissions.

One allowance is an authorization toemit one ton of emissions during or aftera specified calendar year. A utility maybuy, sell or hold allowances as part of itscompliance strategy. An essential featureof smoothly operating markets is amethod for accurately measuring thecommodity being traded, thus the re-

dictive approaches as an alternative, pro-vided the installed PEMS meets rigor-ous performance specification criteria.These include periodic audits withportable analyzers and annual relativeaccuracy testing.

CEMS have provided the confidenceunderpinning the “currency” of the mar-ket-based emission allowance programand it was recognized that, for this pro-gram to work, the currency could not beweakened. Provisions had to be put inplace to ensure that a ton of emissionsfrom one source is equal to a ton ofemissions from any other source, re-gardless of whether it is measured by acertified CEMS or the alternative PEMSsolution.

In Canadian jurisdictions, such asOntario, PEMS guidelines are nowbeing developed. Even without guide-lines in place, regulatory bodies inCanada are generally open to reviewingapplications for the use of PEMS, and anumber of PEMS have been imple-mented.

Since CEMS are different fromPEMS, methods had to be developed,similar to those used in a CEMS, to as-sure the quality of the predicted emis-

A cost-effective alternative to continuous emission monitoring systemsBy Michael Roth and Paul Lawrence

Water for PeopleCanada

Tel: 416-499-4042Fax: 416-499-4687

www.waterforpeople.org

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:03 PM

Air Pollution

sions data. PEMS methods, have, there-fore, been developed for daily calibration,sensor diagnostics and error flagging. Inaddition, PEMS are implemented withsystem integrity architecture (tamperingprevention through serial number controland security layers), quarterly audits, andcertification procedures.

In practical applications, PEMS arebest applied to oil-fired and gas-firedunits. They are more difficult to deployon facilities fired by solid fuels (e.g.,coal or mixed solid waste) because ofthe difficulty in accounting for the vari-ability in the fuel composition. PEMSare used successfully on simple-cycleand combined-cycle gas turbines, inter-nal combustion engines and traditionalboilers, firing liquid or gaseous fuels.

Compared to a typical CEMS, thestatistical hybrid PEMS has the follow-ing advantages:• A PEMS is substantially less expen-sive than a CEMS. Typically, the capitalcost of a PEMS is half that of a CEMSand the annual operating cost will beabout one-third or less. • Less on-site training.

• No requirement for EPA protocol cal-ibration gases, piping, wiring, gas regu-lators or software to operate the autocalibration sequence.• No on-going preventive maintenancerequirements. • Higher data availability that is tied toDCS availability, which should normallyapproach 100%. The PEMS does notrely on any one process input to main-tain system uptime or accuracy of emis-sions data.• Can be used to determine the sourceof excess emissions. Combustion inputparameter(s) that are out of normalrange can be identified and alarmed forimmediate action and provide a trail sothe issue can be diagnosed and cor-rected. • Minimal maintenance and service.• Accuracy that is equal to or betterthan a CEMS. PEMS inherently do notdrift; they rely on process inputs and in-struments that typically drift no morethan 0.5 to 1% per year. Typical PEMSmodels utilize 15 or more input para-meters that are, in some cases, redun-dant. The resulting emissions prediction

is resilient to input failure and drift sothat no single input parameter is criticalto the accuracy of the predicted emis-sion.

PEMS demonstrationCMC Solutions has deployed an ad-

vanced statistical hybrid PEMS for threegas-fired turbines at a cogeneration fa-cility in Dearborn, Michigan. The PEMSwere successfully installed and certifiedin March 2004 for compliance withNOX emission regulations under the fed-eral US emission trading program (40CFR Part 75) and for compliance withCO emission regulations under the newsource performance standards (40 CFRPart 60).

Michael Roth is with CMC Solutions,E-mail: [email protected].

Paul Lawrence is with PML Process Technology, E-mail:[email protected]

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:03 PM


Wastewater Treatment

composition can become managementinformation as it helps to improve the ef-ficiency of in-plant processes, by mini-mizing product losses, water spills, andenergy usage. The overall result is agrowing interest within the industry inenvironmental pollution control systems.

A partnership has developed betweenPaques BV, a global technology providerof anaerobic wastewater treatment sys-tems, and Maple Reinders Constructors,a general contractor in the water andwastewater industry, to deliver these sys-tems to the Canadian market.

Advantages of anaerobic wastewater treatment

The main advantages of anaerobictreatment over conventional aerobic treat-ment are:

1. Significantly reduced internal en-ergy consumption at the plant.

2. Net production energy in the formof valuable energy-rich biogas (mainlyCH4).

Over the last few decades, thefood and beverage industryhas shown greater environ-mental awareness, leading to

increased investment in environmentalprotection measures.

Important internal drivers for the in-dustry are the implementation of envi-ronmental management systems (EMS)such as ISO 14001, and internal policieson zero waste and achieving “sustain-ability”. Important external drivers forenvironmental investments are local leg-islation and environmental taxation sys-tems (discharge levies).

In Ontario, the launching of the OPAFIT (Feed in Tariff) program in late fall2009, which compensates industry forgenerating “green energy,” has been an in-teresting incentive for capital investmentsin anaerobic wastewater treatment plants.

Wastewater composition is often di-rectly related to in-plant activities. As aresult, knowledge about wastewater

Anaerobic treatment of food and beverage industry wastewater By Ben van Vree, Aafko Scheringa and Willie Driessen

Figure 1. Biopaq® UASB Reactor.

3. Low emissions of the greenhousegas CO2 and the potential for carbon gascredits.

4. Minimized production of biologi-cal excess sludge.

5. A small footprint required for con-struction.

In the late 1970s, the first upflow

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anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors were developedto treat sugar mill-based effluent. Since then, the UASB sys-tem has become the most widely applied reactor technologyfor anaerobic treatment of various industrial effluents.

In UASB reactors, effective sludge retention is accom-plished by using a sophisticated three-phase separator ontop of the reactor, which separates biogas, sludge, andtreated effluent. Biomass develops in the form of well set-tleable, dense granular particles with high conversion rates.Although the granules themselves have superior settlingcharacteristics, sludge retention in UASB reactors becomescritical at high upflow gas and liquid velocities.

As well, the maximum potential methanogenic activityof granular biomass appears to be much higher than thesludge loading rates generally applied in full-scale reactors.Thus the UASB system seems restricted in its treatment ca-pacity because of mass transfer limitations due to sub-opti-mal mixing conditions inside the reactor.

Scaling up bioreactorsIn order to overcome the hydraulic and organic loading

limitations of the UASB reactors, new high-rate reactor con-cepts with an increased height/diameter ratio have been de-veloped. These systems operate with higher upflowvelocities and organic loading rates. Increased biomass ac-tivity is obtained as a result of improved contact betweenwastewater and biomass.

When granulated anaerobic sludge is used as active bio-mass, these reactors are referred to as EGSB (expandedgranular sludge bed) reactors. A successful version of thisconcept is the IC (internal circulation) reactor, which hasfound widespread application for the anaerobic treatment ofindustrial effluents.

In the UASB reactor (Figure 1) influent is evenly distrib-uted over the reactor bottom. Subsequently, wastewater flowsthrough a dense layer of anaerobic biomass, which converts


The Miller brewery in Fort Worth, Texas, uses a 1190m3

Biopaq IC reactor.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:03 PM


tween the biomass and wastewater is en-sured. The volumetric loading rate of theIC reactor (15-30 kg COD/m3.d) is typ-ically twice as high as the UASB reactor(7-15 kg COD/m3.d), but still ensuresexcellent biomass retention.

Case study: Brewery wastewaterDue to increased effluent surcharges,

a brewery decided to pre-treat its effluentanaerobically prior to discharging it intothe municipal sewer system. As the brew-ery is close to a residential area, littlespace was available to build the treatmentplant. Based on successful long-term op-erational experience at other brewerieslocated in urban areas, and due to the

the COD into biogas. In the top of theUASB reactor, the produced biogas andbiomass are separated from the treatedeffluent by a three-phase-separator.

The Paques IC reactor (Figure 2) hasa two-stage reactor design, consisting oftwo UASB reactors on top of each other.

While the first separator removesmost of the biogas, turbulence is signif-icantly reduced, allowing optimal sepa-ration of the biomass by the secondseparator. The IC reactor is equippedwith gas-lift-driven extra internal circu-lation of effluent, creating extra turbu-lence in the bottom compartment. Dueto the extra turbulence, good contact be-

small footprint available, it was decidedto construct an anaerobic treatment plantwith an IC reactor.

To secure an odour-free operation, alltanks and reactors are covered andvented. Off-gas is neutralized via oxida-tion in the aerobic polishing tank andadditional biofilters.

The current wastewater treatmentplant includes a fine screen, a buffertank/acidification tank, a calamity tank,a conditioning tank, and an IC reactor.The biogas produced is treated in a bio-logical scrubber to remove H2S before itis blended with natural gas and inciner-ated in the steam boilers. The biologicalbiogas scrubber produces caustic by lim-ited oxidation of the H2S into elementalsulphur.

An emergency flare was installed


Table 1: Typical characteristics of the brewery effluent.

Figure 2. Biopaq® IC Reactor.


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May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:03 PM



and flares the biogas whenever it cannotbe burned in the boiler. A calamity tankwas installed for temporary storage of“off-spec” effluent having an extremeCOD, pH or temperature.

The typical composition of the brew-ery effluent discharged to the treatmentplant is shown in Table 1.

Over an operational period of twoyears, the IC reactor has coped with CODloadings up to 28,900 kg/d, achievingCOD removal efficiencies of 83% on av-erage. The total COD influent and solubleCOD concentration of the influent variedbetween 2,020 mg/l up to 5,790 mg/l, and446 – 4,575 mg/l respectively. SolubleCOD concentration in the treated effluentvaried between 246 and 760 mg/l. The ICreactor has been running satisfactorily,handling large fluctuations in the loadingrate and wastewater composition.

The biogas produced accounts for ap-proximately 15% of the energy consump-tion of the brewery.

ConclusionThe technology described in the case

study can be applied to breweries pro-ducing between 500,000 and 8 millionhectolitres per year. A special applica-tion has been developed for microbrew-eries producing up to 200,000 HL/year.Based on long-term operational experi-ence, anaerobic treatment has proven tobe a reliable and cost-effective methodto treat not only brewery effluent. butalso a wide range of other effluents inthe food and beverage industry.

Biogas produced by the IC reactorcan be used as a fuel to feed a CHP (co-generation of heat and power) unit. De-pending on the COD loads and theamount of biogas generated, the electri-cal power yielded from an anaerobicwastewater treatment can range from250kW to 1MW or more.

Ben van Vree is with Maple Reinders Constructors. Aafko

Scheringa and Willie Driessen are with Paques BV in the Netherlands.


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fluent limits and almost any reuse stan-dards. In addition, package MBR systemsrequire less operator attention and areeasier to monitor remotely due to instru-mentation and controls.

The main disadvantages of packageMBR systems include their higher capi-tal cost and energy demand. The mem-branes also require periodic chemicalcleaning, and the hydraulic limitationsof the membranes may necessitate moresystem equalization.

Siemens Water Technologies is botha membrane manufacturer and packageMBR system integrator. The company’sXpress™ package MBR system is man-ufactured in four sizes. The smallest unithas a treatment capacity of approxi-mately 100,000 L/day, and the largesthas a treatment capacity of nearly400,000 L/day.

The package plant includes finescreening, suspended growth biologicaltreatment, and membrane filtration. Ul-traviolet disinfection can easily be addedto these systems for complete treatment.Each of the package plants undergoes upto two weeks of factory testing to ensureall mechanical and electrical works op-erate as designed, prior to shipment.

Case history: Grey Eagle CasinoThe Grey Eagle Casino was a new

commercial venture by the Tsuu T’inaNation, in partnership with Sonco Gam-ing (Alberta) Ltd. This casino and futurehotel/entertainment project is located onTsuu T’ina lands in southwest Calgary.

The location had no water and sewerservices, and had tight standards for dis-charging the wastewater that ultimately

Decentralized wastewater man-agement is defined as the col-lection, treatment and reuseof wastewater at or near the

point of waste generation. Decentralizedwastewater treatment has been utilizedfor many years, with a number of differ-ent treatment technologies, most notablyseptic systems.

In cases where septic treatment is notadequate to meet the treatment objec-tives, engineers will often incorporatesecondary and tertiary treatment into theprocess design. Attached growth, acti-vated sludge or hybrid systems can all beused, in combination with tertiary filtra-tion and disinfection, to achieve even thetightest effluent limits.

One technology that has proven verysuccessful for decentralized systems inrecent years is the membrane bioreactor(MBR). The technology incorporatessettling, activated sludge and filtration,into a compact process configuration.Membrane filtration is the distinguish-ing element of an MBR process. Manydifferent types and configurations ofproprietary membranes exist, with mostmembrane manufacturers, and severalsystem integrators, offering package ormodular systems.

A package plant is a system that isfully assembled (wiring/plumbing) withthe ability to start up and wet-test allequipment, including electrical works, inthe factory. Due to shipping constraints,portions of the package plant may re-quire re-assembly at the installation site.These systems have a service range froma single residence to small communitiesor commercial establishments.

Pros and cons of package systemsThere are several advantages to using

package MBR systems over conventionaltreatment systems, including reduced en-gineering and construction labour, as wellas reduced installation and commission-ing time. Package MBR systems have avery small footprint and are capable ofbeing assembled to meet tight projectschedules. They also consistently produceeffluent that can meet very stringent ef-

goes into Pine Creek. Any discharge atthis location required advanced treat-ment, including a highly filtered efflu-ent, with nitrogen removal to levelsbelow 10 mg/L total nitrogen, and phos-phorus removal to levels less than 0.5mg/L.

In addition to advanced treatment,the site layout required a compact sys-tem that would allow both the waste-water treatment and water treatmentsystems to be housed in the same build-ing. The close proximity of the equip-ment to the casino made stringent odourcontrol necessary. A very tight projectschedule, as well as the short supply ofconstruction labour during a period ofheavy oilfield development, created apreference for a simple, prefabricatedsystem that could be installed quicklyand inexpensively.

After looking at several options,Sonco Gaming’s engineer selected theXpress MBR package plant. With an es-timated average flow rate of 200,000L/day, this plant addressed all of thecasino’s specified needs. The advancedtreatment unit easily met the casino’sstringent effluent requirements. The sys-tem was designed with a completely en-closed biological reactor and coveredmembrane tanks. A simple carbon ad-sorption odour control system ensurednuisance-free operation.

The compressed schedule meant thatthe building for the water and waste-water equipment had to be constructedwell before equipment delivery. Whenthe MBR skid arrived, it was conve-niently lifted through removable roof

A package plant approach to decentralized wastewater treatment

Process flow diagram of conventional Modified Ludzack Ettinger (MLE) processfor packaged MBR systems.

By Nathan Antonneau, John Irwin, and Brett Woods

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:04 PM



panels, set in place, and quickly in-stalled.

The complete wastewater system in-cludes an in-ground equalization andsludge storage basin, lift pumps, andMBR package system (fine-screen,anoxic and aerobic biological treatmentreactors, and a two-cell membrane sys-tem followed by disinfection). Effluentis discharged to a subsurface disposalsystem and ultimately drains into PineCreek. The system has been meeting alldischarge requirements since it becameoperational in October 2007.

Case history: Lower KuskokwimSchool District

The Lower Kuskokwim School Dis-trict (LKSD), headquartered in Bethel insouthwestern Alaska, is one of the state’slargest rural school districts, serving a58,900-sq-km area, roughly the size ofthe state of West Virginia. With only3,800 students, the LKSD operates sev-eral small, very remote sites. Many of thewastewater treatment systems are on-sitedecentralized systems.

Recently, the LKSD began to imple-ment district-wide upgrades to itsschools’ wastewater treatment systems.Package treatment plants were recom-mended for three of the more remoteschools that were evaluated. A compactsystem was specified because the waterand wastewater systems had limitedspace available. The LKSD also has a dis-trict-wide SCADA system that monitorsmany critical elements of its schools’ op-erations, including the wastewater treat-ment systems.

The LKSD worked closely with itsengineer and determined that a 100,000L/day Xpress MBR package plant wouldbest meet the district’s needs. The solu-tion met all critical design elements:small footprint, remote monitoring ca-pability, and packaged system approach.Since the three schools were very re-mote, the contractor elected to pre-con-struct a building around the Xpresssystem to simplify installation.

The unit was shipped from the fac-tory in Thomasville, Georgia, toBillings, Montana, for full assembly.The building was then deconstructed forshipping to Seattle, where the Xpressunit and building components wereloaded onto a barge and shipped to theschool sites, which were all accessible

Installation at Grey Eagle Casino in Calgary.

by waterway. The Xpress unit and build-ing were off-loaded from the barge andreconstructed at the site. So far, oneplant has been commissioned and theother two are scheduled for commission-ing this winter.

Decentralized systems have beenused for many years to meet a variety ofproject requirements. MBR systemsoffer many advantages over more con-

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ventional wastewater treatment systems,and packaged MBR systems are a provenalternative for decentralized treatment.

Nathan Antonneau, P.E., John Irwin,P.E., and Brett Woods are with Siemens

Water Technologies. E-mail:[email protected],

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May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:04 PM



Toronto’s Humber TreatmentPlant is a conventional acti-vated sludge treatment facility,with a rated capacity of 473

ML/day. It currently disinfects effluentwith chlorine, using the outfall to pro-vide contact time.

In 2008, a project was initiated todechlorinate effluent to reduce toxic dis-charges. This initiative was in responseto federal regulatory changes promul-gated as part of the pollution preventioninitiative. The City of Toronto also sawthis as an opportunity to pursue the nextstep in the evolution of the plant’s treat-ment processes.

With no land available for a new con-tact basin and no desire to replace agravity-flow outfall, the City was eagerto continue its current disinfection prac-tices. However, to meet the requirementsof the new regulation, it was necessaryto devise a means to dechlorinate beforedischarging effluent into Lake Ontario.

The answer to the challenge of pro-viding effective disinfection with chlo-rine while minimizing toxic dischargeswas found in part via the solution devel-oped by Black & Veatch (B&V) for Mis-sissauga’s GE Booth (Lakeview) WWTP,which also discharges into the westernend of Lake Ontario.

The resulting approach was to main-tain gravity flow through the existingsubmerged outfall and convert it to achlorination/dechlorination contact tankto meet the new chlorine residual limit.

An on-land scaled simulator has beenconstructed and calibrated to outfall flowvelocity. The simulator operates contin-uously to monitor disinfection reactions,using flow-pacing with Oxidation Re-duction Potential (ORP) feedback andresidual tuning to chlorination anddechlorination dosing equipment. Thesimulator will also provide samples forregulatory compliance reporting.

To ensure compliance with restraintson diver accessibility, prevent the needfor marine (lakebed) construction, andto minimize the impact on chlorine con-tact time, the outfall chlorination zone

Using computational fluid dynamic modelingfor optimal chlorine mixing By Dari Laine, Sean Partington, Gary Hunter and James Powell

Figure 1. Mesh resolution.

of intakes for the simulator downstreamof the proposed chlorine solution dosingpoint, B&V performed computationalfluid dynamic (CFD) modelling. CFD isa computer modelling method that sim-ulates three-dimensional fluid flowsusing the finite volume method. Themathematical problem is discretised intonumerous small elements, each possess-ing an algebraic approximation for thecontinuity of mass, momentum and en-ergy, which are then solved simultane-ously. Ansys CFX-11 software was usedfor the CFD analysis in this study.

All simulations were carried out toobtain a steady-state solution in time. Toassess the degree of mixing, an addi-tional tracer variable was simulated, alsounder steady-state conditions. The tracerwas injected at the chlorination solutioninjection point and allowed to driftthrough the outfall to the outlet. Distri-bution of the tracer was then calculatedat several planes downstream of the in-jection point to give an assessment of thedegree of mixing.

The method used for assessment wasthe coefficient of variation (COV). Thisis calculated based on tracer concentra-tion data at each plane. Resolution of themesh at the calculation plane can beseen in Figure 1.

Practically, the lower the COV value,the smaller the overall deviation from themean tracer concentration, thus implying

was reduced by only 75 metres in lengthto create a dechlorination zone. How-ever, because of a significant peakingfactor, translating to limited contact timeduring wet-weather events, it was neces-sary to seek improvements to the exist-ing chlorination dosing scheme alongwith an innovative dechlorination dosingprocess.

For years the plant has injected chlo-rine solution into the outfall downstreamof an effluent gate chamber. Mixing isprovided predominantly by the action ofthe submerged chlorine solution jet in-jected into the effluent outfall stream. Toenhance mixing, B&V proposed rerout-ing the disinfectant piping upstream tothe chamber and installing mechanicalmixers to enhance disinfectant disper-sion.

To ensure these measures were effec-tive, and to define the optimal placement

Figure 2. Chlorination injection tracer concentrations.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:04 PM



good mixing. Conversely, the larger theCOV, the greater the overall deviationfrom the mean of the measured tracerconcentration. Most static mixer manu-facturers guarantee a COV of 0.05 orless. This is normally used as an ade-quate standard for uniform mixing. Themixing length required, however, mayvary according to the efficiency of themixing device.

Besides COV, another useful para-meter to plot is the deviation from meantracer concentration at sections along theoutfall.

Tracer concentrations are shown inFigure 2. Results of the modelling exer-cise for improved chlorine dosing arebest represented by the simulated tracerconcentrations at planes downstream ofthe injection point as presented in Figure3. The disinfection agent, as representedby the tracer concentrations, would beexpected to be fully mixed approxi-mately 100 metres downstream of theinjection point, thus defining the loca-tion for the sampling intakes for the con-trol of the chlorination/dechlorinationsystem upgrade.

The second portion of the project as-sessed dechlorination upgrades. Theplant’s outfall configuration certainlypresented a significant challenge. Inves-tigation revealed that, when experienc-ing above-average flows, the 75 m longdechlorination zone would only provideample residence time if dechlorinationagent/chlorinated effluent mixing wereto be enhanced.

Immediately, the plant’s senior pro-fessional recommended a static mixerconcept involving flow rotation andshear. Designers proceeded with an eval-

uation of simplistic static mixer geome-tries that could be installed in the sub-merged outfall (under Lake Ontario)through an existing 1200 mm diameterdiffuser.

Preliminary modeling was devel-oped, and results presented. Plant staffelaborated on their initial design, pro-posing an improved injection/staticmixer apparatus, and offered several im-provements in order to reduce the risk oftrapping rags, protect the dechlorinationagent injectors, and minimize head


Figure 3. Deviation from mean tracer concentration = low COV = good mixing.

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loss/capacity of the outfall. The plant’s proposed static mixer/in-

jector was to generate shear and rotationfollowed by counter-rotation. This wasaccomplished with two sets of four fin-shaped baffles angled at 45 degrees tothe pipe-axis. The first set incorporatedsodium bisulphite injectors, and wouldshear the effluent stream, producing arotation. The second set would create acounter-rotation and provide additionalshear. Baffle configuration was mod-elled to quantify the improvement overthe simplistic geometries. The four casesare illustrated in Figure 4.

Relative performance of the proposedbaffle configurations, each over threeflows, is best demonstrated by the simu-lated tracer variation from point ofsodium bisulphite injection to 75 mdownstream, as presented in Figure 5.Case 1 failed to meet COV = 0.05 evenafter a mixing length of 75 m. Case 2provided acceptable mixing (COV =0.05) for all flow rates after a distance of35 m downstream of dechlorinationagent injection. Case 3 provided similarresults; however, acceptable mixing wasachieved at a distance of 60 m.

Overall, Case 4 proved to be most ef-

ficient, reaching an acceptable level ofmixing at a distance of only 17 m down-stream of the injection point. CFDanalyses indicated that Case 2, 3 and 4each achieved acceptable mixing results.However, subsequent pressure calcula-tions revealed that Case 4 exhibited thelowest headloss of all three designs.Case 4 also presented the most consis-tent result for the entire flow range.

In summary, CFD analyses provedcrucial for the development of the chlo-rination injection modifications as abuilding block for chlorination systemcontrol upgrades. CFD analyses also

confirmed that the plant staff’s dechlo-rination agent mixing baffle/injector de-sign was the best option for the plant.Construction is now underway, and theCity is on target to commission theplant’s upgraded system, thanks, in largepart, to CFD modelling.

Dari A. Laine is with Toronto Water’sHumber Treatment Plant.

Sean Partington, Gary Hunter andJames Powell are with Black &

Veatch’s Markham, Ontario, office. For more information, E-mail:

[email protected]

Case 1 - Single baffle, 90 degrees to flow.

Figure 4.

Case 2 - Four baffles, 90 degrees to flow.

Case 3 - Four baffles, 75 degrees to flow.

Case 4 - Eight curved baffes, 45 degrees to flow.

Figure 5. Case 1 through 4 comparison. Low COV = good mixing.

CFD analyses proved crucial for the development of the chlorination injection

modifications as a building block for chlorinationsystem control upgrades.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:04 PM


Drinking Water Supply

Anew report from the WaterResearch Foundation investi-gated trends in householdwater usage in North Amer-

ica during the past 30 years and drewpreliminary conclusions on the magni-tude and causes of declining usage perresidential customer. The study focusedon understanding residential water-usagebehavior patterns and trends, assessingthe impact of those patterns on water util-ity operations, and providing data thatcan be correlated with future trends forplanning purposes.

The decline in residential water usageper customer has occurred as the num-ber of residents and households contin-ues to grow and as household incomescontinue to rise. A variety of theorieshave been advanced to explain the de-clining usage, including wetter weather,changes in household size and type,water-conserving fixtures and appli-ances, customer classification anom-alies, and price increases.

However, to date, no definitive state-ment has been made as to the validity ofthese theories or the amount each con-tributes to residential water-usage de-cline. For utilities to both encourageconservation and have sufficient financialreserves for maintenance and growth, itis necessary to better understand howwater-use patterns have changed over thelast 30 years, what factors are drivingusage, and how these factors might im-pact utilities in the future.

Researchers quantified residentialwater-use changes across North Americaobserved during the past 30 years. Thestudy consisted of three elements, begin-ning with a macro view of the issue anddeveloping into a micro view, with as-sessments of household water consump-tion behavior at the national, regional,and local levels.

The national trends component of thestudy analyzed the historic databases of43 representative utilities. Analysis esti-mated the statistical relationships amongsix variables over time: utility size, watersource, ownership type, precipitationzone, temperature zone, and droughtindex. The regional component of thestudy examined the specific experiences

reported by 11 utilities who agreed toparticipate and provide background in-formation and data. The local compo-nent assessed the independent impactsof many water-conservation fixtures andhousehold demographics.

Results and conclusionsThis research documents a pervasive

trend toward lower water usage perhousehold. The national and regionalcomponents of the study found that res-idential water usage per customer hasdecreased more than 380 gallons annu-ally over the last three decades. Similarto the national and regional findings, thelocal study with the Louisville WaterCompany showed a reduction in water

usage per residential customer. Themagnitude of the decline is consistentacross North American utilities and isconfirmed by more detailed data pro-vided by the study's 11 partner utilities,although there were annual variationsdue to regional factors.

Results of the study's statistical mod-els identified the magnitude of both pos-

New report issued on residential water usage trends


itive and negative forces affecting waterusage. The decline in number of resi-dents per household is clearly an impor-tant factor in falling water consumptionper residential customer. However, thenegative consequences of smaller house-holds appear to be more than offset bythe positive consequences of higherhousehold incomes. Higher incomeshave led to larger homes, with morewater-using appliances, and more land-scape irrigation. Thus, the net decline inwater usage per household appears to bedue to the steady penetration of low-flow appliances over the past 20 years.

Developing management plansThe steady decline in usage per

household has important financial-plan-ning consequences for water utility com-panies, as infrastructure is spread overmore housing units, using less water thanbefore. Data compiled in this researchare intended to assist utilities in develop-ing realistic management plans that take

Researchers faced difficulties in obtaining accurate data for measuring

usage and identifying patterns.

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:05 PM

NEWS


into account the primary causes of de-clining residential water usage. It willprovide a tool for projecting residentialwater usage in light of utility-specifictrends. Utilities serving communitieswith growth in single-occupant house-holds are likely to see erosion in rev-enues per household.

Additionally, new regulations gov-erning water-conserving appliances andfixtures further indicate that residentialwater usage will continue to decline asnewer homes make up a larger compo-nent of the housing stock. Utilities mayfind it useful to track persons per house-hold in addition to number of householdsas they plan infrastructure and set rates.

Standardized classification and data management practicesResearchers faced difficulties in ob-

taining accurate data for measuring usageand identifying patterns. Water-usage dataobtained from utilities reflect informationcaptured for billing and metering reasons,not for analysis. It is challenging to as-semble consistent household water-usagedata over time across utilities because ofthe lack of universal metering practices, astandardized method for classifying cus-

tomers, and maintaining databases. Thus,it is recommended that standardized cus-tomer classifications and database main-tenance practices be established.

Local level studies Though the water usage model devel-

oped for this study provides valuable in-

sight into the detailed structure of resi-dential water usage, these models are stillweak in explaining the huge variations inresidential water usage among the partic-ipating utilities. Others studies have alsofound only weak relationships betweenwater usage and traditional socio-eco-nomic and physical factors. Further re-search is needed on other demographicand housing variables to obtain a morecomprehensive understanding of the de-terminants of residential water usage, es-pecially in areas periodically affected bywater stress.

For a utility to adequately understandthe local factors influencing residentialusage, it needs to conduct an in-depthdemographic study of existing cus-tomers. Combining this informationwith daily household usage data gath-ered via data logging allows utilities togain valuable insight into the impacts oflocal factors on residential water usage.The model employed in this study pro-vides a reasonable methodology for util-ities to adopt and extend.

For more information, visitwww.waterresearchfoundation.org

Drinking Water Supply

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WERF studying barriers to biogas utilization

The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) is fund-ing research that will help wastewater treatment plants over-come barriers and disincentives for biogas production and itsuse to generate heat and power. In particular, the research willprovide owners and operators of small WWTPs (less than 4.5MGD) with strategies to overcome the size threshold of plantsthat can economically produce biogas and recover energy insome form.

Wastewater utilities are realizing opportunities to capture anduse energy and resources in wastewater and residuals. However,there are often tradeoffs, or barriers, to maximizing the recoveryof energy embedded in wastewater. A primary area of researchnecessary to promote the greater use of biogas (biomethane) forenergy recovery is to evaluate barriers to the generation of heatand power from biogas.

Some reports show that fewer than 20% of larger WWTPswith anaerobic digestion operations produce combined heat andpower (CHP. This likely means there must be either actual, orperceived, barriers to a broader use of these heat capture or en-ergy recovery technologies by wastewater plants.

For more information, visit www.werf.org

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Hand-held DO meter

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

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

Multiparameter meter

Hoskin ScientificHoskin Scientific


ITT Water and Wastewater

WEDECO Ozone Generators from ITTWater & Wastewater eliminate pollu-tants, coloured substances, odours andmicro-organisms without creating harm-ful byproducts. They are compact in de-sign to reduce overall footprint, andprovide reduced energy consumptionper unit of ozone production.Tel: 514-695-0100, Fax: 514-697-0602Web: www.ittwww.ca

Chemical-free water treatment

Geneq

GPS mapping

Geneq Inc. have integrated a DGPSBeacon receiver inside their SXBlueII GPS product. The SXBlue II-BGPS expands the sub-meter GPSmapping performance to over 38countries around the world, wherevera DGPS beacon transmitter is broad-casting. It is compact and rugged foroptimal field use, requiring no back-pack nor external batteries. Tel: 1-800-463-4363E-mail: [email protected]: www.sxbluegps.com

Corrugated Steel Pipe Institute

Polymer laminated coating

Polymer Lami-nated CorrugatedSteel Pipe pro-vides protectionagainst the uncer-tainties of tomor-row. This tough,mill-applied coat-ing protects both

the steel and galvanized coating from at-tack by a multitude of agents. The coat-ing has performed well in extremelyaggressive environments and is expectedto provide continuous protection formore than 100 years.Tel: 866-295-2416, Fax: 519-650-8081E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.cspi.ca

Corrugated Steel Pipe Institute

Guideline for CSP culverts

Use the CanadianPerformanceGuideline for Cor-rugated Steel PipeCulverts as yourlocation in Canadamay affect thelong-term per-formance of yourinfrastructure. Un-derstanding your

local environment helps you to selectthe steel material best suited to yoursite, for optimum performance andvalue.Tel: 866-295-2416, Fax: 519-650-8081E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.cspi.ca

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Submersible transducer

KSB Pumps

Moving large fluid volumes

Magnetrol

Radar level transmitter

Orival

Water filters

Parkson

The user-friendly,maintenance-free HelisievePlus® Sep-tage Receiv-ing Stationpre-treatsseptage and

protects downstream processes. Thisself-contained system removes trouble-some solids and dewaters them forlandfill. It's fast, easy and effective, andodours are contained in the stainlesssteel receiving tank.Tel: 514-636-8712, Fax: 514-636-9718E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.parkson.com

Septage receiving station

ProMinent Fluid Controls

Metering pumps

Feature-richand dependableSigma seriesmeteringpumps fromProMinent helpkeep yourchemical feedunder control.

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

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

ProMinent Fluid Controls

Metering pump

The award-winningdelta® withoptoDrive®provides di-verse controland operatingcapabilities ina capacity

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

Based on the clog-free Flygt N-pumps, the newFlygt jet aeratorfrom ITT Water &Wastewater has be-come easier to in-stall and maintain.The major changesin the new genera-tion jet aerators are:

an improved lift in, lift out structure, anda strengthened stand equipped with rub-ber dampers. Available with up to threeejectors, the Flygt jet aerator is a flexibleaeration solution for small- and medium-sized tanks. Tel: 514-695-0100, Fax: 514-697-0602Web: www.ittwww.com

New jet aerators

ITT Water & Wastewater John Meunier

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor

The patented AnoxKaldnes MBBRbiofilm-based process is compact, reli-able, simple to operate, with low main-tenance. It can be used for new WWTPsas well as for upgrades, expansions orretrofits, for BOD removal, nitrification,and denitrification. Its carbon footprintis smaller than conventional processes. Tel: 905-286-4846E-mail: [email protected]: www.veoliawaterst.ca

Ametek’s lowcost sub-mersiblemodel 375 is a1%, 2 wire, 4-20 mA trans-ducer. A 316

S.S. housing and factory sealed cableprovide liquid tight performance. Avail-able calibrated for 13.8 to 692 ft ofwater. Desiccant vent filter is included.It is distributed by Peacock, a division ofKinecor.

Tel: 1-800-313-3103, Fax: 905-890-0846E-mail: [email protected]: www.peacock.ca orwww.kinecor.com

KSB's RDLOpumps are toughperformers for usewherever large vol-umes of fluidsneed to be moved.With computer-op-timized hydraulics

and streamlined maintenance, thesepumps offer excellent energy effi-ciency and NPSH values, and low totallife cycle costs. Standard capacities areup to 10,000 m3/h, with heads up to240 m. Larger units are obtainable byspecial order.Tel: 905-568-9200E-mail: [email protected]: www.ksb.ca

Optimized for the needsof the municipal and en-vironmental markets, thenew Magnetrol R82Radar Level Transmitterfeatures advancementsthat make radar cost-competitive with ultra-

sonic level transmitters. Fullysubmersible - 26 GHz frequency - 24VDC, loop-power - fully encapsulatedhorn antenna - range to 12.2 metres – ad-justable beam - HART® communica-tions.Tel: 905-738-9600E-mail:[email protected]: www.magnetrolenvironmental.com

Orival water filters remove unwantedorganic and inorganic suspendedsolids. With models from ¾'' to 2'', andfiltration degrees from 5 to 3,000 mi-crons, Orival Automatic Self-CleaningFilters are available in many configu-rations and construction materials.They stay on-line during the rinsecycle, providing uninterrupted flow ofclean water. Tel: 800-567-9767E-mail: [email protected]: www.orival.com

Kinecor

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:06 PM

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seSanitherm hasperfected con-tainerizing theirSaniBrane®MBR. The containerizedSaniBrane isportable, providesexcellent effluenton start-up, is op-

erator friendly and comes pre-wired, pre-plumbed and tested. The system foranywhere needing reliable waste treat-ment with a small footprint!

Tel: 604-986-9168, Fax: 604-986-5377E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.sanibrane.com

Membrane bioreactor

Sanitherm Inc.

SEW-Eurodrive Company of Canada Smith & Loveless

Wastewater Pump Stations

Energy-saving Smith &Loveless wastewaterpump stations are idealfor collection systemand WWTP influentpumping for municipal-ities, private develop-

ments and industry. Proven lift stationdesigns minimize delays because S&Lstations arrive at the jobsite completelybuilt and thoroughly factory-tested. Nowavailable with expanded pump sizing: 4"- 12" piping (100-300 mm); horsepower:1.5 to 300 HP; capacity: up to 50,000GMP (3155 lps).Tel: 913-888-5201, Fax: 913-888-2173E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.smithandloveless.com

WILO Canada

SAF-T-FLO Chemical Injection manu-factures a complete line of chemical in-jection equipment for all types ofchemical feed systems. A large inventoryof retractable and non-retractable injec-tion quills and sampling probes is avail-able to meet your needs. In addition,experienced technical sales staff can an-swer your questions or help solve yourproblems. Tel: 800-957-2383, Fax: 714-632-3350E-mail: [email protected]: www.saftflo.com

Chemical injection equipment

SAF-T-FLO Chemical Injection


Stainless steel gear units

Schneider Electric

Schneider Elec-tric’s IMCC facili-tates remotemonitoring/con-figuration ofmotor control sys-tems, and can re-duce installation/commissioningcosts by up to

20%. Advanced software and diagnos-tics allow remote monitoring, via Eth-ernet TCP/IP, DeviceNet, CanOpen,Modbus or Profibus, down to the device level.Tel: 416-615-3406Web: www.schneider-electric.ca

Intelligent Motor Control Centre

Solinst Canada

Solinst Interface Meters feature a nar-row 16 mm (5/8") diameter probe,flexible flat tape, and sturdy reel.These meters provide clear, accuratemeasurements of water and productlevel and thickness (LNAPL andDNAPL), and are certified intrinsi-cally safe in explosive environments.Tel: 905-873-2255, Fax: 905-873-1992E-mail: [email protected]: www.solinst.com

Accurate interface meters

Wilo is a leader in submersible pump-ing technology for water and waste-water. Wilo pumping units areequipped with a tough mechanical sealthat is the only one in the industry thatis eligible for a life time warranty. Formore information, please [email protected]: 1-866-WILO-CDN, Fax: 403-277-9456E-mail: [email protected]: www.wilo-canada.com

Submersible pumps

SEW-Eurodriveoffers a ruggedand reliablerange of prod-ucts and inte-grated solutionsthat stand up tothe rigorous up-time demands.Hard working

and easy to clean, our IP69K ratedstainless steel gear unit featuresrugged, high-quality, 304 stainlesssteel that meets material and construc-tion guidelines for conveying applica-tions.Tel: 905-791-1553, Fax: 905-791-2999Web: www.sew-eurodrive.ca

The AquareadODO PlusPlus system isthe onlyportable Opti-cal DO(ODO) sys-tem availablewhich in-

cludes direct EC measurement for accu-rate salinity compensation. Automatictemperature and barometric pressurecompensation are also included. Avail-able in July, 2010.Tel: 905-238-5242, Fax: 905-238-5704E-mail: [email protected]: www.waterra.com

Waterra Pumps

NEW portable optical dissolved oxygen

measurement system

Waterloo Barrier

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

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

Controlling contaminated groundwater

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:06 PM


Moncton engineerhonoured

The Association of Professional Engineersand Geoscientists of New Brunswick hasawarded Conrad Allain, P.Eng., the Indi-vidual Award of Merit for Technical Ex-cellence in recognition of his leadership inthe development of environmentally soundand economically beneficial technologyfor waste management.

According to the APEGNB, as direc-tor of operations for the Greater Monc-ton Sewerage Commission (GMSC),Mr. Allain was the primary technicalresource behind the design and construc-tion of the municipal region’s state-of-the-art biosolids composting facility inRiverview, NB.

Mr. Allain spearheaded work on thebiosolids facility when he joined TouchieEngineering in 1986, three years after theGMSC was created. During the next 20years, Mr. Allain directed every phaseof the new wastewater treatment andbiosolids composting facilities, from siteand process selection through to the re-search and development, design and con-struction.

Avensys to distribute Sensidyne product line

Avensys Solutions has entered into a dis-tribution agreement with Sensidyne LP.Sensidyne has over 25 years experiencemanufacturing fixed gas detection, airsampling and micro air pump products, forpower, chemical, oil and gas, mining, in-dustrial gases, semi-conductor, metals, andwater and waste treatment facilities world-wide.

Avensys Solutions provides instrumen-tation and integrated solutions for themonitoring of industrial processes and en-vironmental surveillance applications forair and water in the Canadian marketplace.

www.avensyssolutions.com

Harnois assures customersits structures meet codes

In a recent press statement, Harnois Indus-tries, a Canadian manufacturer of all-pur-pose shelters, claimed that its MegaDomestructures conform to all relevant buildingcodes in both Canada and the UnitedStates.

Environmental Science and Engi-neering Magazine’s Tom Davey waspresented with the first Geoffrey T.G.Scott Memorial Award at the WaterEnvironment Association of On-tario’s (WEAO) annual conferencein London, Ontario, on April 19.

This WEAO award was in recog-nition of his being a “member of thewater environment industry inCanada, who has shown an outstand-ing example of leadership in cham-pioning a worthwhile endeavor andthereby advancing the mission of thewater environment industry”.

Geoffrey Scott, who passed awayin late 2008, was the second Cana-dian President of the 36,000 memberWater Environment Federation.

During his fifty year career, TomDavey has won some 30 awards forwriting on environmental issues, in-cluding three international ones.

• In 1980, Tom became the first Canadian to be awarded the J.H. Neal award from the American Business Press in New York for a series of articles on U.S. environmental policies.• In 1980, the U.S. based Water Environment Federation awarded Tom its Harry E. Schlenz Medal – he was the first Canadian to be so honoured. • In 1982, Tom won a second J.H. Neal award.

The Canadian Federal Govern-ment’s top Environmental Achieve-ment Award in the field of “Out-standing Communications for Envi-ronmental Awareness Award” wasbestowed upon Tom in 1992. Thisaward was recognized by a personalletter of congratulations from PrimeMinister Brian Mulroney.

Tom has authored three books:Recollections, a history of water pol-lution control in Ontario, All theViews Fit to Print and For Whom ThePolls Tell, both environmental an-thologies.

In 1988, Tom launched Environ-mental Science & Engineering Mag-azine (ES&E), with his son Steve.This Aurora-based publication has acirculation of 19,000 across Canadaand Tom is now Consulting Editor

Tom also founded the AuroraWriters Group which supports andencourages local writers, and he is apast president of the Canadian Sci-ence Writers Association.

Tom Davey receiving his awardfrom Mrs. Gail Scott.

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Acoustic Panels, Enclosures & Products

ES&E’s co-founder honored by Ontariowastewater industry

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:06 PM



The statement was issued after ownersof similar buildings expressed concernfollowing the collapse of the Dallas Cow-boys training facility in a violent wind-storm in Irving, Texas, last May.

Harnois’ vice-president of marketing,Caroline Forest explained that all ofHarnois MegaDome® structures had beenerected in compliance with building per-mits issued by the appropriate local au-thorities. Ms. Forest also pointed out thatHarnois’ prefabricated galvanized steeland membrane-covered structures hadbeen built to withstand snow and windloads, and that each of them had been in-spected by the relevant authorities in eachof the company’s markets.

www.harnois.com

CH2M HILL earns AAEE environmental engineering award

CH2M HILL has won an Excellence inEnvironmental Engineering Award fromthe American Academy of EnvironmentalEngineers (AAEE) for its work on the Cityof Calgary’s Pine Creek Wastewater Treat-ment Facility.

The plant’s initial capacity of 100ML/d will serve a population of 250,000,but must allow for expansion to an ulti-mate capacity of 700 ML/d and a servicepopulation of 1.75 million. The level oftreatment required is extremely high, ex-ceeding regulatory requirements. Thetreatment process for the Pine CreekWWTP includes Biological Nutrient Re-moval, tertiary filtration using filter disktechnology, and ultra-violet light disinfec-tion. Treated effluent is discharged to theBow River via diffusers constructed belowthe riverbed.

Portions of the treated effluent arereused within the plant and will also beused to irrigate the nearby Blue Devil golfcourse and City tree nursery. This will helpthe City to achieve its long-term water ef-ficiency goal to reduce the use of potablewater for non-potable needs.

www.ch2mhill.com

OPS is one of Canadaʼsgreenest employers

For the first time, the Ontario Public Serv-ice (OPS) has been recognized as one of

20 Sharp Road, Brantford, Ontario N3T 5L8 • Tel: (519) 751-1080 • Fax: (519) 751-0617E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.anthrafilter.net

• ANTHRACITE • QUALITY FILTER SAND & GRAVEL • CARBON • GARNET ILMENITE • REMOVAL & INSTALLATION

MARKHAM, ONTARIO [email protected] www.bv.com

[email protected]

Water treatment specialists for the resource and energy industries

www.bioteq.ca

Recover dissolved metals Remove sulphate Improve water re-use Comply with regulations Lower life cycle costs for water treatment

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:06 PM

“Specialists in non-intrusive ground investigations”

• UST's, buried metal, debris & fill• Former excavations & structures• Leachate plumes• Voids and fractures• Stratigraphy• Pipes and utilities

Tel: 905.458.1883 Fax: 905.792.1884E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.geophysics.ca

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Canada’s Greenest Employers for 2010.This award is part of the Canada's Top 100Employers competition conducted by Me-diacorp Canada. OPS was selected for sev-eral reasons, including the creation of theOPS Green Office in September 2008, theOPS Green Transformation strategy, and awide range of OPS-wide and ministrygreen initiatives.

Wardrop acquires Hydromantis

Wardrop, a Tetra Tech Company, has ac-quired Hydromantis, Inc., a firm of 17 em-ployees specializing in the optimizationand design of wastewater and water treat-ment systems. This acquisition expandsWardrop’s integrated services and projectmanagement capabilities with immediatebenefits to its Infrastructure Division.

Wardrop currently has 1,000 employ-ees who work collaboratively throughoutits North American and overseas opera-tions.

Endress+Hauser honors its inventors

Meeting at the Burghof Arts Center inLörrach, Germany, over 200 inventorsfrom the Endress+Hauser Group cele-brated the tenth anniversary of the ‘Inno-vators’ Meeting’. The highlight of thefestivities was the award ceremony of thethree 10,000 euro ‘Patent Rights IncentiveAwards’ for particularly important patents.The prizes in the jubilee year went to in-ventors of the Product Center Flowtec(Reinach/Switzerland), Maulburg (Ger-many), and Wetzer (Nesselwang/Ger-many).

Altech commissions ciderplant wastewater reuse

system

Altech Technology Systems (ATS) re-cently commissioned a 10,000 gallon perday, System HydroKleen™ MembraneBioreactor with post-treatment reverse os-mosis and chlorine disinfection for process

Collingwood Bracebridge Orillia Barrie

Email: [email protected]

Collingwood

Specialists in a comprehensive range of Municipal, Environmental,

eb: wwWEmail: [email protected]

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and Municipal EngineeringStructural, Building, Water Resources, Transportation

Specialists in a comprehensive range of Municipal, Environmental,

BracebridgeCollingwood

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Orillia

Environmental Site Investigations and Remediation

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Quantify the Data Defend the Position

• Hydrogeologic Evaluations• Soil and Groundwater Remediation• Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessments• Site Decommissioning• Designated Substance Surveys• Expert Witness and Litigation Support• Peer Review• Asbestos and Mould Assessments

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:06 PM


wastewater reuse at an apple processingplant in southern Ontario.

Located in a rural location, the plantplanned to expand its operation to includea new apple cider processing operation. Itdid not have access to municipal watersupply and wastewater disposal, and usedgroundwater for its water supply and aseptic bed for wastewater disposal. Costsassociated with trucking fresh water to theplant and disposal of wastewater off sitewould greatly hinder the economic viabil-ity of the planned expansion.

Water and wastewater treatment tech-nologies were investigated to provide a vi-able option for reusing available processwastewater in a strictly regulated food pro-cessing application.

ATS was selected to design, manufac-ture and install a complete process waste-water treatment system to produce potablequality water for process equipment CIP(Clean in Place) and other process waterapplications. This is the first full-scale in-dustrial process wastewater treatment sys-tem in North America to produce a potablequality water for reuse in process applica-tions.

This system provides a complete closedloop water reuse program in combinationwith wastewater treatment. System Hy-droKleen’s unique design recirculatessludge biomass from the anoxic chamberback to the aeration chamber for a contin-uous loop bioreduction system with lowsludge wasting. From the bioreactor, wateris passed through a bank of ultra-filtrationmembranes, producing treated water withover 99% removal of BOD, TSS, nitrogenand phosphorous.


KSB providesdrinking waterpumps for New York

Recently, the KSB Groupshipped five large sub-mersible borehole pumpsfor dewatering and main-taining the water in NewYork’s Delaware Aqueduct,

while repairs are being done. This task requires the most powerful

single-entry submersible borehole pumps


Consulting EngineersConsulting Engineers

Hydromantis, Inc.Hydromantis, Inc.Experts in Water, Wastewater, Environmental Planning, and Simulation Software

�

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420 Sheldon Drive, Cambridge, Ontario, N1T 2H9Tel: (519) 624-7223 Fax: (519) 624-7224

1685 Main St. West, Suite 302, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 1G5Tel: (905) 522-0012 Fax: (905) 522-0031

E-mail: [email protected]: www.hydromantis.com

1 James Street South, Suite 1601, Hamilton, Ontario, L8P 4R5

P: 519-763-0700 F: 519-763-6684150 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

Insitu Groundwater Contractors

“ANTI-SURGE/ANTI-SHOCK” • 10-YEAR WARRANTY ALL STAINLESS

AIR RELEASE/VACUUM BREAK VALVES FOR SEWAGE & WATER

HYDRO-LOGIC ENVIRONMENTAL INC.Phone: 905-777-9494 E: [email protected] W: www.hydrologic.ca RGX RBX

OTT Fine Bubble Diffusers

HYDRO-LOGIC ENVIRONMENTAL INC.Phone: 905-777-9494 E: [email protected] W: www.hydrologic.ca

• highest efficiency, intelligent, intuitive designs• proven worldwide in more than 23 years of service• quickest and easiest installation and maintenance• uniquely environmentally friendly

HYDRO-LOGIC ENVIRONMENTAL INC.Phone: 905-777-9494 E: [email protected] W: www.hydrologic.ca

PHI BUBBLETRON Mixing TechnologyInnovative, most energy-efficient mixingNo in-basin moving partsIdeal for many applications

Anoxic mixingSludge mixing

Water reservoir circulationSewage pump station grease cap & odor control

GROUNDWATER TECHNOLOGY SPECIALISTSEngineers & Hydrogeologists

Serving the Groundwater Industry for 75 Years

342 Bayview Drive, Box 310,Barrie, Ontario, Canada L4M 4T5

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

INTERNATIONAL WATER SUPPLY LTD.WWW.IWS.CA

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:07 PM


KSB has ever produced, with each of thefive units featuring a 2,650 HP, 4-pole,4160 V high-voltage motor.

The capacity of each pump is around8,800 gallons per minute at a maximumrated head of 1,050 feet. In accordancewith customer specifications, some of theunits are equipped with wetted compo-nents made of corrosion-resistant super-duplex stainless steel. Cable connectionsare effected by a special submersible con-nector system.

The Aqueduct was built in the 1940sand was last pumped dry for maintenancein 1957. Thanks to its gravity flow con-struction, the 13.5 ft (4.11 m) wide tunnelrequires no pumps to supply on average650,000 gallons of drinking water per sec-ond to New York City from its sources inthe Delaware Watershed, located some 93miles from the city.

www.ksb.com

NSF ANSI 61 meteringpumps offered at no extra

charge

ProMinent is offering its optoDrive®,Gamma/L, Sigma, ConceptPLUS, andBeta® metering pumps which complywith the NSF®/ANSI 61 standards forsafe drinking water, at no extra charge.

The NSF requires manufacturers tosubmit their products for rigorous testing,as part of the evaluation process. Meteringpump products are tested to ensure thatthere is no leaching or fugitive emissionsfrom the dosing head and the diaphragmwhich could get into the water stream. Byensuring no leaching, there is no risk thatharmful substances could end up in thedrinking water.

ProMinent is celebrating its 50th yearof providing chemical metering, watertreatment, and measurement and controlproducts. For more information, E-mail:[email protected]

Stantec honoured for airport run-off water project

A system designed by Stantec to treatspent de-icing fluid and polluted run-off atBuffalo Niagara International Airport(BNIA) has received an Engineering Ex-cellence Award from the American Coun-cil of Engineering Companies (ACEC).

The $10 million project was selected

INTERPROVINCIAL CORROSION CONTROLRegional Offices: Burlington, Montreal & Calgary

INTERNATIONAL CORROSION CONTROLLewiston, New York, USA

www.Rustrol.com

Leaders in the Cathodic Protection Industry…Since1957CORROSION CONTROL PRODUCTS

10 Alden RoadMarkham, Ontario Canada L3R 2S1Tel: 905-475-1545Fax: 905-475-2021www.napier-reid.com

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

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:07 PM


for the award for its development of an“engineered wetland” to help the airporttreat contaminated water resulting fromcold weather aircraft de-icing.

In this process, aircraft are sprayed witha glycol solution to remove ice, and spentglycol and glycol-contaminated storm-water runoff are collected and pumpedinto four football-field-sized, 5-feet-thick,underground gravel beds designed byStantec. In these gravel beds, an aerationsystem provides oxygen to allow bacteriaon the pieces of gravel to essentially digestthe pollutants in the liquid, cleaning it upas is passes through. Clean water is thendischarged into the airport’s stormwaterdisposal system.

www.stantec.com

Making Ontario a cleanwater leader

As part of its Open Ontario Plan, the On-tario government is taking steps to makethe province a leading clean water juris-diction in North America. If passed, theWater Opportunities and Water Conserva-tion Act would encourage the creation andexport of innovative clean water technol-ogy, promote water conservation, attracteconomic development, and create jobs.Among the proposals, the new Act would:

• Make Ontario a North Americanleader in developing and selling watertechnologies and services through the cre-ation of the Water Technology Accelera-tion Project (TAP) - a technology hubbringing together industry, academics andgovernment to develop the sector and pro-mote it abroad.

• Encourage Ontarians to use watermore efficiently by creating and imple-menting innovative approaches to conser-vation.

• Strengthen sustainable municipalwater planning by helping them identifyand plan for long-term infrastructureneeds.

According to the government, Ontariocompanies are already employing 22,000people and selling technologies and serv-ices for water around the world. The hopeis that these initiatives will pave the wayfor the growth of Ontario's water technol-ogy sector in the rapidly expanding globalmarket.


10 Alden RoadMarkham, Ontario Canada L3R 2S1Tel: 905-475-1545Fax: 905-475-2021www.napier-reid.com

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

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Consulting Engineer

Environmental Engineering Services

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1-800-265-9662

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May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:07 PM


New federal wastewaterregulations proposed

The Government of Canada has tabledproposed regulations for municipal, com-munity, federal, and other wastewater sys-tems. Included are standards for nationalwastewater effluent quality and regulatoryclarity for rules on reporting for more than3,700 Canadian facilities.

For those not already meeting effluentquality standards, there is a proposedphase-in approach. For higher-risk waste-water effluent discharges, facilities willhave up until 2020 to upgrade, whereasothers would have until 2030, or 2040, de-pending on the level of risk associatedwith existing effluent quality and environ-mental considerations.

These regulations are the principal in-strument that Environment Canada isusing to implement the Canadian Coun-cil of Ministers of the Environment’sCanada-wide Strategy for the Manage-ment of Municipal Wastewater that wasendorsed in 2009.

Under Government of Canada infra-structure funds, including the BuildingCanada, Green Infrastructure, Stimulus,and Gas Tax Funds, over $3.25 billion hasbeen spent or committed for wastewaterand water infrastructure. Such projects area top priority for these funds. For more in-formation, visit www.gazette.gc.ca

Ontario introduces new“Open For Business” Act

Recently, the Ontario government intro-duced the Open for Business Act thatwould, if passed, create a more competitivebusiness climate, while protecting the en-vironment and public interest. Among theover 100 proposed amendments, the Actwould:

• Establish a modern, risk-based ap-proach to environmental approvals, whichcould save businesses as much as 25 percent of their project application costs.

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ACG Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . .www.acgtechnology.com

ADI Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.adisystemsinc.com

Alberta Wilbert Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.wilbert.ca

American Public University System . . . . . . . . .38 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.studyatapu.com

American Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . .www.terratec.amwater.com

Associated Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ae.ca

AWI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.awifilter.com

Canada Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . .www.canada-unlimited.com

Canadian Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.canadiansafety.com

Cole Engineering Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . .www.coleengineering.ca

Cole Engineering Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . .www.coleengineering.ca

Corrugated Steel Pipe Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cspi.ca

Degremont Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.infilcodegremont.com

Delcan Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.delcan.com

Denso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.densona.com

Endress + Hauser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ca.endress.com

Filter Innovations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . .www.filterinnovations.com

Geomembrane Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.gticovers.com

Greatario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.greatario.com

H2Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.h2flow.com

Halogen Valve Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.halogenvalve.com

Hoskin Scientific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 51, 60, 65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.hoskin.ca

ITT Water & Wastewater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ittwww.ca

John Meunier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 . . . . . [email protected] . . . .www.johnmeunier.com

John Wiley & Sons Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.wiley.ca

MegaDome/Harnois Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.megadomebuildings.com

Metcon Sales & Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . .www.metconeng.com

Mueller Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.muellercanada.com

Myron L Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.myronl.com

Neptune Chemical Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.neptune1/com

OWOTC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . .www.owotc.com

Parkson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.parkson.com

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Sanitherm Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . .www.sanibrane.com

Schlumberger Water Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.slb.com

SEW-Eurodrive Company of Canada . . . . . . . .26 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . .www.sew-eurodrive.ca

Siemens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.siemens.ca

Smith & Loveless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . .www.smithandloveless.com

Solinst Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . .www.solinst.com

Stantec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.stantec.com

StormTrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20, 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.stormtrap.com

Tanks-A-Lot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.tanks-a-lot.com

Terratec Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . .www.terratec.amwater.com

Transport Environmental Systems . . . . . . . . . .44 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.transenvsys.com

Voltrex UV Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 . . . . . [email protected]

Waterra Pumps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.waterra.com

WILO Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.wilo-canada.com

XCG Consultants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.xcg.com

ZCL Composites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.zcl.com

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 10-06-08 5:08 PM


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vironmental Commissioner since 2000. Inthat time, he has produced eleven annualreports, seven special reports, and oneGreenhouse Gas Progress Report to theprovincial Legislature.

NF towns win award for engineered wetland

The towns of Appleton and Glenwood,along with the engineering firm AbydozEnvironmental, have been presented withthe 2010 Environmental Award by Profes-sional Engineers and Geoscientists New-foundland and Labrador “in recognition ofthe application of science, technology, en-gineering and environmental managementin Newfoundland and Labrador”.

Abydoz designed and installed this en-gineered wetland system in which special-ized plants stimulate bacterial growtharound their roots. The bacteria consumethe sewage contaminants and naturallyclean the effluent, without the use of elec-tricity or chemicals. These projects werefeatured in the March/April 2010 issue ofEnvironmental Science and EngineeringMagazine.

Bonnechere Valley receivesbiosolids award

Recently, Bonnechere Valley Townshipwas awarded the Exemplary BiosolidsManagement Award by the Water Envi-ronment Association of Ontario (WEAO)at its 39th Annual Technical Symposiumand Exhibition in London, Ontario.

The township was recognized for itsuse of Geotube® dewatering technologyat the Nutrient Management Facility inEganville, Ontario, to manage biosolidsludge and raw septage. This project wasfeatured in the March 2009 issue of En-vironmental Science and Engineering.

WILO donates pumps fordisaster relief projects

WILO SE is supporting Germany’s Bun-desanstalt Technisches Hilfswerk (THW)Federal Agency for Technical Relief witha donation of seven pumps, worth 30,000euros, for water catchment and water sup-ply in disaster areas.

The company has modified these prod-ucts specifically to the demands of world-wide disaster relief missions which oftentake place under extreme conditions. Forexample, THW is providing fresh potablewater for at least 30,000 people in Haiti atthe moment. Further activities are plannedin Chile.

Nalco claims its oil dispersant is safe

In a May 27 press release, the Nalco Com-pany says that COREXIT 9500, which isbeing used to break up the oil spilling intothe Gulf of Mexico, is a simple blend ofsix safe ingredients that biodegrade, do notbioaccumulate, and are commonly foundin popular household products.

Nalco also claimed that COREXITproducts do not contain carcinogens, or re-productive toxins, and that all the ingredi-ents used have been extensively studied formany years and have been determinedsafe, and effective, by the US EPA.

According to Erik Fyrwald, Presidentand CEO of Nalco, “COREXIT hasplayed a significant role in mitigating thedisastrous consequences of the Gulf oilspill and has done so effectively andsafely.”

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as internationally trained engineers, towork in Ontario by removing the citizen-ship requirements for a Professional Engi-neer Licence.

The proposed changes would also har-monize Ontario's business practices withother North American jurisdictions, andwere developed in consultation with stake-holders, including businesses as well as en-vironmental and agriculture groups, labourorganizations, engineers and architects.

Gord Miller re-appointed asOntario's Environmental

Commissioner

Gord Miller has been appointed to histhird term as Environmental Commis-sioner of Ontario, He is responsbile foroverseeing the implementation of the En-vironmental Bill of Rights (1993) (EBR),monitoring 14 ministries and submittingannual reports on: government compliancewith the EBR; government progress ongreenhouse gas reduction; Ontario's at-tempts to use or make more efficient useof electricity, natural resources, gas,propane, oil, and transportation fuels.

Mr. Miller has held the position of En-

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:20 PM

May2010_ES&E_2_2010 03/06/10 10:20 PM

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Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine May 2010

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Transcript of Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine May 2010