Wastewater Treatment Issues for Small Communities: Implications for Onsite Wastewater Management

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1 Wastewater Treatment Issues for Small Communities: Implications for Onsite Wastewater Management Axel Meisen, C.M., P.Eng. FCAE Consultant & President Canadian Commission for UNESCO Vicki Lightbown, P.Eng Project Specialist, Environmental Management Alberta Innovates Energy and Environment Solutions Alberta Onsite Wastewater Management Association Trade Show and Convention Calgary, Alberta March 6, 2014

Eng Project Specialist, Environmental Management Alberta Innovates Energy and Environment Solutions

2 Acknowledgements Certain images in this presentation were taken from publicly available websites, with their use being restricted to this presentation. Some of the data contained in this presentation were provided by Bijan Aidun (AESRD), Alf Durnie (AB Municipal Affairs) and Ken Johnson (Stantec). They are gratefully acknowledged. Disclaimer The contents of this presentation resulted, in part, from a recent Technology Scouting project conducted at AI- EES. They do not represent policies, positions or commitments of the Government of Alberta or AI-EES. 2

Some of the data contained in this presentation were provided by Bijan Aidun (AESRD), Alf Durnie (AB Municipal Affairs) and Ken Johnson

3 Technology Scouting System (TSS) WANT What external resources does the organization WANT to obtain, e.g., ideas, expertise, human resource skills, funding? FIND FIND responses to satisfy the WANT, including retrospective and prospective insights GET GET the necessary resources and agreements to meet the requirements of the FIND MANAGE MANAGE the resulting project 3

FIND FIND responses to satisfy the WANT, including retrospective and prospective insights

4 Project Topic Wastewater Treatment Technologies and Management Systems for Small Rural Communities in Alberta Typical example: Hamlet of Acadia Valley, AB Population ~140; M$1.1 in 2012 for lagoon upgrading 4

Alberta Typical example: Hamlet of Acadia Valley,

5 WANT Definition of Small Community : Technologies & management systems Funding sources & investors Regulations Commercialization potential Purpose of Project for: - Alberta - AI-EES Resources and & requirements Up to 300 people, excluding single homes, but including clusters Rural location in AB Current and potential Current and potential Current and drivers for change ~300 communities in Alberta Environmental quality Improving Wastewater Treatment Financial benefits Guidance for investment decisions Project Team; 3 months (pt) 5

including clusters Rural location in AB Current and potential Current and potential Current and drivers for change ~300 communities

6 FIND Current and Retrospective TS Technologies Scientific basis Wastewater treatment in small rural communities involves up to 4 steps: Preliminary treatment (screening) Primary treatment (settling) Secondary treatment Residuals management Steps are performed in lagoon and mechanical wastewater treatment systems 6

treatment (screening) Primary treatment (settling) Secondary treatment

7 Lagoon Wastewater Treatment (Based on GoA Standards and Guidelines) 2 or 4 anaerobic cells in series each with 2 days holding capacity. Operating depth 3.0 to 3.5 m Emergency Outfall Effluent Influent 60 day holding capacity facultative cell. Max operating depth 1.5 m Emergency Bypass 12 month capacity storage cell based on average daily design flow. Max operating depth 3 m 7

5 m Emergency Outfall Effluent Influent 60 day holding capacity facultative cell.

8 Wastewater Lagoons in Alberta Arrowwood, AB (Pop. ~200) The expansion to existing lagoons cost k$821 Nordegg, AB (Pop. ~200) The construction of aerated lagoons cost M$2.6 8

9 Mechanical Wastewater Treatment (Based on Environment Canada Literature) Preliminary treatment Primary treatment Secondary treatment Disinfection Screening Grit removal Scum & sludge removal Aerobic processes Disinfection Screenings Influent Grit Scum Primary sludge Secondary sludge Effluent 9

Screening Grit removal Scum & sludge removal Aerobic processes

10 Wastewater Treatment: Centralized Centralized Wastewater Treatment Facility Preliminary Primary Secondary (Disinfection) 10

11 Wastewater Treatment: Hybrid (Suitable for Clusters) Local, Small WWT Facility Preliminary Primary Secondary (Disinfection) Septic (interceptor) tank providing some treatment 11

12 Alberta Cluster Examples Location Homes Interceptor Secondary Disinfection Discharge # Tank Treatment Habitat Acres Sherwood Park 29 4,500 L Orenco AdvanTex None Soil dispersal 3 below surface Silverhorn Dev. Rocky View Country Lakes Leduc 87 YES Orenco AdvanTex None Pressure distribution into back-filled trench 15 YES Unknown Ultra violet Continuous wetland injection Rocky View, Lacombe, Clearwater and Leduc counties own and operate cluster systems Foothills, Warner, Beaver and Yellowhead counties allow cluster systems but do not take ownership Alberta Environment prefers county ownership 12

Rocky View Country Lakes Leduc 87 YES Orenco AdvanTex None Pressure distribution into back-filled trench 15 YES Unknown Ultra violet Continuous

13 FIND for Lagoons & Mechanical Systems Current and Retrospective TS Technologies Required Capabilities Criteria (from Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater Effluent, 2009) for influent >100 m 3 /d (Environment Canada Regulations, 2012): cbod: 25 mg/l TSS: 25 mg/l Total Residual Cl: <0.02 mg/l Fecal coliform count: not stated Special compounds (P, N, Emerging Substances of Concern): not stated Canada has >3,500 wastewater treatment facilities (of all sizes), many of which will require upgrading 13

2012): cbod: 25 mg/l TSS: 25 mg/l Total Residual Cl: <0.

14 FIND for Lagoons & Mechanical Systems Current and Retrospective TS 27 Sites, 2 years Community Population Project Grant, k$ Cost, k$ Acadia Valley 137 Lagoon expansion Alliance 174 Lagoon upgrade Arrowwood 188 Lagoon upgrade Benalto 175 Mechanical Upgrade Busby 98 Lagoon expansion and upgrade 1,703 2,271 Caley 265 Lagoon upgrade Cereal 134 Mechanical plant DeBolt 133 Mechanical Upgrade Dewberry 201 Lagoon upgrade Empress 188 Mechanical - new Enilda 165 Lagoon upgrade Faust 275 Lagoon upgrade 2,073 2,764 Fawcett 73 Lagoon upgrade Jarvie 113 Lagoon upgrade Joussard 181 Lagoon 3,668 4,891 Lousana 46 Mechanical Upgrade Marie Reine 67 Lagoon upgrade Patricia 108 Lagoon upgrade 925 1,233 Pibrock 83 Lagoon upgrade Picardville 220 Lagoon upgrade Rolling Hills 205 Lagoon upgrade 1,090 1,453 Scandia 154 Mechanical Upgrade 1,451 1,935 Seven Persons 270 Lagoon upgrade 1,402 1,869 Swalwell 101 Lagoon upgrade Vilna 249 Mechanical Upgrade Villeneuve 136 Lagoon upgrade Vimy 205 Lagoon upgrade Total 4,344 19,614 26,152 14

plant 150 200 DeBolt 133 Mechanical Upgrade 663 884 Dewberry 201 Lagoon upgrade 667 889 Empress 188 Mechanical - new 727 969 Enilda 165 Lagoon upgrade 284 379 Faust 275 Lagoon upgrade 2,073 2,764

15 FIND for Lagoons & Mechanical Systems Current and Retrospective TS Technologies Operational issues Operations and maintenance (O&M) Availability of technical personnel 15

16 FIND for Lagoons & Mechanical Systems Current and Retrospective TS Technologies Operational issues Sludge disposal Leaking liners Discharge into surface waters 16

17 FIND - Discharge from Interceptor Tanks Current and Retrospective TS Technologies Operational issues Discharge into soils 17

18 FIND Prospective TS Drivers for change in technology sector and their interactions Regulations Implementation of the Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater Effluent over 20 to 30 years (from 2009), resulting in B$10 to B$13 capital expenditures for new and upgraded wastewater treatment plants; >50% to be spent by 2019 Special regulations for Canadian North (>60 o ) are expected in Feb 2014 Sludge and bio-solids management Financial Sustainability High operating costs for many small communities, stimulating partnerships Full-cost accounting Aging infrastructure 18

wastewater treatment plants; >50% to be spent by 2019 Special regulations for Canadian North (>60 o ) are expected in Feb 2014 Sludge and bio-solids

19 FIND Prospective TS Drivers for change in technology sector and their interactions Demographics Population decline in many small Alberta communities Special provisions needed for communities <250 and declining at >10% p.a. Public Health and Environmental Concerns Compliance assurance Reduced water use and increased use of treated water Availability of land for treatment facilities Public s acceptance of nearby treatment facilities Emerging Substances of Concern 19

20 FIND Prospective TS Insights into characteristics of technological changes Technologies are mature, causing changes to be incremental and resulting in better and more costeffective performance Richard Krygier (CFS / NRCan) Ohaton Whitecourt Beaverlodge Willows for dewatering lagoons and bioenergy production (Jönköping, Sweden) 20

and more costeffective performance Richard Krygier (CFS / NRCan) Ohaton Whitecourt

21 FIND Prospective TS Characterization of potential future Alberta, Canadian and global markets Alberta: For 18 months ending Feb 2012, Alberta Municipal Water / Wastewater Partnership: M$98; plus M$66 from Alberta Municipal Sustainability Initiative; GoC provided Alberta with an additional M$44 Canada: CAPEX will be ~B$6 for all wastewater treatment facilities by 2019 Canadian North (>60 o ): Market estimates are unavailable till February 2014 report released. This is a special market in which Alberta could strengthen its presence Canadian aboriginal communities and GoC installations: M$225 to be expended over next 20 years Global markets: Unknown, but likely many times larger than the Canadian market 21

22 FIND Prospective TS Technology, market and community barriers High CAPEX: Requirement for small communities to raise 25% of capital funds High OPEX: Most small communities are challenged to meet O&M costs Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System 22

23 FIND Prospective TS Technology, market and community barriers Community acceptance: Location of new and expanded plants (especially lagoons) is often resisted by more affluent communities 23

24 Conclusions Regulations Government funding of capital expenditures mainly for best practicable technologies (lagoons and mechanical) Technological Advances New technologies impeded by cost and reliability Incremental improvements in existing technologies Promising related areas: wastewater volume reduction, bio-solids/sludge processing, (remote) monitoring and control systems 24

25 Conclusions Market Strong for new and upgraded wastewater treatment facilities due to 2009 regulations High CAPEX (>$6,000 per capita) is a problem for small communities, but significantly offset by government support Small communities favour technologies with low OPEX since there is no government support Investments and Partnerships Few opportunities for private investment Private-public partnerships (P3s) can reduce costs, especially when servicing several communities 25

26 Conclusions Unexpected Results: Wastewater treatment in remote work camps and seasonal facilities, many of which have populations greater than 300 Decommissioning and reclamation of lagoons that are no longer needed 26

27 Conclusions for Onsite Systems Onsite wastewater treatments systems should strive to be covered by government investment strategies Wastewater discharges from larger onsite treatment systems into soils needs to be addressed, especially for cold climates CAPEX <$6,000 per person 27

Alberta Environment Standards for Advanced Waste Systems

Alberta Environment Standards for Advanced Waste Systems + Alberta Rural Organic Waste to Resources Network + George Neurohr Regional Municipal Engineer Grande Prairie, Alberta May 1, 2012 Contents: Introduction