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 EPEA and Standards Other Regulatory Requirements Example: South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System Questions
Introduction - the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act In 1992, the Government of Alberta (GOA) issued the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) and its Regulations. EPEA defines which activities require an approval or registration, and sets standards for these activities. Under EPEA, regulations were issued for municipal waterworks, wastewater, storm drainage and waste management systems.
Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, cont. The following Regulations for waste and wastewater systems were enacted. Activities Designation Regulation AR 276/2003 Waste Control Regulation AR 192/1996 Wastewater and Storm Drainage Regulation AR 119/1993 Substance Release Regulation AR 124/1993
Other Regulatory Requirements Under the Municipal Government Act, the following Regulation for waste and wastewater systems applies. Subdivision and Development Regulation AR 43/20012 (concerning setback distances between landfills, waste management, waste storage, landfills or wastewater treatment plants, and schools, hospitals, food establishment or residence) The Alberta Utility Commission is also involved with any co-generation systems.
Example of Advanced Waste Systems Water Reuse for Commercial Applications Alternate Infrastructure Models Energy from Waste Subsurface Irrigation Using Treated Wastewater LEED Initiatives
Example South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System - Location South Shore Area
South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System - Location The MD of Lesser Slave River No 124 manages the South Shore area South Shore includes the Hamlets of Canyon Creek, Wagner and Widewater, and some rural municipal developments Located ~10-25 km west of the Town of Slave Lake, along the south shores of Lesser Slave Lake
Example South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System Background Until 1992, the area s residents were served by on-site septic tank with mound system, and all septage was hauled away. In 1992 a lagoon was installed and closed by 1997 since it was unable to handle all of the area s septage. Also, the area residents were against a lagoon expansion All septage was hauled to the Town of Slave Lake, until the Town no longer accepting this material for treatment. The MD had to implement a septage management plan.
Example South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System Options Considered Regional transmission main to Slave Lake (~ 25-30 km) with upgrade of the Slave Lake aerated lagoon New lagoon Advanced treatment technology with UV disinfection and wetlands
Example South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System Alternate Options - Conclusion The advanced treatment technology with UV disinfection and designed subsurface wetland disposal was considered the least problematic on issues of health, lake eutrophication, and sustainability.
Example South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System Goals over-the-horizon standards Water recycling Green infrastructure LEED criteria Education and training
Example South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System The Focus Nutrient removal with membrane bioreactors (MBR) UV disinfection to meet water reuse standards Green infrastructure with designed rhizome wetlands Aesthetics and work environment Lifestyle and Environment: directional drilling for pipelines
Example South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System Design Population: 1780 Hydraulics: 900/m3/d with expansion to 1600 m3/d Influent (estimated) CBOD5: 200 mg/l Ammonia: 25mg/L Tot P: 8 mg/l Effluent Goal CBOD5: <5 mg/l Ammonia: <5 mg/l Tot P: <0.5 mg/l Fecal coli<10/100 ml
Example South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System Regulatory Review Activities Designation Regulation (AR 276/2003) Definitions that may apply to septage since that term isn t used in the Act, Regulations and Standards. wastewater means domestic wastewater. domestic wastewater means wastewater associated with the use of water for drinking, cooking, washing, hygiene that is released into a wastewater collection system. waste means any solid or liquid to be treated or disposed of, but does not include recyclables.
Example South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System Regulatory Review, continued Activities Designation Regulation (AR 276/2003) Approval requirement for the construction and operation of a wastewater system that uses a wastewater treatment plant other than a wastewater lagoon that serves > 2 service connections (city, town, village, municipal development ) etc, or serves a privately owned development that either discharges off-site OR is designed to treat more than 25 cubic meters of wastewater* per day. * This means that onsite wastewater treatment systems will require an approval due to the daily volume of wastewater being treated.
Example South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System Regulatory Review, continued Wastewater and Storm Drainage Regulation (AR 119/1993) Wastewater system and storm drainage system must be deigned to meet at a minimum the Standards and Guidelines for Municipal Waterworks, Wastewater and storm Drainage Systems (S&G), or any other standards and design requirements specified by the Director*. * Since Alberta s S&G don t have any criteria or standards on septage and green infrastructure, standards provided by EPA, Washington State, California, Georgia, etc. were used to design and identify performance requirements.
South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System, continued Comments The applicant wanted to call its facility South Shore Water Reuse Wastewater System. To avoid any confusion on the nature of this facility we agreed to focus on the proposed technology as a waste system. This enabled the use of waste terms and conditions that were not available, as a wastewater system, i.e.. Recycling instead of Reuse and Waste instead of Wastewater which weren t available in the S&G. The use of new definitions for green infrastructure, on-site, off-site, membrane bio-reactor and water recycling.
South Shore Regional Water Recycling and Green Infrastructure Waste System Site Location Location of the On-site Waste Treatment Plant
Summary of the Major South Shore Waste Treatment Processes Installed BNR Wastewater Treatment (equalization, screening, and anoxic and MBR compartments) Low pressure UV disinfection SCADA and Monitoring P removal with alum Bio-solids treatment and disposal
Summary of the Major South Shore Green Infrastructure Components Stage I Wetland storage pond Landscape impoundments Natural wetland Stage II Enviro educational - recreational trails (being planned) Stage III Eco-tourism (future)
Summary of the Major South Shore Green Infrastructure Components Wetland and meadows Landscape impoundments for subsurface infiltration
Limits for Releasing Treated Wastewater to either a Wetland or for Water Recycling Use Release to a Wetland -CBOD: < 10 mg/l* - Ammonia N (Oct- June): < 10 mg/l* and (July- Sept): < 5 mg/l* -P: < 1mg/L* -Turbidity: < 0.2 NTU** - Fecal coliform counts: < 200 per 100 ml/monthly geom. mean *monthly arithmetic mean of daily composite samples ** daily arithmetic mean of continuous monitoring Water Recycling -CBOD: < 5 mg/l* -Ammonia N (Oct-June): < 10 mg/l** and (July- Sept): < 5 mg/l** -P: < 1mg/L** -Turbidity: < 0.1 NTU*** - Fecal coliform counts: < 23 per 100 ml/monthly geom. mean *non-human contact and industrial ** monthly arithmetic mean of daily composite samples *** daily arithmetic mean of continuous monitoring
South Shore Performance Review - 2007 Parameters Raw Septage ( hauled to lift station or via wastewater transmission) Treated Effluent Prior to on-site Wetlands (at ~15% capacity) CBOD 645 884* 1.3 1.7* TSS 306 445* NA Ammonia - N 32.6 42.5* 0.1 0.2* Phosphorus 23.9 29.8* < 0.5** Turbidity NA 0.04 0.05* Fecal Coliform NA < 10/100*** Comments: * range of monthly average ** range of monthly average with alum (without alum, P is in the 4 5 mg/l range *** results of all grab samples
South Shore Performance Review - 2007 Parameters Limits Treated Effluent Prior Release to Water to on-site Wetlands Wetland Recycling (operating at ~15% capacity) CBOD < 10 < 5 1.3 1.7* Ammonia - N < 10 < 10 0.1 0.2* Phosphorus < 1 < 1 < 0.5** Turbidity < 0.2 < 0.1 0.04 0.05* Fecal Coliform < 200/100 < 23/100 < 10/100*** Comments: * range of monthly average ** range of monthly average with alum (without alum, P is in the 4 5 mg/l range *** results of all grab samples
South Shore Full Water Cycle System - Overview Raw Water Source: Lesser Slave Lake Canyon Creek WTP with Membranes South Shore MBR Water Recycling Plant South Shore Green Infrastructure A Raw Water from Lesser Slave Lake B -Potable Water C - Septage D - Water Recycling
Questions?
THANK YOU Presented by George Neurohr, M. Eng., P. Eng. Regional Municipal Engineer at George.Neurohr@gov.ab.ca or at Tel: 780-538-8053