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This is part of a series of case studies on wastewater projects funded by the FCM's Green Municipal Fund. Each case study provides technical information, project details and tips on best practices.

Project overview

The City of Cranbrook, BC, updated its wastewater treatment system with a new storage pond, two new disinfection facilities and upgrades to its aerated lagoon. The $29 million project includes retrofits to modernize an agricultural irrigation system that reuses wastewater. Fine bubble aeration and UV disinfection help reduce total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and phosphorus levels and improve the quality of wastewater.

To ensure optimum value over the life of the project, the City participated in a value engineering planning exercise, did full-cost accounting and installed process automation features. The upgraded system provides tertiary treatment to the current population of 19,319 and has the capacity to serve 40,000. 

The figure illustrates the timeline of the initiative in the City of Cranbrook, BC, depicting “time projected”, “time over” and “actual time”. The detailed design was projected to take 21 months to complete, starting in April 2009. The actual time to complete it was 31 months, and the completion date was October 2011. The initiative was delayed by 10 months. The first part of the figure illustrates the population served by the wastewater initiative. In the City of Cranbrook, BC, the wastewater treatment plant serves 19,319 people. The second part of the figure illustrates the budget of the initiative. The amount required to complete the initiative was projected to be $26 million. The amount actually required was $29 million. The initiative was over budget by $3 million. The figure shows the Total Suspended Solid (TSS) in the water treated by the City of Cranbrook, BC, initiative. Before the initiative, the TSS was 250 mg/L. After the initiative, the TSS decreased by 98% to 5 mg/L.

Reasons for the project

  • A ruling from the BC Environmental Appeal Board (1999) required Cranbrook to create an outfall into the Kootenay River and manage the water levels in one of its treatment lagoons.

Innovative aspects of the project

  • The project design made excellent use of systems thinking.
  • The system is simple and uses a low-tech approach that is appropriate for a municipality bordering on agricultural lands.
  • The upgraded facility makes use of reclaimed water for agricultural application.   

Best practices and key lessons

The municipality's experience with this project demonstrates some best practices and key lessons that can inform similar projects.

Develop a long-term vision

  • Instead of making piecemeal adjustments simply to achieve minimum thresholds, Cranbrook reviewed the entire system and created a long-term vision for wastewater treatment in the community.
  • The city's vision was to become a model of excellence in the use of reclaimed wastewater. This drove short-term planning and generated support from funders and community members. 

Engage early and broadly

  • The municipality overcame an initial lack of public interest in the project by building relationships with the community, including surrounding rural areas, stakeholders, provincial agencies and First Nations.
  • Cranbrook conducted a preliminary archaeological assessment, engaged in dialogue with local First Nations, held open houses, offered tours and updated council regularly.
  • These efforts allowed the city to engage with the community as a whole and to address criticisms of past operating practice and negative perceptions of the project.

Conduct background research

  • Cranbrook conducted extensive research, including feasibility and pre-engineering studies, during the pre-design process.
  • The updated wastewater treatment system uses existing technology in an innovative way that leverages natural systems and processes. For instance, to reduce runoff from irrigation, the system uses low-pressure sprinklers rather than impact sprinklers.

Optimize long-term returns on investment

  • To ensure an optimal return on investment, the leadership group involved in the project participated in a value engineering exercise at the design stage.

Aerial view of City of Cranbrook, BC. Image shows mountains in background, city and the wastewater treatment plant.
City of Cranbrook, BC

Project benefits

This project yielded a number of environmental, social and economic benefits. 

Environmental benefits

Lower energy usage: The city increased the plant's energy efficiency by replacing high-pressure irrigation heads with low-pressure components, removing pipeline restrictions to reduce the pumping energy required, and installing centralized and automated monitoring pivot irrigation systems.

Reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: The city replaced three cells in facultative treatment lagoons and converted a facultative effluent storage pond to a high-efficiency bubble diffusion aeration system. These upgrades have reduced the facility's GHG emissions.

Improved wastewater quality: Effluent now meets provincial Ministry of Environment regulatory requirements.

Reduced water consumption: High-efficiency spray nozzles has improved irrigation efficiency and improved absorption, thus reducing irrigation-application rates.  

Elimination of chemical residuals: Because UV technology has replaced chlorination as a means of disinfection, the amount of chlorine in effluent is reduced.

Ecosystem protection: Higher-quality effluent leads to healthier wildlife, vegetation and marine life. In addition, the city built a storage pond to avoid accidental spillage of partially treated sewage into a nearby creek.

Reduced odour levels: Odour is reduced through the use of fine bubble diffusers in lagoon cells. Complaints from nearby residents and businesses have been eliminated. 

Social benefits

Improved public heath: Residents' health is protected through improved water quality and reduced GHG emissions.

Increased opportunities for recreational and physical activity: Because effluent used for irrigation of feedstock fields is disinfected, these irrigated areas are safe to enter. The public now has access to approximately 2,500 acres of land for recreational and physical activities such as bird watching, dog walking, hiking, cross-country skiing and hunting.

Increased level of service to the community: In addition to improving water quality, the upgrades increased wastewater treatment capacity. The upgraded plant will accommodate population growth for at least 20 more years.  

Increased civic pride: Residents show an increasing sense of civic pride and ownership when discussing the attributes of the community.

Municipality recognized for leadership in sustainability: Increasingly, the city is perceived throughout Western Canada as a leader in the treatment of sewage and its reuse in an environmentally responsible manner.

Economic benefits

Reduced maintenance costs: Annual maintenance costs will be reduced because the new equipment will require fewer repairs.

Support for new economic development: The wastewater treatment plant will be able to accommodate commercial and industrial development for a period of 20 years or longer. The improvements resulting from the project will attract new businesses to the area.

Support for residential growth: The wastewater treatment plant will be able to accommodate population growth and additional housing for a period of 20 years or longer.

Support for local business: The city installed new spray technologies on about 28 irrigation pivot systems to water close to 1,800 acres of feedstock fields. This increases crop production and supports the local beef cattle production. Without this source of nutrient-rich water, this industry would not be able to exist in this semi-arid region.

Local job creation: System upgrades have increased irrigation potential and crop yields, creating growth and jobs in the local ranching sector.

Improved operational efficiency: Installation of a SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system provides a reliable monitoring mechanism and significantly facilitates data retrieval, which can be done remotely.

Development of new partnerships: This project has enabled a potential future partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) to supply effluent to the DUC Oxbow waterfowl nesting and refuge area (approximately one million cubic metres of effluent annually). This would help to maintain sufficient water volume within the Oxbow.

The figure uses a pie chart to show the funding breakdown of the City of Cranbrook, BC, wastewater initiative by source of funding. This includes: federal: 58%; municipal: 29%; GMF loan: 11%; and GMF grant: 2%.

Technical highlights

Technical highlights are current as of 2013.

Treatment

  • Before: Aerated lagoon
  • After: Aerated lagoon with increased on-site storage and permanent outfall structure on the Kootenay River

Disinfection

  • Before: None — 200 CFU/100mL
  • After: UV disinfection system — <1 CFU/100mL

Biosolids management

Biosolids build up in the lagoon. They are removed every seven to ten years and used for agricultural application.

Average annual daily flow (AADF)

  • Before: 11.7 MLD (million litres per day)
  • After: 8.0 MLD

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

  • Before: 30 mg/L 
  • After: 10 mg/L 
     

Project contact information

Joe McGowan
Director, Infrastructure Planning & Delivery
City of Cranbrook, BC
T. 250-489-0240

Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.&nbsp;

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This is part of a series of case studies on wastewater projects funded by the FCM's Green Municipal Fund. Each case study provides technical information, project details and tips on best practices.

Project overview

The City of Barrie, ON, expanded its wastewater treatment plant to accommodate municipal growth and improve the quality of water flowing out of the plant and into the environment. The project expanded the plant's capacity for water pumping, biological treatment, solid separation, disinfection, sludge digestion and beneficial use of biogas. The city also added a new anoxic selector tank.

These upgrades have reduced the amount of phosphorus in the wastewater and helped to maintain acceptable levels of ammonia. The upgrades have also increased the plant's production of biogas, which is used for on-site generation of electricity to reduce energy costs. In addition, the project has contributed to the continued protection of Kempenfelt Bay and Lake Simcoe. 

The figure illustrates the timeline of the initiative in the City of Barrie, ON, depicting “time projected”, “time over” and “actual time”. The detailed design was projected to take 5.5 years to complete, starting in late 2005. The actual time to complete it was 6 years, and the completion date was November 2011. The initiative was delayed by 6 months. The first part of the figure illustrates the population served by the wastewater initiative. In the City of Barrie, ON, the wastewater treatment plant serves 135,711 people. The second part of the figure illustrates the budget of the initiative. The amount required to complete the initiative was projected to be $84 million. The amount actually required was $87.9 million. The initiative was over budget by $3.9 million. The figure shows the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the water treated by the City of Barrie, ON, initiative. Before the initiative, the BOD was 5.6 mg/L. After the initiative, the BOD decreased by 71% to 1.6 mg/L.

Reasons for the project

  • The city needed to increase the capacity of its wastewater treatment plant to support community growth and minimize combined sewer overflows.
  • The system also needed upgrades to ensure that effluent would meet the standards for ammonia and phosphorus loadings set out in the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan (2009).

Innovative aspects of the project

  • Barrie's wastewater treatment plant is the largest point of discharge in a sensitive, freshwater environment.
  • This project has contributed to the ongoing restoration and protection of Lake Simcoe.   

Best practices and key lessons

The municipality's experience with this project demonstrates some best practices and key lessons that can inform similar projects.

Conduct background research

  • One lesson learned was that the project would have benefitted from additional research on regional environmental trends and requirements, such as more stringent standards for phosphorous levels and effluent.
  • By consulting with regulators and interest groups, including conservation authorities, the city engaged stakeholders to learn how others were tackling these issues and what new technologies were available to treat phosphorous. 

Optimize long-term returns on investment

  • The city undertook a value engineering process with the successful bidder to identify opportunities to improve the project design and reduce costs.

Use alternatives to lowest-bid procurement

  • The city's engineering department and the design consultant worked together to pre-qualify bidders and used a quality-based selection process to evaluate the bids (versus using a lowest-bid procurement method).
  • The city pre-selected major equipment, including raw sewage pumps, tertiary filters and UNOX tank mixers.

Use effective communications and project management

  • Barrie's wastewater operations group was involved throughout the planning, design and commissioning of the upgraded facility.

Prepare detailed testing and commissioning work plans

  • Detailed testing and commissioning work plans should be developed during the early stages of a major project.
  • During the design process, the project team worked to identify potential shutdowns that would cause service disruptions.
  • Project timelines should reflect the time required for biological processes to become established and respond.

Image of rotating biological contactors in City of Barrie, ON.
Rotating biological contactors installed to reduce ammonia and organic nitrogen in Kempenfelt Bay (City of Barrie, ON). 

Project benefits

This project yielded a number of environmental, social and economic benefits. 

Environmental benefits

Reduced energy consumption (electricity and natural gas): The city added variable frequency drives, which ramp up and slow down motors depending on requirements, reducing electrical demands.

Renewable energy generation: The plant generates more biogas as fuel because it is treating more wastewater. This allows boilers and co-generation engines to run more consistently (rather than intermittently) to generate heat and electricity for various treatment processes and winter heating.

Improved effluent quality: The city is able to comply with more stringent effluent treatment requirements. Effluent quality meets the Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) targets set by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. For phosphorus and ammonia, the targets are 0.18 mg/L and 4-10mg/L respectively (monthly averages).

Decreased municipal water consumption and improved stormwater management: As part of this project, the city implemented several complementary programs to help reduce the treatment plant's wastewater inflow load. These included a comprehensive inflow and infiltration (I&I) program, a low-flow toilet rebate program and a review of illegal roof drainage systems and downspout connections.

Improved odour control: The city added a new biological odour control unit to treat air collected from the truck loading station, sludge blending tanks and sludge holding tank.

Social benefits

Improved staff health and safety: The facility was nearing its hydraulic capacity, and therefore the equipment and tanks were nearing their capacities. Expansion of various process tanks has improved operators' ability to make small adjustments over longer periods of time.

The expansion also allowed for tanks to be removed from service for maintenance activities, which ensures continuous service and reduces maintenance closures for the wastewater treatment plant. Permanent cranes were also added to give staff the ability to lift heavy objects more safely; previously they used winches and chains.

Opportunities for physical and recreational activities: The project's new odour control unit has minimized odours emanating from the wastewater treatment plant. This in turn encourages more use of the waterfront.

Promotion of a sustainable lifestyle: The expansion project demonstrates Barrie's commitment to creating a vibrant downtown, managing growth through intensification and protecting the environment and health of Lake Simcoe.

Public space: A healthy Kempenfelt Bay is a showcase for Lake Simcoe and an important centrepiece of the community.

Economic benefits

Improved conditions for tourism: A cleaner waterfront increases the city's ability to attract tourists, who generate revenue for area businesses.

Support for economic growth: The facility's expanded treatment capacity allows for further intensification in the city's land use, creating supportive conditions for economic growth, employment and municipal revenue.

Diverse sources of financing: The city was able to finance this project through revenue from utility rates and development charges, as well as through interim financing, debentures and a Green Municipal Fund grant and loan.

Decreased operating costs: The city installed high-efficiency motors for all pumps and mixers and high-efficiency UV bulbs to make the existing UV system more energy-efficient. The existing hydronic heating system, which uses the wastewater biogas for fuel rather than electricity or natural gas, was expanded, thus increasing energy efficiency.

Extended asset service life: The project expanded the capacity of the existing facility, saving the expense of building a new one.

The figure uses a pie chart to show the funding breakdown of the City of Barrie, ON, wastewater initiative by source of funding. This includes: municipal: 97%; GMF loan: 2%; and GMF grant: 1%.
 

Technical highlights

Technical highlights are current as of 2013.

Treatment

  • Before: Conventional activated sludge
  • After: Conventional activated sludge with a UNOX system and rotating biological contactors

Disinfection

  • Before: UV disinfection system
  • After: The project added a secondary, high-pressure sodium UV system to supplement the existing UV system, which had not yet reached the end of its life cycle.

Biosolids management

Biosolids that build up in the lagoon are removed every seven to ten years, and used for agricultural application.

Average annual daily flow (AADF)

  • Before: 52.9 MLD (million litres per day)
  • After: 51.2 MLD

Design capacity

  • Before: 57.1 MLD
  • After: 76.0 MLD

Per cent of total capacity used for AADF

  • Before: 93 per cent
  • After: 68 per cent

Total suspended solids (TSS)

  • Before: 5.6 mg/L
  • After: 1.5 mg/L
     

Project contact information

Jessica Peters-Palfi
Senior Engineer
City of Barrie, ON
T. 705-739-4220, ext. 4740

Michael Jermey
Deputy Treasurer
City of Barrie, ON
T. 705-739-4220, ext. 4751

Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.&nbsp;

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This is part of a series of case studies on wastewater projects funded by the FCM's Green Municipal Fund. Each case study provides technical information, project details and tips on best practices.

Project overview

The Town of Kapuskasing, ON, updated its wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) with several new technologies, including an aerated lagoon with coarse bubble aeration and a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system for process automation. UV disinfection replaced the use of chlorine gas, improving health and safety for the public and plant workers.

The upgrades increased the capacity and extended the service life of the WWTP, which offers tertiary-level water treatment to a population of 8,196. The $7.6 million project improved the quality of effluent, bringing the town into compliance with provincial standards. The new system also improved biosolids management, reducing the amount of waste transported to the town landfill. 

The figure illustrates the timeline of the initiative in the Town of Kapuskasing, ON, depicting “time projected”, “time over” and “actual time”. The detailed design was projected to take 12 months to complete, starting in February 2010. The actual time to complete it was 17 months, and the completion date was October June 2011. The initiative was delayed by 5 months.  The first part of the figure illustrates the population served by the wastewater initiative. In the Town of Kapuskasing, ON, the wastewater treatment plant serves 8,196 people. The second part of the figure illustrates the budget of the initiative. The amount required to complete the initiative was projected to be $7.6 million. The amount actually required was $7.6 million.   The figure shows the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the water treated by the Town of Kapuskasing, ON, initiative. Before the initiative, the BOD was 6.5 mg/L. After the initiative, the BOD decreased by 69% to 2 mg/L.

Reasons for the project

  • The equipment was reaching the end of its lifetime.
  • The plant was non-compliant with Ontario Ministry of Environment standards for E. coli. 
  • Untreated discharge was going into the Kapuskasing River.

Innovative aspects of the project

  • Local procurement requirements helped to ensure that money stays in the community.
  • Kapuskasing set a good example by coupling value engineering with an energy audit to guide system improvements.

Best practices and key lessons

The municipality's experience with this project demonstrates some best practices and key lessons that can inform similar projects.

Use alternatives to lowest-bid procurement

  • The town only accepted bids from pre-qualified bidders who surpassed a certain point score.
  • Interested bidders submitted detailed proposals that included the following elements: scope of work, drawings, project specifications, a completed pre-qualification form, and details on equipment such as price, warranty, delivery and installation.
  • In anticipation of an eight-month delay in equipment delivery, the town pre-selected the equipment to be used for the project.

Consider hiring a managing contractor

  • Kapuskasing hired one contractor who was responsible for managing all subcontractors, including the equipment supplier.

Ensure that there is sufficient baseline environmental data to support post-project reporting and analysis

Image of the Town of Kapuskasing’s wastewater treatment plant
The Town of Kapuskasing’s new biosolids storage tank. (Credit: Town of Kapuskasing)

Project benefits

This project yielded a number of environmental, social and economic benefits. 

Environmental benefits

  • Lower energy usage: The upgraded WWTP now includes equipment controls, variable frequency drives and high-efficiency motors on all new building mechanical and process equipment, reducing electricity usage.
  • Improved wastewater quality: The reduced frequency and volume of raw sewage bypasses, the increased biosolids storage capacity and the replacement of chlorination with UV disinfection all have a direct benefit on the quality of water released into the Kapuskasing River, including reductions in total suspended solids (TSS) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in effluent.
  • Solid waste reduction: The improved biosolids treatment and storage facilities have reduced the volume of biosolids hauled off-site.
  • Lower environmental impact: The new system has improved the quality of treated effluent.  

Social benefits

  • Decreased risk to public health and safety: Because chlorine is no longer used for disinfection, there is no more chlorine in the effluent water discharged to the river and no risk of a chlorine gas leak. 
  • Increased worker safety: Replacing chlorination with UV disinfection has improved worker safety.
  • Increased opportunities for recreational activity and improved access to public space: Reduced frequency and volume of raw sewage discharges to the Kapuskasing River improves the river's water quality, increasing healthy, safe access for recreational fishing.  

Economic benefits

  • Reduced operating costs: Improved treated effluent quality, biosolids treatment and storage facilities have reduced the volume of biosolids being hauled off-site. This has resulted in a reduction of all associated costs.
  • Municipal cost savings: Treated effluent is used to cover material at the landfill, reducing the need to buy cover material.
  • Creation of a new revenue stream: The town will generate revenue by offering sludge handling services to neighbouring municipalities.
  • Increased tourism revenue and benefits to local business: Reducing the frequency and volume of raw sewage discharges to the Kapuskasing River has improved the river's water quality, making the area more inviting for tourists and increasing the health of local fisheries. 
  • Increased service life: The upgrades will extend the service lives of the WWTP and the town landfill.


The figure uses a pie chart to show the funding breakdown of the Town of Kapuskasing, ON, wastewater initiative by source of funding. This includes: provincial/federal: 66%; GMF loan: 31%; and GMF grant: 3%.

Technical highlights

Technical highlights are current as of 2014.

Treatment

Before
  • Sewage pumping using two screw pumps
  • One mechanical screen
  • One detritus tank
  • Two aeration tanks 
  • Two rectangular secondary clarifiers

After 

  • New raw sewage grinder
  • Addition of coarse bubble diffusers to aeration tanks and dissolved oxygen probes
  • Replacement covers for clarifiers
  • Implementation of programmable logic controller and SCADA systems 

Disinfection

  • Before: Chlorine disinfection system - 401 CFU/100mL
  • After: UV disinfection system - 23 CFU/100mL

Biosolids management

  • Before: On-site storage and periodic disposal of liquid biosolids for agricultural application
  • After: Expanded storage capacity with ability to thicken biosolids to 25 per cent to 29 per cent. Biosolids periodically trucked to landfill for use as cover.

Annual average daily flow (AADF)

  • Current: 5.5 MLD (million litres per day)
  • Design capacity: 9.1 MLD 

Per cent of total capacity used for AADF: 60 per cent

Total suspended solids (TSS)

  • Before: 4.8 mg/L
  • After: 7.1 mg/L

Project contact information

Yves Labelle
Chief Administrative Officer
Town of Kapuskasing, ON
T. 705-337-4252

Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.&nbsp;

Visit the projects database

This is part of a series of case studies on wastewater projects funded by the FCM's Green Municipal Fund. Each case study provides technical information, project details and tips on best practices.

Project overview

The Municipality of the District of Argyle, NS, upgraded its wastewater treatment system, replacing its aerated lagoon with a sequence batch reactor and adding ultraviolet disinfection technology and a dewatering sludge management system. The expansion of the sewer system had been delayed because the chlorine disinfection chambers of the 30-year-old plant could no longer consistently clean wastewater to comply with anti-pollution standards.

The upgrades will allow the municipality to expand its sewer system to homes with septic tanks, reducing the risk that groundwater contamination from septic tanks will make drinking water unsafe. Additional plant updates include an energy-efficient wastewater heating system that will lower plant energy costs, as well as a final sludge drying process that will make sewage solids less costly to truck away. 

Figure depicting the District of Argyle, NS, wastewater project timeline  Figures depicting the population served by District of Argyle, NS, wastewater initiative and its budget  Figure depicting the improvement in water quality resulting from the District of Argyle, NS, wastewater initiative

Reasons for the project

  • The water treatment system was not compliant with limits set for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS) by the Nova Scotia Environment (formally known as Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour) and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. 

Best practices and key lessons

The municipality's experience with this project demonstrates some best practices and key lessons that can inform similar projects.

Optimize long-term returns on investment

  • To save energy, the municipality chose a gravity dewatering system (a geo-tube system) rather than a system driven by mechanical force (a Fournier Rotary Press).
  • A cost-benefit analysis of multiple treatment options would help in selecting the appropriate technologies, allocating sufficient funds for biosolids disposal and lowering true operating costs for the municipality.

Include contingencies in the project budget and schedule

  • It is important to research the full cost of a project in advance and prepare accurate cost estimates to ensure that sufficient funds are set aside. For wastewater capital projects, make sure the tenders received allocate sufficient funds to complete the project as designed and avoid a change of plans mid-stream.
  • The third-party costs for disposing of liquid sludge in the first year of operations were high, but the service was necessary while the geo-tube dewatering system was designed and installed. 

View of West Pubnico Water Treatment Facility Site in District of Argyle, NS.
View of West Pubnico Water Treatment Facility Site in District of Argyle, NS. (Credit: Brad d'Entremont) 

Project benefits

This project yielded a number of environmental, social and economic benefits. 

Environmental benefits

  • Lower energy use: A heat recovery system reduces energy consumption.
  • Improved wastewater quality: Effluent quality has improved with the new treatment process.
  • Reduced hazardous residuals: A UV disinfection process is now used instead of chlorination.
  • Ecosystem protection: By improving the quality of effluent released into the ocean, the upgraded system will protect shellfish (an important municipal economic resource) and biodiversity.

Social benefits

  • Improved public health: The upgrades promote human health by protecting the municipality's groundwater resources and minimizing wastewater infiltration.
  • Improved public space: The upgrades have reduced odor emissions, and the upgraded plant is more visually appealing.

Economic benefits

  • Increased employment: One full-time position was created as well as one part-time position.
  • Support for residential growth: Greater wastewater treatment capacity will better support community growth.
  • More efficient staff operations: A SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system has been installed for monitoring purposes. 


Pie chart depicting the funding breakdown for the District of Argyle, NS, wastewater initiative.

Technical highlights

This project was a new facility. Technical highlights are current as of 2013.

Municipal population: 8,252

Urban/rural: rural

Treatment

  • Before: Aerated lagoon
  • After: Sequencing batch reactor

Disinfection

  • Before: Chlorine disinfection system
  • After: UV disinfection system

Biosolids management

  • Before: Biosolids removed from lagoons periodically, as necessary, and sent to landfill
  • After: Sludge thickened and disposed of in abandoned landfill

Annual average daily flow (AADF)

  • Before: 0.39 MLD (million litres per day)
  • After: 0.51 MLD

Design capacity

  • Before: 0.65 MLD
  • After: 0.91 MLD

Per cent of total capacity used for AADF

  • Before: 60 per cent 
  • After: 56 per cent 

Total suspended solids (TSS)

  • Before: 54 mg/L
  • After: 6 mg/L
     

Project contact information

John Sullivan
Director, Public Works and Property Inspection
Municipality of the District of Argyle, NS
T. 902-648-2623  

Alain Muise
Chief Administrative Officer
Municipality of the District of Argyle, NS
T. 902-648-3293

Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.&nbsp;

Visit the projects database

This is part of a series of case studies on wastewater projects funded by the FCM's Green Municipal Fund. Each case study provides technical information, project details and tips on best practices.

Project overview

The Village of St. Louis, SK, upgraded its sewage collection and treatment system to comply with regulatory standards, improve water quality and support the community's growth and sustainability. The project team replaced the municipality's two gravity-fed septic tanks with a new facility, including a facultative lagoon, force mains to carry wastewater downstream from the discharge point, and two sewage pumping stations. 

The figure illustrates the timeline of the initiative in the Village of St. Louis, SK.  The first part of the figure illustrates the population served by the wastewater initiative. In the Village of St. Louis, SK, the wastewater treatment plant serves 449 people. The second part of the figure illustrates the budget of the initiative. The amount required to complete the initiative was projected to be $2.7 million. The amount actually required was $1.9 million. The initiative was under budget by $0.8 million.  The figure shows the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the water treated by the Village of St. Louis, SK, initiative. Before the initiative, the BOD was 102 mg/L. After the initiative, the BOD decreased by 91% to 9 mg/L.

Reasons for the project

  • The system was upgraded to ensure compliance with Section 16 of the 2002 Saskatchewan water regulations.

Innovative aspects of the project

  • Biosolids are used as fertilizer for local farms.

Best practices and key lessons

The municipality's experience with this project demonstrates some best practices and key lessons that can inform similar projects.

Engage early and broadly

  • A pre-project public meeting provided the opportunity for residents to give their opinions and feedback to municipal authorities. The village used public hearings and mail to keep residents informed.

Use effective communications and project management 

  • Extensive and proactive communication with partners allowed for efficient permit issuance, financing and other administrative processes.
  • To avoid delays in the construction schedule, consider special environmental factors as well as surveying and purchasing land early.

View of facultative lagoon for St Louis, SK, wastewater treatment facility. (Credit: Village of St. Louis)
View of facultative lagoon for St Louis, SK, wastewater treatment facility. (Credit: Village of St. Louis)

Project benefits

This project yielded a number of environmental, social and economic benefits. 

Environmental benefits

  • Improved effluent quality: The quality of the treated wastewater is expected to improve significantly (approximately 60 per cent) as a result of the new treatment process.
  • Change in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions: The use of heavy trucks to dispose of sewage has been reduced. This reduction in energy use and GHG emissions is offset by the energy required for mechanical pumping at the new facultative sewage treatment lagoon. The net change has not been verified. 

Social benefits

  • Protection of public health: Improved wastewater quality positively impacts the health of residents.
  • Increased opportunities for recreational activities: With reduced effluent discharge, residents adjacent to the South Saskatchewan River will be able to engage in recreational activities on the river and in the surrounding area.
  • Increased public education: The project has increased public awareness of environmental and infrastructure issues.
  • Enables community revitalization: In light of the increased capacity of the wastewater treatment system and the improved quality of treated wastewater, this project supports community growth and contributes to the overall sustainability of St. Louis.

Economic benefits

  • Improved conditions for tourism: A cleaner waterfront increases the city's ability to attract tourists, who generate revenue for area businesses.
  • Reduced maintenance costs: The new wastewater treatment system will require fewer repairs in the long term.
  • Increased potential to attract new business: Since the new system can support new connections, St. Louis will now be able to support expansion of new or existing businesses and commercial entities.
  • Increased potential to attract new residents: This project supports community growth and two new residential subdivisions have already been built.
  • Local economic development: A new grocery store was able to open because of the increased capacity of the wastewater treatment system to support local businesses. This project indirectly led to new job creation.  


The figure uses a pie chart to show the funding breakdown of Village of St. Louis, SK, wastewater initiative by source of funding. This includes: provincial: 33%; federal: 33% ; GMF loan: 31% ; and GMF grant: 3%.

Technical highlights

This project was a new facility. Technical highlights are current as of 2012.

Municipal population: 449

Urban/rural: rural

Treatment

  • Before: Septic tank
  • After: Facultative lagoon

Disinfection

  • Before: None  — N/A (With the previous septic tank system, no data was available.)
  • After: None  — 47 CFU/100 mL

Biosolids management:

  • Before: Biosolids were collected and hauled for deposit as fertilizer material for area farms.
  • After: Biosolids in the lagoon will be dredged approximately every 10 years and deposited as fertilizer material.

Annual average daily flow (AADF)

  • Before: 0.16 MLD (million litres per day)
  • After: 0.12 MLD

Design capacity

  • Before: N/A
  • After: 0.21 MLD

Per cent of total capacity used for AADF

  • Before: N/A  
  • After: 76 per cent 

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

  • Before: 65 mg/L
  • After: 10 mg/L
     

Project contact information

Robin Boyer
Municipal Administrator
Village of St. Louis, SK
T. 306-422-8471

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Over 1.25 million bike trips have been counted on Laurier Avenue West since the City of Ottawa, ON, implemented the province's first downtown segregated bicycle lanes in July 2011.

Laurier Avenue Segregated Bike Lane Project

Population: Project duration: Total project value:
900,000 July 2011–July 2013 $1.1 million

Transcript

Over 1.25 million bike trips have been counted on Laurier Avenue West since the City of Ottawa, ON, implemented the province's first downtown segregated bicycle lanes in July 2011. Launched as a pilot project, the new bike lanes were declared a success in July 2013 and are now a permanent feature.

The 1.5-kilometre stretch along Laurier falls under a larger plan to create a 12-kilometre East-West Bikeway and increase Ottawa's cycling mode share from approximately two-and-a-half per cent to five per cent. The bike lanes along this busy street are separated from vehicle traffic by concrete curbs, plastic poles and decorative planter boxes. The project includes several elements that are new to Ontario, including durable green thermoplastic road paint to support a two-stage left-turn system and special yield signs for right-turning motor vehicles. Signal lights now include a green arrow to allow cyclists a head start through intersections. An extensive public communications initiative includes project monitoring via bicycle counters that upload cycling data to a public website on a daily basis. A state-of-the-art video monitoring system identifies near collisions and safety issues. 

Results

Environmental Economic Social

  • Cycle mode share in the downtown area increased from 4% to 7%

  • Cycling trips along the street quadrupled from 700 to 2,800 per day

  • Fewer cars on Laurier with no increase in traffic volume on adjacent streets

  • Reduced roadway operation and maintenance expenses

  • Fewer collisions, with reduced personal injury costs

  • Potential for increased economic activity with more people using the street

  • Easier and safer cycling in a busy mixed-traffic environment

  • More active and animated neighbourhood with more people using the street

  • High community interest in establishing permanent bike lanes

Challenges

  • Initially the city chose slightly narrower lanes to accommodate roadway width constraints, but these were too narrow for cyclists to pass each other safely. 
  • The city had to remove 122 parking spaces from Laurier Ave. Although 144 spaces were added on adjacent streets, businesses resisted the loss of direct parking on Laurier, and the city launched a publicity campaign to inform people of the new parking spots.
  • To keep the pilot project cost-efficient, the city used pre-cast curbs rather than temporary markers. The curb buffers were too high and resulted in some pedestrians tripping over them.

Lessons learned

  • Engage all stakeholders early and often to develop consensus. 
  • Provide lanes wide enough for cyclists to pass one another safely (a minimum of two metres).
  • If feasible, pour concrete to raise bike lanes to the same height as the sidewalk.
  • Consider the impacts to on-street parking, loading areas, taxi stands and accessibility; and develop a parking mitigation strategy with an associated communications plan.

Resources

Project Contact

Colin Simpson
Senior Project Manager, Transportation Strategic Planning Unit
City of Ottawa, ON
T. 613-580-2424, ext. 27881

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This is part of a series of case studies on wastewater projects funded by the FCM's Green Municipal Fund. Each case study provides technical information, project details and tips on best practices.

Project overview

The City of Brockville, ON, upgraded its wastewater treatment facility to add secondary treatment using the conventional activated sludge process. The city also replaced the plant's chlorine disinfection system with an ultraviolet disinfection system.

The project team modified the facility to accommodate secondary treatment, improve control and monitoring, address existing shortfalls and make the facility more energy-efficient. The project improved control and monitoring with the addition of four automated sensors to monitor effluent turbidity, flow, pH and ammonia levels. The secondary treatment process includes energy-efficient technology and meets energy-efficiency standards of the LEED® rating system. 

Figure depicting the City of Brockville, ON, wastewater project timeline.  Figures depicting the population served by City of Brockville, ON, wastewater initiative and its budget.  Figure depicting the improvement in water quality resulting from the City of Brockville, ON, wastewater initiative.

Reasons for the project

  • The facility was non-compliant with Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) regulations for five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) loading.

Innovative aspects of the project

  • The project goes beyond regulatory requirements: the upgrades are designed to achieve much lower BOD and total suspended solids (TSS) and to reduce total phosphorous, fecal coliform counts and total ammonia.
  • The building design meets energy-efficiency standards reflected in the LEED rating system.

Best practices and key lessons

The municipality's experience with this project demonstrates some best practices and key lessons that can inform similar projects.

Use integrated teams and processes

  • The project team consulted operating staff directly and regularly throughout the preliminary detailed design process. Operating staff participated in site visits to view processes and equipment being evaluated. Their input helped to shape the project, and this fostered a sense of ownership.

Use effective communications and project management 

  • The city emphasized good oversight and management, retaining a project management firm to lead the process. This allowed the city to implement the project successfully without hiring additional staff and to benefit from the expertise of a number of individuals at the project management firm.
  • Clear lines of communication and active coordination of the diverse parties involved are essential to the successful management and delivery of projects.

View of secondary clarifiers, pump and UV disinfection system. (Credit: City of Brockville)
View of secondary clarifiers, pump and UV disinfection system. (Credit: City of Brockville)

Project benefits

This project yielded a number of environmental, social and economic benefits. 

Environmental benefits

  • Inclusion of renewable energy: The city installed a solar wall to heat the building.
  • Improved wastewater quality: With the addition of secondary treatment, the plant now complies with MOECC standards. Four new automated sensors take measurements before and after secondary treatment, ensuring the quality of effluent (turbidity, flow, pH and ammonia levels) entering the St. Lawrence River.
  • Reduced hazardous residuals: The city replaced the chlorine disinfection system with an ultraviolet system.
  • Ecosystem protection: By improving the quality of the effluent discharged to the St. Lawrence River, the project promotes the health of the river, its wildlife and ecosystem.

Social benefits

  • Improved public health: By improving the quality of the effluent discharged to the St. Lawrence River, the project promotes the health of Brockville residents and people living in neighbouring communities.
  • Opportunities for recreational activities: By improving the quality of the effluent discharged to the St. Lawrence River, the project protects the health and safety of those who engage in recreational activities such as boating, swimming, fishing and scuba diving.
  • Improved service delivery: With its expanded treatment capacity, the plant can better manage peak and excess loads for the residential, industrial, institutional and commercial premises it serves. With a new septage receiving facility, the community's septage can be treated locally.

Economic benefits

  • Increased potential to attract new businesses: With added treatment capacity, the City of Brockville will be better able to serve current and future businesses.
  • Increased potential to attract new residents: With added treatment capacity, the City of Brockville will be better able to serve a growing community. 
  • More efficient operation: Four automated sensors measuring effluent quality (turbidity, flow, pH and ammonia levels) are integrated with the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system to adjust the treatment process automatically to ensure quality levels are met.

The figure uses a pie chart to show the funding breakdown of the City of Brockville, ON, wastewater initiative by source of funding. This includes: federal: 51%; municipal: 22%; provincial: 17%; GMF loan: 9%; and GMF grant: 1%.Pie chart depicting the funding breakdown for City of Brockville, ON, wastewater initiative.

Technical highlights

This project was a new facility. Technical highlights are current as of 2014.

Municipal population: 21,870

Urban/rural: urban

Treatment

  • Before: Primary treatment
  • After: Conventional activated sludge

Disinfection

  • Before: Chlorine disinfection system
  • After: UV disinfection system

Biosolids management

Biosolids from primary treatment are anaerobically digested and centrifuged. In summer, biosolids are used for land application, and in winter (November through April), biosolids are disposed of in a landfill.

Annual average daily flow (AADF): 15.2 MLD (million litres per day)

Design capacity

  • Before: 21.8 MLD
  • After: 21.5 MLD

Per cent of total capacity used for AADF

  • Before: 70 per cent 
  • After: 71 per cent 

Total suspended solids (TSS)

  • Before: 28 mg/L
  • After: 7.1 mg/L
     

Project contact information

Conal Cosgrove
Director of Operations
City of Brockville, ON
T. 613-342-8772, ext. 8205

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Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy

Population Plan adopted Total project value
26,000 2012 $10,000


Transcript

In the City of Langley, BC, a new Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy has delivered $192 million in new construction and 850 new jobs. The first of its kind in the province, the strategy involves marketing sites to developers, working closely with them to expedite development approvals, and partnering on projects that fit with the city's vision.

Under the strategy, the city helps developers identify prime sites, clarifies how they were previously used, and also provides basic information about probable risks. A website and other communications tools explain the benefits, challenges, and options to reduce risks.

Langley is small city, only about 10 square kilometres, with few greenfield sites available. It has identified brownfield development as way to catalyze growth, attract employment, improve property values and increase the city's tax base. Site remediation will remove contaminants from soil and water, improving the quality of life for all residents.

Results

Environmental Economic Social

  • Site remediation removes contami­na­tion and improves soil and water quality

  • Brownfield projects help limit urban sprawl and preserve greenfield lands

  • $192 million in new construction 

  • 850 jobs created

  • Higher property values and tax revenue

  • Reusing existing municipal infra­structure saves tax dollars

  • Strategy supports city's pedestrian, resident, and business-friendly vision

  • Increased economic activity and a larger tax base allows the city to improve services

Challenges

  • With few remaining greenfield sites, the city needs to attract investment and convince developers that brownfields are viable and potentially profitable.

Lessons learned

  • Have a clear vision about future land use and don't be shy about marketing brownfield opportunities.
  • Develop local champions who can facilitate communication and work with stakeholders to foster partnerships.
  • Conduct market research to determine the demand for the projects you envision. Market research can help convince developers that opportunities are real and projects are viable.
  • Develop an action plan that incorporates: innovative approaches to land-use planning; site remediation and financial incentives; a commitment to expedite approvals and to partner with developers; and information on new technologies that make clean-up easier and more economical.

Resources

Partners and Collaborators

Project Contact

Gerald Minchuk
Director, Devel­opment Services and Eco­nomic Development
City of Langley, BC 
T. 604-514-2815

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Groundwater Remediation Project — Emma Martin Park

Population: Project duration: Total project value
124,000 August–September, 2013 $350,000

Transcript

In a departure from the conventional "dig and dump" approach to contaminated soil, the City of Kingston, ON, chose an innovative underground filtering and cleaning technology to stop the flow of groundwater contaminants from Emma Martin Park into the Cataraqui River. The park's industrial past had left its soil and groundwater with elevated concentrations of soluble arsenic and other metals, posing a risk to the aquatic environment and Kingston's Inner Harbour.

The city worked closely with stakeholders to find a sustainable solution; taking an integrated approach to consultation, design and procurement. They selected an underground Zero-Valent Iron Permeable Reactive Barrier that captures contaminants as groundwater flows through porous treatment material. New pavement and a geosynthetic clay layer prevent rainwater absorption and slow the release of contaminants into groundwater. The city removed and disposed of some of the park's contaminated surface soil, targeting contamination "hot spots". A sustainable remediation process in other areas resulted in project costs nearly 40 per cent less than preliminary estimates for a conventional approach, and reduced the environmental impact of trucking and landfilling soil. On-site treatment also minimized disruption to park users.

Results

Environmental Economic Social

  • 237 tonnes of hazardous soil and non-hazardous contaminated soil removed

  • 99.98% reduction of arsenic in groundwater flowing to the river

  • 75% less soil transported to landfill, reducing GHG emissions and landfill volume

  • 40% reduction in anticipated costs through on-site treatment

  • Estimated $30,000 saved annually by avoiding a groundwater pump and treatment system
  • Enhanced waterfront park with new parking, pathway improvements and landscape design

  • No disruption to rowing and canoe club activities

  • Reduced risk to human health

Challenges

  • There was no standard process for consulting the city's Parks Department early in the planning stage. Additional and earlier consultation may have resulted in a more detailed park redesign, with greater value added to the project.
  • Council had already approved the project when stakeholder consultation showed that the original dig and dump soil removal concept would be disruptive to park users. While this meant a change in plan, it may also have avoided long-term costs to pump and treat groundwater through a more conventional approach.

Lessons learned

  • Involve relevant city departments early in the planning stages to ensure optimal design and outcomes.
  • Consider a design-build procurement process that emphasizes project outcomes rather than a specific approach, and ask bidders to propose value-added solutions drawn from their expertise.
  • Use an integrated project design approach and seek solutions that complement other aspects of municipal service.

Resources

Partners and Collaborators

Project Contact

Nathan Richard
Project Manager, Brownfields
City of Kingston, ON
T. 613-546-4291

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A wavedeck

Remediating the hundreds of hectares of former industrial lands on Toronto's waterfront will improve environmental health and reduce urban sprawl.

Waterfront Toronto is studying the latest on-site soil-washing technologies as it seeks ways to turn the contaminated soil from a liability into a resource. In a field test, two contractors processed approximately 20,000 cubic metres of soil on site in less than three months.

The cost per tonne was comparable to the traditional dig-and-dump approach, which involves trucking contaminated soil to a landfill. Not only does recycling keep contaminated soil out of landfills, it virtually eliminates dump truck traffic between the site and the landfill. This reduces damage to roadsand to the environment.

Results

Environmental Economic Social
  • Reduces the need to import clean fill, limiting the impact on other sites.
  • When environmental and social costs are included, soil recycling costs approximately $18 less per tonne than the dig-and-dump approach.
  • Soil recycling reduces the noise and road congestion associated with dig-and-dump truck traffic.
  • Revitalized waterfront lands will include vibrant, sustainable mixed-use communities.

Challenges

  • Finding a way to remediate two million cubic metres of soil contaminated by more than 150 years of industrial activity
  • Finding environmentally and economically suitable ways to remediate contaminated soil on site, rather than removing it to landfills and trucking in clean fill
  • Testing soil-washing, a practice not yet permitted under Ontario regulations

Lessons learned

  • Soil recycling is an affordable alternative to digging and dumping. Given its environmental and social benefits, governments should encourage it.
  • Ontario environmental regulations should permit movement of contaminated soil in the waterfront area, and categorize recycled soil as safe rather than waste.
  • On-site evaluations of similar soil-washing technologies led to more accurate comparisons.

Resources

Partners and Collaborators

Project Contact

Raffi Bedrosyan, Director
Port Lands and Civil Infrastructure
Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation
T. 416-214-1479

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Pagination

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