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 Amherstburg, ON, consolidated three sewage service areas into one. This allowed the town to close down two sewage treatment plants – one was approaching approved treatment capacity limits and the other would have needed upgrades to meet current requirements for effluent quality.

The Amherstburg Pollution Control Plant (PCP), one of the only remaining primary treatment plants on the Great Lakes, is the largest of the town's sewage treatment facilities. It treats the majority of the sewage generated by the town's urban area but was approaching its approved capacity. Upgrades to the Amherstburg PCP included improvements to the headworks and screening as well as the grit removal, primary clarification and aeration systems. The town installed secondary treatment technologies, including bioreactor tanks with fine bubble diffusion and secondary clarifiers. The town also made improvements to the dewatering system and installed an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system and an odour control system. 

Reasons for the project

• The town wanted to increase service capacity and address combined sewer overflows.
• The project was critical to meeting the goals of the Detroit River Remedial Action Plan.

Innovative aspects of the project

• The updates produced many environmental benefits in addition to higher-quality effluent: odour control, expanded capacity without extra land requirements, landscaping with native species, reduction of solid waste going to landfill and energy-efficient technology.
• The odour control system uses a biotrickling filter and a biofilter and, at the time of completion, was one of only a few full-scale installations of this type in Canada.
• The project involved a good process for equipment pre-selection, including consideration of life-cycle costs and energy efficiency.
• The town considered and evaluated various options in detail.

Best practices and key lessons

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

Select qualified contractors

• It is important to select contractors with a proven record of meeting project timelines. Originally, the construction was to have been completed in June 2012, but in reality it took until May 2013.

Engage operations staff early and provide support in adapting to the new upgrades  

• To train operations staff in the new processes and technologies, the town made the operations manuals available electronically on tablets for the staff to carry with them as they were working around the plant. This made information on plant operations and equipment readily available in the field.

View of clarifiers and aeration tanks. (Credit: Town of Amherstburg)

Project benefits

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

Environmental benefits

Decreased energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: The new bubble aeration system minimizes energy consumption and GHG emissions. Additionally, a more efficient dewatering system produces fewer biosolids for transportation to a landfill.

Improved wastewater quality: Effluent quality has improved in terms of carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids and total residual chlorine. Discharge now meets stringent limits for ammonia, nitrogen, total phosphorus, E. coli and pH. Also, the increased plant capacity has reduced the number of plant bypass and combined sewer overflow events that discharge into the Detroit River.

Decreased water consumption: Treated wastewater is used for cleaning, washing or rinsing tasks in the plant. The surrounding area is landscaped with native vegetation, which is acclimatized to the existing local water conditions and requires minimal watering.

Reduced hazardous residuals: The plant uses a UV disinfection treatment process instead of gaseous chlorine.

Minimized environmental impact: The town used the existing land efficiently and did not need to procure any additional land for the plant upgrade. Specifically, the raw sewage force main and final effluent pipe both connect to their respective existing counterparts, avoiding the need to build on a greenfield site.

Protection of biodiversity and ecosystem: The higher-quality effluent resulted in improved water quality in the river. In addition, the town built a greenbelt along the edge of a pond located next to the plant, to enable pedestrian access and protect the wildlife that inhabit the pond. The project has improved effluent quality and lowered the levels of effluent overflow into the Detroit River, helping to protect the biodiversity of the river and Great Lakes.

Decreased odour pollution: A unique two-stage biotrickling odour control system has decreased the odour coming from the plant. 

Social benefits

Protection and improvement of public health: Several surrounding and downstream communities in the Great Lakes area will benefit from the improved water quality and its impact on public health.

Increased opportunities for recreational activities: Improvements to wastewater quality mean better water quality in the river, which makes the water and beaches more attractive for recreational activities.

Increased access to public space: The upgrades have improved the river's water quality, leading to a reduction in beach closures. Residents and visitors can better enjoy local beaches. 

Economic benefits

Reduced operating and maintenance costs: Energy-efficient technology and upgrades to the facility mean less energy use and lower operating and maintenance costs.

Deferred or avoided capital expenses: The project team took advantage of past investments in the facility, making choices that were cost-effective and highly compatible with the existing infrastructure. The project also made use of the existing outfall, the pump station and portions of the raw sewage force main and effluent pipeline to the pump station.

Increased district land values: The town expects property values around the two former facilities to rise, which would provide the town with additional revenue from the increased property taxes. Property values surrounding the Amherstburg PCP are not expected to be adversely affected.

Increased potential to attract new businesses: The additional capacity of the updated facility will allow the town to issue building permits for the service area, facilitating economic development and community revitalization.

Increased ability to attract new residents: With increased capacity to support economic development and community revitalization, the updated facility will make the municipality more attractive over the long term as the city grows.

Support for local business development: The Amherstburg PCP will serve several new areas: A sizeable area identified for heavy industrial activity, a smaller area designated for light industrial activity and two other areas designated for residential use. Providing sewage services to these areas will allow for their development and resulting positive contributions to the local economy.

Project contact information

Antonietta Giofu
Director, Engineering and Public Works
Town of Amherstburg, ON
T. 519-736-3664

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

To improve treatment capacity and discharge quality, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, ON, constructed a new wastewater treatment plant, featuring extended aeration-activated sludge treatment, at the site of Ridgetown's existing aerated lagoon facility. The project team installed a new raw sewage pump station, adapted two of the existing lagoon cells to store biosolids and handle excess wet weather flows, and shut down the lagoon cells that were no longer needed. The new facility also provides tertiary treatment using sand filters and ultraviolet disinfection. 

  

Reasons for the project

• The municipality needed to increase the capacity of its wastewater treatment system and meet Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change targets for reducing E. coli in effluent.

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 comprehensive training and change management plan

• Public Utilities Commission operating staff were involved from the consulting phase to ensure a smooth start-up of the new facility.

Communicate with relevant government bodies at the planning stage 

• Liaising early in the planning stage with the local conservation authority could help alleviate delays in latter stages of the project.

Plan for contingencies and weather

• As much as possible, schedule construction work for warmer months.

Project benefits

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

Environmental benefits

• Improved wastewater quality: Levels of E. coli, phosphorus and ammonia are reduced.
• Reduced hazardous residuals: Upgraded tertiary treatment now features sand filtration and UV disinfection, resulting in cleaner, chlorine-free effluent.
• Biodiversity and ecosystem protection: Improved water quality supports the maintenance and expansion of habitat.

Social benefits

• Improved public health: Safer and cleaner discharge into streams, minimized periodic odour emissions and reduced noise disturbance ultimately result in a healthier environment for residents.
• Improved staff health and safety: Operators no longer need to enter a confined space to access the pump station.
• Greater opportunity for recreational activities: A healthier water flow supports recreational uses of downstream areas, including Gawne Drain, Lower Thames Valley and Lake St. Clair.
• Improved service delivery: The new facility can operate in all seasons and has extra capacity for emergency situations.
• Opportunity for public education and awareness: Public tours of the facility are available to help community members understand the value of sewage treatment. In addition, sludge samples are provided to the University of Guelph for student lab work.
• Improved neighbourhood aesthetics: Relocation of the facility provides a buffer between the Mitton Industrial Park and nearby residential properties. 

Economic benefits

• Avoided capital expenses: Savings resulted from locating the facility in an existing lagoon and re-using as much equipment as possible.
• Increased job creation or retention: Municipal jobs were retained and additional workloads created to meet staffing requirements for the operation of the new wastewater treatment plant.
• Increased potential to attract new businesses: Greater storage and treatment capacity and year-round operation can better support industrial and other commercial development.
• Increased potential to attract new residents: Greater storage and treatment capacity and year-round operation can better support community growth.
• Local economy stimulus: The plant is now able to accept and properly treat septage from haulers. This provides a new source of revenue for the municipality.
• Use of feasibility tools: The municipality used full-cost accounting and evaluated design choices based on the life-cycle costs over the long term.
• Demand management: Demand-side policies and programs, including the municipality's policies for water use restrictions and sewer use, encourage efficient resource management.
• Simplified staff operations: A SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system allows operators to make adjustments remotely and makes data monitoring more reliable and frequent.   

Technical highlights

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

Municipal population: 103,671  

Urban/rural: urban

Treatment

• Before: Facultative lagoon
• After: Extended aeration-activated sludge

Disinfection

• Before: None - 153 CFU (Colony Forming Unit) /100 mL
• After: UV disinfection system - 10 CFU/100 mL

Biosolids management: Biosolids are left in the lagoon

Annual average daily flow (AADF)

• Before: 1.3 MLD (million litres per day)
• After: 1.5 MLD

Design capacity

• Before: 1.5 mg/L
• After: 2.3 mg/L

Per cent of total capacity used for AADF

• Before: 83 per cent 
• After: 64 per cent 

Total suspended solids (TSS)

• Before: 5.0 mg/L
• After: 4.7 mg/L

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

• Before: 2.4 mg/L
• After: 2.1 mg/L
   

Project contact information

Rob Bernardi
Facilities & Systems Manager, Water & Wastewater Services
Municipality of Chatham-Kent, ON
T. 519-436-0119, ext. 306

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

To help meet phosphorus discharge targets set by the Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan and to sustainably handle both projected growth in the Picton-Hallowell urban area and septage from residents in the surrounding rural areas, Prince Edward County, ON, constructed a new pumping station and a new wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The existing plant in the Town of Picton (in Prince Edward County), built in 1947, was approaching its rated capacity. Further in-service upgrades would have been difficult because of aging components, land use constraints and aspects of plant layout that limit the capacity to handle increasing peak flows. The new WWTP provides a greater level of wastewater treatment and meets more stringent effluent criteria by replacing chlorination with tertiary filtration and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. The plant was built and is operated under the county's full cost recovery approach to municipal water and wastewater infrastructure — an approach complemented by continual promotion of water conservation. 

Reasons for the project

• The existing facility was reaching the end of its service life.
• The county had increased capacity requirements. The county wanted to meet targets for phosphorus set out by the Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan.

Innovative aspects of the project 

• The project has improved the environmental sustainability of the community.
• Design-build is a solid approach for procurement and can fast-track construction during tight economic times.
• The municipality did an excellent job managing the project, from the feasibility study to the design-build process.

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

• The municipality formalized the role of community members through a public works subcommittee and maintained regular engagement with practitioners, decision makers and the public through online status updates, press releases, a substantial milestone completion ceremony and a grand opening.

Use integrated teams and processes

• Involve operations staff in the design process from the start to ensure that design choices are optimal for ongoing facility operation. For example, cost cutting at the design stage may result in choices that are more laborious and time-consuming once in operation. Having input from operations staff can help in avoiding such mistakes.

Use alternatives to lowest-bid procurement

• A conventional tendering approach yielded bids that were significantly higher than the project budget. After offering bidders the opportunity to include facility operation in their bids (whereby the bidders would invest capital, which would be offset by future income), the municipality ultimately chose a design-build approach and worked with the successful bidder to reduce the costs to an acceptable level. This approach allowed the contractor and consulting engineer to work together to identify technical solutions and resolve construction issues. The arrangement reduced capital costs by producing a design tailored for cost-effective construction. The design-build team and the municipality also worked together in a value-engineering exercise to determine which aspects of the project could be eliminated or modified without impacting the project goals.

Project benefits

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

Environmental benefits

Improved effluent quality: Through the addition of tertiary treatment and UV disinfection, the new WWTP provides higher quality effluent compared to the old plant. 

Reduced hazardous residuals: UV technology has replaced chlorination for disinfection.

Reduced odour pollution: The new plant includes an odour-control system, which has eliminated odour emissions, improving air quality. 

Social benefits

Improved public safety: The new facility is fenced and has security alarms to minimize crime and accidents. 

Improved service delivery: The new WWTP provides more reliable treatment than the old facility, allowing for an overall reduction in bypasses and effluent non-compliance events. In addition, the plant has greater capacity to accommodate anticipated growth. It can also serve users whose households are not connected to the sewage collection system, providing a convenient and affordable means of septage disposal.

Creation of public space: Demolition of the old plant has improved the aesthetics of the surrounding space. The municipality plans to revitalize the space by turning it into parkland. Furthermore, the new plant is located further away from public recreation areas.

Protection and improvement of public health: With the new plant producing higher quality effluent, residents will have access to higher quality water. 

Economic benefits

Increased potential to attract new businesses: By increasing the treatment and reserve capacity, the county will be able to serve additional businesses.

Increased potential to attract new residents: By increasing the treatment and reserve capacity, the county will be able to support a growing community.

More efficient operation: System automation through SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) allows for more efficient operation of equipment.

Project contact information

Don Caza 
Director of Water and Wastewater Services
County of Prince Edward, ON
T. 613-476-2148, ext. 4501

Kayla Beach 
Compliance Supervisor
County of Prince Edward, ON
T. 613-476-2148, ext. 4505

A pioneering project in biomethanation

The City of Saint-Hyacinthe took the lead in completing all the research and development for its biomethanation project to produce biogas from waste. The project, completed without external consultants, is a first in Quebec and one of the first in North America. 

Read the case study below to learn about project highlights, as well as the challenges and lessons learned that can help your community in planning a similar project.

About the project

To manage its organic waste and sewage sludge from water treatment locally, Saint-Hyacinthe undertook a biomethanation project. By constructing a new facility and working with local partners, the city now converts waste from the brown bins of citizens in 23 municipalities and from agri-food businesses into natural gas that can be used to heat buildings and operate vehicle fleets at low cost. 

Biomethanation is a stable, environmentally responsible and economic way of generating natural gas. In addition, the municipality produces a surplus of natural gas that it sells to the Gaz Métro utility. In just a few years, Saint-Hyacinthe will recoup the cost of building its organic waste and biomethanation plants.

With this initiative, Saint-Hyacinthe has proven that a municipality can lead and complete all stages of a large-scale biomethanation project, acquire the necessary technical skills, and even make the project profitable.

Transcript

Project highlights

Results

Challenges

• Saint-Hyacinthe began its project before Quebec's biomethanation standards were developed. The municipality had to develop benchmarks in conjunction with the Quebec government. This facilitated the development of standards for future similar projects in Quebec.
• Biomethanation technology was not readily available in Canada, so Saint-Hyacinthe conducted in-depth research in Europe, and transferred the knowledge and acquired equipment from the United States and Europe.

Lessons learned

• Be inspired — Saint-Hyacinthe's experience shows that municipalities can complete large projects at an affordable cost.
• Use internal resources to significantly reduce total project costs. This approach means that project schedules and funds invested can be carefully monitored, allowing better control over expenditures and deadlines.
• Get started with biomethanation projects by visiting other facilities, seeking support from local and regional stakeholders and maintaining regular contact with authorities and citizens. 

More information

Brigitte Massé
Director of communications
City of Saint-Hyacinthe
T. 450-778-8300

Upgraded infrastructure for active transportation

Three major upgrades to cycling and pedestrian networks in the City of Vancouver have created a seamless active transportation corridor running from the city's western neighbourhoods and across the Burrard Bridge to the downtown core. Active transportation is now safer, thanks to the Seaside Greenway, South End Burrard Bridge and York Bikeway projects, which have led to an increase of 20,000 new cycling trips per year.

Read the case study below to learn about project highlights, as well as the challenges and lessons learned that can help your community in planning similar projects. 

About the project

Setting a new high water mark for active transportation infrastructure and healthy communities, the City of Vancouver has dramatically improved cycling and walking connectivity throughout a major waterfront corridor running from Vancouver's western neighbourhoods to its downtown core.

The entire 28-kilometre Seaside Greenway route is now a seamless, safe corridor for cyclists and pedestrians. The city closed a three-kilometre gap in the Seaside Greenway (the Seawall), where pedestrians and cyclists previously had to travel along busy Point Grey Road, by redirecting traffic and converting the road into a quiet greenway. The city also created the York Bikeway to extend the cycling corridor to the Burrard Bridge. The bikeway features protected bike lanes, bicycle signals and alternating one-way streets to calm traffic. The city also reconfigured the intersection at the southern end of the Burrard Bridge, making it simpler and safer for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. With Dutch design features such as protected road space for cyclists and protected signal phases, it is now one of the most complete multi-modal intersections in North America.

The projects have enhanced waterfront access and sustainable transportation opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. They help to fulfill the city's Transportation 2040 goals, and they contribute to Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) Milestone 5 (corporate and community).

Transcript

"People in the city are now realizing that walking or riding a bike is an extremely viable option to getting into their car, whether it's for work, play, shopping or whatever else they are doing around the city."
— Councillor Heather Deal

Project Highlights

Results

Challenges

• It took time for the city to identify and agree on the best model for the intersection at the south end of the Burrard Bridge, because the chosen design was a new type of intersection for North America.
• To calm traffic on Point Grey Road, the city installed a permanent diverter that could not be moved. When adjustments were needed to accommodate changes in traffic patterns, the city had to install an additional diverter.
• City staff had to reconcile manual "before and after" counts. The city did not install automatic bicycle count equipment in time to track the beginning of heavy ridership over the summer. Additionally, the city could not use automatic equipment to track bicycle trips prior to construction, because bicycle traffic was mixed with motor vehicles.

Lessons learned

• Be bold and courageous: build on the momentum and support generated during municipal planning efforts by taking on "hard-to-do" projects right away once long-range plans are established.
• When altering streets and intersections to better accommodate cyclists and pedestrians, draw individual elements from best practices in other jurisdictions to create unique configurations tailored to local needs.
• Apply the new model to a whole corridor or network of streets, rather than imposing the change on a single street or intersection. This increases the impact and the likelihood of successful uptake.
• Conduct continual network monitoring in various forms (including traffic cameras and trip count equipment) to measure results and inform ongoing adjustments.

More information

David Rawsthorne
Senior Transportation Engineer
City of Vancouver, British Columbia
T. 604-873-7343