Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine November-December 2008

November 2008

www.esemag.com

A business analysisof the world'swater industry

Decontaminatingbioeffluents

Automatic water meter reading

Québec’s new plasma -assisted sludge oxidation facility

Special Sections:Storage Tanks

Containment & SpillsConsultants’ Forum

November 2008:ES&E Magazine 11/17/08 8:03 PM Page 1


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Mixing eliminates stratification and delivers residual Cl2 to upper layers in standpipes

Bridge height limits transport of storage tanks

Repair and protection of concrete in a hydrogen sulfide environment

World’s fastest response oil containment system hits Canadian waters

Triple tank system developed to decontaminate bioeffluents

Preventing jet fuel piping corrosion

Cape Breton community benefits from water system and storage tank upgrade

FEATURES

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

DEPARTMENTS

Product Showcase . . . . . 66-71

Environmental News . . . 74-82

Professional Cards . . . . . 74-80

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

ISSN-0835-605XNovember • 2008Vol. 21 No. 5Vol. 21 No. 5Issued November 2008

7 Engineers too have their own literary footprint - Editorial comment by Tom Davey

10 WEFTEC attendees introduced to the concept of “Virtual Water”13 Scientists peer into heart of compound that could be used for long

distance detection – Cover story

14 Innovative water withdrawal system re-establishes fish migration runs18 Decentralized wastewater management - a solution to infrastructure bottlenecks?22 Plasma-assisted sludge oxidation facility now operating in Québec26 Sophisticated automatic water meter reading is a powerful customer service tool28 Gravity-based aqueduct constructed with concrete pressure pipe30 Magnetically driven, seal-less gear pumps improve chemical dosing systems34 Phytoremediation of an ethylene glycol plume37 New regulations allow for faster identification and remediation

of brownfield properties40 Infiltration chambers play increasing role in decentralized

wastewater treatment72 A business analysis of the world's water industry

Page 16Page 16 Page 24Page 24

Contents

Integrating an increasingly diverseengineering workforce

Water sustainability is a loomingglobal challenge

Consultants and operator training- smart strategies for the water and

wastewater industry

What the future may hold for Canada’sconsulting engineers

How will the financial upheavals of 2008affect Canada’s consultants?

Design-build and P3 project deliverymethods gaining momentum PAGES 54-65PAGES 54-65

PAGES 44-53PAGES 44-53




7 | November 2008www.esemag.com

Comment by Tom Davey

said to have had more than 40,000characters to contend with, block-ing the fast turnover required formass production.

A vastly shorter, 26 letter alpha-bet eventually gave the West a leadin printing that it never relin-quished, according to John Man,author of The Gutenberg Revolu-tion and Alpha Beta - How 26 Let-ters Shaped the Western World.John Man also has a flair for ex-plaining printing matrices andforms, punches and fonts, all thecomplicated and excruciatinglyprecise engineering technologies ofthe master printer's craft.

The Germans were said to haveadapted grape presses previouslyused to make wine for their print-ing. (Could this have a correlationto In Vino Veritas "In wine there istruth"?) This was a great leap for-ward which led to the printingtechnology with which the first,and subsequent bibles, were pro-duced.

Gutenberg spent several years inthe Alsatian city of Mainz until1448. It was there that he pro-duced a Latin primer, his firstbook. The Bible that bears hisname followed in 1445, when theprinting revolution was properly

Eons ago, I toured the of-fices of a large consultingengineering companywhich had designed

award-winning water and waste-water treatment facilities.

The company president askedwhat I thought of his engineeringfacilities, to which I quipped: "Isee no lathes, drills, grinders, cut-ters or arc welders. What I do seeare innumerable reports and engi-neering studies - vital I know - asall engineering projects are initiallyexpressed in reports and presenta-tions.” Then, cheekily, I concludedthat his company was really in thepublishing business!

This led to a discussion on theemergence of advanced printingtechnologies, undeniably an engi-neering development of great cul-tural, scientific, and manufacturingimportance.

Historically, printing is im-mutably linked with Gutenberg andEurope, yet printing did not beginin Europe but the Orient. Indeed,the Chinese were printing withwooden blocks perhaps 700 yearsbefore Gutenberg, while the Kore-ans had progressed to movablemetal type – probably copper orbrass - by 1234. The Koreans are

under way and printing was beingspoken of as "this holy art".

While a monk, previously, mighthave taken days to copy two pagesin his scriptorium, printers in the15th century now could run off 500copies of a book in the same time.But, across Europe, the balance ofcreative power was shifting fromGermany to Italy and, for a while,it was Venice that, surprisingly,became the continent's printingcapital.

In this day and age when auto-mobiles can roll off assembly linesone auto per minute, it is hard toimagine that it took a year to makethe punches with which TheGutenberg Bible was formed, withdouble-columned pages 42 linesdeep.

This, as John Man pointed out,makes for perfect proportion, atypographical version of the goldensection that the Greeks first hit uponfor the Parthenon. There were 300such punches. With each steel-en-graved letter and every type castfrom it, every line made up fromthose letters was made, and set, toan accuracy measured in hundredthsof a millimetre.

Ironically, many Asian countriesseem to have overtaken the West inthe communications sector of com-puters, cell phones, video, and allmanner of electronic inventions.But the 26-letter alphabet has sur-vived and thrived, and seems des-tined to outlive many of thecommunications modes whichhave sprung up in the Brave NewWorld of mass computerization.

Despite the overwhelming im-pact of radio, television, and PowerPoint, the written word plays amajor role in environmental re-search and subsequent translationinto the design and construction oflife-saving environmental facilities.

Tom Davey is SeniorConsulting Editor of

Environmental Science& Engineering.

A modern high-speed web offset printing press.(Photo courtesy Ironstone Media, printers of ES&E Magazine)

Engineers too have their own literary footprint


Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine8 | November 2008

Environmental Science& Engineering

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

Senior Consulting Editor TOM DAVEY

Sales Director PENNY DAVEYE-mail: [email protected]

Sales Representative DENISE SIMPSONE-mail: [email protected]

Accounting SANDRA DAVEYE-mail: [email protected]

Circulation Manager DARLANN PASSFIELDE-mail: [email protected]

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

Technical Advisory Board

Jim BishopStantec Consulting Ltd., Ontario

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

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

Bill DeAngelis, P.Eng.Associated Engineering, Ontario

Dr. Robert C. LandineADI Systems Inc., New Brunswick

Marie MeunierJohn Meunier Inc., Québec

Peter J. PaineEnvironment Canada

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

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

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

Canadian Publications Mail SalesSecond Class MailProduct Agreement No. 40065446Registration No. 7750

Undeliverable copies, advertising space orders, copy,artwork, film, proofs, etc., should be sent to:Environmental Science & Engineering, 220 IndustrialPkwy. S., Unit 30, Aurora, Ontario, Canada, L4G 3V6,Tel: (905)727-4666, Fax: (905) 841-7271,Web site: www.esemag.com

Printed in Canada. No part of this publication may bereproduced by any means without written permission ofthe publisher. Yearly subscription rates:Canada $75.00 (plus $3.75 GST).

Dear Steve:

On behalf of the Board of Directors forWater For People – Canada, we wouldlike to extend our thanks to the team ofEnvironmental Science & EngineeringMagazine, and especially to you – thePublisher – for the wonderful work youhave been doing by including our storiesfrom Water For People and Water ForPeople – Canada along with updates onour fundraising and other activities inyour Environmental Science & Engi-neering Magazine.Thank you also for creating the art-

work and graphics for our table runnerand banner, respectively.We are also very appreciative of the

table-top display system that you do-nated toWater For People – Canada andthe amazing graphics work that Chrisperformed in creating the materials forthis display in time for our March 2008evening event, with some of that workdone over the Easter weekend!Most of all! It is amazing to know

that starting July 2008 you have under-taken to sponsor Water For People inevery issue of your magazine by intro-ducing a banner at the top of the page inWFP colors and adding the logo to in-crease brand awareness to your 22,000readers across Canada. We remain evergrateful for your continuous, enthusias-tic and generous support.We are also very thankful to have

Penny serving on our Board of Directorswho is very active in our business oper-ations and our communications efforts –she has made a significant impact withboth the Board of Directors for WaterFor People – Canada and for Water ForPeople. She is most definitely a valuedmember of our team and we look for-ward to her continued involvement inour organization.Water For People is committed to

making a more meaningful and measur-able impact on the global humanitariancrisis, by providing improved water andsanitation services, and hygiene educa-tion where it is in demand.

Once again thank you.

Tony PetrucciPresidentWater For People – Canada

Letters to the Editor

Dear Tom

Enjoyed your Comment in May issue ofES&E on the subject of plastic bags.We had our SaveThe Earth project in

British Columbia some time ago regard-ing plastic bags. Our local grocery store(part of a large chain) came out withcloth shopping bags at $1.50 each intowhich the girl at the cash register wouldpack one’s groceries. Because my gro-cery bill was over $70.00 each week, Igot free bags. They quit after six weeks,so I diligently started down the path ofcarrying my cloth bags from store tostore each week.After a month or so I ran out of

kitchen refuse garbage bags. I had pre-viously saved the plastic ones that theyhad packed my groceries in, to put mykitchen refuse in. I don’t keep a humuspile anymore as I no longer cultivate avegetable garden – my 83-year old backand I don’t want to harm the worms.(Page 76, May Edition, ES&E).Now depleted of kitchen garbage

bags I questioned the store manager:“Where do you hide the kitchen refusebags?” They really love it when you askthem where they hide a product. “Aisle5, in the middle, on the window side”.All I could find were plastic garbage lin-ers for one’s kitchen garbage pails.Again, I approached the manager with:“These are plastic, I thought we werestopping the use of plastic bags.”“That’s all we got” was the reply!So now I pay $4.50 for a pack of

plastic garbage bags which I used to getfor nothing by taking my groceries homein a plastic bag.

Only in Canada you say, eh?ECO Stan, BC(also known as Stan Mason)

P.S.We’re on a new kick this month –it’s called Revenue Neutral. The BC gov-ernment has just reduced our carbonfootprint by adding 2 ½ cents per litre atthe pump to our gasoline price. Theyhave assured us that it is ‘revenue neu-tral’ by giving each British Columbian a$100.00 cheque. This only happensonce. I paid $84.00 last week to fill myTaurus (1982 station wagon). A newway to collect a tax by calling it ‘revenueneutral’!

Editor’s NoteStan Mason is an old friend who

served on national and environmentalcommittees in British Columbia, as wellas on our Editorial Advisory Board.


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Water Technologies


Report by Steve Davey

package and ship the beans. That isroughly the same amount of water usedby an average person daily for drinkingand household needs. Producing onehamburger requires an estimated 2,400litres of water.

On a larger scale, it takes about1,000 tonnes of water to grow one tonneof grain. This is the virtual water valueof grain. Similarly, to produce one tonneof rice, 2,000 tonnes of water areneeded; one tonne of wheat requires1,000 tonnes of water; and approxi-mately 1,200 tonnes of water are neededto produce one tonne of maize.

This means that when food is ex-ported, significant amounts of water arealso, in effect, exported, saving the re-cipient country considerable water re-sources. To grow enough food for oneperson annually requires 1,000 m3 ofwater, whereas only 100 m3 of water isrequired for personal consumption,washing, laundry, etc.

Tracing water consumption ratesback to antiquity, Dr. Allan stated that“as hunter-gatherers, humans requiredonly three litres per day to survive”. Asmankind has moved from hunter-gath-erers, to agrarians, to increasingly in-dustrialized consumers, that figure istwo to three hundreds times higher.

Citing a specific example of how pop-ulation migration will affect future waterneeds, Dr. Allan said that, as Mexicansemigrate to the United States, their“water footprint” doubles. Since 20 mil-lion Mexican citizens are expected to re-locate to the United States, this increasedwater demand will have a significant im-pact on such things as river flows acrossthe US/Mexico border.

According to the Stockholm WaterInstitute, Dr. Allan’s virtual water con-cept has major impacts on global tradepolicies and research, especially inwater-scarce regions, and has redefineddiscourse on water policy and manage-ment. By explaining how and why na-tions such as the US, Argentina andBrazil ‘export’ billions of litres of watereach year, while others like Japan,Egypt and Italy ‘import’ billions, the

The concept of virtual waterwas explained by this year’sStockholmWater Prize winner,Professor John Anthony Allan

from King’s College London (England)and the School of Oriental and AfricanStudies, during his keynote address atWEFTEC.08 in Chicago. Dr. Allan’sconcept of virtual water measures howwater is embedded in the production andtrade of food and consumer products.This concept has major impacts onglobal trade policies and research, espe-cially in water-scarce regions.

Dr. Allan argued that people do notonly consume water when they drink itor take a shower. The virtual water con-cept measures how water is embeddedin the production and trade of food andconsumer products. For example, inproducing one cup of coffee, 140 litresof water are used to grow, produce,

virtual water concept has opened thedoor to more productive water use.

National, regional and global waterand food security, for example, can beenhanced when water intensive com-modities are traded from places wherethey are economically viable to produceto places where they are not. Whilestudying water scarcity in the MiddleEast, ProfessorAllan developed the the-ory of using virtual water imports, viafood, as an alternative water “source” toreduce pressure on the scarcely-avail-able domestic water resources there andin other water-short regions.

During a special session on water in-frastructure and sustainable innovations,Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago,received a standing ovation from the 800attendees for his speech, “MakingChicago a Global Leader in Water andSustainability.” Mayor Daley discussedthe recently-unveiled Chicago ClimateAction Plan and also insisted that the na-tion’s cities must reinvest in infrastruc-ture and will need help in financing.

“Whoever is the next President of theUnited States needs to address what hasbeen an inadequate level of federal in-vestment in our infrastructure, includ-ing water systems, roads, bridges,highways, public transportation andschool construction,” he said.

A successful hands-on communityservice project, “Getting out of the Gut-ter”, featured the construction of a RainGarden at Pulaski Park in Chicago. Theevent was a project of the WEF YoungProfessionals Committee, the IllinoisWater Environment Association, theMetropolitan Water Reclamation Dis-trict, and the Center for NeighborhoodTechnology. The $7,000 corporate-spon-sored project left behind a green spacethat will provide native plants and effec-tive stormwater mitigation drainage to apreviously plain turfed area.

To help Canadian companies dobusiness in the Chicago area, Ontario'sMinistry of International Trade and In-vestment and the Consulate General ofCanada in Chicago organized a break-

WEFTEC attendees introduced to the concept of“Virtual Water”

continued overleaf...


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Report by Steve Davey

fast briefing with Debra Shore, Com-missioner of the Metropolitan WaterReclamation District of Chicago(MWRD) and Ed Brosius, District En-

gineer. The two presenters outlinedChicago’s wastewater policies, projectsand direction as well as information onpreparing to bid on District projects.

There was an encouraging sign that thewastewater industry is flourishing; despitethis year’s financial turmoil,WEFTEC.08set new records, with 21,950 attendeesand 1,111 companies using 290,000 netsquare feet of exhibit space.

This optimism was also shared bySiemens Water Technologies CEO,Chuck Gordon who predicted that thewater market will still grow by 6% an-nually. Mr. Gordon believes that energyefficiency will be an especially strongarea, due to the massive amounts of en-ergy required to move water. He statedthat, on average in the US, 4% of allelectricity generated is used for watersupply and wastewater treatment. Dueto a significant portion of its water sup-ply having to be piped long distancesfrom such sources as the ColoradoRiver, this figure is as high as 20% forCalifornia.

WEFTEC.09 will be held October10-14, 2009, in Orlando, Florida.

*Steve Davey is the Editor ofEnvironmental Science & Engineering

Magazine

At the National Association of Clean Water Agencies booth at WEFTEC, whereattendees were asked to sign a petition, ES&E editor Steve Davey and sister PennyDavey, ES&E’s Sales Director, “met” the new president of the United States!


Alight-transmitting compoundthat could one day be used inhigh-efficiency fiber opticsand in sensors to detect bio-

logical and chemical weapons at longdistance, almost went undiscovered byscientists, because its structure was toodifficult to examine.

However, scientists from the US De-partment of Energy's Argonne NationalLaboratory and Northwestern Universitywere able to determine the structure of thecompound using the uniquely suitedchemistry and materials beamline of theCenter for Advanced Radiation Sources(ChemMatCARS). In particle physics, abeamline is the line in a linear acceleratoralong which a beam of particles travels."Like other such materials, this mate-

rial has an electrically polarized structure.The incident light interacts with the elec-tron cloud and in the process is disturbed,"Argonne scientist Mercouri Kanatzidissaid. "The disturbance changes the wave-length of the emitted light and creates twobeams: the original and the second har-monic - a beam with half the wavelengthand double the frequency."This second-harmonic beam is 15

times more intense than that producedby the best current material. This two-for-one wavelength boost is paired withgreater transparency, so the material canactually transmit the whole higher-wave-length beam.

The material, (A)ZrPSe6, where Acan be potassium, rubidium or cesium,has a unique and difficult chemical


Cover Story

Scientists peer into heart of compound that could beused for long-range detection

Scientist Yu-Sheng Chen calibrates theneedle of the x-ray diffraction machine.

structure that does not crystallize verywell. It grows lengthwise, but not inother directions. This creates long, thincrystals which are perfect for fiber op-tics but a headache to study by conven-tional means.ChemMatCARS specializes in x-ray

diffraction from ultra-small crystals andis operated by the Center for Advanced

Radiation Sources of The University ofChicago. The mission of the US Depart-ment of Energy's Basic Energy Sciences(BES) program includes understandingand mitigating the environmental im-pacts of energy use.

For more information, visitwww.anl.gov



Conservation

hatchery program.Now, as part of a 50-year FERC li-

cense period, PGE and the ConfederatedTribes of theWarm Springs Reservation,which co-own the dam, have committedto re-establishing the fish runs while

Because Chinook salmon, steel-head trout, redside trout, andbull trout are among the fishspecies the Federal Wild and

Scenic Rivers Act in the US protects,keeping them out of water intakes atmajor hydroelectric dams is critical.Simple modifications, such as in-

stalling baffles and gates, are sometimesall that is needed to keep fish from the in-takes. But there are also strict water-qual-ity regulations established by the FederalEnergy Regulatory Commission (FERC)and the CleanWaterAct (CWA).To com-ply with FERC and CWA requirements,selective water withdrawal at RoundButte Dam in Oregon required a far morecomplicated and innovative design.When, in the 1960s, Portland General

Electric Company (PGE) constructedRound Butte Dam, one of three damsthat comprise the Pelton Round Butte hy-droelectric project, it also constructed anupstream and downstreammigration sys-tem to maintain anadromous fish runs.Anadromous fish ascend rivers from thesea for breeding. However, the down-stream system was deemed ineffectivedue to migration problems in Lake BillyChinook, the reservoir behind the dam,negatively impacting the fish population.PGE abandoned the system in favor of asteelhead trout and Chinook salmon

meeting CWA water requirements.To accomplish the objective, CH2M

HILL designed a one-of-a-kind selec-tive water withdrawal system that mod-ifies the direction of the surface current.The system better guides the migratingfish into a fish-handling area, providesa fish-collection system, and ensuresthat the water released complies withstate and tribal water-quality standards.The system consists of a selective

water withdrawal top structure and a se-lective water withdrawal bottom con-nected by a 40-foot-diameter verticalflow conduit. The intakes dewaterthrough two conventional V-screenssupported by an elaborate steel framingwith a unique geometry used to supportthe screens and fish facility. The selec-tive water withdrawal bottom is an-chored to the bedrock and placed infront of the existing intake structure,which contains bottom exclusion platesthat prevent fish from entering thepowerhouse flow.

CH2M HILL designed a one-of-a-kind selective water withdrawal system thatmodifies the direction of the surface current to guide migrating fish into afish-handling area, provide a fish-collection system, and ensure that the waterreleased complies with state and tribal water-quality standards.

Innovative water withdrawal systemre-establishes fish migration runs


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The goal is to have the system oper-ating by the 2009 migrating season.Other challenges included designing

and constructing a steel-and-concreteplatform in the middle of the lake thatwould selectively divert water from spe-cific lake depths as well as divert mi-grating fish from the turbine intake.Using traditional 2D CAD file methodswould have been complex and time-consuming, and developing the engi-neering data and material quantitieswould have taken more effort.To maintain the tight schedule, the

contractor and steel fabricator came onboard at the start of the final design,which would not have been possiblewithout using the 3D models and datagenerated for material lists. The deci-sion to develop 3D models of the struc-ture in place of 2D CAD files was madeearly in order to visualize the projectand share it with the design team andfabricators. The project team used Tri-Forma to track materials and quantities,and fabricators used the program to col-lect data and materials to construct spe-cific components.The software also helped track the

weight of the project to maintain a de-sign based on weight and determine thecenter of gravity for each structuralcomponent, which is important whendesigning floating structures. BecauseTriForma automatically generated thedata in the database, extensive engi-neering calculations were eliminated.The 3D model became the sole

source of design information that tied

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all of the aspects of the project together,from seeing the design take shape anddriving the engineering data to main-taining the design and unifying the proj-ect team. Whenever a componentchange was required, the model was re-vised and the data extracted for quanti-ties and materials. The componentsdeveloped and extracted from the 3Dmodel files drove the design cycle all

The 3D tools helped the designers and consultants understand the issues,resolve conflicts, and design solutions.

Conservation



Conservation

The 3D model became the sole source of design information that tied all of theaspects of the project together, from seeing the design take shape and drivingthe engineering data to maintaining the design and unifying the project team.

the way to the construction process.“The first thing CH2M HILL did on

this project was help the client under-stand and communicate the various op-tions being considered through 3Drenderings via MicroStation models,”saidWally Bennett, CH2M HILL’s proj-ect manager for the Round ButteSelective Water Withdrawal project.“We took advantage of 3D tools becauseof the very complex geometry and theneed to visualize these structures.”

These tools helped the designers andconsultants understand the issues, re-solve conflicts, and design solutions,while saving thousands of man-hours inthe process. The software helped de-sign, fabricate, and construct a structurethat encourages fish populations tothrive, resulting in a truly sustainableenvironment.

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3D models helped maintain a designbased on weight and determined thecenter of gravity for each structuralcomponent.

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Wastewater

treated sewage was having a detrimentaleffect on the receiving environment, andthis led to the construction of wastewatertreatment plants at the end of these col-lection systems. As cities expanded,plants became larger, and so today wehave a primarily centralized model forwastewater management.The collection and treatment of

sewage has delivered huge improve-ments in public health, but there is a de-gree of revisionism occurring at themoment and a debate as to whether thecentralized model is necessarily themost cost-effective or sustainable wayof doing things in the 21st century.The conventional wisdom in the lay

population and among many profes-sionals in the wastewater field is thatcentralizing treatment is the best waste-water management strategy for mostcommunities — the most reliable, easi-est to manage and least costly percapita. Here I would like to present fivereasons why a decentralized strategycan have advantages over the traditionalcentralized system.

1. Enables “just-in-time” capacitybuilding – In a centralized model, col-lection systems – lift stations in particularand treatment plants to a slightly lesser de-gree – are typically constructedwith sparecapacity to accommodate growth overtime.

The smaller unit size of the decen-tralized system allows closer matchingof capacity to actual growth in demand.Decentralized capacity can be builtcluster by cluster, in a “just-in-time”fashion. This provides a number of im-portant benefits:• It defers capital costs of futurecapacity to the future, which typicallyreduces the net present value (NPV)of a decentralized approach andreduces the cost of financing debt.

Decentralized wastewater man-agement means differentthings in different situations.For instance, in a large met-

ropolitan area, having multiple satellitetreatment plants to serve various catch-ments, as opposed to conveying waterfrom suburbs and neighbouring munici-palities to centralized treatment facilities,would be a decentralized approach. In arural town, it can mean on-site systems,or cluster systems for groups of houses.Figure 1 presents varying degrees of

centralization or decentralization andshows the continuum between the twoapproaches.Properly managed, these systems can

represent a viable alternative to a cen-tral treatment option. In a 1997 report toCongress, the US Environmental Pro-tection Agency reported that “ade-quately managed decentralized systemsare a cost-effective and long-term solu-tion for many communities.”

The modern-day sewage collectionsystem has its origin in the large sewer-age projects developed in Paris andLondon during the 1850s. The objectiveat that time was to get sewage out ofcities to protect public health. The wordsewer is apparently derived from the oldEnglish word “seaward,” as the objec-tive was to convey material into a sur-face water body, river or estuary.As time went on, into the early 1900s,

it became apparent that discharge of un-

• Each individual decentralized systemis a smaller project, which can beplanned and implemented on muchshorter lead times than canexpansions of regional systems.• The management needs of each areacan be considered independently, andthe costs of systems for a particulararea can be more readily assigned tothe activity generating the demand.• Further, a decentralized or “distributed”system is expanded by adding moretreatment centres, rather than byrouting ever-increasing flows to thecentralized plant, and, therefore,upgrading lines to increase capacity isnever required.This approach would have been ben-

eficial, for example, in Ireland duringthe boom “Celtic Tiger” years. The in-crease in economic activity was accom-panied by a period of unprecedentedbuilding and population expansion incities and towns. This happened veryquickly and with very little warning.The result was that municipalities thathad meticulously mapped out theirtreatment strategies for the next 20years, and were just commissioningspanking new treatment plants withwhat appeared to be years of spare ca-pacity, suddenly found themselvesscrambling to meet demand and keeppace with development.Nowhere was this more evident than

in Dublin. The Ringsend wastewatertreatment plant, which had a design ca-pacity of 1.7 million population equiv-alents and a design horizon of 20 years,was at capacity almost as soon as itopened in 1999.In some parts of Dublin, sewer ca-

pacity issues have effectively placed amoratorium on any further development.I know of at least one proposed com-mercial development where the devel-oper is evaluating on-site treatment andre-use options as there is no availablehydraulic capacity in the sewer system.

2. Keeps water within catchments –A decentralized approach can helpmanage the hydrological cycle within a

Decentralizedwastewatermanagement:a solutionto infrastructurebottlenecks?

The modern-day sewage collection system has its originin the large sewerage projects developed in Paris and

London during the 1850s.The objective at that time wasto get sewage out of cities to protect public health.

By PaulO’Callaghan





catchment. It can reduce the drainingdown of aquifers through infiltrationinto leaking sewers, thereby providingmore groundwater to feed streams andrivers in the catchment.

As well, it becomes more cost-effec-tive to look at water re-use options, astreated water is close to the point ofre-use.

3. Facilitates water conservationand water re-use – A decentralized sys-tem has two advantages when it comesto water conservation and re-use. Firstly,where small-diameter pumped lines areused, as opposed to gravity sewers, thesystem can accommodate any level ofwater conservation found to be econom-ically attractive or ecologically necessarywithout the problem of sewers becomingblocked due to inadequate flushing vol-ume. (In cities where drought restrictionson water use have been implemented, ithas been found that the volumes of waterdischarged were not sufficient to flushthe sewers and convey water to the treat-ment facilities.)

Secondly, decentralized wastewatersystems provide opportunities for cost-effective water re-use within individualcatchments. Under the decentralizedmanagement concept, effluent is pro-duced at many points throughout theoverall service area, potentially closerto points of re-use.

In many cases, this can render re-usemore cost-efficient by minimizing thecost of redistribution infrastructure tosubstitute reclaimed water for potablewater. This practice can also reducewater treatment pumping and storage

costs, and can forestall expansions ofwater treatment and storage facilities.

In many regions of the world wherewater supplies are being strained, waterreclamation is seen as a viable solutionand is being implemented for non-potable uses.

They say that water has no memory,but the public certainly does, and resi-dents don’t like the thought that whatcomes out of their taps might recentlyhave disappeared down their toilet, orworse still, someone else’s.

The thin end of the wedge here maybe aquifer replenishment, which is justone degree removed from a closed-loopsystem. Orange County, California, wasrecently awarded the Stockholm Indus-try Award for its pioneering work to in-ject treated wastewater into deep wellsto re-charge groundwater aquifers. Thisis the start of a convergence in waste-water treatment and water supply.

4.Avoids catastrophic failures – Ata large centralized treatment plant,when things go wrong they can gowrong in a big way:• Odour emissions are more significant.• Spills and overflows have a

potentially greater impact on thereceiving environment.

• Plant upsets or mechanical failuresare on a larger scale.It used to be that larger plants were

considered to be more reliable thansmaller systems, but this has changed.Reliable package plants can now bemonitored remotely. Also, in an urbansetting such as the Dublin area, a plantwith a treatment capacity of 100,000

population equivalents could be consid-ered a “satellite” plant.

In the case of an odour issue, it couldbe argued that having 10 smaller treat-ment plants rather than one large plantsimply increases the number of poten-tially irate residents who could be af-fected. However, residents living adjacentto a large plant may feel that their nosesare bearing the impact for the entire com-munity.

5. Reduces costs and issues associ-ated with conveyance to a centralizedfacility – Smaller systems lose the ad-vantages of economies of scale that areachievable in centralized wastewatertreatment in relation to capital costs andoperational and maintenance costs.However, smaller systems also avoiddiseconomies of scale that are inherentin sewer systems. Given that collectionsystem costs can be 80% or more oftotal systems costs, collection disec-onomies of scale can overwhelm treat-ment economies of scale, resulting indecentralized systems being the moreeconomical choice.

Figure 2 provides a graphic depictionof centralized and decentralized ap-proaches to serving a given area and il-lustrates the difference in the extent ofthe collection system network requiredin the two approaches.

Typically, decentralized systemsminimize the number of lift stations andeliminate large trunk mains. The collec-tion infrastructure that remains is usu-ally composed of smaller pipes runningat shallower depths, which also leads toless disruption to the public during con-

Wastewater

Figure 1: The wastewater scale continuum between centralized and decentralized approaches. Source: ValuingDecentralized Wastewater Technologies, Rocky Mountain Institute, November 2004.

Treatment Plant

Scale of ServiceIndividual building

or property Whole community Two or morecommunities

RegionalCentralClusterOn Site

Decentralized Centralized

Centralized/Large scale

Decentralized/Smaller scale

Neighbourhood portionof a community



struction. There is a social benefit in-herent in this reduced disruption duringconstruction.

If a sewer is leaking, which manygravity sewers are, it leaks in two direc-tions. If sewage leaks out of the system,this can result in the discharge of un-treated sewage to the environment.More often, though, the issue is one ofgroundwater infiltration into the system,which not only contributes to hydraulic

nents of centralized versus de-central-ized becomes an “all or nothing” de-bate. The right solution for acommunity may well be a combinationof options, including both centralizedand decentralized treatment systems.

Paul O’Callaghan is withO2 Environmental. E-mail:

[email protected]

overloading at the treatment plant butalso takes water out of the catchmentarea that would otherwise replenishgroundwater aquifers and feed streamsand rivers.

These are some of the advantages ofa decentralized approach. Naturallythere are also disadvantages to this ap-proach, and the overall benefits need tobe weighed on a case-by-case basis. Toooften, any debate between the propo-

Wastewater

The Waterra Inertial Pumping Systemis the most widely used pump for monitoring wellsin Canada. For developing, purging and sampling— nothing else comes close.

STANDARD FLOW SYSTEMOUR MOST POPULAR

• best suited for 2" wells

• can provide lifts up to 150 feet

• can be used in wells of varyingdiameters and a variety ofsampling environments

HIGH FLOW SYSTEMDEEP WELL SAMPLING

• designed to be used in 2" wells orlarger where a high pumping rateis desired

• excellent well development toolin 2" piezometers

LOW FLOW SYSTEMPIEZOMETER SAMPLING

• designed to be used in smalldiameter piezometers(1" ID to 0.75" ID)

• useful for sampling in damaged orobstructed monitoring wells

MICRO FLOW SYSTEMMICRO WELLS

• popular for use in direct pushtechnology micro wellinstallations

Figure 2: Comparison of centralized and decentralized approaches to wastewater service. STP indicates a centralized orcluster sewage treatment plant. Source: Draft Handbook for Management of Onsite and Clustered (Decentralized)Wastewater Treatment Systems, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003.

Centralized wastewater treatment Decentralized approach


22 | November 2008 Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine

Biosolids

ronmental Protection Agency.Fabgroups Technologies Inc. is con-

vinced that plasma oxidation will proveto be a safe, reliable, environmentallyacceptable, cost-effective and sustain-able sludge processing technology. Fab-groups has a licensing agreement with

Public opposition to sludge useand disposal has been a prob-lem for the industry for years.In Canada, the degree of waste-

water treatment has improved signifi-cantly as more municipalities upgradetheir wastewater treatment facilities.Each person discharging human wasteto a wastewater treatment system pro-duces approximately 21 kg (dry) ofsewage sludge each year. It is estimatedthat for municipalities with secondaryor tertiary treatment systems, andsludge production processes, nearly50% of the capital and operating costsfor wastewater management are attrib-utable to the sludge activities.In the United States, the magnitude

of the municipal wastewater treatmentand sludge management challenge canbe partly understood by realizing thatabout 35 billion gallons of wastewaterare treated and managed each day. Thequantity of municipal sludge producedannually in the US was over 7.1 milliondry tons in 2004, according to the Envi-

Hydro Québec to develop, manufactureand market a rotary kiln equipped withan electric plasma torch. Plasma-as-sisted sludge oxidation (PASO) is anemerging technology that can be usedto process organic sludge from a vari-ety of sources.This energy-efficient technology,

which consumes less than 100 kWh ofelectricity per wet ton of sludge (fansnot included), offers an excellent alter-native to incineration, landfill disposalor sludge spreading – three methodsthat can be highly detrimental to the en-vironment. Plants that produce suffi-cient quantities of sludge will be able toreduce their waste by 95% and generategreen energy.PASO differs from other applications

of plasma to waste destruction. Plasmahas been used to generate very high tem-peratures for destroying materials suchas medical wastes and nerve gases. InPASO, the process uses the high enthalpyof plasma, the fact that plasma consumesno oxygen, and the very high ultravioletcontent of the arc to heat relatively wetbiosolids to the point that they oxidize.Sludge oxidation takes place very effi-ciently, since it requires little excess oxy-gen (approximately 10%).The major sectors for PASO systems

are municipal services (sludges fromwastewater treatment plants), pulp andpaper (primary and secondary sludge)and agribusiness (sludge containingfats, proteins and glucose).

Plasma torch end view of kiln.

Québec’s new plasma-assisted sludge oxidation facility



Biosolids

PASO is based on a rotary kiln work-ing at about 600°C and at or below at-mospheric pressure, equipped with anair plasma non-transferred arc torch. Itis designed to treat sludges after con-ventional dewatering processes with atleast 20% organic content. Plasma gen-eration is a rational application of elec-tricity, because the calorific value of theorganic material in the sludge is used asa principal heat source. The process issimple, safe and robust.

In fact, PASO extracts a significantcalorific value from the sludge duringoxidation, so the operator can use theresulting heat to obtain a more econom-ical return. Energy in the sludge can berecovered in the form of steam, hot air,hot water or electricity.

Post-treatment of gas is accom-plished by a proprietary system of dustremoval, scrubbing and gas/vapour in-teraction. When the gas is finally ex-hausted to the atmosphere, it containsvirtually no particulate, most pollutantgases have been adsorbed into water forfurther treatment, and the remainingflue gas has been cooled to about 80°C.

Acceptable sludgesPASO is suited to treating a wide va-

riety of organic sludges. Wet sludgesundergoing treatment must contain atleast 20% organic material by mass.Theoretical limits are 20,000 MJ/dryton for autothermic operation forsludges with a dry material, meaningthat the organic material provides suffi-cient oxidation energy to evaporatemoisture and heat both the combustiongases and residual solids to 600°C.Sludges with a higher gross calorificvalue in their dry material will requireless organic material to achieve auto-thermic operation.

What is plasma?Plasma is the fourth state of matter

(the other three being solid, liquid andgas). Plasma involves the creation of asustained electrical arc by the passageof electrical current through a gas. Be-cause of the high electrical resistivityacross the system, significant heat isgenerated, which serves to strip awayelectrons from the gas molecules, re-sulting in an ionized gas or plasma.

Common examples of plasma are

lightning bolts, fluorescent gas in lightbulbs and the spark of a spark plug.

Process advantages of plasmaThe plasma generator works to off-

set the heat losses and to support the ox-idation reaction of the wet sludges,which are difficult to accomplish in theintended operating conditions. It is notused in the usual way to create veryhigh temperatures, but primarily as acatalyst to generate ultraviolet radiationand excited species. Some of the airneeded to oxidize the organic load isused directly as plasma gas.

Compared with a conventional burner,this considerably reduces the total vol-ume of combustion gases, the overall car-bon dioxide emission, and the amount ofdust, improving the energetic perform-ance of the process by not diluting theheat in adding supplementary air nor-mally required for oxidizing fossil fuels.

Less than 3% of the needed air flowsthrough the plasma torch plume, thefurnace temperature is relatively low,and little excess air is used, so NOx pro-duction is kept to a strict minimum.




Biosolids

There are a number of potential appli-cations for the ash resulting from theprocess, including as a cement aggre-gate or composting additive.

The PASO processThe oven consists of a refractory-

lined rotary reactor. The lining acts asheat insulation and adds to the thermalinertial of the process, ensuring opera-tional stability. Puffing is minimized bya slow rotational speed and a novelpulse-damping system. A variable fre-quency controller is used to providevariable drum speed.

Sludges and oxidation air are intro-duced continuously and concurrentlyinto the furnace, after being preheatedby a heat exchanger, which transfersheat from the combustion gases to in-crease the energy efficiency. Dryingand oxidation occur inside the reactor inthe presence of a plasma generator lo-cated in the output end.

The end product is dry, inert, sterileand odourless ash with a valorization po-tential and is about 5% of the initialsludge volume. Ashes accumulating inthe furnace act as a heat-exchange

medium between newly introducedsludges and the furnace walls. Surplusashes are evacuated continuously by anoverflow in the exhaust end. Flying ashparticles that are entrained in the outletgases are trapped in a cyclonic device

Feed end view of kiln.

that also provides preheating of incom-ing combustion air. Ashes remain fluid,granular and friable due to the mechani-cal rotation of the furnace. Ash fusion,sintering or eutectic formation with thefurnace refractory is not a problem, be-cause the operating temperatures are low.

PASO is simple as well as safe. Nolive-line electrical parts are exposed.Allrunaway of the biosolids reactivity isquickly suppressed by reducing sludgeflow and/or reducing the plasma torchpower to decrease the temperature. An-other option is to increase airflow.

In September 2008, FTI opened a32,000 ton per year biosolids treatmentfacility in Valleyfield, Québec.The fa-cility is owned and operated by thecompany and was partially funded by a$2 million grant from Natural Re-sources Canada.The process has beenoxidizing sludge with a 20% organicmaterial content (achieved with asludge that has 30% dryness and or-ganic material in the dry sludge at 65%)and has been effective at oxidizing thesludge to carbon dioxide with minimalcarbon monoxide and dioxin formation.

When running at full capacity, thefacility will reduce C02 emissions by20,000 tons per year, over otherprocesses.


www.hoskin.caHoskin Scientific Ltd.

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Supplier ofWater &Wastewater Treatment Equipment

C & M Environmental Technologies Inc., Barrie, OntarioTel: 705.725.9377 Fax: 705.725.8279 Toll Free: 1-800-570-8779

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Aeration Systems

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Chain & Flight Sludge Collectors,NRG Collector Components

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Instrumentation

TheCity of Lethbridge, Alberta,selected Neptune TechnologyGroup’s Canadian ServicesGroup to implement a two-

phased metering project that involvedchanging out 7,500 residential water me-ters (Phase I) and installing about 2,500R900® radio frequency (RF) automaticmeter reading (AMR) devices, alongwith replacing over 1,200 aging com-mercial water meters (Phase II).The flexibility of RF technology im-

pressed the City, as personnel wouldnow be able to collect accurate readsmore frequently, particularly for criticalaccounts. Previously, it took three peo-ple three days to read the commercialmeters. After the implementation ofR900 transmitters and a mobile read sys-tem, these meters are now read in lessthan two hours with over 99% accuracy.The industrial, commercial and insti-

tutional (ICI) meters were also equippedwith the E-Coder® register to providevalue-added data to enhance system in-tegrity and improve customer service. ICImeters can represent a large portion ofoverall water use and revenue for anywater utility.The E-Coder provides value-added data that help the utility monitoruser consumption and provide high userswith enhanced customer service throughthe availability of leak detection and/orreverse flow detection information.For the City of Lethbridge, E-Coder

data for 455 ICI meters was collectedand the value-added data was analyzedto identify potential areas of concern.This information was particularly inter-esting as it provided a perspective basedsolely on ICI accounts. For example, de-tecting reverse flow is vital to protectingthe potable water supply from contami-nated water. Based on the analysis of theLethbridge ICI data, there were 23 ac-counts (5.1%) where a reverse flow oc-curred in the 35-day period. (Table 1)It is critical to investigate if the meter

was oriented in the incorrect directionor if a possible cross-connection mayexist (allowing a backflow to occur).The E-Coder provides a powerful tool tocomplement any backflow program, al-lowing the utility to quickly identify and

Table 1

Table 3

Table 2

Sophisticated automatic meter reading:a powerful customer service tool

By Darlene McNichol


www.esemag.com

Instrumentation

Table 4

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respond to any such occurrences.ICI users are high-volume users.

Promptly identifying leaks can providefinancial savings for local businesses,and potentially mitigate future high billdisputes with the utility. The utility canplay an important customer service roleby providing leak status data to ICI cus-tomers as part of the billing process oras a customer service call. The E-Coderprovides visibility to leaks that couldotherwise go unnoticed for extended pe-riods of time.

In the Lethbridge data (455 ICI cus-tomers included in this study), the leakstatus (days of leak) indicated that31.2% of the accounts had shown a con-tinuous or intermittent leak for the pre-vious 35 days. This equated to 142accounts with some form of a leak thatlasted a minimum of 35 days. Addition-ally, fewer than 41% of the accounts re-ported no form of leak. This meant thatthe remainder (270 accounts) had de-veloped leaks with varying degrees ofseverity. (Table 2)

The “leak status in the last 24-hourperiod” for all 455 ICI accounts read in-dicated that 35.2% (160 accounts) haddeveloped either an intermittent leak ora continuous leak. The utility wouldclosely monitor the 24.4% (111 ac-counts) showing a continuous leak sta-tus and potentially contact thoseaccounts to suggest further investiga-tion. (Table 3)

As an example, if a continuous leakof 1/16 gpm occurred (a small leak),this would equate to 131 gallons ofwater passing through a single meter in

one day. Extending this number to all111 meters showing a continuous leakstatus would bring the total water leak-age to over 14,500 gallons in the previ-ous 24 hours.

From the utility’s perspective, it isextremely important to quickly identifyany accounts with “no flow.” ICI cus-tomers represent the highest revenuegeneration for the utility and it is imper-

ative to address any issues that might bea result of meter maintenance issues(such as damage) or of the meter beingbypassed or removed (theft).

As a practical example, of the 455ICI meters read in Lethbridge, 26.6%(or 121 accounts) indicated a number ofdays (from three to 35 days) of no flow.Importantly, 5.5% (25 accounts) showeda status of zero consumption over theprevious 35 days.With this important in-formation, along with account historicaldata in hand, a work crew can be dis-patched to repair a stopped meter or per-form a site visit if theft or tamper issuspected. (Table 4)

The E-Coder can be an effective cus-tomer-service tool and applied in tar-geted areas such as ICI accounts. Thevalue-added E-Coder data provides ben-efits for both the ICI customer and thewater utility by quickly identifying is-sues where leak detection or reverseflow detection would have otherwisebeen difficult, delayed or unnoticed.

Darlene McNichol is with NeptuneTechnology Group. E-mail:[email protected]

27 | November 2008



Water Supply

the contractor and the pipe producerwas a significant factor in the successfulinstallation of the new aqueduct.

The type of installation was a posi-tive projection embankment, where pipeis installed with the top of the pipe pro-jecting above the surface of the naturalground and then covered with earth fill.The reason for this type of installationwas the elevation of the bedrock. In sev-eral areas along the alignment, thebedrock is at or near the surface. Bury-ing the new aqueduct just below gradeallowed for natural drainage and mini-mized the amount of bedrock excava-tion, as well as the risk of structuraldamage to the existing aqueduct. Be-

The most interesting feature ofthe aqueducts carrying rawwater from the Arkell SpringGrounds and the Carter Well

supply to the City of Guelph, Ontario’swater treatment plant is that the water istransmitted by gravity in a non-pressur-ized transmission main that has beenproviding safe water to the residents ofthe City for more than 100 years.

Guelph’sWaterworks Division imple-mented water infrastructure replace-ments at the Arkell Spring Grounds andCarter Well supply throughout 2007.This work was mandated under provin-cial water regulations and followed anextensive Class Environmental Assess-ment completed in 2005. Decommis-sioning of the existing 600-mm-diameterconcrete watermain and construction of1,700 metres of 900-mm-diameter C301Class 10 concrete pressure pipe wasawarded to Xterra Construction Inc. ofKitchener, Ontario. Xterra worked withMunro Concrete Products Ltd. to supplythe concrete pressure pipe commonlyused for aqueducts.

Before the order was given toMunro, Xterra representatives met withMunro’s technical staff to get a sense ofthe project from the perspective of thepipe producer. Karl Hartl, P.Eng., ofMunro Concrete, reviewed the projectin detail, confirming that his companywas prepared for a project of this scope.

The pipe was installed followingMunro’s installation specifications andthe design of the project’s consulting en-gineer, Associated Engineering. In ad-dition to providing technical advisoryservices, Munro hosted a plant tour forCity staff and others involved in theproject to see the pipe being producedin its modern automated plant. Visitorsto the plant were encouraged to askquestions about quality control aspectsof the pipe production and service lifeof the pipe being purchased.

Later, during construction, Munro’ssales engineering staff made frequentvisits to the site to ensure any concernswere addressed in a timely fashion. Theclose co-operation between the staff of

cause the condition of the existing aque-duct was unknown, it was too risky toremove the rock to install the newpipeline at a lower elevation.

To achieve this type of installation,all existing ground material – consist-ing largely of peat and organics – had tobe removed and replaced with a layer ofgranular B and select subgrade mate-rial. The B-bedding was installed to theunderside of the pipe plus a 100-mmlift. The select subgrade material (SSM)was placed on top of the B-bedding.The excavation crew completed the100-mm lift, then returned to the westend, placing more SSM over the top ofthe pipe to create a 3- to 4-metre berm,

Installed 900-mm-diameter C301 Class 10 concrete pressure pipe.

Gravity-based aqueduct constructed with concretepressure pipe By Bob Turnour



Endress+Hauser Canada Ltd1075 Sutton DriveBurlington, OntarioL7L 5Z8

Tel: (905) 681-9292 1-800-668-3199Fax: (905) 681-9444

[email protected]

Safeguarding the natural basis of our existence is something which concerns us all. Endress+Hauser supports its customers intackling this challenge by providing excellent devices, innovative services and intelligent automation solutions. In this way we ensure processes which are safe, environmentally sound, and cost-effective. This benefits people and also protects the environment.Count on us for practical solutions for all your water and wastewater measurement challenges.

Clean solutions in your process automation.

Water Supplywhich was covered by topsoil, seed anderosion control blankets.

The contractor had to address threemajor challenges on the project. Thefirst challenge was huge, and consid-ered to be the most critical operation ofthe project. Since the aqueduct supplies60 per cent of the City’s raw water sup-ply, it could not be shut down for morethan four hours. Part of the tender wasto supply bypass pumping equipment tohandle water in the event of a break, andfor the final connections. The volume ofwater was significant, and three 12-inch-diameter pumps had to be on-siteand in position in the event that the

watermain was jeopardized and the flowneeded to be restored. RMS Enviro Solvsupplied the pumps that diverted thewater supply from the old aqueduct tothe new pipeline.

The phased transition to the new aque-duct was seamless and carried out withprecision. During final connections, thepumping system was put into operationand pumped continuously for five days toensure water supply was maintained.

Secondly, the condition of the exist-ing aqueduct was unknown. This poseda challenge because compaction of thebackfill was risky, as was heavy trafficon the access road. To alleviate this risk,Xterra built a secondary access road forthe heavy equipment on the north sideof the existing access road, which keptvibration from traffic and compactionaway from the existing aqueduct.

Thirdly, the project was located en-tirely in an environmentally sensitivearea. All of the contractor’s equipmentwas switched to environmentally friendlyhydraulic oil, and all machines had tohave drip-collection material around theengine. The trucks delivering the pipe

had to be in very good condition, free ofany leaks, seepage or obvious signs ofdistress. This condition was outlined toMunro before the order was issued. Fu-elling areas were located away from thewater source and staged in a commonarea, which was lined with a membraneto prevent absorption in the event of aspill.All crews carried spill kits and weretrained in their use.

The project started in mid-May andwas operational by mid-September, wellwithin the City’s expectations. The pro-

ject demonstrates the versatility of con-crete pressure pipe products and howcomplicated infrastructure projects arebeing completed through integrated con-struction. This construction methodol-ogy requires close communication andco-operation between the contractor,product manufacturer, logistics compa-nies, designers and project manager.

Bob Turnour is with MunroConcrete Products Ltd. E-mail:[email protected]

Three 12-inch-diameter pumps fordiversion and backup.



Operations

Chemical dosing systems areused in various water treat-ment applications, such aspolymer feed (sludge dehy-

dration, flocculation and coagulation),caustic soda (neutralization and pH con-trol), sodium hypochlorite (water disin-fection) and more.Magnetically driven, seal-less gear

pumps designed for safely handlinghighly corrosive, hazardous, explosiveand toxic chemicals in various industrialand municipal applications are the lat-est development in providing safe de-livery of chemicals. These systemsprovide safe, leak-free service, since themagnetic coupling eliminates the needfor traditional shaft-sealing methodssuch as mechanical seals and shaftpacking, which are the primary sourceof leakage in rotating shaft pumps. Con-sequently, mean times between failuresare maximized, while maintenance and

Magnetically driven, seal-less gear pumps improvechemical dosing systems By Noemie Boucher

operation costs are minimized.For example, the Pulsafeeder Isochem

GMC1 magnetically driven pump is de-signed to meter or transfer highly accu-rate, pulse-less and continuous flow up to0.17m3/hr at speeds as high as 3,450 rpm.The maximum allowable working pres-sure of 2,091 kPa is safely contained in316SS, Alloy 20, Hastelloy C, HastelloyB or titanium housing assemblies with op-tional Ryton® or PEEK gears and hard-ened carbon or Ryton wear plateassemblies. The coaxial synchronousmagnets are manufactured from rare earthsamarium cobalt, capable of handlingprocess fluid temperatures between -73°Cand 232°C.Gears are integral to the drive and

idler shaft, and pump bearings are inte-gral to the wear plate. Therefore, partsare significantly minimized since tradi-tional gear pump parts such as shaftkeys and retaining rings are eliminated.

In fact, the GMC1 consists of only 11wet end parts, in order to simplify main-tenance and increase functionality.The seal-less, magnetically driven

pump is a mechanically simple device.The gear pumps deliver a continuousoutput flow that can be measured with-out the use of pulsation dampers. Theimpeller is magnetically coupled with-out shaft seals, dramatically reducingpump maintenance.Likewise, the Pulsafeeder Eclipse Se-

ries pumps are built for use in the harsh-est industrial environments. Designed tobe structurally rugged with corrosion-resistant materials, this system is anideal fit for many medium to highly cor-rosive liquids used in the chemical pro-cessing, pulp and paper and watertreatment industries. There is no me-chanical seal to wear and leak, so thereis zero leakage of hazardous or regulatedchemicals.



Operations

The Eclipse Series magneticallydriven pump is designed to meter ortransfer accurate, pulse-less and contin-uous flow up to 4.5 m3/hr at tempera-tures as high as 66°C. The maximumallowable working pressure of 1,046 kPais contained in carbon-reinforced ETFEhousing assemblies with carbon-rein-forced PTFE gears, alumina ceramicshafts and carbon graphite or graphite-impregnated silicon-carbide bearings.Anon-metallic containment eliminates en-ergy loss and heat rise due to eddy cur-rent losses, which are common inmetallic pumps. Moreover, its universalflanges with PTFE inserts allow thepump to mate to both ANSI and DINflange connections and the PTFE insertsact as a gasket that can be reused or re-placed to ensure a proper seal.

These pumps can handle fluids witha viscosity maximum of 10,000 cps.They also allow for up to 30 minutes ofsafe running during system upset con-ditions where a suction valve has beenshut or supply tank emptied. Thepump’s patent-pending bearing designpromotes constant lubrication during

periods of dry run. Many other pumpdesigns cannot tolerate such conditionswithout catastrophic damage.

All of the wetted components arecompletely non-metallic, eliminatingthe need to replace expensive parts that

are prone to corrosion and wear. Thewear is transferred from the centrehousing to the insert, making the per-formance 100% renewable with a sim-ple change of the KOPKit. There is no

Standard duplex gear pump skid.



need to replace expensive centre hous-ings to achieve “as-new” performance.

All typical wear components can beeasily replaced by removing the frontcover only. Since there is no need to dis-connect piping or motor connections toservice the pump, downtime for repairor scheduled maintenance is reduced.The advanced design of this magneti-cally driven pump utilizes a total of 16parts, making it easier to inventory,maintain and service.

Packaged systemsA typical chemical dosing system in-

cludes the following components:• Magnetic-coupled gear pump to

pump the chemical• Vector-type variable frequency drive

to control the pump speed• Magnetic flow meter to measure the

actual chemical flow• Pressure transducer to protect against

excessive discharge pressures• PID controller to control the dosage

The whole system has been assem-bled as a skid and all the required com-ponents are mounted close together inorder to achieve a compact packagewith easy access to wear parts. Onlysimple utilities connections are requiredto start the unit, including power, elec-trical and signal wiring, water supplyand chemical suction and dischargelines. Every system is completely testedand calibrated in the factory to avoidproblems on-site.

Magnetically driven, seal-less pumpsare small, simple and generate a smoothdischarge flow. When they are mountedon a skid with a PID controller, thedosage will be regulated and an accu-racy of less than 1% can be achieved.With a continuous output flow measure-ment, the system can automatically ad-just for mechanical wear of the pump.Such innovative configurations mini-mize space requirements as there is noneed for day tanks and associated equip-ment. Moreover, minimummaintenanceis required as complete pump overhaulcan be done in less than an hour.

Case studyThe City of Toronto uses a variety

of chemicals in its water treatmentprocesses. Magnetically driven, seal-less pumps are used for ammonia, alum,polymer and PACl. Several magneti-cally driven, seal-less pumps (Eclipseseries) were installed on hydrofluosili-


Operationscic acid (fluoride) to replace Alloy Cpumps, which could remain in opera-tion for only two weeks compared to thefour-year operating life of the Eclipsereplacement system.

With a total for all three plants of 45magnetically driven, seal-less gearpumps, the dosing accuracy has consid-erably improved and is now more re-lated to the accuracy of the flow pacingsignal. Another improvement that theoperators of the Toronto Water Treat-ment Plants have appreciated is the re-duced maintenance, since there is nomore calibration of weight scales, no oilto change and no risk of oil contamina-tion in the water. The pumps are foundto be reliable, simple to use and easy tomaintain, especially with the non-direc-tional KOPKit gear replacement.

ConclusionsChemical dosing technologies have

evolved greatly over the past 20 years.Traditional chemical dosing systems,while perfectly acceptable in some situ-ations, do have some drawbacks. Mag-netically driven, seal-less gear pumpsare one of the technologies that can eas-ily, safely and accurately deliver themost corrosive of chemicals in watertreatment plants. The metering of cor-rosive chemicals, including turnkey sys-tems, is designed to suit all sorts ofapplications.


FJ Horgan “Chemical Alley” withsimplex gear pump skids.



In MemoriamGeoffrey Scott

February 22, 1923 – November 6, 2008

Geoff Scott and Penny Davey, SalesDirector, ES&E, at the Annual Luncheonof the 5S Ontario Chapter in June 2008.

Canada’s wastewater treatment industry haslost one of its most recognizable statesmen,with the passing of Geoff Scott.

Geoff was President of Canadian-BritishEngineering Consultants (1971) Limited andChairman of the Board of the Canadian-British Consulting Group. In 1976, Geoffstarted his own company, performing in-spections for companies who needed to ob-tain insurance for Environmental ImpairmentLiability.

Geoff was a tireless worker for the WaterEnvironmentAssociation of Ontario (WEAO)in various roles, including being its first Sec-retary-Treasurer. In 1975, he received the Be-dell Award from the Water EnvironmentFederation (WEF) and a year later he becamea Diplomate of theAmericanAcademy of En-vironmental Engineers. In 1979, Geoff be-come only the second Canadian ever to bePresident ofWEF.

Many of us in the Ontario wastewater in-dustry will fondly remember Geoff, as themanwith the large golden shovel who, each year,with tongue in cheek, inducted new recipientsinto the Select Society of Sanitary SludgeShovelers, atWEAO’s annual conferences.

He was one of the founders of the Ontario5S Society, and was affectionately known as“pH 7”, the Effluent Integrator. His 5S en-thusiasm went with him on his many travelsand he helped set up other chapters acrossCanada, the US, the UK, Australia, NewZealand, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Geoff was also an avid supporter ofWaterfor People - Canada, and as his final gesturefor them had requested that in-memoriam do-nations for him be sent to the organization.

Donations to Water For People – Canada,in memory of Geoff Scott, can be sent to JoanConyers, Administrative Assistant, Water ForPeople – Canada, 255 Consumers Road,Toronto, Ontario, M2J 5B6.

(800) [email protected]

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Site Remediation

ined in the early 2000s to provide amore economical approach. Phytoreme-diation was among the most appealingalternatives.Phytoremediation is the use of plants

to facilitate remediation. It is an evolv-ing technology with promising econom-ical advantages. The US EnvironmentalProtectionAgency estimates savings as-sociated with phytotechnologies to be inthe range of 50% - 80% of traditionalapproaches.The act of phytoremediation typically

occurs through one or more pathways as-sociated with hyperaccumulation, evapo-transpiration, and degradation. The re-medial pathway is dependent on the con-taminant and plant species.Hyperaccumulation involves plants

which have an affinity for the uptake of adesired contaminant and a tolerance tohigh concentrations of these chemicals in

Sites contaminated by past in-dustrial activities are ubiqui-tous. Tougher environmentalregulations and/or increased

demand for real estate commonly makeremediation of such sites desirable. De-sign and application of remediation pro-grams are affected by a number offactors such as: costs, time constraints,remediation criteria, contaminant type,and physical setting.Malroz Engineering Inc. was re-

tained to manage the remediation of anactive industrial site in Ontario, con-taminated by leaking waste lagoons.Control of the multi-chemical ground-water contaminant plume was initiallyachieved in the 1980s, utilizing a pumpand treat system, and projections indi-cated that it would take many decadesof operation to remediate the property.The remedial action plan was re-exam- Soil collection during field studies.

Phytoremediation of an ethylene glycol plume usedas an alternative to pump and treatBy David Carnegie and David Malcolm

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Site Remediation

their tissues. Although the plant mustoften be disposed of as hazardous wasteand care must be taken to prevent expo-sure to humans or wildlife, the process isless invasive and less expensive than thecommonly used ‘dig and dump’approach.Evapotranspiration is the process by

which plants draw water from the sub-surface and release it into the atmosphereacross their leaf surfaces. Where watersoluble contaminants are present, plantsmay act as biological pumps, discharg-ing contaminants into the atmospherewhere, ideally, they are photodegraded.Naturally this approach is only desirableif the contaminant will photodegrade orbe innocuous in the atmosphere.Rapid degradation is desirable as it

minimizes risk to humans and wildlife,and eliminates the need for a final dis-posal step at a designated facility.Degradation is facilitated through, orassociated with, metabolic processes,where contaminants have homology tosubstrates of enzymatic reactions andare degraded into less harmful com-pounds. These processes may occurwithin the plant tissues or through mi-crobial activity in association with aplant’s roots.More specifically, plants have a

sphere of influence in the subsurfacesurrounding their roots, referred to asthe rhizosphere. The rhizosphere offersan opportune ecological environmentfor the enrichment of soil microorgan-

isms, created by physical and chemicalmanipulation of the subsurface by rootgrowth.Physical manipulation may manifest

as translocation of microorganismsthrough the subsurface and/or improvedexchange of nutrients, water and oxy-gen, facilitated by improved porosity.Chemical manipulation is typicallydriven by the active secretion of a mi-lieu of compounds associated with rootdevelopment, into the surrounding rhi-zosphere soil.These compounds offer a rich nutri-

tional edge to soil microorganisms which,in turn, are often able to metabolize thecontaminants and out-compete theirneighbours, creating distinct communi-ties often referred to as consortia. Be-cause the chemical compositions ofcompounds secreted from roots may bespecies related, the consortia associatedwith the rhizosphere of such plants maybe predictable and unique to that plantspecies.It has been demonstrated that the

consortia of certain plant rhizospheresare reproducibly able to degrade spe-cific contaminants. Gaining a better un-derstanding of what these relationshipsare and how they are formed leads toimproved confidence in the design andapplication of phytoremediation sys-tems. This translates into selecting ap-propriate tree species and microbialconsortia for a site, based on site condi-tions and the contaminant(s).Encouraged by ongoing research and

early case studies, Malroz undertookthe planting of a phytoremediation testplot consisting of poplar and willowtrees to evaluate their viability as aneconomical alternative to pump andtreat. Poplar and willow trees were se-lected for their rapid growth rate, abilityto set deep roots and high rates ofevapotranspiration.At the test plot site, ethylene glycol

represented one of the most concen-trated compounds in the groundwaterplume. A review of literature regardingthe fate of ethylene glycol in the envi-ronment suggested microbial degrada-tion as a significant pathway by whichthe compound was naturally attenuated.In collaboration with university re-

searchers and financial support from

Summer year 2.

Summer year 3.

Summer year 4.




Site Remediation

was found that enhancement of the degra-dation process might be achieved throughnutrient management, ensuring that nec-essary compounds for metabolism do notbecome depleted.Research was also undertaken to

characterize microbial consortia withmolecular biology techniques in an at-tempt to identify potential keystonespecies. This could aid in streamliningpilot work by allowing a project man-

the National Research Council ofCanada, a series of studies was con-ducted to evaluate the ability of rhizo-sphere microorganisms from the testplot to degrade ethylene glycol.This research not only demonstrated

that rhizosphere microorganisms had thecapacity to degrade ethylene glycol at agreater rate than bulk soils, but also pro-vided valuable insights into the successfulenhancement of microbial degradation. It

Evapotranspiration field studies.

ager to evaluate if microorganisms in-digenous to a site were amenable todegradation or if other courses of ac-tion, such as enrichment and bioaug-mentation, were necessary.The promising results of the test plot

studies to date indicate that phytoreme-diation is a viable alternative to pumpand treat. Greater confidence in the ap-plication and assessment of clean-upobjectives has come from the improvedunderstanding of this inherently dy-namic biological treatment system. Theprojected savings of the phytoremedia-tion approach versus pump and treat areestimated at $750,000, representing70% to 80% over a 20 year period.These savings are consistent with USEPA estimates.The potential financial advantages of

phytotechnologies and general uncer-tainty associated with their effective im-plementation, underscore the need forcontinued research in this area.

David Carnegie and David Malcolmare with Malroz Engineering,

Kingston, Ontario.E-mail: [email protected]

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Brownfields

mercial or industrial redevelopmentwithin the framework permitted underOntario Regulation 153/04.

Site characterization andinterpretation

Jacques Whitford was retained byKilmer in late 2006 during the due dili-gence phase of the property acquisition.The success of this Brownfield devel-opment required an accurate site char-acterization to permit the developmentof cost estimates to maximize the valueof the property, following site remedia-tion, within an acceptable timeline thatwould result in site closure and the ac-knowledgement of the Record of SiteCondition (RSC).

A review of existing documentationcharacterizing environmental conditionsassociated with the property, while veryuseful, identified some limitations; spe-cific elements of the site conditions (cer-tain contaminants) required refinementbefore Kilmer could be comfortable pur-chasing the property. These limitationswere primarily associated with confir-mation of the applicable Site ConditionsStandards for the property under OntarioRegulation 153/04. These included the

Between September 2006 andSeptember 2008 an industrialBrownfield property in Mis-sissauga, Ontario, was identi-

fied, purchased, remediated, and soldby Kilmer Brownfield Equity Fund(Kilmer), with support from JacquesWhitford Limited.

Prior to the enactment of OntarioRegulation 153/04 in 2004, it is unlikelythat this property would have been pur-chased, remediated and redeveloped dueto issues such as uncertainties relatingto future environmental liability. In ad-dition to establishing environmentalliability protection for Brownfield prop-erty owners, Ontario Regulation 153/04allows flexible remedial and risk man-agement approaches to addressing soiland groundwater contamination.

Site historyThe dormant property was used for in-

dustrial purposes from 1964 through to2004.The primary activity on the site wasfor the manufacture of PVC gloves andthe assembly and distribution of medicalsupplies. Phase I and II EnvironmentalSiteAssessment activities commissionedby the previous owner identified contam-inants of concern associated with themanufacturing activities at the property(phthalates), as well as volatile organiccompounds (primarily trichloroethylene,

cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, and vinyl chlo-ride). These originated from an off-sitelocation and had migrated onto the prop-erty, primarily through coarse-grainedbedding materials associated with a pub-lic sanitary sewer main.

Although the completed environ-mental characterization identified im-pacts to soil and groundwater from bothon-site and off-site activities, Kilmeridentified potential opportunities to re-store the property to permit future com-

Aerial view of South Sheridan WayBrownfield to the south-east.

Identification and remediation of aBrownfield property By Chris Cushing, P.Geo.

Although the completed environmental characterizationidentified impacts to soil and groundwater from bothon-site and off-site activities, Kilmer identified potentialopportunities to restore the property to permit future

commercial or industrial redevelopment.

characterization of bedrock ground-water at the property with respect to thecontaminants of concern, and the as-sessment of what influence the numer-ous shallow-buried public and privateservices had on the distribution and mi-gration of identified contaminants.

To address these limitations, JacquesWhitford completed a supplementalPhase II ESA in late-2007. The resultsof the supplemental Phase II ESA andsubsequent assessment of potential re-medial approaches and associated an-ticipated costs confirmed that theproperty could be remediated within anacceptable timeline and at an acceptablecost. Kilmer subsequently purchasedthe property in February 2007.

Site remediation/risk assessmentJacques Whitford then developed a

Remedial Action Plan (RAP) to addressidentified Contaminants of Concern in




Brownfields

soil and groundwater. The ultimategoal was to receive an acknowledgedO.Reg.153/04 Record of Site Conditionwith no limitations to future commercialor industrial development associated witha Certificate of Property Use.

Soil and groundwater impacted withphthalates were restored using conven-tional remedial excavation and off-sitedisposal to available generic Table 3 SiteCondition Standards available underO.Reg.153/04. VOC impact to ground-water was addressed through the com-

pletion of a human health and ecologicalSite Specific Risk Assessment (SSRA),coupled with supplemental in situ chem-ical oxidation.

A second SSRA was completed on a30 metre portion of the property to ad-dress a sensitive water body abutting asite boundary.

Once the property was purchased,Kilmer immediately initiated discus-sions and provided information regard-ing the intended remediation approachto the local District Office of the On-

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tario Ministry of the Environment aswell as the City of Mississauga, the Re-gion of Peel, and homeowners adjacentto the property.

Upon the completion of site demoli-tion activities, Jacques Whitford man-aged the active remediation of soil andgroundwater at the property over a pe-riod of five months from June to Octo-ber 2007. Concurrent with the remedialactivities, Jacques Whitford was com-pleting the two SSRAs which were sub-mitted to the MOE for review in Juneand November 2007 respectively. Theywere ultimately approved by the MOEin January and July 2008 respectively.

A key element to the MOE approvalof the SSRAs was the absence of devel-opment conditions that could have beenincluded in a Certificate of Property Usefor the property. Examples of develop-ment conditions that are common inCertificates of Property Use includelimitations on the location and depth ofbuilding construction on the property, orthe requirement that Risk Mitigationmeasures be included in the building de-sign. These can limit development op-tions for a property and, therefore, can

Phthalate excavation area.



decrease the potential property value.Acknowledged RSCs for the property

were received in September 2008. Kilmerultimately sold the property to a multi-na-tional development corporation on Sep-tember 24, 2008 – less than 19 monthsfrom the date of purchase. The newowner has initiated site preparation activ-ities. Construction activities for a com-mercial development will begin in 2009.

Elements of successThe successful completion of this

Brownfield project was aided by threefactors which can be applied to, andbenefit virtually every Brownfield de-velopment initiated in Ontario:1.A clear understanding of owners’

objectives – The remedial approach im-plemented at this Brownfield propertywas not unique. JacquesWhitford recog-nized that a number of remedial tech-nologies were available that could haveaddressed the contaminants of concern.However, their applicability in this casewas limited as their success with respectto cost and time could not be guaranteed.Ultimately, the key to the project was anintegrated risk assessment and remedia-tion program. Aligned objectives be-tween consultant and owner are essential.2.An engaged owner –The comple-

tion of site assessment/remediation andrisk assessment under Ontario Regula-tion 153/04 involves a significantamount of liaison with the Ontario Min-istry of the Environment. If the owner

Brownfields

is proactive in their communicationswith the MOE, it leads to a better un-derstanding of their issues within thegovernment bureaucracy than can typi-cally be relayed by the consultant.3. Transparent communication –

When a SSRA is submitted for MOE re-view, the review is completed not onlyby the Standards and DevelopmentBranch but also the applicable DistrictOffice. It is the responsibility of the Dis-trict Engineer within the District Officeto review the SSRA with respect to thepotential requirement for a CPU for theproperty. Discussions with the MOEDistrict Engineer can establish the ex-pectations of both owner and regulatoron issues that can impact the require-ment or content of a CPU.

By establishing communication withthe District Office of the MOE well inadvance of the remediation tasks or thesubmission of the SSRA, the possibil-ity of delays can be eliminated. For thesame reason, early dialogue with thelocal and upper-tier municipalities caneliminate potential delays for issuessuch as notification on the intent toapply Table 3 Non-Potable Site Condi-tion Standards at a property.

Chris Cushing is Senior Consultant,Environmental Site Assessment

& Remediation, withJacques Whitford. E-mail:

[email protected]

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Walkerton Clean Water Centre– Staff Announcement October 15, 2008

On November 17th, 2008 Brian Jobb will bejoining the Walkerton Clean Water Centre asManager, Drinking Water Training.

Brian’s knowledge of current and advanceddrinking water treatment techniques, his ongoing development anddelivery of specialized training courses will be of benefit to the Centre.

The Centre’s goal is to deliver an appropriate mix of technical training(content, delivery methods, accessibility, etc.) and to assess its existingtraining capabilities and identify specific training coordination and deliveryroles for the Centre. This is to ensure that its training programs are effectiveand accessible to owners, operators, and operating authorities of drinkingwater systems.

Under Brian’s leadership the Training Group for the Centre will:

• Continue working to establish a focused program of outreach andeducation relating to the mandate of the Centre to deliver educationand training programs with a focus on small, remote, and First Nationscommunities.

• Increase the number of courses being offered.

Annually, the Centre coordinates a large seminar in urban centres through-out Ontario to bring together internationally renowned drinking water ex-perts to share their knowledge.

In the coming months, you will meet Brian as he represents the Centre atvarious water related conferences and events throughout Ontario.

Please visit the Centre’s website www.wcwc.cafor more training program details.


Wastewater

The evolution of the decentral-ized wastewater treatment in-dustry over the past 15 yearshas created a need for new ap-

proaches. Coupled with environmentaldemands that continue to challengeplant operators, engineers, regulatorsand product manufacturers, this evolu-tion has benefited the industry with newways of thinking about how decentral-ized wastewater treatment is accom-plished and managed.The onsite evolution is also driven by

increased awareness among consumersand municipal regulators about the needto protect environmentally sensitiveareas, which has resulted in the approvalof more restrictive building and devel-opment codes and new regulations forwastewater treatment. As part of thistrend, growing awareness of nutrientdamage to the environment from nitro-gen and phosphorus, aquifer protection,and the value of water as a resource

have come to the forefront.There is now a move toward the use

of advanced wastewater treatment andonsite disposal technology in municipalapplications and infiltration chambershave played a large role in the ever-ex-panding number of applications for de-centralized treatment.

Municipal wastewatertreatment facilities

As municipalities are stretched by re-duced funding, a reluctance to increasetaxes, and failing or under-capacity in-frastructure, they are turning to newideas to solve their challenges. To ac-commodate growth in the face of re-stricted government funding, municipalmanagers have turned to enhancing cur-rent facilities or co-ordinating waste-water treatment programs and needsregionally and even by community.Chambers can be used in municipal

applications to extend the life of munici-pal wastewater treatment facilities, and to

provide effective treatment in commu-nity-wide wastewater treatment systems.

The catalyst for innovationIn most communities, sustaining de-

velopment and growth while protectingthe natural environment is the mandate.Watersheds and groundwater suppliesare critical areas under careful scrutinywhen in the proximity of any potentialrunoff or pollutant stream. Even munic-ipalities themselves must closely regu-late not only the capacity and quality oftheir infrastructure systems, but howany expansion or change to those sys-tems will affect the surrounding area.

Case study: OntarioThe Port Burwell Sewage Treatment

Plant sits on the shore of Big Otter Creeknear Lake Erie in Bayham, Ontario.Withsteady growth in the surrounding area,providing expanded wastewater treat-ment services while protecting the lakeenvironment was a challenge. To ac-commodate the growth, the decision was

Infiltration chambers play increasing role indecentralized wastewater treatment By Dennis Hallahan




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made to connect the surrounding com-munities to the Port Burwell plant andexplore how this facility could be mod-ified for future efficiency, added capac-ity and environmental stability.Engineers evaluated the expansion

options for the facility and created aconceptual design report based on pro-jected population growth in and aroundthe Big Otter Creek area. The report de-termined that the treatment capacity ofthe existing Port Burwell plant wouldhave to be expanded from 528 m3 perday to 1,060 m3 per day to handle futuredemand, and presented three options forexpansion of the facility.After an extensive investigation of

these options, an onsite solution wasrecommended to convert the originallydesigned outfall to an exfiltration bedutilizing Infiltrator® chambers. The ex-filtration chamber system saved consid-erable cost and also provided additionalpollutant removal.A key benefit of in-stalling an exfiltration bed, in additionto expanding the overall capacity of theplant, is the resulting reduction in phos-phorus, which is also naturally removedby the soil, thereby reducing the impactto the sensitive lake environment.The chamber gallery is located in the

existing plant outfall easement adjacentto the treatment facility and providessufficient capacity to discharge the ef-fluent from the sequenced batch reactors(SBRs) on a sequential basis, includinga 25% surcharge. The design also in-cludes inspection ports and manholes sothe bed can be physically inspected. Theentire bed area is excavated to a depth ofapproximately 1.2 metres.A concern from the start was the

fluctuating groundwater levels in thearea, which could result in the bed be-coming submerged. The system was de-signed so the hydraulics of the plantensure that the plant effluent will enterthe bed and filter through the soil, theninto the groundwater. Adjustments tothe system were made for the ground-water issue after operation began.An update on this system and its op-

eration inApril 2008 reflected excellentresults from the exfiltration system,which has more than met the originalcapacity projections and environmentalrequirements, and has performed trou-ble-free, according to Ed Roloson, man-ager of the Port Burwell facility.Fluctuating groundwater levels con-

tinue to challenge the project but have

The design at Port Burwell includes inspection ports and manholes so the bedcan be physically inspected.



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Wastewater

until several years ago many were stilloperating substandard cesspools as theironsite wastewater treatment system. Apercentage of the buildings in the down-town area were experiencing ongoingproblems with their individual onsitesewage disposal systems, many ofwhich did not meet Title 5 (Massachu-setts Sanitary Code) standards.

Due to the close proximity of thesebuildings to Vineyard Harbor, there wasconcern that the inadequately treatedwastewater would create a public healthissue in this swimming and recreationarea.As a result, the town was put underan Administrative Consent Order fromthe state Department of EnvironmentalProtection to halt the discharge of inad-equately treated wastewater to the har-bor. Those systems in actual or imminentfailure were identified, and a collectionsystem of low-pressure and gravity sew-ers was designed to collect flow fromonly those buildings to correct the im-mediate and most critical problems.

Before the final decision was made,several types of upgraded onsite waste-water treatment systems and cluster sep-

been managed through the addition ofsome tiling to control the flow to the ex-filtration galleries. In addition, vegeta-tion has grown above the system asplanned, so it is nearly invisible anddoes not obscure the landscape.

Centralized treatment withdisposal systems

In some jurisdictions, mandates re-quire onsite septic system updates andaffect individuals as well as municipal-ities. No one is exempt from meetingsanitary codes and often municipalitiesare charged with finding a way to pro-mote business in their area, while rec-ognizing that existing outdated systemsare underperforming and may even be athreat to public health.

Case study: MassachusettsVineyard Haven is one of several

small towns on Martha’s Vineyard inMassachusetts. A prominent summervacation spot, the downtown has nu-merous buildings used for retail and awhole host of services for the year-round and escalating summer popula-tions. These buildings have been onindividual septic systems for years, and

tic systems were evaluated as possible op-tions to stabilize the situation and providefor future needs. In most cases, the indi-vidual properties did not have sufficientland area to install a replacement system,or the groundwater levels in the immedi-ate area were too high and would havecompromised the treatment process.

It was decided that a centralizedwastewater treatment facility with agroundwater discharge was the best so-lution. The system design was limitedto the buildings identified with prob-lems. A collection system includinggravity and low-pressure small-diame-ter pumps and piping and a 100,000 gpdsequenced batch reactor was installed.Two separate leaching fields designedfor 50,000 gpd each use Infiltratorchambers. The layout flexibility andease of installation were key to theproduct’s selection for this application,as was the possibility to use the surfacearea above the system for recreationalfields for the town.

The SBR treatment facility pumps toboth leachfields in the summer and al-ternates between the leachfields in the




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off-season. The effluent is then pumpedto the second leachfield about 1.5 milesfrom the treatment facility. In additionto servicing select buildings in thedowntown area, the treatment systemwas designed with the capacity to ac-commodate additional intake of waste-water from septic trucks around the areaas an added service to the town.The treatment facility and the dis-

posal fields are performing as expected,resulting in no further issues with thewastewater from downtown businesses.Looking ahead, the town is planning

to solve nitrogen loading issues in twopond areas, which could require an ex-tension of the plant, including the needfor an additional disposal field. A sitefor this additional field has already beenselected close to the original disposalfields. The Martha’s Vineyard Commis-

sion is currently studying the pond situ-ation across the island and is expectedto issue a report in the near future onneeds and solutions.

ConclusionEngineers, designers, installers and

regulators faced with municipal projectsin environmentally sensitive areas have awealth of options to choose from. Theneed to develop areas away from sewersand the traditional wastewater treatmentplant configuration continues to increase.Tightening environmental regulationsdrives progress in the development oftechnology and designs in order to meetthe wastewater treatment needs of com-munities and countries worldwide.

Dennis F. Hallahan is withInfiltrator Systems. E-mail:

[email protected]

Wastewater

The Port Burwell Sewage Treatment Plant sits on the shore of Big Otter Creeknear Lake Erie in Ontario. The system has more than met the original capacityprojections and environmental requirements.

Each issue of ES&Eis now available on-line!

Visit www.esemag.com to downloadthis issue, or any past issues youmay have missed.



Each year, ES&E invites experts and leadersin environmental consulting to share theiropinions, experiences and values with our

readers. We continue to be honored every yearwith erudite responses from some of our

leading consulting engineers. Their opinionsare based on many years of collective

experience in maintaining high standards,while keeping up with the diversity and com-plexities of environmental engineering and

managerial leadership.

Integrating an increasinglydiverse engineering workforce

trained engineers? I believe that, if wedon’t do so, we risk losing our marketpositions to those firms that value theenergy and talent that is currently avail-able but that we are not harnessing. Wealso need to recognize that this talentpool will not be available forever – ourforeign neighbours will themselves soonneed all the talent they can generate.

This article acknowledges that weneed foreign-trained professionals, anddeals with the real world challenges ofintegrating them into our firms.

DiversityDiversity can enrich an organization,

but it also increases its complexity of op-eration. Integration of new professionalsraises challenges in areas of team, lan-guage, generation and culture.

Diversity is expressed in the manyfacets of today’s workforce, in areas thatinclude culture, gender, ethnic back-ground, religious beliefs, and genera-tional perspectives.We are experiencingan influx of foreign-trained profession-als with their own perspectives on whatan engineer is supposed to be, shaped bytheir own experiences and upbringing,and often in deference to our bench-marks.

What are the issues, howare they addressed, whoparticipates in the exer-cise, how does it happen,

and what is the cost to a firm in inte-grating foreign professionals?

This is a touchy topic, but one we allneed to face, and sooner rather than later.Could anyone have predicted the fall ofEnron? How about the mortgage andcredit crises in the US? (Many of uscould and many people did).Often whenwe know something with negative reper-cussions is going to happen, we tend notto act, hoping the situation will eithermiraculously go away, or that it won’tmanifest itself until we are out of the pic-ture. It is human nature to avoid un-pleasant situations.

Where I’m going with this is to thecurrent global crisis in the availability oftechnical talent. In our firms we know itexists, but we still keep hoping to fill ourcompany vacancies with locally-bornand trained engineering professionals.We know they are not out there in thenumbers required.

That being the case, have we set upour companies to attract, mentor andnurture the current pool of foreign-

BiasesWhen reviewing the qualifications of

foreign engineers, the tendency is toevaluate their competencies and abilitiesfrom the perspective of our own back-grounds, experiences and norms. Manyof us want and expect them to be likeyou and I, and, if they aren’t, then wesometimes do not consider them further.

LanguageEnglish is a second language for

many new engineers; this is perhaps oneof the greatest challenges to overcomein our business. Information and direc-tions that are misunderstood can lead tomistakes and project problems, bothtechnical and financial.

Technical skillsA high level of technical competence

seems to be a common denominator formost newcomers; accessing that abilityis a challenge when language is a barrierand understanding is difficult.

Team playIntegrating new professionals into a

traditional workforce is often fraughtwith conflict; it takes a lot of energy andeffort to bring on a new player.There canbe reluctance from other staff to workwith the new team members. Some for-

By Bill De Angelis, MBA, P.Eng.,Vice President and General Manager, Associated Engineering



eign professionals are “individual pro-ducers” and work best on their own; oth-ers welcome the teammodel. Some shungroups because of a lack of confidencein their English skills.

MentoringOur firms have mentoring programs.

Are they set up to allow us to replicateourselves, or to unlock the promise of ournew charges? Who designs our mentor-ing programs? Do they consider culturaldifferences? I subscribe that most do not.

Human Resource DepartmentsOur HR departments are not set up to

screen new recruits from different lan-guage and cultural settings. Internalscreening processes can eliminate tal-ented individuals because we cannotrightly assess skills that may be outsideof our norms but of value nonetheless.

Similarly, external human resourceprofessionals provide pre-employmenttesting tools to assist us in making the“right “ hiring decisions, but are they ef-fective in these circumstances? Theyseem to have been developed from thesame frames of reference as our ownprograms and may, therefore, be ofquestionable value within this context.

Entering the engineering professionOur experience in hiring CADD staff

is that many applicants are foreign-trained engineers who cannot get past thescreening processes at our firms. Theirentry into consulting offices is via thedrafting board. We have recently takenon several talented engineers who cameto us through a drafting agency, and whoproved their abilities once in our employ.While it is a way into the profession, it isnot making the best use of an individual’sskills, training and potential.

Where do we go from here?The challenge we face cannot be re-

solved without changing the way we dobusiness. There is a cost to employingforeign-trained engineers; there is a timerequirement for training; and there is animpact on how we bid and deliver work.

As an industry, we need to resolve tohire qualified foreign-trained engineers.We need to understand that, in manycases, comprehension will be an issue.Encouragement and support must beprovided to new recruits to perfect theircommunications skills. We need to takethe time to integrate the new staff intoour organizations, remembering that the

skills they bring to us were developed indifferent cultural settings.

Each of us has a responsibility tomake the process a success, includingthe corporation or firm, the existingstaff, and the new professional.

A good plan, evaluation tools andfeedback mechanisms are all importantelements that together ensure the deliv-ery of a successful project. What theydon’t capture in this discussion are thecomplexities of dealing with the culturaldifferences and communications chal-lenges.

All else being equal, and understand-ing the numerous challenges to be faced,my take on the topic is that the keys tosuccessful hiring and integration of for-eign-trained professionals into the Cana-dian engineering workforce are patience,tolerance and mutual respect by all in-volved.

Contact: [email protected]

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Water sustainability: a loomingglobal challenge

population for the first time in history.Fifty per cent of the world’s populationlives in metropolitan areas, increasingdemands on water systems.• Climate change — Planning and de-sign criteria based on historical recordsmay no longer be applicable in a worldwhere water resources are heavily af-fected by drought, flooding and/or an in-crease in mean sea level. As a result,facilities may be at significant risk in theface of rapid climate change.

Then and nowPrevious generations had the luxury

of the planet’s excess natural “bio-ca-pacity.” The capacity of the natural sys-tems and cycles that renew our “wastes”and provide the conditions to supportour human and ecological environmentswas far greater than the demands of theworld’s population.Now, however, the growing demand

for Earth’s natural resources, like water,is creating an imbalance between theplanet’s bio-capacity and its inhabitants’desired standard of living.

The good news is that we never de-stroy water. Earth’s water supplies arefixed: what we had yesterday is the same

as what we’ll have tomorrow. Thoughmany of the resources needed for eco-nomic development are being depleted,water — at least in terms of quantity —is a constant.The problem is the location, timing

and distribution of rainfall. Our industry’schallenge is to help communities ensurethat water is always where we need it,when we need it, which is not necessarilywhere it falls as rain.

The future of water is anythingbut clear. It is fraught with chal-lenges — too much, too little,too contaminated or too inac-

cessible to meet our needs.We live in a rapidly changing world

in which many of our expectations aboutnatural resources may no longer be met.The seeming abundance of safe, low-cost water may falsely lead us to assumeperpetual easy access to all the water wewant, when we want it.The water industry today must exam-

ine these assumptions. Although watercovers 70% of our planet’s surface, lessthan 0.5% is freshwater available for ouruse. Most of our planet’s water is inoceans and too salty for many uses. Muchof the remainder is locked in frozen gla-ciers, is remote from population centresor circulating in the atmosphere. So thisseemingly abundant resource is actuallyquite constrained.

What’s changing?Three factors are having an impact on

our freshwater resources:• Population growth — The world’spopulation is 6.6 billion and growing.Asa result, humans are demanding more of

Earth’s resources to sustain life and eco-nomic activity. Science and engineeringhave been developing and implementingtechnologies to alleviate some of thisburden, but there is a limit beyond whichlittle can be done. It appears probablethat we are nearing this limit.• Economic growth — Economicgrowth in water-scarce regions increaseswater demand. Last year the planet’surban population exceeded the rural

Water, water everywhere, but…Competition for available water is in-

creasing because water is not distributedevenly over the globe. Nine countriespossess 60% of the world’s availablefreshwater: Brazil, Russia, China,Canada, Indonesia, the United States,India, Colombia and the Democratic Re-public of Congo. However, local varia-tions of population distribution andfreshwater supply are highly significant.Many communities, once water-rich, arefacing a new challenge as water supplyand demand are now imbalanced.In most European cities with more

than 100,000 people, groundwater isbeing used at a faster rate than it can bereplenished. Available water is becom-ingly increasingly costly to capture ordraw from aquifers. Large cities such asMexico City, Bangkok, Manila, Beijing,Madras and Shanghai have experiencedsignificant aquifer drops of between 10to 50 metres.Other examples of water scarcity are

the Yangtze River Basin in China; Aus-tralia, now in its 10th year of a recorddrought; the Colorado River basin, alsoin the midst of a long-term drought ofhistoric proportions; and parts of thesoutheastern United States, especiallynorthern Georgia.Droughts or increased flooding may

not be the only unfortunate consequenceof changing rainfall patterns. Thesechanges may also result in storm sewersand drainage systems that are inade-quate to handle current and future needsbecause they were built on past assump-tions that may no longer be valid.

Preparing for an uncertain futureWe are moving from what has been

viewed as a time of certainty within ourindustry to a time of great uncertainty.We’re being driven by the forces ofchange in our climate— and in the waterbusiness.

By Dan McCarthy, Black & Veatch

We are moving from what has been viewed as a timeof certainty within our industry to a time of great

uncertainty.We’re being driven by the forces of changein our climate— and in the water business.



The challenge for key global waterindustry players, and for our clientsaround the globe, is to develop and im-plement sustainable solutions that willbetter manage the entire water cycle andhelp their customers and communitiesprepare for an uncertain future.

These solutions will focus on how bestto protect water at its source, treat it to thehighest standards, deliver it to homes andbusinesses, and then collect and againtreat the wastewater before re-introducingit safely into the environment. We alsoseek methods of sourcing “new water”through re-use, aquifer storage and recov-ery or desalination, for example.

Political leaders at all levels and thegeneral public want to know what theirutility leaders are doing to prepare forthese challenges. They realize that watersuppliers, regulators and customers can-not simply discuss or debate the futureas it arrives — they must plan and takeaction today to minimize uncertaintyand risk. All stakeholders must work to-gether to craft robust long-term strate-gies and implement cost-effectivesolutions for mitigating and, if neces-sary, adapting to the potential impacts ofclimate change.

Taking the long viewThe water industry must focus on the

long view when facing the challenges ofrapid population and economic growth,along with supply deficiencies or wet-weather problems. And added to thosetrends are other pressing issues, likeaging water infrastructure, degradationof water quality, changes in water rightsand tightening regulations.

That’s why leaders in the global waterindustry are working to develop innova-tive solutions to address climate change,water scarcity and sustainability plan-ning. We are seeking triple-bottom-linesolutions that meet our clients’ social,economic and environmental goals, aresustainable, and are politically and com-mercially viable.

Just as in the 1990s, when decision-making shifted from capital costs to life-cycle costs, now in the early part of thiscentury, the importance of triple-bot-tom-line decision-making is being rec-ognized and emphasized during allstages of planning.

Managing the futureThe ultimate stakeholders in this de-

bate are yet to be born. One thing is cer-

conservation, non-potable re-use, indi-rect potable re-use, impaired watersfrom brackish or contaminated waters,desalination or water-sharing among ad-jacent communities. These are not easydecisions, but they must be addressed.


tain: coming generations will not takewater for granted. Because the future ofwater is dynamically bound to the pres-ent, now is the time for far-sighted lead-ers to act.

Sustainable planning is no longer anisolated challenge. Regional solutionsrequire integrated planning among mu-nicipal, industrial and agricultural waterusers. Proactive watershed managementis key to helping a community optimizeits water opportunities. A holistic waterreview should examine the best combi-nation of solutions for a community —



shown to extend design life by as muchas 50 percent, at a cost that can be as lowas 30 percent of the cost of replacing theasset. For the consulting engineeringcommunity, rehabilitation and renewal ofhard assets have been a key area of sup-port to municipalities.But infrastructure sustainability is tak-

ing on a broader meaning when it comesto water and wastewater systems. It in-creasingly encompasses the managementof those systems - in particular, how thesystems are operated. One reason for in-creased focus on operations is illustratedin Table 2 and Table 3, which show thecost breakdowns for operating water sys-tems and for wastewater systems. In bothinstances, staff costs are the single largestoperating cost.Obviously, having infrastructure in

place is a necessary first step in providingwater and wastewater services. But a mu-nicipality’s ability to effectively and effi-ciently operate its water and sewagesystems in a sustainable manner dependson themen andwomenwho operate them.In short, more and more municipalitiesview their operators as integral to the longterm sustainability of their water andwastewater assets. This has put increasedemphasis on operator skills and training.And this increased emphasis presents an-other area where consulting engineers can

Over the past 50 years, Ontarioresidents have been the ben-eficiaries of a comprehensiveapproach to water and waste-

water management. Starting with the cre-ation of the Ontario Water ResourcesCommission (OWRC) in the late 1950s,the Provincial Government actively fos-tered the development of clean water in-frastructure, and at various times overthe past 50 years, has been involved inthe financing, ownership, and operationof municipal water and wastewater infra-structure, taking the role that seemed tomake the most sense at the time.Throughout this history, consulting

engineers have played a traditional andinvaluable role in the design and con-struction of facilities. The result is that,today, water and wastewater systems arewell established in all major municipali-ties and most smaller municipalities inOntario. According to the Ministry ofPublic Infrastructure Renewal, Ontariohas $72 billion worth of water and waste-water infrastructure assets. The break-down of these assets is shown inTable 1.With clean water infrastructure in

place for a majority of Ontario residents,municipalities are now focusing on sus-taining that infrastructure over the longterm. Why? Because rehabilitation andrenewal of existing assets has been

offer support to municipalities.Consulting engineers originally be-

came involved in water and wastewateroperator training and certification back inthe early 1960s, when the OWRC first de-veloped a series of graded courses inwater and sewage treatment. These earlycourses eventually evolved into coursesgeared to operators.The operator training program started

by the OWRC was continued by the On-tario Ministry of the Environment, anddeveloped into a voluntary certificationprogram in 1987. Most recently, theProvincial Government formalized theOntario Water and Wastewater OperatorCertification Program as a mandatoryprogram, specifying the education, train-ing, skills and knowledge requirementsfor operators.Operator certificates now have a three-

year shelf life and renewal is based onminimum continuing education and on-the-job training.According to the OntarioMinistry of the Environment, as ofMarch31, 2007, there were almost 5,000 drink-ing water operators holding more than10,000 active drinking water certificates.Each one of these drinking water opera-tors is now required to take up to 50 hoursof training every year. The numbers forwastewater are likely in a similar range.The Ontario government has rein-

The consultant and operator training -smart strategies for thewater andwastewater industryByGeorge Zukovs,M.Eng.,P.Eng.,President,XCG Consultants Ltd.,Toronto,Dina Ruggirello,Vice President,

XCGTraining andOperations Inc., and Jacinta O’Brien,M.A.Sc.,P.Eng.,Principal, Strategic Alternatives,Toronto

Table. 3 Cost breakdown for water systems.Table. 2 Cost breakdown for wastewater systems.

Source AWWA Research Foundation (2004) Source AWWA Research Foundation (2004)



forced the importance of operator trainingand certification in the province’s newDrinking Water Quality ManagementSystem, which explicitly requires munic-ipalities to implement strategies to assurethat operators are competent in their jobs,and that they are aware of the relevanceand importance of their activities, andhow they contribute to assuring quality.

Training provides direct benefits to op-erators, and not only in the form of greaterskills and knowledge. A well-trained op-erator engenders greater public confi-dence in their competency, demonstrateshigher professionalism, and has the po-tential for better and more varied careeropportunities. With respect to this latter,all provinces in Canada, except Québec,are members of theAssociation of Boardsof Certification (ABC), as are more than40 states in the United States.

The ABC standardizes exams thatmember jurisdictions can use for certify-ing operators. As a result, operators typi-cally do not have to re-write the tests ifthey move to another jurisdiction, thuspromoting operator mobility. To furtherincrease mobility within Canada, allprovinces, except Québec, have signed theCanadian Reciprocity Agreement, indi-cating they will recognize the validity ofthe certificates issued by the provincesthat signed theAgreement.

For a number of years, operator train-ing has been coordinated by the OntarioEnvironmental Training Consortium,which provides access to a training net-work of 25 colleges in 200 communitiesacross Ontario. In anticipation of in-creased demand for operator training, theOntario Government established theWalkerton Clean Water Centre to delivertraining for operators of small drinkingwater systems.

The Ontario Clean Water Agency, agovernment-owned, not-for-profit agencythat historically operated a majority ofwater and wastewater treatment systemsin the province, also offers training. Andmany municipalities provide in-house

training, using their own experienced op-erations staff.

The consulting engineering commu-nity has also responded to the increaseddemand for training.

In 2006, XCGConsultants establisheda dedicated subsidiary, XCGTraining andOperations which provides both class-room training and on-site training cus-tomized tomunicipal needs and deliveredat the municipality’s own facilities.Addi-tionally, and in recognition that time re-quired for training can take operatorsaway from their duties, XCG has experi-enced, certified operators on staff, whocan step in to operate water and waste-water systems during emergency situa-tions.

According to the March 2008 issue ofPublicWorks Financing, skilled operators

Treatment Distribution Total

Water $ 6 $28 $35Wastewater $14 $24 $38

Total $20 $52 $72

Table 1. Ontario’s water and wastewater asset base in $2004 Billions (PIR, 2005).

AET Consultants forged a merger with EcoServices, Eco2 Systems and

Integrated Green Building Concepts (IGBC) to form the AET Group. The

merger completes the first step towards a collaborative effort to establish

a solutions-based multi-discipilinary environmental consulting company

and professional team recognized as a leading-expert in waste, ecology,

building sciences, energy, and environmental management.

This partnership allows the AET Group of companies to provide a diverse

range of sustainable environmental solutions that will greatly enhance the

resources and technical expertise available to our clients while maintaining

the high quality service that they have come to expect from each of the

member companies.

.

More information about AET Consultants and the member companies (under

the Affiliates web link) can be found at This website will

be updated in the near future to reflect the newly formed AET Group

www.aet-group.com.

Eco erv cess iIGBC

INTEGRATED GREEN BUILDING CONCEPTS

ECO2ECO2

SYSTEMS INC.

Sustainable Environmental Solutions

Expertise converge

are in short supply. Two reasons may behigher expectations and new regulations,both of which have caused a shift in mu-nicipal hiring practices for new operators.According to the Ontario Water andWastewater Human Resource Study, a re-port released by ECO Canada in 2006,most municipalities are now looking tohire entry level operators who have a post-secondary education, often with empha-sis on environmental technology or waterprograms.

The consulting engineering commu-nity understands that mandatory trainingrequirements and the need for ongoing re-newal of operator certificates will imposea burden on municipalities. Consultingengineers also recognize that highly qual-ified and knowledgeable operators pro-vide a direct benefit to municipalities, interms of efficient, secure, and cost-effec-tive delivery of water and wastewaterservices, and long-term sustainability ofinfrastructure.




In the weeks, months, and years ahead, consulting engi-neering firms across Canada will engage in a marketknown more for its volatility than for its stability. In fact,there are specific trends that, when explored, provide in-

sights on how best to meet the challenges in a direct and ap-propriate manner. For the purposes of this piece, I would like tofocus on three key areas.

GlobalizationThe centre of global economic power has been shifting from

North America (strengthened by Canadian economic stability)andWestern Europe to, from a broad perspective, the rest of theworld. Brazil, Russia, India, China and Korea, referred to as theeconomic “BRICK” countries, have risen from an economicperspective, creating the reality that economic power will beshared with these growing economies. In essence, cross-bordertrade will continue to increase and supply chains will continueto globalize.These economic shifts have significant implications in the

demand for consulting engineering services, the supply of tal-ent, global financial capital allocation and costs, and the com-petition we will all face. With this trend, it is likely that firmsacross Canada will need to move from national firms with in-

ternational outposts to becoming truly global in every sense.Balancing the need for short-term profitability to build finan-cial strength while investing the resources to address long-termglobal market opportunities (and threats) will be a necessarychallenge for all of us in the times ahead.

TechnologyWithout question, technological advances in both commu-

nications and enhanced human productivity during the last fortyyears have exceeded even the most optimistic projections. Forthe individuals who have embraced this dynamic change, thequality of life improvements and productivity gains have beenremarkable. Recent trends indicate that the pace of technolog-ical innovation and advancement is, at least, continuing andmay, in fact, be accelerating.

These technological advances are one of the factors con-tributing to globalization. However, it is increasingly difficult togain competitive advantage by assuming that knowledge can becontrolled and meted out over a long period of time. In theglobal market, technology is rapidly acquired by competitorsand a commitment to innovation, consistent technology growth,and knowledge advancement must be a critical component ofgrowth and moving forward. This includes both informationtechnology and technologies applied in project work.

Industry consolidationIn order to address the issues of globalization and technol-

ogy investment, firms in our industry have merged and consol-idated at an unprecedented rate during the last decade. Firmshave sought to achieve both the scale and portfolio diversity tobe able to effectively compete in the global marketplace bymerging as well as through organic growth.Since economies of scale improve the competitiveness of

firms to attract talent and invest in technology, it is likely thatthis trend in industry consolidation will continue.These three key areas are significant guide posts along the

path of growth. Consulting engineering firms across Canadaneed to face an ever-changing marketplace with the insight andstrength to make decisions that encourage long-term strategicsuccess.


What the futuremay hold…..By BruceTucker,President/Regional Manager of CH2MHILL Canada

Since economies of scale improvethe competitiveness of firms to attracttalent and invest in technology, it islikely that this trend in industryconsolidation will continue.



It will be interesting to see how the current economic down-turn will impact some of the recent dynamics of the con-sulting engineering industry.With the sustained and robusteconomy of the last twelve or so years, we have come to

experience a rather serious shortage of experienced engineers,scientists and other technology professionals.

Employer and employee loyalty have become terms to whichonly those of us who have been around for more than twodecades can actually relate. High mobility, both for staff andfirms, has been the norm. Employees, some in management,have not experienced a recession.

It remains to be seen whether a more conservative career ap-proach will soon become evident. It just may be that one’s cur-rent place of employment may not be that bad when comparedto the option of no place at all!

At the same time, which employers will be looking at main-taining core staffing levels through possible slow periods?When we consider that a significant component of our indus-try is now controlled by publicly-traded entities, staffing deci-sions during slow periods that, at one time, were being made byfounder principals with a good appreciation of the history of“five year” economic cycles, will now be made by market-ori-ented managers acting in response to the direction that comesfrom outside investors and portfolio managers.

Then, of course, there is the fundamental economic activitythat actually generates the demand for our services. After themega amounts that have been and are being directed at sus-taining military efforts and, currently, towards bailing out fi-nancial institutions (some of which, in some countries, areprobably only the victims of irresponsible regulators), will thereactually be any money left over in the coffers of the public sec-tor to invest in the much discussed infrastructure deficit.

Perhaps more important, however, will be how soon the pri-vate sector and the individual consumer shake off the current sen-timent of nervousness and caution.

In previous contributions to this Forum I have commented onthe fact that, in my opinion, we cannot any longer consider ouractivities in isolation to what happens in the rest of the world. Inthe consulting industry, not only are some companies better po-sitioned to offset economic slowdowns in traditional markets witha more diversified project portfolio that includes activities outsideof Canada, but they are also well-positioned to operate in asso-ciation with others, both here and abroad.

This will contribute to weathering the changes in the eco-nomic cycle, not only through direct project opportunities, butalso through improved access to technical staff and expandedcorporate and team competencies. The latter can then beleveraged when and where there is a renewed demand for ourservices.

We certainly have recently observed some remarkableswings in a number of indicators. Although we can reasonablyassume that there will be consequences, no one can easily pre-dict the type of economic ride that we will be in for over thecoming one or two years - and certainly not this engineer!

Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume that this industrywill need to be ready to adapt to market, management and staffconditions that are apt to be rather different from the “this willnever end” economic cycle that we have been enjoying for thepast 12 years or so.


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Flexibility is a necessity for today’s consulting engineersas our clients continue to explore a variety of project de-livery options to bring their capital investments online.Over the past five years, there has been a growing in-

terest in design-build and P3 (public/private partnerships) projectdelivery structures. When carefully considered and articulated,these arrangements can provide benefits to all parties involved.

P3 projects, in particular, are growing in popularity acrossCanada. For example, British Columbia now requires that allprojects with a construction value in excess of $25 million un-dergo a P3 review. Other clients are requesting a review of alter-native project delivery options for significant projects.

For infrastructure projects, a typical P3 model involves theprivate sector proponent leading the design, construction and op-eration of a system over a long-term contract, typically in therange of 10-20 years. The private sector may also finance the

project, but it often remains under public ownership.The pressing demand to upgrade infrastructure, including

water and wastewater facilities, and the need to meet emergingregulatory standards, are ever-present. At the same time someowners may lack in-house expertise to operate facilities or thebudget to fund initial capital improvements.

In addition, construction cost escalation and cost certainty isa key motivator behind these partnerships. Often a design-buildor P3 arrangement can deliver projects more quickly, andnowhere is the old adage “time is money” more true than in thecurrent construction climate which has seen significant escalationover the past five years.

For example, a large municipality in central Canada is nowconsidering a design-build versus traditional design-bid-build ap-proach for a major wastewater treatment plant. Among the fac-tors they must weigh is the reality that each month of delayequates to $3 million in construction cost escalation.

In addition to potential cost savings, alternative project deliv-ery arrangements can offer other benefits such as schedule ac-celeration and design flexibility. In renovation programs,flexibility is crucial as new challenges are often uncovered onceconstruction begins and a rapid turnaround on design changes isneeded to keep the process moving. The design-build or P3arrangement also encourages a highly collaborative working re-lationshipwith contractors as well as current and future operators.

Over the past few years Stantec has been involved with sev-eral design-build and P3 arrangements. In partnership withEPCOR, a major Canadian water company, and contractorLockerbie Stanley Inc. (LSI), the firm delivered an innovativewastewater treatment plant for Okotoks,Alberta. Serving a pop-ulation of 15,000 that is expected to double in size, the Okotokswastewater treatment plant was operating at capacity. Completedin 2006, the new 10 million litre per day (Ml/d) biological nutri-ent removal (BNR) advanced wastewater treatment plant expan-sion was built under a design-build-operate arrangement. The$11.2 million expansion came in at under half the initial esti-mated costs.

In Wetaskawin, Alberta, initial cost estimates for traditionaldesign-bid-build of a water plant upgrade were approaching $18million. Stantec, LSI and EPCOR, working together in a design-build-finance-operate framework, completed the project forunder $12 million.

In Taber, Alberta, construction of a $14.5 million, 12.8 Ml/dwastewater treatment plant is underway using a design-bid-finance-operate process.

Private industry is also taking a new look at alternate delivery

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Protecting Canada’s Communities – It’s a Hero’s Work

By Gord Johnston,Vice President,Environmental Infrastructure,Stantec,Calgary,Alberta,and Reno Fiorante,Vice President,Environmental Infrastructure,Stantec,Surrey,British Columbia

Design-build and P3 projectdeliverymethods gainingmomentum



options. Located on British Columbia’s Sea-to-SkyHighway, theBritannia Mine water treatment plant is now capturing and re-moving thousands of tonnes of heavy metal contaminants fromthe historic BritanniaMine, including 166,000 kilograms of cop-per per year – the equivalent of 70 million pennies.

EPCOR financed the facility and led the team during the de-sign and construction of the $15.5 million facility, 25 Ml/d fast-tracked acid mine runoff treatment plant. The project wasdelivered using a design-build-finance-operate format. Design,construction, and commissioning occurred within one year ofcontract award. As part of the agreement, EPCOR will operatethe facility for 20 years, saving the province over $12 million.

Canadian industry and public sector clients are not alone inopting for this type of project delivery model.American utilitiesare also selecting new options for capital programs. In San Fran-cisco, California, Stantec recently initiated design on a 1200Ml/dwater treatment facility for the San Francisco Public UtilitiesCommission. Working as part of a design-build team with PCLCivil Contractors, the plant will be one of the largest drinkingwater UV disinfection facilities in North America when com-pleted in 2011.

In southern Arizona, a design-build team with PCL Con-struction and Stantec is nearing completion of construction onthe 57 Ml/d upgrade of the Nogales International WastewaterTreatment Plant in Nogales, Arizona. The plant will treat waste-water from both the United States and Mexico. The facility de-sign was completed in a compressed six month schedule withclose coordination between designers and contractor in order tomeet the City’s fixed “not to exceed” $56million project budget.

Given these success stories, it is important to ask, what do

owners trade off by opting for design-build or P3 arrangements?While these approaches have sound benefits, traditional meth-ods of project delivery are still very much a reasonable optionfor many clients.A primary benefit of the traditional approach isto provide owners with the utmost flexibility and control duringthe design process to explore new approaches and innovations.And, with access to financing becoming limited in today’s mar-ket, it may become increasingly difficult for private sector pro-ponents to secure funding for major public sector projects.

Fortunately, clients have a range of project delivery optionsto choose from. In all cases, care must be taken when decidingto select alternative project delivery as a procurement strategyfor a particular project. Total system life cycle costs, quality,and operational flexibility are important considerations as aclient evaluates a myriad of project delivery options. In some in-stances design-build or P3 may not be the right choice for aproject and owners should be wary of claims indicating that P3always saves money.

Every project is unique and the delivery choice must be care-fully assessed. The role of consulting engineers is to work withclients to help them select the best delivery system for their in-dividual project and needs.


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mal loading the tank received on itslarge, exposed surface area, even in a USstate not known for its thermal extremes.

Testing at the top of the tank duringnormal operation showed almost zeroresidual. Grab samples of total chlorinewere taken periodically at the top and bot-tom of this tank and, although a residual of0.7 – 0.8 mg/L was found in the bottomlayer of the tank, the residual was 0.00 –0.05 mg/L in the uppermost layers.

The warm, low-residual water remainstrapped in the top of the tank until a pe-riod of high demand lowers the water levelenough to allow this poor quality water(often with unpleasant taste, temperatureand odor, as well as possible high levelsof disinfection by-products (DBP), in-cluding trihalomethanes and haloaceticacids) to enter the distribution system.

Sudden loss of water quality instandpipes can also occur at the begin-ning of winter due to “inversion.” In-version occurs when the old, stagnantwater at the top of the tank is no longerwarmed by the summer sun. Instead, thewater is chilled by the cold winter air.This chilled, colder water suddenlysinks to the bottom of the standpipe,which causes the standpipe to rapidlyinvert. After inversion, the first water to

Standpipes are one of the mostproblematic tank geometries tomix. Inlet velocities are typi-cally small and horizontal in di-

rection. Most of the water in thestandpipe must remain in the tank toproduce and maintain pressure head inthe distribution system, so there is oftena hard limit (typically 70-90 percent ofcapacity) below which the operatorscannot draw. This takes away the de-fault, though energy- and labor-inten-sive, method of mixing, i.e. the forceddraw down and refilling of tanks.

The Spanaway Water Company, inSpanaway, Washington, discovered theproblem of low turnover standpipesfirst-hand when an operator noticed alayer of condensation on the outside ofone of their standpipes. He surmised thatthe cold water inside the tank was caus-ing this condensation, but worried whythe condensation was only visible 20 feetup the side of the tank and did not coverits full height. An investigation of thetemperature inside the tank validated histheory – the tank had substantial thermalstratification.

The volume and velocity of the in-coming water during a regular fill cyclewas not sufficient to overcome the ther-

be flushed directly into the distributionsystem to supply customers is the old-est, lowest quality water from the top ofthe tank, while the good water remainstrapped at the top of the tank.

The solutionStandpipes present a particular chal-

lenge for most mixing systems becauseof their height. The PAX mixer has beendemonstrated to restore water quality, re-duce the need for on-site chemical dos-ing, and improve reliability andhomogeneity in ground storage tanks, butthose tanks tend to be wider than they aretall. Our analysis suggested that, despitethe unfavorable ratio of height to diame-ter of this standpipe, the PAX mixerwould be able to penetrate an establishedtemperature gradient and completely cir-culate all 120 feet of the water column.

The installation of the PAXmixer tookless than a day and did not require a craneor heavy equipment.The only preparationwas that the reservoir water level waslowered to 100 feet and isolated untildivers could complete the installation.The customer saw an immediate benefit.

Approximately every hour anothervertical foot of the stratified water col-umn was blended with the cool, fresh,residual-rich water. After seven days the

A diverse range of case histories and newdevelopments is reviewed in ES&E’sES&E’ssemi-annual look at tanks, containment

systems and spill management.

Mixing eliminates stratification and delivers residualCL2 to upper layers in standpipe



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entire water column was completelyblended and the temperature of the upperlayer had fallen from 19°C ( ~66°F) downto below 16°C (61°F). The reduction intemperature allows the residual to lastlonger in the upper layers and lowers therates of reaction and DBP formation.Grab samples taken after one week

of mixer operation showed a dramaticincrease in residual at the top of thetank, from 0.00 mg/L to 0.31 mg/L.With the active mixing provided by

the PAX mixer, water quality through-out the tank has been improved and theentire volume of water is now availablefor regular or emergency use. There isno chance of an inversion while themixer is operating in the tank. The reli-

ability and quality of Spanaway’s distri-bution system has been significantlyimproved by this simple infrastructureupgrade, and minimal interruption oftank use was required.The Water Programs Manager from

Spanaway, TimTayne, describes the im-plications of the PAX mixing system inthis way: “Consistency in the quality ofwater provided is the key to customersatisfaction. This also ensures the wateralways meets the drinking water stan-dards, even during high demand such asfighting fires or abnormally hot weather.The volume of water in this reservoir,with high water quality, went from 0.25million gallons (MG) to almost 1.5 MGby installing the PAX mixer. We will beevaluating our other reservoirs in thenear future.”

ConclusionWith this breakthrough case study,

PAX Water Technologies has proventhat this innovative technology, whichhas already proven successful in rectan-gular and circular ground storage tanks,can now offer a solution for utilitiesseeking to improve water quality and re-liability in standpipes.The PAX mixer is an active mixing

solution that completely eliminates strat-ification on a continual basis and doesnot rely on operator-adjusted drain orfill cycles. This continual operation andindependence from the pressure in the

system makes the PAX mixer well-suited for standpipe owners who oftenfind themselves constrained as to howmuch they can drain and fill these tanks.

For more information, contact DarrinHopper, H2Flow Tanks & Systems Inc.

E-mail: [email protected]

Illustration of the thermocline inside thetank.



both economically and in overall safety.In the planning stages for installing

these two tanks, several problems imme-diately became apparent. The size andproportions of the tanks made fabrica-tion, installation and shipping extremelydifficult. Furthermore, the tanks were tobe installed into an area where space waslimited due to existing plant structures.The size of each tank was governed

OntheTrans Canada Highwayin northern Ontario, there isa bridge that enables pedes-trians and vehicles to cross

the Spanish River. The bridge itselfholds no place in the annals of Canadianhistory. In fact, it is quite unremarkable,a typical bridge found in the area.However, the Spanish River bridge

represented a major problem for an en-gineering project required by a localbleaching pulp mill.Part of the bleaching process re-

quires the use of chlorine dioxide(ClO2), which is produced in the planton an as-needed basis. The chlorine isstored in tanks, and there is always atleast one full tank of ClO2, even whenmaintenance work has to be performed.The operators of the mill have earned

an excellent reputation as a companythat is environmentally responsible, hasan enviable safety record and frequentlyincorporates safety/environmental stan-dards before they are legally required.ClO2 is a hazardous substance and thecompany treats it with great care. Hav-ing more than one tank ensures therewill always be an adequate supply ofClO2 and allows more time for mainte-nance shutdowns with no interruption ofsupply. The regular maintenance pays off

by the required capacity of 360 m3.Available space indicated an unusuallytall and slender tank: 4.77 m ID x 20.12m high straight shell. Estimated weightwas 48,000 lb empty, 842,000 lb full.Other design conditions included:

• Pressure: +/- 20” WC at top• Temperature: 32-82° F, liquidspecific gravity 1.0

• Roof live load: 50 psf• Location: indoors• Seismic data: Za = 1, Zv = 0,V = 0.05The engineering approach was based

on the customer’s extreme environmen-tal consciousness and safety considera-tions for handling the chemical. The millinsisted on having one-piece, seamlesstanks with no joints. Largely, this wasfor safety reasons, given the corrosiveand highly toxic nature of ClO2. Fabri-cating such tanks meant that the workwould have to be done at FabricatedPlastics’ plant. Working at the plant of-fers tighter control and efficient produc-tion. The downside was the shipping.The original plan was for tanks with

a larger ID, but the transportation routeinspection showed the smallest dimen-sion to be the height of the SpanishRiver bridge at 16 ft 2 in. That meas-urement had to include any peripheralmaterial or equipment on the outside of

One of the tanks is lifted in the vertical position, using the four lift lugs at thetop and a tailing choker near the bottom.

After both tanks are installed and anchored to the concrete pads, erection isunderway for the upper portion of the building enclosure.

Bridge height limits transport of ClO2storage tanks



the tanks. This restriction reduced thediameter so the tanks had to be mademuch taller.

The one-piece construction neces-sarily meant a standard mould approachcould not be used, as it would rendertanks with joints, so the tanks weremade with a specially designed slipmould. Fabricated Plastics laminatedthe entire corrosion liner using an inte-gral but moveable mould, and an 1/8”.layer of hand-laid-up structure wasadded. The same procedure was fol-lowed for the integrally moulded bot-tom. The slip mould was moved,allowing an integral lay-up of the entirelength of the tank shell without a seam,then the slip mould was removed.

The head for the tank was then at-tached to the shell and bottom assem-bly. The assembly of the top, bottom andshell unit was sufficiently strong toallow the whole of the shell to be fila-ment-wound in one piece, thus produc-ing a seamless integral product.

The bottom of the tank was designedwith an ingenious sizing that allowedthe projection on the diameter to beminimized and to use a continuous fil-ament-wound ring with site-suppliedstructural steel clips to anchor the hugetanks down. This was an improvedmethod to accommodate the larger seis-mic loads created by the greater height.

Premium-grade, corrosion-resistantand fire-retardant Derakane 510C 350vinyl ester resin was used throughout,with 5% antimony trioxide fire retardantadded to the structural layers. To accom-modate a superior corrosion resistancerequirement, the interior double corro-sion liner incorporated a layer of Halarveil and three layers of 1.5 oz /ft2 mat.

The corrosion liner thickness wasexcluded in the design calculations, asis the usual custom in such applications.The design complied with ASME RTP-1e-1999, using computerized lamina-tion analysis to determine properties ofthe Type X structural laminate.Axial re-inforcements were interspersed into thefilament-wound structural laminate tosatisfy the high seismic axial loads. Ex-terior surfaces incorporated a layer ofC-glass veil applied over the final matply of the structural laminate, using awhite resin topcoat with UV inhibitors.

Once the fabrication of the two tankswas finished, the slow and arduous jour-ney to their destination in northern On-

tario began. The tanks were transportedon special low-profile trombone trailersto the Spanish River bridge, where theywere carefully reloaded with the use oftwo mobile cranes onto a special trans-port float with minimal road clearanceto clear the bridge and continue thefinal 0.5 km to the site. The SpanishRiver bridge, which had caused somuch of the design difficulty, was suc-cessfully crossed with literally milli-metres to spare.

The hardest project becomes simple ifyou identify the criteria that will govern

every aspect of the design, fabrication andinstallation. These well-designed tankshave served the customer trouble-freesince 2006.




terials and seriously limits the use of ce-ment-based products for repair and pro-tection of concrete in hydrogen sulfideenvironments.

One approach is the application ofpolymer coatings, such as epoxies, ure-thanes, polyurea, etc., to the surface ofthe concrete. This approach is alsobased on an assumption that by mini-mizing the H2S diffusion, less sulfuricacid is formed in the concrete and con-crete deterioration is reduced.

In theory, the application of polymercoatings seems reasonable and may workwell in new construction, but in repair ap-plications the situation is different.A con-crete surface is rough, wet and dirty; it isdifficult to clean and keep dry, especiallyin the case of sewer system repairs. It isalso very difficult to create a polymer

layer that is completely free of “pinholes”and cracks. Water penetrates throughthese imperfections and capillary pres-sures at the interface debond the polymer

Concrete is the most commonmaterial used in the construc-tion of wastewater treatmentfacilities, sewer structures,

lift-stations (pumping stations) and man-holes. It is economical, easy to use andhas good long-term durability in a ma-jority of applications. In most cases theconcrete structures last many decadesbut in some structures, e.g. sewers, man-holes, digesters and others exposed tohigh concentrations of hydrogen sulfide,microbiologically induced corrosion(MIC) may cause serious deterioration.

The sulfates (SO42-) contained inwastewater are the principal source ofsulfur compounds but, in addition to thesulfates, organic materials and bacteriaare always present in wastewater, lead-ing to formation of hydrogen sulfideand its conversion into sulfuric acid bymeans of the following processes:1. Biological formation of hydrogen

sulfide from sulfates present inwastewater.

2. Release of hydrogen sulfide gas.3. Biological conversion of hydrogen

sulfide to sulfuric acid.Acid attack is only one factor as the

formation of water-soluble gypsum andexpansive ettringite also contribute toconcrete deterioration. In addition, theconcrete pH reduction depassivates thereinforcing steel, resulting in corrosion,expansion of corrosion products, con-crete cracking and spalling.

Currently there are no testing stan-dards available to assess the resistanceof concrete construction and repair ma-terials to MIC, but testing in situ, bio-genic corrosion tests simulated in thelaboratory, and immersion in solutionsof sulfuric acid have been used.

In North America, the selection per-formance criteria for protective materi-als in concrete structures exposed toMIC, are often based on testing theirchemical resistance to a 10% solution ofsulfuric acid. It can be shown that goodquality concrete is almost completelydestroyed after 140 days in this environ-ment, while the structures in questionlast many decades. This “accelerated”testing forces the use of polymeric ma-

Cem-Kote Flex CR was used toprotect and waterproof the interior ofa digester tank in Orillia, Ontario.

Cem-Kote has been applied toconcrete surfaces at a new waste-water facility in Woodstock, Ontario.

Repair and protection of concrete inhydrogen sulfide environments

coating. This debonding process occursin any structure where concrete is coatedwith a polymer coating in a continuouslywet environment.

In structures exposed to MIC, themicrobiological conversion of hydrogensulfide to sulfuric acid magnifies theproblem of polymer coating debonding.Attempts to reduce the diffusion char-acteristics of polymer coatings will notimprove the performance of these pro-tective/repair systems since the basic

problem of coating imperfection re-mains, regardless of the diffusion char-acteristics of the coating. This is why, inthe opinion of the author, the polymer

By Ivan Razl, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Currently there are no testing standards available toassess the resistance of concrete construction and repairmaterials to MIC, but testing in situ, biogenic corrosiontests simulated in the laboratory, and immersion in

solutions of sulfuric acid have been used.



coatings fail and this approach does notprovide a longer-term protection of con-crete to MIC.Gemite Products Inc. has developed

several cement-based materials for therepair and protection of concrete ex-posed to MIC. In this article we are pre-senting only the coating material basedon polymer modified aluminate cement,Cem-Kote Flex CR. For testing of thisand other materials to MIC, we con-tacted Mosvodokanal, a GovernmentAgency of the City of Moscow in Rus-sia, where we found the testing proce-dure to be more realistic than the 10%sulfuric acid testing.TheAgency has selected a section of

sewer system with a high degree of de-terioration, (approximately 6-8 mmthick loss of section per year), and isusing this environment for evaluation ofmaterials. Their database of results isextensive and allows them, within 12months of exposure, to establish a“poor”, “good” or “excellent” perform-ance rating of the tested material.Gemite entered the testing program

in June 2006 with a number of controland tested materials. One of the testedmaterials was a 2 mm thin layer of

Cem-Kote Flex CR applied to concretecylinders. The tests were completed inJune 2007 and the results showed nodebonding of the material from the con-crete or any chemical attack or weightloss. Some of the control materialsshowed deterioration and weight loss.Cem-Kote Flex CR is a polymer mod-

ified aluminate cement composition,where the synergy between the polymermodifier and the cement provides resist-ance toMIC. Being a cement-based prod-uct, it is completely insensitive to themoisture present in the concrete. It is alsoconsiderably less sensitive to debondingin comparison with polymer coatings,mainly due to the fact that it is less sensi-tive to capillary pressures acting at the in-terface between the coating and theconcrete surface in the vicinity of possiblepinholes. It also exhibits flexibility, whichallows some degree of substrate crackbridging.The material is very easy to apply;

cleaning of tools and equipment is sim-ply by washing with water.Cem-Kote Flex CR is a two-compo-

nent material, consisting of dry baggedpowders and a liquid polymer additivesupplied in a plastic container. The two

components are mixed on site using aconventional electric paddle mixer ormortar mixer and applied in two coatsby brushing or spraying to a total thick-ness of 1.6 to 2 mm.In new construction, a high-pressure

wash is sufficient to clean the existingconcrete. The smaller “bugholes” arecoated over with Cem-Kote Flex CR, thelarger ones are pre-filled with the samematerial mixed with less of the liquidcomponent to obtain a trowel consis-tency. The drying shrinkage cracks aretreated with Reinforcing Fabric NW,which provides waterproofing even ifthe crack bridging capacity of Cem-KoteFlex CR is exceeded.Several types of equipment, includ-

ing peristaltic and positive displacementpumps may be used for the spraying ofCem-Kote Flex CR.When there are very rough surfaces,

such as in the restoration of manholesor sewer systems, the deteriorated con-




crete is removed and surface cleanedusing high-pressure water. Microsilicamodified Portland cement materials,such as Fibre-Patch OV for hand appli-cation or Spray-Con WA ST for wetshotcrete process application, are ap-plied in thicknesses varying from 1 to 5cm, depending on the degree of deteri-oration. A leveling layer is required torepair the surface and provide a smoothsurface to minimize “pinholes” in theapplication of Cem-Kote Flex CR.Spray-ConWS ST was also a part of

the testing program described above andalso exhibited a good resistance to MICenvironments. Fibre-reinforced Fibre-Patch OV and Spray-Con WS ST mate-rials are insensitive to the presence ofmoisture in the concrete substrate andthe fibre reinforcement provides a hightoughness and some degree of substratecrack bridging in comparison with non-reinforced materials.Wastewater facilities, manholes, and

sewer systems also contain metal parts

that require corrosion protection.The cor-rosion protective polymer barrier systemsare very difficult to apply in the repair ofthese structures, since they require veryclean (“white metal”) and a dry surfaceto function. The barrier systems are alsovery sensitive to pinholes, where the rateof corrosion is very high.Gemite has been successfully using a

cement-based corrosion protective coat-ing, Fibre-Prime, which does not requirethe “white metal” surface, with loose rustremoval being sufficient. It is insensitiveeven to surface moisture present on themetal parts. For additional protection toMIC, Cem-Kote Flex CRmay be applied

over Fibre Prime. The advantages ofFibre-Prime are also very important inthe corrosion protection of exposed rein-forcing steel in restoration of the rein-forced concrete structures.In many repair applications, such as

manhole restoration, it is necessary tostop water infiltration in order to carryout the repair, waterproofing and MICprotection. For this purpose Gemite sup-plies very fast setting, hydraulic, Fibre-Patch WP (water plug).

Ivan Razl is Technical Director withGemite Products Inc., Mississauga,Ontario. E-mail: [email protected]



tension sorbent barrier, along with apatent-pending, extremely compact andeasy-to-use deployment system.

The potential for disastrous oil spillson our waterways, including the GreatLakes, which contain nearly 20 per centof the world’s fresh water, is significant.A recent spill caused by a pipeline leak

More than a dozen oil spillsoccur every day in Canada,leaving an undeniable foot-print on our environment.

They contaminate our water supply, sig-nificantly impact our health, and destroyhelpless marine life and coastal wetlands.

Murrenhil Corporation has devel-oped the ROC Barrier™, a first-of-its-kind response system designed to reachand contain an oil spill rapidly, before itspreads out over the water and stretchesonto the shoreline where it has the great-est ecological impact.

Deployed from the back of a water-craft at speeds of up to 54 kilometresper hour, the ROC (Rapid Oil Contain-ment) Barrier is faster than conventionaloil containment booms. While the wa-tercraft circles the perimeter of the oilspill, the barrier’s film laminate contin-uously streams from the dispenser toquickly contain and prevent the spillfrom becoming a run-away slick.

The ROC Barrier is small enough toallow tankers, ships and other watercraft,barges and rigs, marinas and all otherwater entry points to store it on site sothat it can be deployed quickly follow-ing an oil spill. Made in Canada, it usesa combination of proprietary high-ex-

dumped an estimated 20,000 litres of oilinto Alberta’s Red Deer River whichfeeds the popular swimming spot,Gleniffer Lake, cutting off the drinkingwater supply to families and tourists inthe area. Last summer’s pipeline spill inBurnaby, British Columbia, saw an esti-mated 234,000 litres of oil spread outover the water making its way down toBurrard Inlet.

The effects of oil spills on Canadianmarine life are staggering.A recent studyat Memorial University of Newfound-land estimates that every year more than300,000 seabirds are killed by oil off thesouth coast of Newfoundland alone.

The ROC Barrier is designed to re-cover up to 100 per cent of the oil froma spill, without absorbing the water.Even better, the oil can be reused, dra-matically reducing clean-up costs.

For more information, visit:www.murrenhil.com

First-of-its-kind response systemhelps prevent environmentaldamage caused by oil spills



tion in some of the smallest and hard toreach facilities.

In order to determine the ultimate pa-rameters of the system, a consultationwith the end user is carried out. Basic in-formation and criteria are gathered andestablished at this time. For example,what are the expected bio-waste materi-als – chemicals, solids, etc.? What is therequired flow rate or loading? This is de-termined by the number of personnel,sinks, floor drains, animal spaces, etc.

In today’s world, we are faced withhealth hazards and concerns such asSARS, mad cow disease, bird fluand even agents that might be used

in bioterrorism. Biosafety laboratoriesand biocontainment facilities are increas-ingly being developed to research thesehazards. Biocontainment facilities suchas BL-3 and BL-4 labs, vaccine produc-tion facilities, animal production facili-ties, comparative medicine laboratories,and pharmaceutical facilities make up themajority.

To assist these facilities in their questto maintain containment of these hazards,Hydrol-Pro Technologies and FestivalCity Fabricators have joined forces toprovide a system to sterilize pathologicalwastewater.

This system is called BEDS (Bio-Ef-fluent Decontamination System) and itcan be designed to accept all drain efflu-ent from any sized facility. The uniquetriple tank system was designed to re-place much larger, multi-step, kill tanksystems. Because the tanks are stacked,the footprint occupies two thirds of thespace required for these larger systems.Costs associated with intricate piping sys-tems are also reduced.

The compact stacked tank arrange-ment was designed to be retrofitted intoexisting facilities and it can be custom-designed and manufactured for installa-

How it worksThe BEDS processes continuously

and operation is adjustable from 240 to305 degrees F (115 to 152 degrees C) toaccommodate the types of contaminantswhich might be present in the lab.Through-put volumes range from stan-dard 200 USG to 500 USG per hour, withlarger custom systems also available.

The first tank is called the “buffertank” and it is used for the collection andaccumulation of incoming biologically-

Triple tank system developed todecontaminate bioeffluentsBy Chris Wyatt

BEDS agitator gearbox mounted on the sterilization tank to promote heat trans-fer of the effluent.



contaminated effluent. The buffer tankbegins the process by pre-heating thewastewater to approximately 205 degreesF (nearly 100 degrees C) Once this vesselis full and pre-heated, the automatic con-troller checks to see if the second tank isempty and then it opens valves to allowthe contents of the first tank to drain intothe second, similarly-sized tank.

The second tank is called the “steril-ization tank”. It heats the water to 240 -305 degrees F (depending on the mi-croorganisms present), for a minimum ofone hour. This second vessel is agitatedusing a proprietary paddle assembly toassist and provide uniform heating. It isat this second stage that the systemachieves sterilization of the effluent.Again, the controller checks to ensure thethird tank is empty and the contents of thepressurized second tank are then trans-ferred to the third tank.

The third tank is called the “coolingtank”.This is the final part of the processwhere the water is cooled down to 140degrees F (60 degrees C). Once the waterreaches this temperature, it is safe for dis-charge into a municipal sewer.Major elements of the BEDS systemThe tanks are manufactured from high

quality SA-240 type 316/316L stainlesssteel. Each jacketed vessel is manufac-tured to the latest addenda of ASME(American Society of Mechanical Engi-neers with either National Board or CRNRegistrations). They also meet the Pres-sure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC inEurope.

Heating of both the buffer tank and thesterilization tank is achieved by a very ef-ficient hot oil system, which was chosenover steam for several reasons. Steam canbe very aggressive on both the vessel andvessel heating jacket, while hot oil is more

The Bio-Effluent Decontamination Sys-tem’s vessels installed in the tank rack.

controlled and reduces fatigue stress, pit-ting and corrosion. Ultimately, the choiceof hot oil as a heating media should ex-tend the overall life of the vessel.

A programmable logic controller(PLC) automatically controls the systemto ensure everything is running properlyand tests for any mechanical failure orloop fault.All systems have remote diag-nostic interfaces to permit trouble-shoot-ing from a distance.

Before commissioning, each system isvalidated through a set of comprehensivetests. These include: component verifica-tion, via authorized hydrostatic pressuretesting of isolated components; confir-mation of sequencing of the PLC; per-formance verification with system andintegrated tests. Operational parametersare then established.

Chris Wyatt is with FestivalCity Fabricators. E-mail:

[email protected]

Contor Terminals Inc.1611 Britannia Rd E

Mississauga, ON, Canada L4W 1S5905.670.7774

E-mail: [email protected]

CUSTOM BUILT PORTABLE STEEL BUILDINGS AND ENCLOSURES

www.contor.com

• Electrical and mechanical control rooms• Generator enclosures• Portable water filtration• Environmentally sensitive storage

Quality fabrication to your exact specifications



Field repairs and girth welds wereprotected using Denso Protal 7125 coat-ing, which was often applied at minus15°C. This fast curing, low temperature

Construction in Canada pro-vides cold weather challengesthat can limit the use of someliquid coatings currently on

the market. As contractors struggle withtrying to complete projects in a timelyfashion during winter months, they mustdeal with less than favourable applicationtemperatures that continually slow downjob progress and increase project costs.Last winter, this was the situation

near Toronto’s Pearson InternationalAirport, which is Canada’s largest andbusiest airport, serving 40% of thecountry’s airline traffic. The airport pro-vides service to over 140 destinations,in 45 countries around the world.Pearson International recently added a

new terminal, to better handle 31,000,000passengers annually. Building this newairport terminal created a need for addi-tional offsite jet fuel tanks and the asso-ciated piping required to carry fuelapproximately 5 kms into the airport.

coating allowed construction crews tocontinue working, without the delay ofpreheating the pipe.This kept the project on-time and on-

track and worked extremely well duringthe cold winter months, according toDenso.The project continued on through the

summer, with hundreds of lengths ofDenso Protal 7250 protected pipe beinginstalled. The pipeline installation alsomeant approximately 1000 girth weldswill be coated with Denso Protal 7200.

For more information, contact BlairSlessor, Denso North America,E-mail: [email protected]

Preventing jet fuel piping corrosionat Toronto’s Pearson Airport

Girth welds being coated with DensoProtal 7125 .

Greatario Engineered StorageSystems is pleased to announce theaddition of Charles Lalonde to thecompany. Mr. Lalonde will play akey role in supporting the work ofthe company, with respect to agri-environmental issues and govern-ment liaison.He is a graduate fromMacdonald

College in Animal Science and hascompleted a Masters degree in ru-minant nutrition at Penn State. Mr.Lalonde recently "retired" fromOMAFRA after 33 years of publicservice in both the provincial andfederal government. He has exten-sive work experience in agri-envi-ronmental policy and programs,nutrient management, and sourcewater protection implementation.While at OMAFRA,Mr. Lalonde

worked with its engineers on a bio-gas program for Ontario.


Announcement



The Wagmatcook First Nationcommunity in Cape Breton,Nova Scotia, recently up-graded its water system, which

included a new 3,500 cubic metre, glassfused-to-steel water tank, built and in-stalled by Greatario Engineered StorageSystems Limited. The consulting engi-neer was from the Sydney branch of Dil-lon Consulting Engineers. Lynk ElectricLtd., also of Sydney, provided mechan-ical controls and equipment.

Upgrading was necessary, as the ex-isting water treatment system wasn’t ad-equate to service the community andproduce high quality drinking water.

"The old system had a very smallwelded steel tank that needed to be re-placed, as it was beyond restoration,"says Steve Gregory, vice-president ofGreatario. "We built a storage tank,hooked into the new water lines, andcreated a chlorination facility."

Greatario's contribution was one of

Cape Breton community benefitsfrom water system upgrade

two phases to the project. The pipes andwater lines component was completedby Northern Contracting Ltd.

The new facility has been up andrunning since June 2008, with Greatariostaff having been onsite for the previousfive months. Readings on the new watertreatment system were taken, ensuringcompliance, and challenges in balanc-ing competing pressures were met.

"Getting a continuous, quality watersupply flowing to the village was not aneasy task," says Dave Howley of LynkElectric. "We had to get the timing justright."

The end result for the people ofWag-matcook is better quality water, withoutshortages in the dry seasons, and in-creased water pressure.

(Adapted from the October 2008 issueof the Maritime Provinces Water &

Wastewater Report)For more information, [email protected]


Assman Corporation ofAmerica

Firestone Specialty Products

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Contor Terminals

Contor has become an industry leaderin the design and manufacture of qual-ity built, portable steel buildingsand container modifications. Contorbuilds custom enclosures for a widerange of industrial applications,including electrical and mechanicalrooms, portable water filtration hous-ing, fuel cell and generator enclosures.For more information visitwww.contor.com

Portable steel buildings

The JetMixVor-tex Mixing Sys-tem can be usedin bio-solidsstorage wheresolids suspen-sion is impor-

tant. Benefits of using the JetMix systeminclude: Intermittent operation saves 60-90% in power consumption; expensivetank cleanout and scheduled maintenancenot required; easily installed in existingtanks; multiple tank mixing using a cen-tral pump house. JetMix was a recipientof a 1997 Innovative Technology Awardfrom theWater Environment Federation.Tel: 519-469-8169, Fax: 519-469-8157E-mail: [email protected]: www.greatario.com

Greatario Engineered Storage Systems

Albarrie Environmental

Albarrie, a leader incontainment technol-ogy, in partnershipwith Kinectrics Inc.,offers the SorbWebPlus secondary oil

containment system for power utilities.• No maintenance• Cost-effective• Proven system• Rain water passes through, no pumps• Can be installed around energizedtransformers.

Tel: 705-737-0551, Fax: 705-737-4044E-mail: [email protected]: www.sorbwebplus.com

Secondary oil containment

Cylindricaldouble-walltanks, fromAssmannCorporation,eliminatechemicalspills into the environment without theexpense of lined concrete containment.Features include a heavier-top sidewalland dome to prevent collapse, a primaryinner tank, and a secondary locked-onouter tank to protect against spills.Tel: 888-357-3181, Fax: 888-826-5329E-mail: [email protected]: www.assmann-usa.com

Large double-wall tanks

Firestone Spe-cialty Products’geomembranesystems offerthe strengthand resilienceto perform inmany of the most demanding environ-ments. With 100 years of tradition inpolymer innovation, Firestone offersgeomembranes that are the durable anddependable solution for nearly any appli-cation.Tel: 888-292-6265, Fax: 877-666-3000E-mail: [email protected]: www.firestonebpco.ca

Geomembrane systems

BakerCorp

BakerCorp maintains an extensive in-ventory of over 18,000 pieces of qualityrental equipment including more than17 varieties of steel tanks, roll offboxes, pumps, filtration and specialtyequipment. For over 65 years, Baker-Corp has provided outstanding cus-tomer service, quality equipment andapplication expertise.Tel: 905-545-4555, 1-800-BAKER12Web: www.bakercorp.com

Equipment rental

Containment Solutions

Flowtite®Water Tanks are the ideal reser-voir for potable and non-potable waterapplications. They are lightweight andnon-corrosive and come in sizes rangingfrom 2,000 –190,000 litres. The Flowtiteline of tanks includes septic, fire protec-tion, rainwater harvesting and more.

Tel: 1-877-CSI-TANK, Fax: 936-756-7766E-mail: [email protected]: www.containmentsolutions.com

Water tanks

H2Flow

Water reservoir & tank mixer

PAX Mixer is a very innovative, simplemixer designed to mix water storagereservoirs and standpipes. It offers supe-rior mixing performance with little en-ergy consumption, easy installation, lowcapital cost. It eliminates stagnation andstratification, minimizes residual loss,prevents nitrification.Tel: 1-888-575-8642E-mail: [email protected]: www.h2flow.com

Layfield Group

Layfield is a premier fabricator and sup-plier of a complete line of floating turbid-ity barriers. They are designed to restrictand contain the flow of sediment-ladenrunoff and to allow the sediment to settleout before being carried into adjacent orjoining watercourses.Tel: 1-800-840-2884E-mail: [email protected]: www.layfieldgroup.com

Floating turbidity barriers


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Canadian Safety Equipment


ACGTechnology

The HAWK line of ra-dial flow odor controlsystems is designed tobe a low cost, highlyeffective system forremoving H2S andother compoundsfrom municipal waste-

water applications. The system utilizesradial flow operation, with the foul airentering from the outside, then diffusedthrough the media bed. Contaminatesare then removed and the clean air iscollected in the inner portion of the ves-sel and exits the exhaust stack.Tel: 905-856-1414, Fax: 905-856-6401E-mail: [email protected]: www.acgtechnology.com

Odor control systems

Bay Products Odor-Digest DuO systemsare a line of stagedcompartment sys-tems capable of re-

moving odorous compounds from avariety of sources. Air is pulled orpushed from the source to the bottom ofthe system whereby odorous air entersthe bioscrubber section and diffuses upthrough the BPI’s BioScrub-XL foam.Humidified and hydrogen sulfide freeair exits the top of the bioscrubber sec-tion and is transferred to the bottom ofthe biofilter compartment plenum.Tel: 905-856-1414, Fax: 905-856-6401E-mail: [email protected]: www.acgtechnology.com

Bioscrubber and biofilter

ACGTechnology

AQUATECH is acomplete serviceprovider of special-ized dewatering,bypass pumping andenvironmental equip-ment for all fluid han-dling, filtration andtesting applications.

Aquatech also offers a complete line ofspecialized pumping equipment includ-ing diesel, hydraulic and electric pow-ered centrifugals, electric submersibles,wellpoint pumps and emergency re-sponse services.Tel: 905-907-1700, Fax 905-907-1701E-mail: [email protected]: www.aquatechdewatering.com

Environmentally responsiblesolutions

Aquatech Dewatering

Armtec Armtec

Armtec provides BEBO concrete archbridges in Québec, Ontario and WesternCanada. Based on technology devel-oped in Switzerland, BEBO arches arean economical alternative to cast-in-place concrete or structural steelbridges. They are available in a range ofshapes with spans up to 31m.Tel: 519-822-0210, Fax: 519-822-1160E-mail: [email protected]: www.armtec.com

Concrete arch bridges

Pelsue has introduced the new 1325pAxial Ventilator with Airpac 15 or 25’hose canister. This rugged ventilator isperfect for confined space entry ventila-tion and is available in 12 VDC or 115VAC.

Tel: 800-265-0182, Fax: 905-272-1866E-mail: [email protected]: www.cdnsafety.com

Lightweight plastic ventilator

Using large diameter corrugated steelpipe under parking areas and play-grounds is a cost-effective way to meetreduced runoff and environmental re-strictions while allowing revenue pro-ducing services, recreation andcommercial development. Design soft-ware is available, FREE.Tel: 866-295-2416, Fax: 519-650-8081E-mail: [email protected]: www.cspi.ca.

Underground stormwatermanagement

Stormwater solutions

Armtec provides awide range ofCONTECHstormwater qualitymanagementsystems through-out Canada. Prod-ucts includeVORTECHShydrodynamic

separation systems and VORTFILTERfiltration systems. These systems areamong the best for capturing suspendedsolids, oils, grit and trash from storm-water runoff.Tel: 519-822-0210, Fax: 519-822-1160E-mail: [email protected]: www.armtec.com

Baycor Fibre Tech

Rotary drum screen

Baycor in-troduced amassive newrotary drumscreen atWEFTEC2008. More

wastewater, or sludge, can be processedwith fewer screens, in less space, reduc-ing construction and installation costs.The unique UnibodyTM design gives thecompany the flexibility to customize ascreen to your specific application andscreening goals.

Tel: 519-751-7787, Fax: 519-751-7712E-mail: [email protected]: www.baycorfibre.com

Claessen Pumps

Grindex’s new stainlesssteel pump line combinesthe integrity of years oftested design with the in-genuity and durability ofnew technology. Inoxpumps can be used in ap-plications that would de-

stroy their aluminum predecessors. Theirstainless steel construction enables themto endure pH values from 2 – 10, mak-ing them ideal for extreme environmentswith highly acidic or alkaline contents.They are ideal for use in copper mines,coal power plants, saltwater fish farms,shipyards, etc.Tel: 705-431-8585, Fax: 705-431-2772E-mail: [email protected]: www.claessenpumps.com

New stainless steel pumps

Corrugated Steel Pipe Institute


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Elster MeteringDEVTRA Inc.


Denso

Proven worldwidefor well over 100years, DensoPetrolatum Tapesoffer the best,most economical,

long-term corrosion protection for allabove and below ground metal surfaces.Requiring only minimum surface prepa-ration and environmentally responsible,Denso Petrolatum Tape is the solution toyour corrosion problems in any corro-sive environment. For applications inmines, mills, refineries, steel mills, pulp& paper, oil & gas, and the waterworksindustry. The answer is Denso!Tel: 416-291-3435, Fax: 416-291-0898E-mail: [email protected]: www.densona.com

Denso Petrolatum Tapes

Inspect over 200+ vehicles, equipment andmachines with the “Checker”® inspectioncheck-list books. Pumps, compressors,generator, compactor, baler, shredder,waste/recycle, service/utility vehicles, dig-ger derrick, drilling/auger, fleet vehicles,welders, dumptrucks, backhoe, storagepouches and MANY MORE!Tel: 800-291-4719, Fax: 905-469-8831E-mail: [email protected]: www.thechecker.net

Inspection check-list books

The Elster AquaMaster Electronic WaterMeter is revolutionizing I.C.I. Revenueand Water Loss Management metering. Adirect replacement for turbine, compoundand fire service mechanical type meter de-signs, the AquaMaster remains consis-tently accurate, reduces metering costs andmaximizes revenue capture.

Tel: 866-703-7581, Fax: 905-634-6705E-mail: [email protected]

Electronic water meter

Degremont Technologies/Infilco

The AquaDAF® Clarifier High-RateDissolved Air Flotation System is a vi-able alternative to conventional settlingand DAF clarifiers. The AquaDAF is ahybrid of conventional DAF and opti-mally designed system components. It ishighly effective for the treatment of arange of raw water characteristics includ-ing troublesome waters exhibiting lowturbidity, high TOC, color and algae. Web: www.infilcodegremont.com

Dissolved air flotation system

DeWind Dewatering & Trenching

With DeWind's One-Pass trencher tech-nology, deep environmental horizontal col-lection trenches, reactive barriers, andslurry walls are installed in a single passdirectly into contaminated water and soil.There is no need to dewater or remediate.Tel: 616-875-7580, Fax: 616-875-7334E-mail: [email protected]: dewinddewatering.com

One-Pass trenching

Endress + Hauser

Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG inSwitzerland, the company’s new calibra-tion facility, sets standards worldwide.The facility produces measurementsthat deviate no more than ±0.015 per-cent from the reference value – equiva-lent to about the contents of onechampagne glass in one thousand litresof water. Endress+Hauser operates inaccordance with internationally ac-cepted standards for the accreditation ofits products.Web: www.ca.endress.com

New calibration facility

Greenspoon Specialty Contracting

Remediation/Demolition

Greenspoon Spe-cialty Contract-ing has beenactively engagedin the Demolition

and Environmental Remediation indus-try for over 50 years. Spanning acrossthe commercial, industrial and govern-ment sectors, GSC is proficient in allareas of demolition (implosion and dis-mantlement), asbestos, mould and leadabatement, soil remediation and site de-commissioning. Proficient in LEEDsprojects. Offices in Toronto, Winnipeg,Buffalo.Tel: 800-928-8812, Fax: 905-458-4149E-mail: [email protected]: www.greenspoon.net

The GrundfosAlldos DDI rangewas designed foraccurate and pre-cise dosing de-mands. Offeringmodels with FlowMonitor makesthis an all-in-onedosing solution.This product isclosely examined

and illustrated in this 39 page ProductGuide. To receive your FREE copy,please email [email protected]. Tel: 1-800-644-9599, Fax. 1-800-265-9862 Web: www.grundfosalldos.com

Technical Product Guide

Grundfos


The Handbook ofSteel Drainage &Highway Con-struction Productshas been reprintedand is once againavailable (January2007). There areminor changes tothe 2002 version.Most significant

are design examples for large soil steelstructures that illustrate proceduresusing Canadian Highway Bridge DesignCode (CHBDC). Tel: 866-295-2416, Fax: 519-650-8081 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.cspi.ca

Engineering Textbook


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Heron Instruments

Ideal Pipe

John Meunier Pressure Systems


The HerondipperLog isthe answer toyour long-termgroundwaterlevel monitor-ing program.The dipperLogwill measureand record groundwater levels and tem-peratures over long periods of time. Seehow Heron Instruments has madegroundwater data logging easy and cost-effective for everyone who needs to mon-itor their water.Tel: 800-331-2032, Fax: 905-634-9657E-mail: [email protected]: www.heroninstruments.com

Groundwater data logging

Grundfos is aglobal leader inpumps andpumping solu-tions and offers acomplete range ofmetering pumpsto provide youwith “The RightMix” of watertreatment prod-ucts. To request

your FREE copy of this full colour 15page brochure, please email [email protected]: 1-800-644-9599,Fax. 1-800-265-9862Web: www.grundfosalldos.com

Get the Right Mix

Grundfos

Web-based monitoring system

The HOBOU30/Wi-FiRemote Moni-toring Systemis a web-basedmonitoringsystem that

provides real-time, remote access to en-ergy and environmental data over anyWi-Fi network. HOBOlink™ is a newweb-enabled software platform that canbe used to access current and historicaldata, set alarm notifications and relayactivations, and control the system fromtheir computer. The HOBO U30/Wi-Fiprovides around-the-clock monitoringof various types of renewable energysystems.Web: www.hoskin.caHoskin Scientific

Hoskin Scientific

Weather station

The HOBO Remote Monitoring System, astate-of-the-art weather station, providesinstant access to data via the internet. Thenew system combines research-gradehardware with built-in GSM cellular com-munications and HOBOlink™, a newweb-enabled software platform.

Web: www.hoskin.ca

HDPE pipe

Exclusivelyfrom Ideal Pipe,the Challengerline of engi-neered HDPEpipe meets andexceeds all re-quirements forstorm sewer, cul-

vert and drainage applications. Challenger3000 gasketed smoothwall pipe is CSA-approved with excellent environmentalstability and flow characteristics for last-ing reliability.Tel: 519-473-2669, Fax: 519-641-2524Toll Free: 1-800-265-7098E-mail: [email protected]: www.idealpipe.ca

Industrial Scientific

A DS2 DockingStation™ is nowavailable for theGasBadge® Plussingle gas monitor.The GasBadge Plusis a two-year, low-

cost, personal gas detector. The DS2Docking Station recognizes individualinstrument serial numbers, performscalibration and bump testing and itsinstrument diagnostics and record keep-ing functions limit safety hazards andliability concerns.

Tel: 800-338-3287, Fax: 412-788-8353E-mail: [email protected]: www.indsci.com

Personal gas detector

Parkson

Septage Receiving Station

The user-friendly,maintenance-freeHelisieve Plus®Septage Receiv-ing Station pre-treats septage andprotects down-stream processes.This self-con-

tained system removes troublesomesolids and dewaters them for landfill.It's fast, easy and effective, and odorsare contained in the stainless steel re-ceiving tank.Tel: 514-636-8712, Fax: 514-636-9718E-mail: [email protected]: www.parkson.com

Transducers

Pressure Systems has added a wirelesscompatible model to its comprehensivewaterMONITOR line of KPSI™Trans-ducers. The high accuracy, rugged wa-terMONITOR is used with wirelesstransmitters to broadcast water level (orpressure), temperature and atmosphericpressure data.Tel: 800-328-3665, Fax: 757-865-8744E-mail: [email protected]: www.pressuresystems.com

Turbo blower

Neuros is a high-efficiency turboblower, with high-speed motor andair bearings andwithout gearbox orlubricating system.This product saves

a considerable amount of electricitycosts and provides a comfortable work-ing environment, due to much lowernoise and vibration levels.

Tel: 905-286-4846, Fax: 905-286-5805E-mail: [email protected]: www.johnmeunier.com


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Pressure Systems

Scantron Robotics


Pro Aqua, Inc.

The Huber Rake-Max® is a barscreen with a spac-ing from 1/4" to 6"(6 to 150 mm). Inspite of its outstand-ing discharge heightof up to 65 ft (20 m)

above the channel floor, it fits into virtu-ally any building. The bar rack is an in-tegral part of the sturdy frame, whichensures perfect meshing of the raketeeth with the bar screen. Positive andreliable cleaning is thus guaranteed.Tel: 416-861-0237, Fax: 416-861-9303Web: www.proaquasales.com

Mechanical bar screen

Pro Aqua, Inc.

HSI High SpeedTurbo Blower linehas over 10 modelsranging from 5HP to300HP (1-250kW),with flow rangesfrom 10 – 10,000

SCFM (15-15,000 nm3/hr) and pres-sures to 25 psi (1.7 bar). They require nolubrication nor maintenance besidesinlet filter changes, achieve sound levelsbelow 85 dBA, and operate with virtu-ally no vibration.Tel: 416-861-0237, Fax: 416-861-9303Web: www.proaquasales.com

High speed blowers

ProMinent Fluid Controls

Metering pump

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

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

Sanitherm, a di-vision of PeakEnergy Services,has perfectedcontainerizingtheir SaniBrane®MBR. The containerizedSaniBrane isportable, provides

excellent effluent on start-up, is operatorfriendly and comes pre-wired, pre-plumbed and tested. The system for any-where needing reliable waste treatmentwith a small footprint!Tel: 604-986-9168, Fax: 604-986-5377E-mail: [email protected]: www.sanitherm.com

Membrane bioreactor

Sanitherm, a division of Peak Energy Services

SEW-Eurodrive

Industrial gear units

The in-housedevelopmentof SEW-Euro-drive’s new X-Series heavyindustrial gearunits is nearly

unrivaled with its fine size graduationthat covers the medium torque rangefrom 43,000 to 129,000 ft-lb. The largenumber of pre-defined accessories offersa high degree of flexibility for adaptingto a broad range of application situa-tions, with a minimum of components atmaximum utility.Tel: 905-791-1553, Fax: 905-791-2999E-mail: [email protected]: www.sew-eurodrive.ca

Cleaning and video inspections

Scantron Roboticsoffers leading-edge technologyfor video inspec-tion and onlinecleaning of potablewater installations,including removalof resin and

biofilm from clear wells andconcrete/steel reservoirs. There are noconfined space entry issues. The processis safe and cost-effective.

Tel: 1-877-757-1537 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.scantronrobotics.com

Siemens providesinnovative watertechnologies:• Vantage®

NF/RO Filtration Systems

• TRIDENT® HSC and Trident® HS Packaged Water Treatment Systems

• MEMCOR® Membrane Filtration Systems

• CenTROL® Filter Systems• MULTIBLOCK® FilterUnderdrains

Tel: 800-525-0658 or 724-772-1402E-mail:[email protected]: www.siemens.com/drinking_water

Water treatment

Siemens Water Technologies

Water level measurement

Pressure Systems now offers lightningprotection for its KPSI™ Series 300small bore submersible level transducersfor increased reliability. The transducerfeatures protection against fast-risingvoltage transients for rigorous environ-ments encountered in water level meas-urement applications.Tel: 800-328-3665, Fax: 757-865-8744 E-mail: [email protected] Web:www.pressuresystems.com

Rocky Mountain Soil Sampling

Site investigations

RMSS specializes in difficult access siteinvestigations. Our equipment is easilybroken down into helicopter, ATV andman portable packages so you can getyour job done without huge mobilizationcosts. Soil sampling, monitoring wells,geo-technical testing, we go anywhere.Tel: 604-947-RMSS (7677), Fax: 604-947-9500 Web: www.rmsoil.com


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Walkerton Clean Water Centre

Waterra Pumps


Siemens Water Technologies

Water treatmment

Siemens also offersthese technologies:• MULTICRETE®II FilterUnderdrains

• CONTRAFAST®Clarifier

• GFH®Arsenic Removal Media• Barrier® M and Barrier®A UVDisinfection Units

• OSEC® On-site HypochloriteGeneration System

Tel: 800-525-0658 or 724-772-1402E-mail: [email protected]: www.siemens.com/drinking_water

Smith & Loveless

Grit chamber

The Smith & LovelessPISTA® Grit Chambermaintains the highestproven grit removal effi-ciencies over a widerange of daily flows be-cause of its exclusive

forced vortex design. It removes grit andother discrete particles, separates organ-ics and inorganics, and reduces grit ac-cumulation in downstream basins,channels, weirs and piping. This resultsin reduced wear on mechanical equip-ment. Complete grit pumping, dewater-ing and washing components areavailable.Tel: 913-888-5201, Fax: 913-888-2173E-mail: [email protected]: www.smithandloveless.com

New blower package

The Qube™ blowerpackage by Tuthill, fea-turing the new Qx™blower, is the perfect,quiet, low-cost, quickdelivery solution forpneumatic conveying

and more. Benefits include high effi-ciency with low noise (< 75 dBA); up to18 PSI; a compact footprint; and a pow-der-coated steel enclosure (24 dBA at-tenuation). Additional features includeintegral check valve; discharge fromback; and discharge flexible connector.

Tel: 800-825-6937, Fax: 417-865-2950E-mail: [email protected]: www.vacuum.tuthill.com

Victaulic

Depend-O-Lok is the new standard forjoining pipe to 144”. Engineered for re-strained and unrestrained systems, De-pend-O-Lok allows angular deflectionand pipeline thermal expansion/contrac-tion while maintaining seal integrity.Specify in systems to 600 PSI forstrength, reliability and ease of mainte-nance.Tel: 905-884-7444E-mail: [email protected]: www.victaulic.com

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Valve maintenance system

Wachs Canada introduces the ERV-750,Truck and Trailer Mount Valve Mainte-nance System with intelligent automatedvalve exercising equipment. You will al-ways have enough torque to turn thevalve; you will always use the absoluteminimum torque to do so.

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Peristaltic pump

Waterra distrib-utes the PegasusAlexis PeristalticPump, a self-con-tained samplingstation that in-cludes all the bestfeatures of these

devices. Packaged in the rugged Pelican1430 case and incorporating its ownpower supply and charger, this pump willkeep you sampling in the field all daylong.

Tel: 905-238-5242, Fax: 905-238-5704E-mail: [email protected]: www.waterra.com

Waterloo Barrier

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

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

Controlling contaminatedgroundwater

New facility

TheWalkertonCleanWaterCentre held itsgroundbreakingfor the new facil-ity on Friday,October 17,

2008. Doing the honours were MPP CarolMitchell, Brockton Mayor Charlie Bag-nato, Chair of the Board Murray Elstonand CEO Saad Jasim. The building willbe a 19,000 square foot LEED GOLDbuilding.

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Waterloo Biofilters® are efficient, modulartrickling filters for residential and commu-nal sewage wastewaters, and landfillleachate. Patented, lightweight, syntheticfilter media optimize physical propertiesfor microbial attachment and water reten-tion. The self-contained modular design forcommunal use is now available in20,000L/d and 40,000L/d ISO shippingcontainer units - ready to plug in on-site.Tel: 519-856-0757, Fax: 519-856-0759E-mail: [email protected]: www. waterloo-biofilter.com



Business

dustry structure remains highly frag-mented, with many entities specializingin either products, services, or the after-market. Those with a product orienta-tion often subdivide their focus further,into products, packaged systems, or in-tegrated solutions.

Some of the companies that operatein all three spheres do so in response to acustomer push for added value, such asthe desire to capture flow information,not just install new metering equipment.

From a technical perspective, Ran-som uses the example of the process ofreverse osmosis for drinking water to il-lustrate just how narrowly defined mar-ket segments can be. While facingsuperficially similar conditions, systemsand equipment to convert brackishwater to potable water will not be thesame as those used for seawater, due tothe need for different membranes,pumps, and line pressures. Any in-depthlook at solutions’ providers has to takethese kinds of distinctions into account.

Further complicating the businessmix is the fact that the same or similarpumps, motors, valves, and associatedequipment such as monitoring and con-trol systems can be deployed in numer-ous related industries. Some of thesectors with cross-over applications are:oil and gas, including exploration anddevelopment; petrochemical and chem-ical processing; pulp and paper; mining;food and beverage; aerospace/defense;

While the need for water isuniversal, the water busi-ness is anything but uni-form. “Think diversity”

is the first bullet of advice proffered byCliff Ransom, President of Ransom Re-search, Inc., an independent investmentresearch firm that studies a targetedband of companies in the manufactur-ing sector.

“The water industry is not homoge-nous; it consists of a plethora of nichesand narrowly defined markets,” Ransomelaborates. On the supplier side, differ-ences in structure, market approach, andofferings make it very difficult to per-form classic apples-to-apples compar-isons among the major players. In thecustomer arena, the historically conser-vative, risk-averse municipal buyerstands in sharp contrast to a private sec-tor that welcomes the cost and effi-ciency benefits of new technology.

Superimposed on this multivariateequation are trends such as stricter gov-ernment regulation, the pressure tolower energy consumption, mountingtreatment and scarcity issues, and ef-forts to establish a global footprint.

The consolidation that has character-ized the water and wastewater industryover the past several years has created anumber of what Ransom describes as“well-managed investment vehicles.”

More mergers and acquisitions arelikely to occur, he predicts. Still, the in-

pharmaceutical; and power, from dieselmotors and gas turbines to hydroelectricfacilities and nuclear reactors.

The distribution chain is equally di-vergent, as direct sales personnel, man-ufacturers’ representatives, resellers,and distributors all compete for the cus-tomer’s attention.

The level of expertise and systemsintegration capability among sellersalso varies. The crowded field of com-petitors makes it challenging for anequipment vendor to build revenue byexpanding into the service side. So far,according to Ransom, no one businessmodel has been able to claim primacyin the distribution channel.

On the other side of the desk, cus-tomers in the municipal drinking andwastewater markets are known to preferthe safety and stability of precedent overinnovation. New technology can takeseveral years, if not decades, to migrateinto these sectors. Decision-making is acomplex process, often inserting layersof consulting engineers, specialized con-tractors, and academic input between thebuyer and the final contract.

Multiple opportunities exist for play-ers in the value-added distribution chan-nels, including systems integrators andbundlers, to exert their influence, espe-cially in drafting specifications that willfavor their products or services.

Brand loyalty plays an important rolein buying decisions, and a customer’s

A business analysis of the world's water industry


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Businessdirect experience with existing installa-tions can give a vendor a special edge.If not the primary business drivers,technological advances and lower costsdo serve as major competitive differen-tiators. The appeal of maximizing up-time while minimizing maintenance,downtime, and energy consumptionmay first be recognized by the early-adopting, for profit industrial sector, butit also resonates in the municipal realm.

Speed and efficacy in new product de-velopment, commercialization, launch,and ramping up, confer significant advan-tages to vendors. For example, the plum-meting cost of membrane technology andthe new generation of energy-efficientpumps andmotors can be powerful booststo adoption and sales. The flip side is thatlarge players often acquire the enterprisesthat introduce innovations in order to ac-celerate industry adoption and to controlthe flow of disruptive technology.

And then there’s the court of publicopinion to consider. The closed-loopwater system, in which wastewater isprocessed and recycled back intopotable water, has been slow to catch onwith consumers. Nevertheless, Ransom

declares the trend “inexorable,” espe-cially in light of regional droughts andincreased attention to climate change.Future opportunities for suppliers lie inexpanding geographic scope, offeringnew levels of service and cultivating thegrowing aftermarket, and helping cus-tomers address heightened regulation.

The pursuit of a global strategy en-tails more than just establishing geo-graphically differentiated sales channels,he warns. It may require a manufactur-ing presence or a low-cost countrysourcing strategy, along with attention tothe various physical and regulatory hur-dles that come into play.

More precise monitoring and alarm-ing capabilities have rising commercialappeal, especially in light of higherlabor costs and mounting governmentpenalties for non-compliance. Whileconsumables used in testing provide arepetitive, annuity-like income stream,savvy providers recognize the value ofthe data their equipment automaticallycollects from customer sites and look totranslate that into further revenue op-portunities. In the meantime, the origi-nal equipment aftermarket, a realm that

spans spares, retrofits, upgrades, andservice is an area of very consistent andvery steady growth.

In the regulatory arena, the burgeon-ing array of wastewater contaminants (ni-trogen, phosphorus, pathogens, viruses,etc.) demands enhanced detection ability,propelling the refinement of measuringinstruments and a corresponding shift inthe standard scale from parts per millionto parts per billion.

In a similar vein, the upsurge in chal-lenging materials in the waste streamhas created the need for heavy-duty dis-posal equipment.

At the end of the day, despite the di-vergent contours of the business, it’s thedemand for water that ultimately ad-vances the industry.As Ransom observesin his typically forthright fashion: “Thereality of global development means thatnational and personal priorities shift tosafe, assured, and plentiful water re-sources. … In my opinion, participationin this sector will lead to continued in-vestment success.”

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Ontario gas station ownersfined for wastewater plant

violations

The owners of a gas station located in theMunicipality of Clarington, have beenconvicted of a total of 11 counts of vio-lating the Ontario Water Resources Actin connection with the operation of asewage works, and were fined $124,500.

The Court heard that on July 16,2004, the ministry had issued a Certifi-cate of Approval to the company for anew sewage works. On November 15,2006, a ministry inspection revealed thatthe sewage works was not in compliancewith its certificate.

The 11 charges involved various con-traventions of the Ontario Water Re-sources Act, as prescribed in thecertificate. Some of these included: fail-ing to build, install and operate thesewage works in accordance with theAct;failing to collect and analyze monthly ef-fluent samples; and failing to collect andanalyze monthly groundwater samples.

The defendants were issued a CourtOrder on September 18, 2008, which re-quires them to comply with the Certifi-cate of Approval within 90 days of theissuance of the order.

Manitoba to permanentlyhalt hog industry expansion

Three regional moratoriums on hog in-dustry expansion will soon be madepermanent to protect water and the envi-ronment after the formal passage of Bill17. The three regions affected by themoratoriums include: Southeastern Man-itoba, The Red RiverValley Special Man-agement Area and The Interlake.

Hog industry expansion in these re-gions has been halted since November2006, whenManitoba’s environment min-ister announced a province-wide industrypause. The ban was lifted in all but threeregions of the province, following the re-lease of the Clean Environment Commis-sion’s recent report on the environmentalsustainability of the hog industry.

Manitoba funding researchinto cutting agricultural

GHGs

The Manitoba government is investingmore than $1 million to fund new re-



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search aimed at reducing greenhouse-gasemissions generated by Manitoba’s agri-cultural sector. Environment Canada datashows that agricultural activities produce30 per cent of the province’s greenhouse-gas emissions. More than 40 per cent ofagricultural emissions come from agri-cultural soils, much of it from the appli-cation of nitrogen-based fertilizers.

The new research will be aimed atpractical tools to reduce emissions fromthe agriculture sector, noting that effec-tive ecologically-minded farm practicesoften reduce energy inputs, saving pro-ducers money. The initial round offunded projects includes:• Studying the role of grasslands in

mitigating greenhouse-gas emissionsand their ability to provide otherbenefits such as reduced watererosion;

• Examining changes in greenhouse-gas emissions for annual crop landthat is converted to forage crops andvice-versa;

• Researching the impact an animal’sdiet will have on greenhouse-gasemissions from manure;

• Examining carbon emissions ofvarious cropping systems and theeconomics of biological nitrogenproduction.

Ontario welcomesprogress on GHG

cap-and-trade system

The Western Climate Initiative (WCI), ofwhich Ontario is a member, has releaseddesign recommendations for its NorthAmerican market-based cap-and-tradesystem for greenhouse gas emissions.

The provinces and states in WCI ac-count for approximately 73 per cent of theCanadian economy and 20 per cent of theUS economy respectively. An advantageof a cap-and-trade system is it provides in-centives for continuous innovation inemissions reduction, new green technolo-gies and future jobs.

Cap-and-trade is a market-based toolthat will help transition Ontario to a low-carbon economy by rewarding clean tech-nologies. It also will help Ontario meetits ambitious GHG reduction targets ofsix per cent below 1990 levels by 2014,and 15 per cent by 2020.

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work still needs to be undertaken, onceadopted, the WCI system will put a capon, or limit, big emitters of greenhousegases (GHGs).

Ontario and Quebec signed a Memo-randum of Understanding in June to workon the development of a cap-and-trade sys-tem for GHG emissions that could be inplace as early as 2010. This collaboration isaimed at making links with broader NorthAmerican and international cap-and-tradesystems, such as WCI, and providing an in-tergovernmental forum between Canadianprovinces and territories.

Disinfection system failureresults in charges

The Town of Bouctouche, New Bruns-wick, has pleaded guilty to a violation ofthe Water Quality Regulation of theClean Environment Act, after it failed tocomply with a term or condition of theApproval to Operate the potable waterdistribution system. The approval re-quires that the Department of Health benotified immediately if there is a mal-function in the continuous disinfectionsystem. On May 12, a town employeefound a break in a valve between thechlorine injector and the main line. Thevalve was repaired, but this malfunctionwas not reported to the Department ofHealth until May 16.

On May 20, town employees deter-mined there were still problems with thechlorination system, and made additionalrepairs the following day. This was not re-ported to the Department of Health untilMay 22. As a result of the recurring prob-lems, the Department of Health issued aboil water order on May 23, which re-mained in effect until May 30.

Debate continues on nitrogen removal for

Winnipeg’s wastewater

The Manitoba government is requestingthe Clean Environment Commission(CEC) reaffirm its order on phosphorusand nitrogen removal and ammonia treat-ment of Winnipeg’s wastewater as part ofits recommended three-year reviewprocess. While the CEC heard strong sci-entific evidence to support the removal ofboth phosphorus and nitrogen fromwastewater, respected scientific voices

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NEWSare now arguing that removing just phos-phorus is sufficient.

The Manitoba government is enhanc-ing investments in wastewater treatmentupgrades province wide, with a $350-million commitment for wastewater proj-ects across the province, including a$235-million provincial investment forthe upgrade of all three water treatmentplants in Winnipeg.

In addition to asking the CEC to con-firm the science on which its earlier nu-trient order was based, the province hasretained Associated Engineering to up-date the costs associated with additionalnitrogen removal. Current estimates sug-gest that 10 to 15 per cent of the costs ofupgrading Winnipeg’s wastewater treat-ment plants are for nitrogen removal.

The engineering report, which will bereferred to the CEC, will also examinewhich jurisdictions in Western Canadaare already removing nitrogen in additionto removing phosphorus and treating am-monia.

Helping internationallytrained environmental

engineers gain employment

A program has been launched in Ontarioto help internationally trained environ-mental engineers obtain the specific train-ing and work experience they need totransition into the province’s workforce.

The Professional Access and Integra-tion Enhancement (PAIE) Program is acontinuation of the efforts of Toronto andRegion Conservation Authority (TRCA)to improve access to environmental pro-fessions for skilled newcomers. TRCA isthe lead organizer of the program whichis being implemented with a joint invest-ment from the Government of Canadaand Government of Ontario.

“The PAIE Program helps interna-tionally trained professionals to achievecontinued professional success inCanada,” said Brian Denney, CAO,TRCA. “These newcomers present theenvironmental sector with an incredibleopportunity, offering diverse experienceand perspectives in a time of great envi-ronmental challenge. The success of the2006/2007 PAIE Program speaks to thegrowing need for international expertiseand demonstrates TRCA’s dedication to




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“Bridge training programs give new-comers the experience they need to workin Ontario,” said Ontario Minister of Cit-izenship and ImmigrationMichael Chan.“By 2010, our programs will have helpedmore than 20,000 newcomers.”TRCA is implementing the PAIE Pro-

gram through its Environmental Volun-teer Network (EVN), which has been inplace since 2002. One of the objectivesof the EVN is to help skilled immigrantsintegrate into the environmental work-force. The PAIE Program is working inconjunction withAccessible CommunityCounselling and Employment Services(ACCES), Professional Engineers On-tario (PEO), and Workplace Communi-cation and Diversity Inc. (WCD).

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Saskatchewan’senvironmental technologysector continues to grow

An alternative energy technology hasbeen approved for Go Green fundingfrom the Saskatchewan Ministry of En-vironment. Titan Clean Energy ProjectsCorp. of Saskatoon will use $160,250 ofGreen Technology CommercializationGrant funding to help in bringing its bio-mass briquetting technology to market.The process will turn waste agricul-

tural and forestry biomass, such as oathulls, into a carbon-neutral heat and en-ergy source for traditional coal con-sumers. Use of the waste biomass in thisway will also reduce emissions ofmethane that would normally occurthrough decomposition. The product mayalso be used in woodstoves as a high-en-ergy, eco-friendly alternative to firewood.According to the Ministry, this

process has the potential to reduce CO2emissions in the province by up to 35,000tonnes annually.

North Saskatchewan Riverwatershed source water

protection plan completed

The Saskatchewan Watershed Authorityand the North Saskatchewan River BasinCouncil have released Saskatchewan'sseventh source water protection plan.TheProvince’s source water protection plan-ning program is a direct result of the find-



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ings in the North Battleford water inquiry.The Council will oversee the imple-

mentation of the plan throughout the en-tire North Saskatchewan River watershed,an area that covers approximately 41,000km², reaching from the Alberta-Sask-atchewan border to the river's confluencewith the South Saskatchewan River at"The Forks", east of Prince Albert. Thewatershed has a total population of morethan 116,000 people and includes 51 ruralmunicipalities, 29 First Nations with landsand 17 Indian Reserves, 100 towns andvillages, and Lloydminster, North Battle-ford and Prince Albert.

Saskatchewan to recyclesome 130,000 scrap tires

into rubber asphalt

Crumb rubber asphalt pavement, pro-duced in part from scrap tires, is beingused instead of conventional pavementfor several resurfacing projects inSaskatchewan. This work will recycle anestimated 1,300 tires per lane per kilo-metre. Smaller resurfacing projects usingsimilar technology in the Saskatoon areaare estimated to recycle about 500 tiresper lane per kilometre.

Scrap tires are collected, processedand recycled through a non-profit, non-government program run by theSaskatchewan Scrap Tire Corporationwhich has diverted more than 10 milliontires from landfills across the province.

NACWA pushes for USinfrastructure stimulus

package

The National Association of Clean WaterAgencies (NACWA) submitted writtentestimony to the US House Transporta-tion and Infrastructure (T&I) Committeefor its hearing, “Investing in Infrastruc-ture: The Road to Recovery.” In its tes-timony, NACWA strongly encouragedthe US Congress to pass an economicstimulus package that includes fundingfor wastewater infrastructure projects.

NACWA’s testimony details the strug-gles municipalities across the US face inmeeting the $300-500 billion fundinggap. Before the current financial crisisbegan, municipalities were paying morethan $60 billion per year to upgrade theirclean and safe water infrastructure sys-




NEWSmegawatts of energy to have anenvironmental assessment.

• Re-classifying energy projects torequire a more comprehensive reviewif they have potential to producehigher levels of greenhouse gases andair pollutants.

• Recognizing aboriginal peoples'interest in the environmentalassessment process.

www.gov.ns.ca/nse/ea

Alberta’s strict approach towater ‘reallocation’

A draft policy suggesting Alberta will re-tain strong public control of its freshwaterhas won the cautious support of two envi-ronmental groups reviewing it. In its cur-rent form, the draft water licenceamendment policy would prevent the East-ern Irrigation District from reallocating upto 900 billion litres of freshwater to non-farming purposes. Ecojustice, formerlySierra Legal Defence Fund, and WaterMatters were able to preview the policythis fall to provide feedback. Earlier in theyear, the two groups raised alarm bells sur-rounding Alberta’s water crisis after re-leasing the report, Fight to the Last Drop,which examined how water scarcity insouthernAlberta is resulting in controver-sial water supply schemes.

If the proposed policy is any indica-tion, the environmental groups struck achord with the Alberta government.While it does not ban all types of non-agricultural water licence amendmentsas suggested, the proposed policy doessignificantly limit the amount of waterthat can be sold off to just two per cent ofthe original licence allocation.

Water Matters and Ecojustice supportthe policy in principle but have noted thatthe brief one-page document leaves roomfor broad interpretation.

“We appreciate the need for flexibilityto ensure the effective reallocation ofwater in a closed basin but the manage-

ment of that transfer of ‘water wealth’needs careful oversight. We are askingthe government to clarify the policy toensure the environmental health of therivers and the assurance of a long-termstable source of water supply for the Al-berta public,” said Danielle Droitsch, di-rector of Water Matters.

WERF to fund researchon biosolids odors andsudden increases inindicator organisms

The Water Environment Research Foun-dation recently issued a request for pro-posals (RFP) for research that provideswastewater treatment utility personneland their consultants with field-testeddesign and operational procedures thatimprove solids management. The re-search will reduce costs, conserve en-ergy, assure regulatory compliance andimprove public understanding of solidsmanagement operations.

WERF is asking researchers to findbetter ways to manage biosolids odors;“sudden increases” in indicator organ-isms in biosolids; and bacterial regrowthduring storage of biosolids. In additionto finding solutions, the selected re-search team must develop products thatWERF subscribers can use to apply theresearch results to their own processes.

PreviousWERF research indicates thatfactors that affect biosolids odors are likelyrelated to regrowth of indicator organismsmeasured in biosolids after digestion. Sud-den increase of indicator organisms andregrowth are important considerations forcompliance with regulations. In addition, anumber of utilities are making importantdesign decisions that involve the types ofprocesses being studied.The wastewatercommunity needs reliable information onthe performance of various digester/dewa-tering combinations.

For more information on the WaterEnvironment Research Foundation, visitwww.werf.org

ECOfluid Systems awardedtwo BC wastewater plant

projects

ECOfluid Systems has been awarded twoseparate contracts to supply wastewatertreatment facilities at resorts in Whistler

tems, while the federal government hasreduced its contribution to the CleanWater State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)to $650 million, the lowest level sincepassage of the Clean Water Act.

Municipalities have been raising theirwastewater treatment service charges, atdouble the rate of inflation, and will con-tinue to do their part to address the fund-ing gap at the local level via rate increases.At the same time, the cost of labor, mate-rial, and expertise has risen to the pointwhere significantly less work can be ac-complished with each project dollar.

NACWA noted that an increase infunding would provide approximately47,000 jobs for each $1 billion investedin infrastructure projects, and added that“the recommended $10 billion invest-ment in wastewater infrastructure wouldcreate over 400,000 solid, much-needednew jobs.”

Nova Scotia’senvironmental assessment

regulations enhanced

According to Nova Scotia EnvironmentMinister, Mark Parent, amendments tothe province's Environmental Assess-ment Regulations will make them moreclear and allow better protection of theenvironment.Also, they will enhance theenvironmental assessment process andgive Nova Scotians more time to offerinput during reviews of developmentprojects.The amendments took effect inAugust 2008 and include:• Setting a time period for public

comment at 30 days.• Extending the overall review period to

50 days.• Changing the list of projects requiring

environmental assessment to ensurethe level of assessment needed isappropriate given the risks to theenvironment.

• Requiring tidal-power projectscapable of producing at least two




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AET Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.aet-group.com

Albarrie Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . .www.sorbwebplus.com

Armtec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30, 31 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.armtec.com

Assmann Corporation of America . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.assmann-usa.com

Associated Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ae.ca

BakerCorp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.bakercorp.com/ineeditnow

C&M Environmental Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . .25 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cmeti.com

CALA Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cala.ca

Canadian Safety Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cdnsafety.com

CH2M HILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . .www.ch2mhillcanada.com

Claessen Pumps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.claessenpumps.com

Contor Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.contor.com

Corrugated Steel Pipe Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cspi.ca

Degremont Technologies Infilco . . . . . . . .39, 41, 43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.degremont-technologies.com

Delcan Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.delcan.com

Denso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.densona.com

DEVTRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Insert . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.thechecker.net

Endress + Hauser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ca.endress.com

Firestone Building Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.firestonebpco.ca

Glentel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.glentel.com

Gorman-Rupp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.grcanada.com

Greatario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63, 64 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.greatario.com

Grundfos Alldos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.grundfos.ca/esea

H2Flow Tanks and Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.h2flow.com

Heron Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . .www.heroninstruments.com

Hoskin Scientific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24, 42, 73 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.hoskin.ca

Ideal Pipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.idealpipe.ca

Industrial Scientific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.indsci.com

ITT Water & Wastewater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ittwww.ca

John Meunier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . .www.johnmeunier.com

Master Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.mastermeter.com

Maxqsoft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.maxqsoft.com

McNally Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . .www.mcnallycorp.com

Munro Concrete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . .www.munroconcrete.com

ONEIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.oneia.ca

Parkson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.parkson.com

Pressure Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . .www.pressuresystems.com

ProMinent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.prominent.ca

Quality Recycling Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.qualityrecycling.com

Rocky Mountain Soil Sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.rmsoil.com

Saf-T-Flo Chemical Injection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.saftflo.com

Sanitherm, a Division of Peak Energy Services . . . . .36 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.sanitherm.com

Serpentix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.serpentix.com

SEW-Eurodrive Company of Canada . . . . . . . . . .53 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.sew-eurodrive.ca

Siemens Water Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.siemens.com/water

Smith & Loveless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . .www.smithandloveless.com

Stantec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.stantec.com

Tuthill Vacuum & Blower Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.vacuum.tuthill.com

Victaulic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.victaulic.com

Walkerton Clean Water Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.wcwc.ca

Waterra Pumps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.waterra.com

XCG Consultants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.xcg.com



NEWSand the Okanagan, British Columbia.

At both locations high quality effluentwas stipulated: <10 mg/l BOD/TSS and<400 MPN/100ml Fecal Coliform. Tomeet these requirements the wastewatertreatment plants will utilize ECOfluid’spatented USBF™ technology followed bydisinfection. Ultraviolet disinfection willbe used inWhistler, and chlorination usinghypochlorite tablets will be used in theOkanagan project. Preliminary site workhas begun at both locations with work ex-pected to be completed by the third quar-ter of 2009.

www.ecofluid.com

John Meunier Inc. suppliesits 1250th headworks

John Meunier Inc., a subsidiary of VeoliaWater Solutions &Technologies, recentlyannounced that it has reached a newmile-stone by providing its 1250th piece ofheadwork equipment in NorthAmerica forthe Calera (Oklahoma) wastewater treat-ment plant. This project involved supply-ing an Escalator perforated fine screen anda Rotopac compactor.

www.johnmeunier.com

ADS adds Baysaverproducts to its lineup

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS)and BaySaver Technologies, Inc. have an-nounced an exclusive marketing agree-ment, wherebyADS will be the sole salesand marketing arm for all BaySaverTech-nologies, Inc. products. The agreementwill add their stormwater quality treatmentdevices to the ADS product line. The al-liance will use ADS world-wide distribu-tion, sales and engineering support toincrease the use of the BaySaver products.

www.ads-pipe.com

CH2M HILL Canada namedto Top 100 Employers List

From over 70,000 initial invited entrants,CH2M HILL Canada made the Top 100Employers List list for the first time in2009, after being short-listed the previousfive years.

Now in its tenth year, Canada'sTop 100list is a national competition to determinewhich employers lead their industries inoffering exceptional workplaces for theiremployees. Employers are compared to

other organizations in their field to deter-mine which offers the most progressiveand forward-thinking programs.They areevaluated by the editors of Canada's Top100 Employers, using eight criteria: phys-ical workplace; work atmosphere and so-cial; health, financial and family benefits;vacation and time off; employee commu-nications; performance management;training and skills development; and com-munity involvement.

CH2M HILL Canada has more than1,400 employees in offices across Canada.

Assmann tanks receiveNSF/ANSI Certification

Assmann recently announced that its lin-ear polyethylene tanks are certified byNSF to NSF/ANSI Standard 61: DrinkingWater System Components – Health Ef-fects. The Certification is for multiplepotable water contact materials up to140°F. Assmann’s newly NSF-certifiedtanks include all models of vertical stor-age, cylindrical horizontal, free-standinghorizontal leg, double wall, open top, in-dustrial mini bulk and industrial minidrum tanks and models ICB.

www.assmann-usa.com

ITT partners withMercy Corps to provide

emergency relief

ITT Corporation recently announced astrategic partnership withMercy Corps aspart of its corporate philanthropy program,ITTWatermark. The partnership includesa three-year, $1 million commitment tohelp provide safe water during emergen-cies created by natural catastrophies suchas floods, droughts and earthquakes.

When natural disaster strikes, access tosafe and potable water is often the mostcritical need. Through this new partner-ship, ITT, a major player in the transportand treatment of water, will supportMercyCorps' relief and recovery efforts, whichinclude the provision of dewatering andwater purification equipment. In addition,ITT will aid Mercy Corps' on-the-groundstaff with rebuilding and recovery of waterand sanitation infrastructure long after dis-aster strikes. Mercy Corps, a global reliefand development agency, collaborateswith the UN to implement water and san-itation solutions during disasters.

www.ittwatermark.com

POSITION AVAILABLEResource Development

ManagerAre you interested in working for aninternational development organiza-tion that supports safe drinkingwater, sanitation and hygiene educa-tion for people in the developingworld?Water For People - Canada isaccepting Letters of Interest that willtell us why we should hire you forthis position in 2009.We are lookingfor an individual who:• Has experience working in thewater and wastewater industryhere in Canada and has developedstrong relationships with allconstituencies.

• Has good writing, businessplanning, presentation andcommunication skills.

• Is able to travel to conferencesthroughout Canada and theUnited States and to specialevents asWater For People -Canada’s representative.

• Can develop and implement acomprehensive annualdevelopment plan and supportvolunteer efforts to carry outthe plan.

• Makes recommendations toWaterFor People - Canada’s Board ofDirectors regarding theorganization’s efforts to raisefunds for program interest andday-to-day operationsThis position is a paid part-time

position with flexible workingarrangements.

Letters of interest should be nolonger than five pages in length andshould have appended the candi-date’s resume. Submissions shouldbe sent to the following address be-fore December 31, 2008:

Water For People – Canada255 Consumers Road

Toronto, Ontario M2J 5B6Attention:

Tony Petrucci, President,Water For People – Canada

Submissions from all candidates willbe reviewed in January 2009 withthe intention to have the newResource Development Managerbegin work in February 2009.


*Conditions apply; complete details available.

Sometimes all it takes is a little thing to start a revolution. Presenting the Flexrakestorm and wastewater screen from Duperon Corporation. Perfect for stormwater, intake protection or wastewater applications, the Flexrake is available in coarse orfine screens, doesn’t require routine maintenance and its motor and bearings onlyrequire semi-annual maintenance. And because it has no bottom shaft, bearings orchain guides the need for underwater maintenance is eliminated altogether. Plusthere’s no jamming or stalling regardless of debris size. With all these features andmore than 400 installations worldwide, it’s no wonder that the Flexrake comes witha 5-year limited warranty.* For complete details on how this landmark innovationcan help you, contact ACG Technology Limited.

SIMPLY INCREDIBLE. YET INCREDIBLY SIMPLE.

FLEXRAKE® SELF-CLEANING BAR AND FINE SCREEN

water solutions: pure and simple

131 Whitmore Road, Unit 13 Vaughan ON L4L 6E4t. 905.856.1414 f. 905.856.6401 [email protected] www.acgtechnology.com

Ontario Pollution Control Equipment Association



In nature, rainfall is recognized as a life-giving asset. When we develop a natural site the asset too often becomes a runoff liability for the developer and all parties downstream.Traditional storm water ponds and infrastructure require expensive land area and are often over-taxed by runoff accumulations from many areas upstream.Large underground storm water tanks, using economical corrugated steel pipe systems, permits developers to manage storm water on-site without sacrificing valuable land or flooding their neighbours.

For creative storm water management solutions contact a CSPI member in your neighbourhood.

Effective Underground Storm Water Management,

CSP Fabricators:Armtec, Atlantic Industries Limited, Canada Culvert, E.S.Hubbell & Sons Ltd., Prairie Steel, Soleno Inc.Steel Producers and Associates:ArcelorMittal Dofasco, DOW,Ironside Design Manufacturing Inc.,METAL KOTING

www.cspi.ca866-295-2416

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Documents

Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine November-December 2008