Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine November-December 2011

Nov11_ES&E_Final_ES&E 11-12-02 8:49 AM Page 1

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FEATURES

ISSN-0835-605X • Nov/Dec 2011 Vol. 24 No. 6Vol. 24 No. 6 • Issued Dec 2011

ContentsDEPARTMENTS

Product Showcase . . . . . . . . 70-74Environmental News . . . . . 75-82Professional Cards . . . . . . . . 75-80Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

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

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]

Editorial Assistant PETER DAVEYE-mail: [email protected]

Technical Advisory BoardJim Bishop

Stantec Consulting Ltd., Ontario

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

Bill DeAngelis, P.Eng.Associated Engineering, Ontario

Peter Laughton P.Eng.Consulting Engineer, Ontario

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 advice.Articles being submitted for review should be e-mailedto [email protected].

Canadian Publications Mail Sales Second Class MailProduct Agreement No. 40065446 Registration No. 7750

Undeliverable copies, advertising space orders, copy, artwork, 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

PAGES 44-57PAGES 44-57

PAGES 58-69PAGES 58-69

• Is there still opportunity for Canada’s consulting engineers? • What are the prospects for the environment under Ontario’s new minority government?• How PEO is enhancing accessibility and mobility in the engineering profession?• If you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both• Developing structured training programs for new engineers• How being a thought-leader boosts your career performance • Opportunities abound for Canadian consultants who can apply their skill sets offshore

• New guide published on storage tank regulations and compliance • Unique system solves Lunenburg's need for potable water disinfection and storage• Why you should specify certified storage tanks• Bolted steel tanks replace failing reservoir in Nipawin, SK• Improving the performance of polyethylene storage tanks• Geosynthetics help Slave Lake rebuild after unprecedented wildfire damage

6 Engineers, suppliers and contractors take heart - we still need you!- Comment by Steve Davey

8 Engaging stakeholders is vital to biosolids land application process

10 How water systems can cope with declining residential water usage

12 The impact of desalination pretreatment on membrane fouling

16 New water metering system solves a myriad of problems for Pelham

20 Increasing the service life of concrete water and wastewater structures

22 How climate change is affecting the Great Lakes

24 Contaminant levels - how safe is safe?

26 Self-cleaning screen filters help increase potable water supply in northern Alberta

28 Ozone based technology designed for treatment and disposal of biowastes

32 Using new precast concrete products for stormwater management

34 Mobile treatment allows different approach to brownfield management

36 Corrugated steel pipe has a long history of shelter use

38 SNAPS help integrate infrastructure renewal with community needs

42 Reducing activated sludge solids generation and disposal costs


GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE.LOCAL FOCUS.


Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine6 | November 2011

Comment by Steve Davey

are published in Canada Gazette II infinal form, there will be an immediateneed for municipalities and waste-water plant operators to evaluatewhether their systems are compliantand, if not, how they can become so.

Facilities will have 24 months todemonstrate compliance with the ef-fluent quality standards or other limitsagreed to under a transitional authori-zation. This time-frame may be nego-tiated for some facilities, allowingthem time to become fully compliant.However, all facilities designated as“high-risk” must be in compliancewithin 10 years, “medium-risk” within20 years, and “low-risk” within 30years.

How much will it all cost? At the very least, these new regula-

tions will require facilities to providesecondary level of wastewater treat-ment. According to some sources, En-vironment Canada had estimated thecost of compliance to be approxi-mately $6 billion. But the Federationof Canadian Municipalities (FCM)thinks it will be significantly more, asdoes the Canadian Union of PublicEmployees (CUPE).

Whatever the actual costs are ofcomplying with the new effluent reg-ulations, they will be still relativelylow in relation to the overall amountsneeded to be spent. According to a2007 Statistics Canada report, at least$31 billion was needed to maintainCanada’s water and wastewater sys-tems. The current deficit facing waste-water and stormwater systems alonewas estimated at almost $20 billion.New water and wastewater infrastruc-ture needs are estimated to be another$20.9 billion.

Who will pay?Municipalities own, operate, and

have jurisdictional control over al-most all of Canada’s wastewater facil-ities. CUPE believes that they shouldnot be financially penalized for as-suming this role, and that federal leg-islation should not be used as a meansto offload costs and federal responsi-

Canada’s consulting engi-neers, equipment suppliersand contractors, like every-one else have been affected

by the 2008-09 global recession andthe excrutiatingly slow recovery sincethen. However, those in the infrastruc-ture sector were somewhat insulatedfrom the economic storm when thefederal government announced its $35billion Economic Action Plan in Jan-uary 2009. Under this two year plan,almost $12 billion was allocated tonew infrastructure projects.

While this program has now ended,those providing wastewater goods andservices can take heart in opportuni-ties sure to result from Canada’s nowgazetted Wastewater Systems EffluentRegulations. This is in addition to anestimated $51 billion needed to bespent on upgrading existing systemsand building new systems.

In an article published in ES&E’sMay 2011 issue, Karen Phillipps andGordon Brown of Intrinsik Environ-mental Sciences outlined how thisnew framework will affect Canada’s3,700 wastewater treatment plants. Aspart of the federal Fisheries Act, thenew regulations will apply to all mu-nicipal and industrial treatment facil-ities that capture or release more than10 m3 per day of wastewater.

The proposed effluent quality stan-dards focus on four substances that aredefined as deleterious by the FisheriesAct: biochemical oxygen demand,suspended solids, total residual chlo-rine and un-ionized ammonia. In ad-dition, the regulations will requiremonitoring of temperature, pH, con-ductivity, dissolved oxygen, totalammonia, nitrate, nitrite, total phos-phorus, alkylphenol ethoxylates,ethinylestradiol, 17- β-estradiol andestrone. They also outline a number ofother monitoring requirements for thepreservation of fish habitat.

So who is affected and when? According to Phillips and Brown,

once the wastewater regulations andassociated effluent quality standards

bility to support these facilities. While larger cities and towns will

be better able to cope with raising suf-ficient funds, small communities witha lower population and property taxbase may not generate sufficient rev-enue to support the necessary facilityupgrades. These communities alsoface other problems, such as recruit-ing and retaining qualified waste-water operators.

CUPE also believes it is mislead-ing to suggest that current fundingavailable from federal infrastructureprograms will sufficiently supportmunicipalities implementing theseregulations. Funds currently support-ing wastewater infrastructure includethe $1 billion Green InfrastructureFund and the $8.8 billion BuildingCanada Fund (BCF). While both ofthese support wastewater projects,they are not exclusive, and both endin 2014.

As wastewater treatment is a serv-ice provided for the common good,CUPE says it is the role of all levelsof government to provide support.This includes financial support for in-frastructure and facility upgrades andwastewater operator training/certifi-cation needs.

Who will benefit?Canada’s consulting engineers,

equipment suppliers and contractorswill certainly benefit from the almost$60 billion that will needed to bespent on wastewater systems over thenext several years. No matter what thefunding strategies, or levels of gov-ernment involved, taxpayers will ulti-mately foot the bill. However, as weare also the ones who will benefitfrom safe and reliable water andwastewater systems, improved publichealth and a cleaner environment, tome it’s a great deal for all.

Engineers, suppliers and contractors take heart - we still need you!

Steve Davey is Editorof ES&E Magazine. E-mail comments to [email protected]


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Biosolids Management

plication, but they want their questionsand concerns about odour, safety, andfairness to be adequately addressed.

Communications tool for biosolidsprofessionals

A key outcome of this project is the sci-ence-based Strategic Risk Communica-tions Process for Outreach and Dialogueon Biosolids. The process, originally de-veloped for Health Canada and the PublicHealth Agency of Canada, was modifiedto fit the unique (and often unmet) com-munications needs of biosolids profes-sionals.

The process, described in the re-searchers’ report, was designed to be anintegral part of effective risk assessmentand management processes. It provides aset of integrated procedures and support-ing tools, which can be readily scaled tofit the needs of a specific biosolids pro-gram and its host communities. It can beused to address topics of interest to spe-cific stakeholders; to develop and adoptbest practices in biosolids risk manage-ment and communication; and advanceinnovative biosolids use projects.

The research team developed a Primerfor Biosolids Professionals to enablethem to design and conduct outreach anddialogue. It offers step-by-step guidance

The long-term success of bio-solids land application pro-grams depends on the abilityof biosolids’ professionals to

continually earn their “license” to oper-ate. Every day, their stakeholders, includ-ing the people in the communities wherebiosolids are produced and applied, makedecisions about the acceptability ofbiosolids.

Effective communication is essentialto earning and sustaining that license tooperate.

Furthermore, the costs of ineffectivecommunication can be very high, poten-tially resulting in problems such as: • the irreplaceable loss of the land applier’s credibility• unnecessary, bitter, and prolonged public disputes on projects,• costly delays• burdensome regulation• critical and unsupportive employees• loss of commercial opportunities.

The Water Environment ResearchFoundation (WERF) and its subscribersrecognize the need for biosolids profes-sionals to more proactively and effectivelycommunicate with community membersand engage them in dialogue about thebeneficial use of biosolids. WERF’s Re-search Challenge, Applying Advances inPathogen Risk Assessment and Commu-nicating the Results, provides biosolidsprofessionals with valuable hands-ontools and guidance to help them bettercommunicate with stakeholders in theircommunities.

Over the course of this work, re-searchers had the opportunity to listen toand learn from biosolids professionals,regulators, health officials, and commu-nity members. Research showed thatbiosolids professionals want to commu-nicate more effectively with people intheir communities, but may lack the skillsand tools to do so with confidence.

It also showed that community mem-bers want to learn more about localbiosolids use and want the opportunity todiscuss their interests, priorities, andquestions with biosolids professionals.They are willing to support local land ap-

on how to adapt and implement theStrategic Risk Communications Processfor Outreach and Dialogue on Biosolids.

Applying the processThe Strategic Risk Communications

Process for Outreach and Dialogue onBiosolids was adapted and validatedthrough collaboration with the City ofTulsa Public Works Department and theVirginia Biosolids Council. WERF inves-tigators worked with each team to identifythe opportunities for outreach and dia-logue. Then they conducted research tolearn first-hand their community stake-holders’ interests, priorities, and commu-nications needs, regarding biosolids landapplication.

Plans were developed and communi-cations materials tested, based on re-search findings and needs of the specificbiosolids programs. These materials in-cluded a dialogue presentation for use atcommunity meetings, a brochure tailoredto meet the needs of local communitymembers, and draft templates for on-sitesignage.

To order Strategic Risk Communications Process for Outreach

and Dialogue on Biosolids, visitwww.werf.org.

Community members are willing to support local land application, but theywant their questions and concerns about odour, safety, and fairness to be adequately addressed. (Photo courtesy Terratec Environmental Limited)

Engaging stakeholders is vital to biosolids land application process




Water Treatment

American Water’s own research indicatesthat several strong underlying factors aredriving indoor residential usage patterns.

Driving the declineAccording to the Water Research Foun-

dation, the primary forces behind this dropare the increased use of water-efficient ap-pliances and a decrease in the number ofoccupants per household. Others factors toconsider are price elasticity, a growingconservation ethic among consumers, andconservation programs implemented byutilities and other organizations.

Technological advances continue toimprove the water efficiency of house-hold appliances, driven by governmentmandates. For example, toilets manufac-tured after 1994 use 1.6 gallons, or less,per flush, compared to the 3.5 to 7 gallonsused by older ones.

Dishwashers manufactured after 2009and clothes washers after 2010 are heldto water efficiency requirements thatcould reduce usage by 54% and 30%, re-spectively. What’s more, fixtures and ap-pliances that surpass these requirementsare increasingly prevalent in the market-place, thanks to consumer demand.

These improvements correspond to a35% decrease in water usage by a typicalresidential household in a new home con-structed in 2011, compared to the samehousehold in a non-retrofitted home builtbefore 1994.

Household water usage is de-clining slowly but steadily, atrend that is expected to con-tinue for at least the next 15

years. This is good news in light of thechallenges some areas face in managingthis essential resource. At the same time,it presents a challenge to water utilities,which must adapt their systems and ratesto reduced consumption trends, in orderto cover fixed costs and maintain reliableservice.

A 2010 study by the Water ResearchFoundation concluded that “a pervasivedecline in household consumption hasbeen determined at the national and re-gional levels.” As reported in JournalAWWA, the study, which tracked trends inhousehold water use in North Americaover the past 30 years, found that “ahousehold in the 2008 billing year used11,678 gallons less water annually (13%)than an identical household did in 1978.”

This finding is supported by the ex-perience of American Water, whichserves approximately 15 million peoplein more than 30 states and parts ofCanada. In its 2010 annual report, thecompany reported a declining trend inresidential water usage for all of its regu-lated states, in the range of 0.5–2% annu-ally over the last 10 years.

Monthly analyses of residential salesacross its largest state subsidiaries from2001 to 2010 reveal an annual decrease of1–2% (based on gallons/customer/month).These subsidiaries service a wide range ofhousehold demographics in climates thatspan from arid to water-rich, providing abroad base by which to assess water usagetrends.

The results held true when AmericanWater limited its analysis to winter-onlyconsumption in service areas in the north-ern portions of the United States. Becausevarying weather conditions in summermonths can cause large fluctuations inoutdoor water needs (lawn and gardenwatering, for instance, increases duringhot, dry periods and is lower in cooler,wetter summers), it is particularly usefulto study winter-only trends, when outdoorwater usage is at a minimum.

The consistency of findings in boththe Water Research Foundation study and

Non-essential outdoor water usage —from irrigation to car washing and swim-ming pools — is more responsive towater and sewer rate increases than in-door water usage, which is primarily forconsumption and hygiene. However,there is some price elasticity there aswell, as households are more vigilantabout fixing leaks under higher rates. Arecent industry study investigating thesensitivity of residential water demand towater price found that a 10% increase inprice led to a 3.3% decline in customerdemand.

Whether as a cost-cutting measure, orbecause of growing environmental aware-ness, consumers are increasingly consci-entious about conserving householdwater. Utilities, too, have been educatingtheir customers about the importance ofpreserving the world’s water supply.

Benefits of reduced usageA decline in per-household water

usage is crucial to meet the water needsof a growing population. The water indus-try also reaps certain benefits from thistrend. Less water use means less need todivert water from supply sources, leavingmore for passing flows, or drought re-serve. It leads to reduced power consump-tion, chemical usage and waste disposal,which not only lowers operating costs, butalso provides environmental benefits,such as reduced carbon footprint and

Residential water usage continues to decline


November 2011 | 11www.esemag.com

Water Treatment

waste streams. At times of declining customer usage,

operators can seize the opportunity to op-timize management of existing watersupplies, treatment facilities and pumpstations. For systems that rely on multiplesources of supply, this may translate intooperational cost savings by minimizinguse of water from higher-cost sources.

Other opportunities include more ef-ficient and effective pumping and treat-ment. More available storage meansoperators can schedule more pumping atoff-peak times, thus reducing electricitydemand charges. Less demand alsomeans less strain on certain processequipment, allowing operators to stretchout scheduled maintenance.

Utility planners need to base capitalprojects on the most current informationand consider downsizing or postponingsupply development projects when cus-tomer demand projections reflect an antic-ipated decline in usage. At the same time,they must continue to factor in peak-daydemand, which, driven by hot, dry weatherspells and other short-term events, may ormay not follow the same declining trend

as average-day consumption. Because it is peak-day demand that

determines capital infrastructure needssuch as treatment and pumping capacity,it is essential that utilities understand theirown peak usage patterns.

Challenges for water utilitiesThe downside for the water utility in-

dustry is that reduced usage creates a rev-enue decline, while a number of fixedcosts continue to rise. These costs rangefrom water utility capital needs ― infra-structure renewal, reliability and regula-tory projects, for instance ― to operatingcosts such as plant maintenance, cus-tomer services needs, IT support and se-curity.

Despite financial challenges presentedby the declining usage trend, water utili-ties are wise not just to accept it but toembrace it, if simply because it’s the rightthing to do.

Investor-owned water utilities alsoneed to work with regulators for a moreprogressive rate structure, so that rev-enues are not entirely dependent on fluc-tuations in sales. Revenue balancing,where rates provide for surcharges or re-

funds based on fluctuations in sales, isone tool to consider. Another is to in-crease the fixed charge on the customers’utility bill to recover a greater portion ofthe utility’s fixed costs, thereby reducingexposure to sales volatility.

For utilities operating on a basis of de-coupled revenue streams, water savedthrough conservation can be viewed asmore cost-effective than adding capacityvia expansion of water delivery infra-structure.

Based on the average life expectancyof appliances, it is estimated that the re-placement of old fixtures with new, moreefficient models will continue to affectwater usage trends for another 10 to 15years. Other drivers are likely to continueinto the foreseeable future.

Looking ahead, water utility managersand operators will need to adapt theirbusiness planning to accommodate thehistoric declining trend of 1–2% annu-ally, while also watching for signs of itsleveling off.

For more information, visit www.amwater.com



Cover Story

treatment optimization. However, fortechnical and economic reasons thesesame diagnostic approaches have notbeen used in the design/operations of de-salination facilities. Traditional particlesurface charge analyzers often do not re-liably operate in high-ionic-strength waterand traditional AOC methods can costover $400 per sample. Therefore, reliableoperation of coagulation resulting in sta-ble, high quality feed water, for reverseosmosis membranes, has been very diffi-cult to achieve.

The fate of organic carbon in desalination

American Water conducted a study toevaluate the fate of organic carbon in de-salination pretreatment processes, specif-ically the removal of assimilable organiccarbon (AOC) and total organic carbonduring desalination pretreatment.

To accomplish this objective, the re-search followed several distinct but inter-related tasks. The first was developmentand refinement of a method to measureassimilable organic carbon (AOC) in saltwater to enable more timely evaluationsof biofouling potential. This method wasdeveloped using a naturally occurringmarine bacterium (Vibrio harveyi), andwas refined in the lab using both naturaland model waters.

A model for the fate of AOC and its

Pretreatment for seawater desali-nation typically focuses on re-moval of particles, but many ofthe problems with membrane

fouling are due to natural organic matter.Fouling of reverse osmosis (RO) mem-branes is one of the major concerns in thedesalination industry. High fouling rateslead to either increased pressure to main-tain a permeate flux set-point or de-creased specific flux, which in turn leadto higher capital and operations andmaintenance costs.

To reduce fouling, many desalinationfacilities include coagulation as a pre-treatment step to remove particulates andorganic matter and limit biologicalgrowth in the membrane systems. How-ever, little literature exists about howthese pretreatment processes are opti-mized for reducing foulants. At present,the main tool that is used for evaluationof RO membrane fouling is the silt den-sity index (SDI), or the modified foulingindex (MFI).

However, the SDI (or MFI) is based onthe plugging of a 0.45-micron (µm)membrane over a defined time interval(often 15 minutes) and is not truly repre-sentative of RO membranes’ characteris-tics and properties. Nor do the SDI orMFI tests account for biological growthon membranes, membrane systems, oradsorption of organic matter onto mem-brane surfaces.

The main causes of membrane foulingon surfaces or inside pores are biologicalgrowth, deposition of existing or precipi-tated particles, and adsorption of organicmatter. Although micro/ultrafiltrationmembranes are being used more com-monly as pretreatment for reverse osmosisand nanofiltration membranes, submicronparticles and dissolved organic matter canstill pass through the pretreatment mem-branes and act as foulants on the ROmembranes. Removal of the foulants canbe improved by optimization of coagula-tion as a pretreatment.

For surface waters, tools to evaluatecoagulation and biogrowth potential havebeen developed and used for design and

impact on fouling was then created usingoperational data from the Tampa BaySeawater Desalination Facility, a plantoperated by American Water that hasfaced increased fouling rates.

Because this was the first time thatAOC has been measured in seawaterusing natural conditions and organisms,some context was needed to understandthe results. To provide this, samples werecollected from various points in the treat-ment trains from seven desalinationplants with a wide geographical range.Several of these plants had been identi-fied as being subject to biofouling. Thesesamples were analyzed for AOC and totalorganic carbon (TOC) to examine the fateof organic matter through these plants.

The last major task was a series of jartests designed to identify coagulationconditions (coagulant type, dose and pH)that could be used to improve organic re-moval in the pretreatment step of two de-salination plants. These were the TampaBay facility and a pilot plant on Califor-nia’s Monterey Bay, operated by Califor-nia American Water. When these testsshowed that the plants were achievingmaximum organic removal for feasibleoperations and for their design, additionaljar tests were conducted to examine what

Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant.

The impact of desalination pretreatment on membrane foulingBy Orren D. Schneider, Lauren Weinrich, Mark W. LeChevallier and Eugenio Giraldo

continued overleaf...


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Cover Story

design and/or operating conditions wouldbe required to achieve substantiallyhigher results.

An analytical method was developedthat is useful for measuring AOC in salinewaters. It uses V. harveyi, a marine organ-ism that can utilize a diverse range oforganic substrates. Additionally, develop-ment of the method has shown that theemitted light in the luminescence-basedtest was directly proportional to the bio-mass of the AOC organism in a sample.This new method can provide a lower-cost alternative to monitoring biomassthrough traditional plate count methods.

Because the test equipment can be au-tomated to read the luminescence of mul-tiple samples, the method provides boththe maximum growth potential in the

water sample and the substrate uptake rateof the organic matter in the water. The testshowed applicability to a wide range ofraw and treated saline water sources. Theutility of the marine AOC test was appar-ent when conducting both inter- and intra-facility testing, where this assay allowedcomparisons of AOC across treatmenttrains, to examine the fate of AOC in dif-ferent treatment processes.

A mathematical model was developedfor the Tampa Bay facility to examinefactors that lead to increased pressuredrops along the pressure vessels. Themodel included elements to account forflow rates, AOC concentration and sub-strate utilization rates.

Using data from a single train of theplant (representative of the entire plant),

the model was calibrated to match exist-ing operational data. Development of thismodel showed that increased pressures inthe pressure vessels can be almost en-tirely explained by bacterial growth (bio-fouling). This points to the importance ofAOC control through pretreatment. How-ever, no direct correlations have beenmade between AOC concentrations andfouling rates.

Test resultsSamples were collected from nine

pilot or full-scale desalination facilitiesaround the world. Based on these fieldsamples, it was observed that the rangeof AOC and TOC in saline source watersvaries widely. AOC in the raw watersranged from <5 µg/L to nearly 500 µg/L.TOC in raw water ranged from <1 mg/Lto >10 mg/L. Results from this study in-dicated that plants that use beach wellshad lower raw water organic levels, i.e.,AOC and TOC, than plants that use openwater intakes.

Consistent reductions in both AOCand AOC substrate utilization rates afterthe beach wells indicated higher-qualitywater and a reduced potential for biolog-ical fouling. Pretreatment at these desali-nation plants was found to be generallyeffective at removing AOC. Removal ofTOC by pretreatment was generally poor(<10%). The one plant that achieved sig-nificant TOC removal uses brackish riverwater as the source, so the raw water hassignificantly lower salinity than at theother plants examined.

Jar testing of plant inlet water fromboth Tampa Bay and Monterey Bay hasshown that, under coagulation conditionsused for control of SDI, little TOC re-moval was achieved.

When applying “extreme” coagula-tion conditions in jar tests (ferric chloridedoses up to 100 mg/L, oxidation withozone up to 2 mg/mg TOC, or coagula-tion at pH 5), organic removal was in-creased. However, the benefits ofincreased organic removal on membranefouling would have to be weighed againstincreased chemical costs and sludge pro-duction.

It was found during the jar testing thatthe untreated seawater tested contained asubstantial number of positively chargedparticles, unlike fresh waters, which con-tain virtually none. This seems to indicatethat, although they were electrodynami-

Operator changes the reverse osmosis filters.



cally unstable, the particles were nonethe-less stable in suspension. This was likelydue to steric stabilization, probablycaused by organic matter adsorbing toparticle surfaces and preventing the par-ticles from getting close enough for at-tractive van der Waals forces to dominate.

Investigations using model watersshowed that, as the salt concentration ofwater increased, the zeta potential of par-ticles became less negative. Whensodium chloride (NaCl) was used, nopositive colloids were formed, even atNaCl concentrations of 25,000 mg/L (ap-

proximately equal to the total dissolvedsolids of estuary water). When a com-mercially available seawater mix wasused, positive colloids were found at highsalt concentrations (25,000 mg/L). Thisseems to indicate that polyvalent cations(mostly magnesium and calcium) playedan important role in the formation ofthese positive charges, probably due tocomplexation of the cations by organicfunctional groups.

Jar testing with model waters showedthat when sodium chloride was used asthe background ionic matrix, higher salt

Cover Story

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

10 20 30 40 50

% T

OC

Re

mo

va

l

Ferric Chloride Dose (mg/L)

500 mg/L NaCl 500 mg/L Seawater

5,000 mg/L NaCl 5,000 mg/L Seawater

25,000 mg/L NaCl 25,000 mg/L Seawater

How the salt concentration harms organic removal. Source: Schneider et al.©2011. Investigation of Organic Matter Removal in Saline Water By Pretreat-ment. Water Research Foundation. Reprinted with permission.

concentrations substantially increased co-agulation performance by reducing thecoagulant dose required for removal ofturbidity and organic carbon. When theartificial seawater was used, low (500mg/L) and moderate (5,000 mg/L) saltlevels improved turbidity and organic car-bon removal. However, at salt concentra-tions that approximated seawater (25,000mg/L), organic carbon removal was re-tarded, compared to the lower-salt andno-salt conditions.

When comparing TOC removal in themodel waters at all coagulant dosestested, the percent removal of TOC waslower when the artificial seawater wasused, than when sodium chloride wasused as the ionic matrix.

Results of these studies suggest thatwhen terrestrial organic matter entershighly saline water, it undergoes com-plexation by magnesium and/or calciumto form soluble complexes that control itssubsequent surface chemistry. When ab-sorbed onto silts, these complexes be-come difficult to remove by chargeneutralization, and may require separa-tion by enmeshment. This will requirehigh coagulant doses or coagulation atextremes of pH that affect the surfacecharge and allow for removal.

Orren D. Schneider, Ph.D., P.E., LaurenWeinrich, Mark W. LeChevallier, Ph.D.,and Eugenio Giraldo, Ph.D., are with

American Water. For more information,E-mail: [email protected]



Instrumentation

agement services for the supply and in-stallation of E-Coder)R900i meters. TheTown valued Neptune’s single-source in-tegrated service approach which includedproject management, installation serv-ices, appointment setting and call centreservices, public communication, datamanagement, and meter reading systemintegration. The project began in April2010 and was completed on time.

With the new E-Coder)R900i metersfully operational, the benefits were im-mediate: 1. Addressing water loss - The meter re-placement program has resulted in thediscovery of significant water losses. TheTown is now collecting all of the revenuethat it is entitled to bill for. The AMR sys-tem improved accountability as readingaccuracy issues, caused by discrepanciesbetween the outside visual remote versusthe inside meter register, have now beeneliminated. The water loss factor wasaround 20% prior to the program; post re-placement, these levels have already beenreduced by 10%. 2. Reading and billing efficiencies - Allmeters are now read by radio frequency.Using only one reader, Town staff can ob-tain all residential readings in less than aday by simply driving through subdivi-sions with the meter reading equipment.In comparison, the previous meter read-

The Town of Pelham is locatedbetween Lake Erie and LakeOntario in the heart of On-tario’s Niagara Region. Lead-

ing up to the summer of 2010, the Townfaced issues that are familiar to manywater utilities across Canada. Specifi-cally, issues related to water billing andcustomer service were mounting, due toan antiquated water meter system.

Billing and customer service functionsrely on the accuracy of meter readingdata. The Town’s issues stemmed from amix of outdated technologies and failingmeters. Meter reading errors and processinefficiencies, related to old direct readand pulser-based technologies, resulted ininaccurate data, an abundance of esti-mated bills, customer billing disputes,billing adjustments, and large sums ofmoney being written off.

Town staff planned to replace the oldmeters over a two year period but, despitetheir efforts, the target was impossible tomeet. They knew the system needed acomplete overhaul. Concerned that the ex-isting program could take up to eight yearsto complete using only in-house staff, theTown opted for a an alternate approach.

A time for changeAn upgrade of the existing system to

radio frequency Automatic Meter Read-ing (AMR) technology was proposed tocouncil. A Request for Proposal was is-sued in November 2009 for supply andinstallation services to replace 3,100 me-ters and to implement a new AMR systemthat would meet the Town’s current andfuture needs, including: • Timely and accurate billing;• Addressing the revenue loss factors in the billing system; • Addressing incorrect meter installations, illegal by-passes, inadequate plumbing, and resolving the issue of customers not accounted for in the billing system; • Moving from a reactive data entry role to a proactive customer service approach.

Neptune Technology Group (Canada)was selected as the preferred vendor toprovide complete turnkey project man-

ing process took over 15 days and con-tract fees were paid to an outside consult-ant for the service.

The Town now has the ability to readas often as it wants, and has chosen to billevery two months instead of quarterly. Thedata entry process prior to the upgradetook a full week. Currently, the watermeter readings are stored in Neptune’ssoftware system, ARB® N_SIGHT™ Mo-bile, and are automatically uploaded to theTown’s accounting system. This facilitatesfaster delivery of reading and billing serv-ices and reduces costs. 3. Proactive customer service - With theE-Coder)R900i, the Town can now usemobile radio frequency based technologyto access the features and benefits thatcould otherwise only be offered by an Ad-vanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)system. One of the objectives was to in-crease the value of the service provided toresidents by transitioning the Town’s role,from a position of reactive data entry, toone of proactive customer service.

When selecting an AMR system, theTown valued the advanced meter infor-mation provided by the E-Coder)R900imeter including its ability to provide leak,backflow, and tamper detection. TheTown now has the ability to easily gener-ate a report that flags leaks, backflow, and

New water metering system solves a myriad ofproblems for Pelham

Figure 1. The percentage of accounts to the days of leak, based on aTown of Pelham’s recent reading cycle.



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Instrumentation

no flow on a per account basis. 4. Days of leak. - Based on a recent read-ing cycle of 4,230 accounts, the Days ofLeak status flag indicated that 6.0% of theaccounts were showing a continuous orintermittent leak for the last 35 days(equivalent to 258 accounts). Additionally,

45% of the accounts reported no form ofa leak, indicating that the remaining 2,314accounts developed a leak with varyingdegrees of severity. (Figure 1)

The “leak status in the last 24 hour pe-riod” for all 4,230 accounts indicated that15% (603 accounts) developed either an

intermittent leak or a continuous leak.(Figure 2)

It is the Town’s goal to use the value-added information provided by the E-Coder flags to proactively communicatewith residents. The Town is consideringoptions such as mass voicemail to alertcustomers with potential leaks. In thecases of flags that indicate a potentialmeter tamper or a backflow occurrence,the Town now has the information to ini-tiate an investigation and corrective ac-tion, if necessary.

Value of system is growingAs meter technology evolves and the

expectations of utility customers in-crease, the value and impact of the meterreading system continues to grow. Insome cases, as in Pelham, finance andcustomer service are driving these typesof programs forward and directly impact-ing the type of information required fromthe metered system to better service theend-customer.

For more information, E-mail:[email protected]

Figure 2. The percentage of accounts to the leak status.


January/February2012 issue

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Infrastructure

results in chemical attack and corrosion.Control of H2S is a major concern formanagers of wastewater collection sys-tems, especially in warm climates, or insystems with low velocity.

If a concrete sewer is only partiallyfull, the damp surface above the waterline is an open invitation to aerobic bac-teria that oxidize the H2S and producesulphuric acid. This acid attacks the cal-cium hydroxide and calcium silicate hy-drate in concrete. Corrosion is mostsevere at the crown of the pipe, where theacid collects. This leads to a weakeningof the pipe and, if left unattended, can alsocause a collapse. The key is low waterpermeability and keeping out bacteriathat cause the problem.

The chemical formulations of crys-talline waterproofing products are a man-ufacturer’s trade secret, but, in all cases,these materials react with the byproductsof cement hydration such as calcium hy-droxide, (lime), and other minerals withinthe cement matrix.

Growth of waterproofing crystals is a

Concrete is the world’s mostwidely used building materialfor a variety of applications,including wastewater treat-

ment systems. This makes economic andenvironmental sense, as long as the con-crete is protected from deterioration.Then, the wastewater treatment system,including concrete pipes and manholes,enjoys a longer service life.

Despite all the advantages concrete of-fers, its porous nature renders it perme-able to liquids and gases. Consequently,it is susceptible to deterioration by waterpenetration and by acid produced by hy-drogen sulphide gas (H2S) in sewer pipes.

A time-tested waterproofing solutionby Xypex® Chemical Corp., in Vancouver,for both new and existing concrete, iscrystalline technology, which has beenused in thousands of projects in more than70 countries. Crystalline technology ispermanent, easy to use and economical.

With crystalline technology, water isused in the capillary tracts as a diffusingmedium to carry waterproofing chemi-cals into the concrete. These chemicalsmigrate through the waterways of the sat-urated pore network, where they react andgrow insoluble, needle-like crystals thatplug the pores. Within a few weeks ofcrystal growth, liquids can no longer passthrough and the transmission of gases isrestricted.

The effect is permanent. In fact, thetechnology self-seals new micro-cracks ifand when they occur, even years after theoriginal application.

Crystalline waterproofing can be easilyintroduced into new concrete as an admix-ture, a dry-shake product or a surface-ap-plied coating. For existing (i.e., cured)concrete, surface-applied coatings are used.The technology is non-toxic, contains novolatile organic compounds (VOCs), andis NSF 61-approved for potable water byNSF International.

H2S – the Achilles heelThe Achilles heel for concrete struc-

tures in sanitary sewers and wastewatertreatment plants is H2S gas, which notonly causes a “rotten egg” odour, but also

Increasing the service life of concrete water andwastewater structures By Les Faure

Crystalline technology has been usedin thousands of projects in more than70 countries.

gradual process, requiring two to threeweeks to reach maturity. The result is theformation of a microscopic, mesh-likebarrier as the crystals grow across the di-ameter of the concrete’s pores, pluggingthem against the flow of liquids, and evenagainst extreme hydrostatic pressure.

Although crystal formation largelymatures in two to three weeks, theprocess can continue virtually as long asthere is water in the concrete. Cessationusually occurs due to natural drying ofthe concrete. The reaction effectivelynever runs out of lime, meaning that, ifwater re-enters the concrete years later, itautomatically reactivates the waterproof-ing chemicals, and new crystallizationbegins.

Testing for effectivenessThe effectiveness of crystalline water-

proofing in the field is backed up by ex-tensive independent laboratory testing for



Infrastructure

permeability, crack-sealing and chemicalresistance. Permeability testing in accor-dance with US Army Corps of Engineers(ACE) CRD C-48-73, Permeability ofConcrete, demonstrated that crystalline-treated concrete could withstand up to123 m of head pressure, or 1.2 MPa(megapascals), which was the limit of thetesting apparatus.

At the micro-level, shrinkage-crack-ing from drying potentially creates pas-sageways for moisture infiltration. If theyoccur while crystals are still forming,micro-cracks up to 0.4 mm can bebridged. If they occur later and allowwater infiltration, the water reactivatesthe waterproofing chemicals, making theconcrete self-healing on a microscale.

Crystalline admixtures require no ex-pertise or additional labour on the part ofthe contractor, as they are added to theready-mix truck at the batch plant. Curingof the concrete is simultaneous with thatof the waterproofing application. Dosageis generally in the range of 1–3% of ce-ment content by weight. Concrete withcrystalline waterproofing can achievehigher compressive strength than similar“standard” mixes. Results vary with thedosage.

The dry-shake method is installed onnew slabs after the concrete reaches ini-tial set. Powder is applied onto the wetsurface and then trowelled in evenly.

Surface-applied coating is appropriatefor new concrete and is the only methodavailable for existing concrete. For newconcrete, it is preferable to apply it assoon as forms are stripped. If the surfaceis dry, it must be re-wetted before appli-cation (to use water as the delivery sys-tem to introduce the crystalline chemicalsinto the concrete).

In Canada, crystalline waterproofingproducts have been used extensively inwater and wastewater construction. Somerecent examples are projects such as the$430-million Pine Creek WastewaterTreatment Plant in Calgary, which cantreat up to 100 megalitres of wastewaterper day, and the Seymour-Capilano WaterFiltration Plant in Metro Vancouver.

Les Faure is with Xypex ChemicalCorp. E-mail: [email protected]

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Ecosystems

nately, no similar funding announce-ments have come from Canada's federalgovernment.

What is Ecojustice doing?Ecojustice has worked diligently on

Great Lakes issues for many years, in-cluding sewage overflows and the use ofgreen infrastructure to reduce runoff,water conservation, industrial wastewaterregulation, air pollution discharges, andinvasive species prevention.

Most recently, we have participated inthe long and drawn-out review of theGreat Lakes Water Quality Agreement, a1972 binational plan signed by Canadaand the US that sought to protect and re-

More than 35 million peoplein the US and Canada relyon the Great Lakes fordrinking water. The lakes

also support fishing, shipping and otherindustries. It is well known that they havesuffered under the stress of excessivepollution, invasive species and industrialdevelopment.

Binational efforts to restore the GreatLakes to their former glory have yieldedsome improvements over the past fewdecades. But climate change may changethat, according to former US vice-presi-dent Al Gore, during an address to the In-ternational Joint Commission’s GreatLakes Water Quality Agreement biennialmeeting.

Gore told how climate change iswarming the water and bringing more fre-quent heavy rainfall, aggravating existingproblems in the Great Lakes. The intensityof these storms overwhelms our municipalinfrastructure, leading to increased over-flows that spill sewage and other contam-inants into our water. Intense storms alsolead to greater runoff, which carries fer-tilizers containing phosphorus into theGreat Lakes. We're beginning to see theimpacts. A blue green algae bloom hasformed on parts of Lake Erie and is visiblefrom space.

What does this mean?Blue green algae produces multiple

toxins, including some that are unsafe foranimals, fish and people. Wildlife andpets have died after ingesting the algae.When it breaks down, it releases its toxininto the water and potentially into ourdrinking water. Floating like a fluorescentgreen mat on the water, the algae also col-lects on the shoreline in stinking heapsand makes the beach a dangerous placeto walk a dog or let children play. It alsodepletes oxygen levels in the water, mak-ing it impossible for fish to survive andthus harming one of the world's best areasfor freshwater fishing.

Making progressUS President Barack Obama has

set aside US$350-million for GreatLakes clean-up in 2012, after budgetingUS$225-million for this year. Unfortu-

How climate change is affecting the Great Lakes By Dr. Elaine MacDonald

View of the toxic algal bloom in Lake Erie from space (NASA).

The Lake Eriecommercial fishing industryproduces two-thirds ofCanada’s totalGreat Lakes har-vest, accordingto some sources.

store the Great Lakes. We share the agree-ment's goal for the Great Lakes but feelthe review failed to include meaningfulpublic consultation, dismissed importantquestions, and provided little informationabout proposed changes to the agreement.Based on the little information available,we are concerned the new agreementwon't live up to the needs of the GreatLakes.

Dr. MacDonald is a staff scientist withEcojustice. For more information, visit

www.ecojustice.ca



sinking around Greenland was replaced bysurface water flowing north from the SouthAtlantic. This change caused the North At-lantic to warm while the rest of the globecooled. The change started about five mil-lion years before the asteroid impact thatended the Cretaceous Period.

To track circulation patterns, the re-searchers focused on “neodymium,” anelement that is taken up by fish teeth andbones when a fish dies and falls to theocean floor. MacLeod said the ratio of twoisotopes of neodymium acts as a naturaltracking system for water masses. In thearea where a water mass forms, the watertakes on a neodymium ratio like that inrocks on nearby land. As the water movesthrough the ocean, though, that ratiochanges little. Because the fish take up theneodymium from water at the seafloor, theratio in the fish fossils reflects the valuesin the area where the water sank into thedeep ocean. Looking at changes throughtime and at many sites allowed the scien-tists to track water mass movements.

New research from the Univer-sity of Missouri indicatesthat Atlantic Ocean tempera-tures during the greenhouse

climate of the Late Cretaceous Epochwere influenced by circulation in thedeep ocean.

“We are examining ocean conditionsfrom several past greenhouse climate in-tervals so that we can understand betterthe interactions among the atmosphere,the oceans, the biosphere and climate,”said Kenneth MacLeod, professor of geo-logical sciences in the College of Arts andScience. “The Late Cretaceous Epoch isa textbook example of a greenhouse cli-mate on earth, and we have evidence thata northern water mass expanded south-wards while the climate was cooling. Atthe same time, a warm, salty water massthat had been present throughout thegreenhouse interval disappeared from thetropical Atlantic.”

The study found that at the end of theLate Cretaceous greenhouse interval, water

Ocean floor data could help predict climate change

Marathon FluidSystems Ltd.184 Halifax StreetMoncton, NBE1C 9S2Phone: 506-867-8826Atlantic Provinces

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CORIX® Control SolutionsFormerly BG ControlsUnit 115 - 1551 Broadway St., Port Coquitlam, BCV3C 6N9Tel: (604) 942-0288 British Columbia and Yukon

The Q-Eye Radar is a Non-Contact Open Channel flow meter consisting of a radar based velocity sensor. The Q-Eye Radar is extremely versatile and designed for continuous operation for measurements of flow in open channels, wastewater and storm water applications.

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Ecosystems

While high atmospheric levels of car-bon dioxide caused Late Cretaceouswarmth, MacLeod notes that ocean circu-lation influenced how that warmth wasdistributed around the globe. Further,ocean circulation patterns changed signif-icantly as the climate warmed and cooled.

“Understanding the degree to whichclimate influences circulation and viceversa is important today because carbondioxide levels are rapidly approachinglevels most recently seen during ancientgreenhouse times,” said MacLeod.

For more information, visit:http://munews.missouri.edu/

ErratumTwo of the authors of the article enti-tled “Analyzing a complex oil spill at

an Ottawa hospital”, which ran inES&E’s Sept/Oct 2011 issue, were in-

correctly shown as working for expServices Inc. Kathy O’Neill and

Philippe Marleau work for the Mont-fort Hospital in Ottawa. E-mail:

[email protected].



Guest Comment

you may not qualify for additional fi-nancing.

Your only consolation is that, underthe new rules, your old RSC will preventthe government from demanding anothercleanup; that is, provided no one hasfound a new contaminant on your site thatwasn’t included in your old RSC. In thatcase, you are back on the hook to meetthe new rules!

But what if you didn’t bother gettingan RSC a few years ago after you had yoursite cleaned up? Not surprisingly, manysite owners, realtors and lawyers are bliss-fully unaware of what a Record of SiteCondition is. An RSC is only legally re-quired when you intend to redevelop a sitefrom a less to a more environmentally sen-sitive use, such as commercial to residen-tial. Also, you must have one in placebefore a building permit will be issued.

But that’s no comfort to a site ownerwho faithfully did all their environmentaldue diligence when they mortgaged theproperty some years ago and are nowbeing told they can’t sell it without spend-ing more money on another cleanup, dueto the new lower maximum allowable lev-els. That seems grossly unfair!

Environmentalists will no doubt protestthat “we must do all we can to protect theenvironment”, but how much of a threat is150 µg/g of copper in a downtown com-mercial soil (0.000141%) or 0.06 µg/g ofchloroform (0.0000006%)? Both of theseexceed current allowable limits and maytrigger a cleanup or risk assessment. If youthink that’s bad, the allowable levels in

Ontario’srevisionsto Reg.1 5 3 / 0 4

came into effect onJuly 1, and alreadycosts for everythingfrom Phase I Envi-ronmental Site As-sessments to site

cleanups have taken a quantum leap up-wards. Consultants, banks, lawyers andcleanup crews are all scrambling to meetthe onerous demands of the revised regu-lation.

Perhaps the greatest impact of the re-vised regulation has been from loweringmaximum allowable levels of contami-nants in soil and groundwater. Cleanupcosts have increased greatly and a switch-over to expensive and time-consumingrisk assessments has become necessary.

Site owners who already had a“Record of Site Condition” (RSC) inplace before July 1, 2011, knew that theirsites were protected against any demandsby the government to clean up to the newstandards, so they weren’t worried by thelowered standards. Unfortunately, it ap-pears that no one in the Ontario govern-ment thought to check with banks andother financial institutions to see if theywould be willing to finance sites that havean “old” RSC that doesn’t meet the newstandards. Judging by recent events, itlooks like they aren’t.

What was a serious concern to manyconsultants before July 1st has become atroublesome reality. A growing number ofdevelopment projects have ground to ahalt because of an inability to finance theproject, unless the site is brought up toJuly 1st standards. Lending agencies arerefusing to lend money on what they con-sider to be a “contaminated” site, underthe new rules.

Implications of this impasse are far-reaching, because they cast a worrisomeshadow over every site that has been as-sessed and/or cleaned up under the oldrules. It doesn’t matter that you spent $2million cleaning up your site only a fewyears ago; if it doesn’t meet today’s rules

groundwater are 87 µg/L for copper and2.4 µg/L for chloroform. That translatesroughly to 0.000087% for copper and0.0000024% for chloroform.

Compare those with the recom-mended limits for copper in drinkingwater, which are 1000 µg/L and up to100µg/L for chloroform. Therefore, ground-water on your site could be quite fit fordrinking, but would fail to meet the al-lowable site limit. So, you would have toclean it up before you can get financingfor redevelopment!

One of the major human health factorswidely applied in the establishing of lim-its is an increased cancer risk of not morethan one in a million. But, how manypeople are going to develop cancer onany commercial/industrial site from ex-posure through contact with, or ingestionof, soil that exceeds this limit. How longdo they have to be exposed?

We all want to be safe, but how safe issafe and at what cost? Some may say thatone cancer is too many, but the same ar-gument could be made for reducing thespeed limit on our freeways to 10 km/hr.

Have we become so “envirophobic”that we simply accept lower and lowerlimits in the name of greater and greaterenvironmental purity? Where will we bein another ten years? Lower still, or sim-ply bankrupt?

Dr. George Duncan is with A&A Environmental Consultants, E-mail:

[email protected]

Contaminant levels - how safe is safe? By Dr. George Duncan

An abandoned Packard automobile factory.


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CanadianEnvironmental

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Water Treatment

County is not clean enough, they willsimply go back to using potable water forirrigation purposes, increasing the strainon the public water supplies. A better fil-tration system was needed, but only high-quality filtration equipment can removeboth heavy solids such as sand and lighterorganics like algae.

The solutionOrival Inc. was contacted for an auto-

matic self-cleaning filtration solution.The A.R. Thomson Group, the westernCanada representative for Orival, becameinvolved right away providing design andservice assistance to the County.

An ORG/A-040-LS Automatic Self-Cleaning Filter, with a 50-micron weave-wire stainless steel screen, was installedas a pilot filter to determine feasibility.

Figure 1 shows the pilot filter after in-stallation. Farmers simply pull up to adugout with their tanker trucks and fill upwith water to haul back to their fields forirrigation. The filtration system sits be-tween the pump and truck, assuring highwater quality for the most stringent irri-gation system.

Filter operationWater passes into the filter body at the

bottom, as shown in Figure 2, and thenthrough the 50-micron cylindrical screenelement from inside out. Suspendedsolids larger than 50 micron are retainedon the screen surface and soon build up alayer called a filter cake. The openingsbetween particles in this filter cake are

Northern Sunrise County is apicturesque municipal dis-trict in northern Alberta of-fering over 21,000 square

kilometres of adventure and explorationin a pristine landscape. Located 485 kmnorth of Edmonton, it is a short drivesouth of Peace River. Farmers’ markets,museums, hunting, fishing, golfing,camping, early Native American re-en-actments, the Harmon Valley Rodeo,many parks and a winter carnival, makethis a year-round vacation spot.

Steady growth in population, industryand tourism has caused higher demandsfor potable water in the County, exceed-ing capacity of the two local water treat-ment plants. In 2004, the county decidedto initiate a program to lower demand onpotable water for non-potable uses. Oneaspect of this program was to discouragethe use of potable water by farmers for ir-rigation, by providing them with a readysource of non-potable irrigation water.For this purpose, 150-micron, manuallycleaned strainer baskets were installed intwo locations.

The problem with the filtered waterwas that it was still not clean enough. Toconserve water, irrigation systems in usetoday have micro-spray emitters close tothe ground that spray a fine mist of wateronto crops. This method increases irriga-tion efficiency by directing most of thewater onto the ground right around theplants, to cover the root zone, while mini-mizing drift and evaporation losses. Be-cause these micro-spray emitters have suchsmall orifices, water must be free of allsolid particles that could cause clogging.

Throughout Northern Sunrise County,stormwater and spring runoff is collectedin ponds and basins, called dugouts. Thiswater picks up sand, grit and wind-blowndebris, making it unfit for modern water-conserving irrigation systems. Somefarmers may soon start using drip irriga-tion technology, which is more efficientthan micro-spray emitters, but is evenmore dependent on high water quality.

If the water provided to farmers by the

smaller than 50 microns, so the filter cakeacts as a filter medium capturing smallerand smaller particles.

When a differential pressure switchsenses a sustained pressure drop of 7 psiacross the filter, it signals the controllerto initiate a rinse cycle. A rinse valve (1”on this filter model) opens the internalrinse chamber to atmosphere, droppingthe pressure in the chamber. Water wantsto move from the high-pressure filteringchamber to the rinse chamber, but canonly do so by passing into nozzles on thedirt collector and out the hydraulic motorin the rinse chamber.

This water movement causes the hy-draulic motor to rotate the dirt collector.Nozzle openings are so close to thescreen element, that water rushes back-wards through the screen (from clean sideto dirty side) in a very small area at highvelocity. This pulls filter cake off thescreen, into the nozzles, through the dirtcollector, into the rinse chamber and outthe rinse valve to a convenient drain.

A piston on top of the filter is nor-mally pressurized by water pressure,holding the dirt collector down to its low-est position. During the rinse cycle thispressure is bled off, allowing the dirt col-lector to be slowly pushed upward bypressure in the filter chamber. The com-bination of rotation and upward linearmovement causes the nozzles to passevery square inch of screen area, assuringa clean screen.

After about 12 seconds, the cleaningcycle is complete and the rinse valvecloses. The dirt collector stops rotatingand the piston is re-pressurized to placethe dirt collector back into its lower start-ing position. While all this is happening,the filter continues to supply clean fil-tered water downstream to the truck with-out interruption.

The resultsSamples are taken to conduct water

quality analyses, in order to assure farm-ers of trouble-free water. Water comingout of the filter tested at 1.1 NTU, whichis just over the Alberta drinking water

Automatic self-cleaning screen filters help increasepotable water supply in northern AlbertaBy Marcus Alhands

Figure 1. ORIVAL ORG-040-LS pilot filter.


Figure 2. ORIVAL ORG cutaway.


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Water Treatment

standard by 0.1 NTU with no chemicaltreatment.

The results of this pilot test have beenso convincing that a second Orival filterwas purchased and set up as a fully auto-matic self-cleaning filtration system re-quiring no operator intervention. Thepilot unit will be incorporated into thelocal treated water reservoir building,with a new submersible pump that hassufficient output to make the unit fullyautomatic as well.

Supply at the pilot location is fromtwo dug-outs formerly feeding the smalldrinking water plant. A heated buildingand large supply means this site could re-main open year-round for industrial andfirefighting use. The rural dug-out loca-tion will be seasonal only.

More automatic filters are to be pur-chased as the program expands, and thecounty is considering a by-law that willrequire all agricultural water to comefrom filtered dugouts.

Marcus Allhands, Ph.D., P.E., is withOrival Inc. E-mail:[email protected]

To learn more, Call: (905)544-0444, or


www.terratec.amwater.com

Terratec Environmental Ltd. is pleased to announce the ap-pointment of Graham Wathen tothe position of Business Devel-opment Manager. Graham has13 years of experience in the industrial and municipal

wastewater marketplace in European and N. American markets. He has been involved in project and operational management as well as senior business development roles.

He will be an integral part of Terratec’s business development strategies in Canada and USA as well as the company’s work in the bioenergy market. Terratec, one of Canada’slargest biosolids management companies, provides environmentally sustainable, economical and reliable solutions for municipaland industrial residuals, including land application, mineland and quarry rehabilitation,nursery application, pelletizing, nutrient management plan development and biogas pu-rification and reuse.

Appointment Notice



Biowaste Management

waste. In addition, the system shreds thewaste to reduce volume by up to 90%.This ensures optimal exposure to the highconcentration of ozone that is injected intothe treatment chamber, and any residualozone is converted back to oxygen.

“The system is certified 6 log10 reduc-tion (99.9999%), cost-effective, zero-emission, energy-efficient and an environ-mentally sustainable waste treatment tech-nology for medical and other biohaz-ardous waste, including airport andquarantine waste. Each cycle, which lasts15 minutes, can process up to 200 kg (440lb) or 27 cu ft of waste. The system canoperate continuously and uninterrupted,24 hours per day, seven days per week.”

The NG-1000 processing unit requiresa space of 12 ft by 43 ft and a height of17.5 ft (the size of a typical trash com-pactor), a small amount of electricity (8kWh per cycle), pure water (less than 2litres per hour) and compressed air toprocess up to 800 kg of waste per hour.

The Ozonator NG-1000 can be usedeffectively with the following types ofwaste:• Cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biological waste.• Liquid human and animal waste, including blood and blood products and body fluids.

Disposal of biohazardous ma-terial has long been a seriousand costly problem for hos-pitals, clinics, research insti-

tutes, bio-industries, airports, ports andother generators of biohazardous andregulated medical waste. Until now, in-cineration, heat, steam or dangerouschemicals have been the only way to treatmany of these wastes. Not only are theseprocesses costly, but they leave a highcarbon footprint.

A new, ozone-based technology calledOzonator NG-1000 solves many of theseproblems while reducing the costs andenvironmental impact of disposing ofmedical and biohazardous waste, with“zero” emissions.

Ozone, the triatomic form of oxygen(O3), has been used as a sterilizing agentfor more than 100 years. Unlike breath-able diatomic oxygen (O2), ozone is veryunstable, and decays back into O2 withinabout 30 minutes under normal atmos-pheric conditions.

Ozone is able to oxidize a number ofmolecules, including metals, nitrogen ox-ides, carbon, ammonia and sulphides. Itis effective in killing essentially all knownpathogens, including bacteria, fungi,viruses and prions. It does not promoteresistance and leaves no residues.

Ozone is of particular value as a dis-infectant, as it is able to promote the ox-idation of carbon-carbon double bonds(C=C), which are found in many biolog-ical molecules and in other types oforganic compounds, most notably phar-maceuticals.

The Ozonator NG-1000, developedby Peter Klaptchuk, president of Ozona-tor Industries Ltd., based in Regina,Saskatchewan, is a complete, standalonetechnology that is said to be simple to in-stall, operate and maintain. Klaptchuk,who has been in the biohazardous wastebusiness for more than 30 years, explainshow it works:

“The Ozonator NG-1000 is a self-con-tained processing system that producesozone by extracting oxygen from ambientair to sterilize medical and biohazardous

• Pathological waste.• Contaminated waste from animals.• Sharps.• Anatomical waste.• Quarantined waste (airports and border protection).• General waste (hospital ward or kitchen waste, etc.).

Asked if there are there any types ofwaste that cannot be treated by this sys-tem, Klaptchuk replies that, “the Ozona-tor is designed to treat medical andbiohazardous waste. Other hazardouswastes (chemicals and flammables)should still be handled by an approved re-cycling waste stream.”

Dr. Colin D. Rasmussen, who has aPh.D. in cell biology, participated in theOzonator project by reviewing the tech-nology and then facilitating the applica-tion for world patents.

In his review, Dr. Rasmussen statedthat, “the Ozonator system will providean automated method of treating and dis-posing of biomedical waste. As handlingis minimized, so is the risk of infection toworkers. Ozone is not only effectiveagainst prions, but against conventionalpathogens like bacteria and viruses aswell. The finished treated material will besafer to handle than waste treatment byconventional methods. In addition, as

Ozone based technology designed for the treatment and disposal of biohazardous wasteBy John Treleaven

The Ozonator NG-1000.



Biowaste Management

ozone dissipates into the atmospherewhere it naturally transforms back to oxy-gen, its use does not pose an environmen-tal risk.”

Ease of operationStaff can be trained to operate the unit

in less than 60 minutes through the fullyautomated touch screen control. No spe-cialized training or technical qualifica-tions are required.

The on-board monitoring system isself-calibrating, and the programmablelogic control (PLC) unit monitors allfunctions and records and saves the data.Through the display panel, all functionscan be monitored in real time.

The process is a “closed” system, soexposure and risk to the operator and theenvironment is very low. Without the useof pressure, heat, steam or dangerouschemicals, with no waste to drain, noemissions and no odour, the process isclean and safe. So, the technology can beinstalled in hospital settings, transfer sta-tions, airports, correctional facilities andother locations. It can be used as an on-site solution or as part of a commercialservice or even a regional solution forgenerators of biohazardous, quarantinedand regulated medical waste.

An integrated security system ensuresthat only authorized staff can operate theunit. Data loggers record information onthe operator, time of day, load weight andany other parameters that may be re-quired, into the on-board computer forlater use or retrieval via the Internet.

According to Klaptchuk, the systemrequires very little maintenance. Weeklyroutine inspection and cleaning takesabout one hour, while a more in-depth in-spection is performed every threemonths. The technology is designed andbuilt for a 20-plus-year service life.

Treatment processThe Ozonator technology processes

biohazardous waste at room temperature.The critical factor in the treatmentprocess is the level of ozone (up to 9,500ppm) that is injected into the treatmentchamber. The built-in PLC unit ensuresthat the required level of ozone isachieved in the treatment chamber andwill not allow a cycle to be completed un-less this level is reached and maintainedfor approximately 10 minutes.

Disinfection by ozone occurs throughthe rupture of the cell wall. An ozone

level of only 0.4 ppm for four minutes hasbeen shown to kill any bacteria, virus,mould and fungus.

Ozone will inactivate viruses on con-tact, even at very low residual concentra-tions. For polio, only 0.012 ppm removesall viral cells in less than 10 seconds.Viruses are small, independent particles,built of crystals and macromolecules.Unlike bacteria, they multiply only withinthe host cell. Ozone destroys them by dif-fusing through the protein coat into the

nucleic acid core, resulting in damage tothe viral RNA. At high concentrations,ozone destroys the capsid or exterior pro-tein shell by oxidation.

The Ozonator can process up to 200kg of waste every 15 minutes, but thereis no minimum quantity of waste requiredto run a cycle. Waste can be processed asit becomes available, thereby reducingthe need for storage and refrigeration.

Following processing, the treated and


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sterilized waste (compacted and stored ina stainless steel detachable bin) can betransported to municipal landfills as gen-eral waste or used as fuel in a waste-to-energy facility. Processed medical wastehas a calorific value of 36.4 MJ/kg atabout 20% moisture, based on testing re-

sults from Cardiff University in Wales. Ozone destruct units incorporated into

the design convert any surplus ozoneback into diatomic oxygen before vent-ing. The Ozonator incorporates fail-safedevices for measuring and monitoring theoperating atmosphere for levels of ozone.

Radiation detection can be installed tomonitor the raw waste stream entering theprocessing area to safeguard against theaccidental processing of radioactive waste.

Daily efficacy testing is carried outusing simple chemical indicators. On a

monthly basis, biological indicators areused to confirm that the process isachieving sterilization. Requirements fortesting may vary by jurisdiction.

Safety assuranceThe Ozonator has been designed

using the best engineering practices (ISO

9001-2000) and with safety being a pri-ority at all facets of design and construc-tion. All critical process parameters arecontinuously monitored using closed-loop control to ensure feedback, andproper sequential process logic is presentduring the cycle.

This allows users to see, know and un-derstand exactly what has occurred eachstep of the way and in every load of wastethat is treated. From initiation to comple-tion, each cycle is fully monitored anddocumented in the background. On the

operator’s screen, a simple message, in-dicating “cycle process step completed”,ensures that critical data has beenrecorded and that the waste has beenproperly treated.

Should a leak occur in the primarytreatment chamber, the Ozonator has asecondary containment chamber to cap-ture any escaping ozone, which is thendestroyed by the on-board ozone destructunit.

Approval for the use of the Ozonatortechnology as an alternative and safe tech-nology for the treatment of biohazardouswaste (including anatomical and patho-logical waste) has been received withinUS jurisdictions in accordance with theEnvironmental Protection Agency guide-lines. The process has also been reviewedand approved by ETV Canada, the Stateof California, and Health Care WithoutHarm, as well as other regulating author-ities and jurisdictions.

John Treleaven C.I.T.P. is with the Treleaven Consulting Group. For more information, E-mail:

[email protected]

All critical process parameters are continuouslymonitored using closed-loop control to ensure

feedback, and proper sequential process logic ispresent during the cycle.

Biowaste Management

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The 2011 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate, ProfessorStephen R. Carpenter believes that the need to dealwith large catastrophic events such as floods anddroughts will make us rethink how our landscapes

and institutions are built. On August 25, 2011 he received his prize from H.M. King

Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden during a ceremony in Stockholm.He caught everyone’s attention when he said: “Nature is the realeconomy of the world.”

Carpenter is currently Director of the Center for Limnologyat the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Stephen AlfredForbes Professor of Zoology. He is recognized as one of theworld’s most influential environmental scientists in the field ofecology. By combining theoretical models and large-scale lakeexperiments, he has re-framed scientific knowledge of fresh-water environments and how lake ecosystems are impacted byhumans and the surrounding landscape.

“As a young scientist I was deeply interested in why lakesfunction the way they do and why questions drive an interdis-ciplinary view. Limnology brings together physics, chemistryand biology, so it’s naturally interdisciplinary,” he explains.

Carpenter is well known for his research on trophic cascadesin lakes – a concept which describes how impacts on anyspecies in an ecosystem will cascade down, or up, the foodchain. For example, overfishing of large fish in a lake can resultin an increase of small fish, thus decreasing the abundance ofzooplankton further down the food chain. This would increasethe growth of algae and amplify the effects of eutrophication.If large fish are introduced into a lake, the opposite effectwill cascade down the food chain.

These findings have influenced concrete strategies for deal-ing with eutrophication in different areas around the world andhave provided a practical framework for the management offresh-water resources. This resulted in the understanding thatit might not be enough to reduce the quantity of nutrients en-

tering a lake in order to overcome water quality problems, butthat one might need to change the composition of the fish com-munity as well. Professor Carpenter’s research has proved tohave broad applicability to other ecosystems than lakes.

For more information, visit www.siwi.org

Dr. Carpenter, left received his prize from H.M. King CarlXVI Gustaf of Sweden.

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Dr. Carpenter is well known for his research on trophic cascades in lakes.



Stormwater Management

siderations, in situ soil percolation rates,impervious soils, or rock levels, have tobe identified and characterized. Guide-lines for runoff management (using infil-tration products) usually recommend aone-metre zone between the bottom ofthe constructed infiltration system andthe recharged groundwater level.

Groundwater recharge calculationshave characteristics similar to calculationsfor wastewater leachate field construction.The one-metre zone helps ensure that con-taminated stormwater will not be in directcontact with groundwater.

Engineered solutionsCriteria needed to be incorporated in

the typical design of engineered solutionsfor stormwater management projects areaddressed with precast concrete products.Hydraulics and the structural behaviourof concrete pipe and boxes are well doc-umented. Circular concrete pipes are con-sidered smooth walled for calculating

New opportunities are emerg-ing for concrete pipe andboxes to bridge the technol-ogy gap between policy

related to climate change and implemen-tation in the form of new legislation, rulesand guidelines.

It is well understood that managementand harvesting of stormwater and snowmelt, along with potable water conserva-tion, are fundamental considerations innew development and redevelopmentprojects. The products and materials usedfor stormwater management are varied,providing the system designer with awide range of choice.

Consideration of Low Impact Devel-opment (LID) devices and systems bymunicipalities is appearing more fre-quently in planning for and rehabilitatingstormwater management systems. LIDmay include products like pervious pave-ment, and integrated tree, soil and rain-water retention systems under roadwaysand parking lots. Such projects involvesome form of drainage.

Precast concrete products are ideal forstormwater management, because of thedifferent shapes available for various in-stallations. Performance of low risk con-crete systems is reliable, and componentsthat make up the systems can be producedwith different strengths.

In Canada, the Public Sector Account-ing Board (PSAB), made up of seniorgovernment executives and experts ingovernment financial reporting, is an in-tegral part of asset management that im-pacts the design of infrastructure. Theoutcome of financial reporting for PSABis an evaluation of the value of urban in-frastructure assets. One could argue thatPSAB (and Governmental AccountingStandards Board (GASB) Statement 34in the US) is partially responsible forgreater care in selecting products for sew-ers and rehabilitation/replacement of oldpipelines and culverts.

Recharging groundwater supply by al-lowing stormwater to infiltrate is often adesired solution, but this requires a thor-ough site investigation. Among other con-

roughness coefficients, and studies havedocumented their hydraulic capacity.Structural calculations must be under-taken for buried infrastructure.

SIDD-type (Standard Installation Di-rect Design) installations give design en-gineers a broad range of possibilities,from cost-effective installations withSIDD Type 4 (that rely mostly on the in-herent strength of rigid concrete pipe), tothe most structural-dependent installationwith SIDD Type1 that withstands veryhigh fill heights. The SIDD model con-siders an embankment or trench installa-tion. Safety factors, and a conservativedesign approach used in the SIDD model,can provide design engineers with a morethan adequate comfort level for perform-ance and durability.

Watertight performance is also metwith concrete pipe and other precast prod-ucts. Sealing devices, such as rubber gas-kets, can provide the level of water

Using new precast concrete products for stormwater management By A. Grant Lee and Nathalie Lasnier

Precast concrete products are ideal for stormwater management, because ofthe different shapes available for various installations.



Stormwater Management

tightness specified for any runoff man-agement project. Standardized hydrostatictests performed on circular concrete pipesare undertaken at higher pressures thanmost competing pipe materials. Thesetests try to represent less than ideal instal-lations and are conducted with jointsopened, or with localized surcharges.

Standards used by design engineersshould reflect the quality control systemsneeded to not only meet the standard itselfbut to meet the performance expectationof the project. Mature standards have beenin use for decades, and reviewed periodi-cally. These standards specify, in a verycomplete way, the materials, dimensions,production processes, testing, tolerances,and marking requirements needed to pro-vide acceptable products.

In North America, many standardiza-tion bodies exist, and all of them havetheir own specifications for concrete pipeand precast products. These are publishedby CSA (Canadian Standards Associa-tion), BNQ (Bureau de normalisation duQuébec), AASHTO (American Associa-tion of State Highway and TransportationOfficials), ACI (American Concrete In-stitute), and ASTM (American Societyfor Testing and Materials). Canadianstandards for concrete pipe, manholes,materials and construction include CSAA23.4, CSA A257 series, BNQ 2622-126and BNQ 2622-420.

Certification programs are adopted inindustry to complement the manufactur-ing standards, and evaluate quality controlsystems. For a stormwater managementproject, a product that is certified to meeta particular standard is an important partof the design, as well as an overall addedvalue to the project. Otherwise, design en-gineers should specify the acceptableproof of compliance to the specified stan-dard.

The certification mark on the productmeans that compliance to the specifiedstandard is regulated by an industry-widequality system, and that third party auditsare performed.

Monitoring installations on-site andfollowing installation standards are im-portant to achieve a century-long servicelife of a pipeline or culvert. Concrete pipeand precast products offer that extrasafety factor by having strength built-in,instead of relying solely on compactedsoil and imported select material for

structure.The shift to so-called “green” prod-

ucts, standards, specifications and bestpractices has opened the marketplace tonew, alternative products and materialsfor managing runoff. Engineers should beaware of “green claims” and green wash-ing of infrastructure products that by def-inition have to perform in the ground forgenerations. As in the distant past, con-crete pipe producers are employing newtechnology, engaging in research and de-

velopment, and developing better stan-dards and specifications to build standardproducts with service lives well beyondthe 100-year mark.

A.Grant Lee is manager of the Canadian Concrete Pipe Association.

E-mail: [email protected] Lasnier is Directrice générale

of Tubécon (association of Québec concrete pipe producers).


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Site Remediation

The historical approach to soilremediation for brownfieldsites has generally focused on“dig and dump” methods. In-

dustry experience suggests that roughly10% of environmental projects go tosome form of remediation. The generalapproach of responding to these remedi-ation projects has included excavationand off-site disposal, as well as a numberof ex situ and in situ options (bio-piling,product recovery, soil vapour extraction,bioventing and bioremediation, etc.).

However, with the introduction of new,more stringent regulations and standards,there has been a shift to considering alter-native and innovative remediation tech-nologies that are not only sustainable andcost-effective, but also mobile. In fact,there are “sustainable mobility” solutionsthat have delivered, and are delivering,leading-edge technology to challengingsites across Canada.

Alternative sustainable technologies, such as mobile soilwashing systems, allow for the recycling of soils for reuse on-site. This can eliminate the need for trucks for both haulage ofcontaminated product off-site and haulage of clean backfill tothe site, thereby reducing the carbon footprint. Water used inthe mobile soil washing system is treated and reused in the sys-tem. Organic by-products can also be reused as a biofuel.

These systems are scalable, with units sized to process var-ious Contaminants of Concern (including semi-volatiles, fuels,heavy metals, VOCs, pesticides, and PCBs) from 5 to over 100tonnes/hour.

What is soil washing?Conventional Soil Washing is a technique for concentrating

contaminants through separation, but it does not destroy or im-mobilize them. It is an ex situ process that treats contaminatedsoil through the physical separation of particles from eachother, based on characteristics such as size, shape, density, andsolubility. It operates on the principal that contaminants are as-sociated with certain size fractions of soil particles and thatthese contaminants can be dissolved or suspended in a washsolution; removed by separating out clay and silt particles fromthe bulk material matrix; or, separated through physical differ-ences between the contaminant and the soil.

Enhanced Soil Washing involves the use of soluble andchemical processes to remove contaminants from the solidphase and convert them into more concentrated forms or lesstoxic forms in the liquid phase. The liquid phase is then treatedand reused in the closed-loop system.

Since each site tends to be unique in terms of contaminationand site-specific soil characteristics, there is not a “one size

Mobile treatment allows different approach tobrownfield management By Chris MacEachern

Toronto’s Port Lands.

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Site Remediation

fits all” solution when applying soil washing. Properties willvary based on the type of contamination present, the weather-ing effects of contaminants within a particular soil matrix, aswell as the soil type present.

In July 2010, Waterfront Toronto established the Port LandsPilot Soil Recycling Facility as part of their soil managementstrategy and overall commitment to sustainability. The 10,000m3 soil recycling pilot test, utilizing conventional soil washingas a primary technology, along with the testing of secondarytechnologies, showed that a “train” of treatment technologieswere required to meet the new Ontario 2011 generic soil stan-dards.

Waterfront Toronto’s innovative approach to soil remediationand the pilot facility were recognized with a 2010 CanadianUrban Institute Brownie award.

Case StudyCleanEarth Technologies Inc. utilized sustainable mobility

through soil washing on a 6,000 tonne project at a former HalifaxInfirmary site. Remediation of the site was part of a demolitionproject, and as such, the technology had to operate within a smallfootprint. Metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)were treated on site and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH)were treated at a fixed facility due to client timing preferences.

A processing rate greater than 100 tonnes per hour wasachieved. Over 95% of metal and PAH-contaminated soils wastreated to residential levels, and 100% of TPH-contaminatedsoil was treated to residential levels. This eliminated the needfor an on-site containment cell for heavy metals. Also, signif-icant trucking costs were saved.

How can mobile soil washing benefit you?The ability to utilize multi-site, sustainable mobility solutions

is not hindered by size. For larger sites, the technology allows formobilization of an on-site soil washing treatment system (for ex-ample, from 50 to 100+ tonnes/hour). It is possible to reusecleaned materials for backfilling on- or off-site. For a portfolioof large and small sites, the opportunity exists for larger sites tobe the central processing area for the mobile soil washing treat-ment system. The system would then receive soils fromsmaller/restricted area sites. Cleaned materials can be reused forbackfilling.

For smaller/restricted area sites, the solution is a small-scalemobile unit (for example, 5 tonnes/hour).

The shift to innovative remediation technologies and sus-tainable mobility has been significant.

However, it should be noted that there are limitations to thisinnovative approach, including regulations related to the off-property use of recycled soils; soil inputs with >50% clay con-tent; and inert fill/clean fill guidelines (or lack thereof) versusbrownfield soil standards. However, sustainable mobility solu-tions do exist for brownfield management, that are scalable tothe nature of the project and are cost-competitive compared toconventional “dig and dump” methods.

Chris MacEachern is with Tetra Tech. E-mail: [email protected]



Emergency Preparedness

My old Labrador retrieverwas afraid of nothing, ex-cept storms. She couldhear thunder long before I

could and would immediately seek shelter.Going underground in a storm or extremeweather is natural for animals. Desert an-imals seek shelter from extreme heat,while northern species hibernate throughthe long winter months without freezing.

On a recent trip with my grandchil-dren I found myself in a rented condo-minium watching an extreme stormapproach. The local television station pro-vided details of where tornadoes mighttouch down. With no basement to run to,we developed a plan to hide in the small,main floor bathroom if things becamebad. It was when the local radio an-nouncer said, “all people living in mobilehomes get out now and seek shelter”, thatI knew there was a serious problem. Thequestion was: Where do you go in the

Underground shelters constructed of corrugated steel pipe (CSP) provide immediate protection from storms.

Corrugated steel pipe has a long history of shelter use By Dave Penny



Emergency Preparedness

middle of the night in the pouring rain?A number of communities, trailer

parks, children’s camps and individualhomeowners have found a solution. Un-derground shelters constructed of corru-gated steel pipe (CSP) provide immediateprotection from storms.

CSP has a long history of undergroundshelter. During World War II, countlesslives were spared in backyard bomb shel-ters and military bunkers. The Cold War

encouraged the installation of private bombshelters. CSP formed a major componentof the “Diefenbunker” where members ofthe Canadian parliament could hide andoperate in the event of a nuclear attack. TheSvalbard Global Seed Vault is located nearLongyerbyen, Norway, the world’s mostnorthern town. This vault was built to last10,000 years and contains and protectssamples of all the seeds that have ever beengrown and collected.

While the large vaults are often under-ground chambers carved deep into rock,the entrances are constructed as long,sloping tunnels or portals of structuralplate corrugated steel pipe (SPCSP).These must not only support heavy over-burden but also must resist a variety ofimpact and live loads resulting fromearthquakes, storms and war time events.

Storm shelters for personal or com-munity use, tend to be smaller. The mainchamber, usually consisting of a threemetre length of 2,400 mm diameter CSP,is set on a horizontal plane, either under-ground or on the surface, and is coveredby a mound of earth. These structures caneasily be expanded, simply by adding ad-

In some cases, the corrugated steelpipe is installed vertically as a caissonwith a hatch door on top.

ditional lengths of CSP. As storms develop quickly and often

with little warning, attention must be paidto the entrance design and location. Itmust be easy to find in extreme weatherand be accessible to persons of all agesand physical ability. Entrances may varyfrom a wheelchair accessible full heighthinged door to a vertical access hole. Ac-cess may be a ramp, stairs, ladder, a firepole, a tube slide or a combination ofthese to ensure that everyone can get in-side quickly and safely.

In some cases, the corrugated steelpipe is installed vertically as a caissonwith a hatch door on top. These entrancesare accessed by ladder or fabricatedstairs. While most shelters are round,pipe-arch shapes are often used to reduceexcavation or to fit into a restricted space.

It is important to let someone from outof town and your fire department knowthat you have a storm shelter. They willbe looking for you.

Dave Penny is with the CorrugatedSteel Pipe Institute. E-mail:

[email protected]



Infrastructure Renewal

may not have a pot of gold for youraging infrastructure, but we can sharewith you a new strategy we’re pilotingthat may help bring you closer to amade-in-your-town solution.

Action plans for neighbourhoodsIn close collaboration with municipal

and community partners, Toronto andRegion Conservation Authority (TRCA)

is piloting a series of SNAPs (Sustain-able Neighbourhood Retrofit ActionPlans). The first three SNAPs are takingplace in Brampton, Richmond Hill, andToronto. Additional SNAPs are startingin Mississauga and Markham.

Working on a neighbourhood, orstormwater catchment scale, each SNAPseeks to analyze water, energy and natu-ral heritage retrofit needs within the con-

Your municipality has justcompleted a major strategiclevel policy, perhaps a greenplan or integrated commu-

nity sustainability plan. Councillors andstaff are feeling optimistic about newprograms touting increased sustainabil-ity and community improvement.

It’s time to start putting strategies intopractice, but the idea of launching newprojects seems overwhelming, given thesignificant municipal infrastructurechallenges you are already experiencing.Furthermore, many of the new directionswill require extensive participation bylocal landowners and a delicate balanc-ing of competing demands for limitedland and resources.

Municipalities across the country arefaced with a similar situation. Road,water and transit infrastructure is agingand neighbourhoods are getting older. Arecent Metroland Media report, focusingon the increasing gap in infrastructureinvestment, noted that approximately60% of Ontario’s buildings, roads andwater systems are upwards of 50 yearsold. The most recent census indicatesthat almost 70% of Ontario homes areover 25 years old.

At the same time, the public sector islooking for increased efficiency and newways of funding infrastructure and retro-

fit works. Flooding and other climate-re-lated threats to private property andhuman health are becoming a top prior-ity. Municipalities are also working withconservation authorities and other or-ganizations to protect and restore water-sheds and to introduce a system of greeninfrastructure through investment inurban forests and natural heritage.

How to get things moving? Well, we

text of social and economic interests.SNAPs also seek to document currentconditions and set a framework of localsustainability targets, so that the changeand impact of local actions can betracked over time.

SNAPs seek to integrate multiple in-frastructure and community needs. Theprocess allows us to listen to communitydesires for the neighbourhood, ratherthan simply dictating the “best engineer-ing” solution. The process can also helpidentify private infrastructure renewalneeds and be a channel for engagingother public or private investment. It canassist in the appropriate sizing of newinfrastructure, based on local conditionsand actions, and helps build resiliencyinto a community to brace against ex-treme weather.

New partnerships, innovative projectsand funding solutions are key aspects ofSNAPs. The concept starts with localand regional municipalities and TRCAcoming together to identify a candidateneighbourhood that aligns with plannedcapital works and watershed regenera-tion priorities. Then meetings are held

A glimpse into key directions for County Court SNAP in Brampton, Ontario.

SNAPs help integrate infrastructure renewal withcommunity needsBy Shannon Logan, Sonya Meek, Hamid Hatami, John Nemeth and David Kellershohn

The SNAP aims to quantify performance estimates, including stormwater targets, water re-use potential, urban forest and natural cover

increases, ecoservices provided, water and energysavings and food production potential.




with known community leaders, or implementation groupsand councilors, to confirm their interest in participating in aSNAP project.

The outcome is a tailored retrofit plan that addresses mul-tiple objectives, launches innovative demonstration projectsand puts forward a long-term vision with an implementationstrategy to get there. The SNAP aims to quantify performanceestimates, including stormwater targets, water re-use poten-tial, urban forest and natural cover increases, ecoservices pro-vided, water and energy savings and food productionpotential.

Specific examples of SNAPsThe County Court SNAP focuses on the development of a

template for sustainable transformation of a 30-year-old sub-urban neighbourhood in Brampton, Ontario. It was selectedprimarily due to the need to retrofit the local municipalstormwater facility. An active and multi-faceted approach hasbeen used to engage residents and businesses, to better un-derstand their ideas and activities.

In addition to interests in at-home energy conservation andlow-maintenance landscaping, we heard there was little con-nection locally between residents, and that public spaces wereunderutilized. This has helped shape a SNAP with an overallfocus on creating a sense of community and a sense of place,through key public realm enhancements supported bylandowner action on private lands.

Key directions for the County Court SNAP include:• Retrofit of the aging stormwater pond to address water quality and volume objectives and also serve as a community amenity. • Vegetated bump-outs along the boulevards to complement stormwater filtration and improved streetscape. • A system of neighbourhood rainwater storage, for irrigation of nearby golf clubs and water conservation. • Renewal of County Court Park to better suit recreation needs and integrate environmental education features and community gathering space. • A template for green design at the Court House parking lot. • Habitat restoration along the creek valley and in the golf courses.

The Lake Wilcox SNAP for Richmond Hill, Ontario,builds on a long history of local environmental awareness.This SNAP seeks to complement the Town’s ongoing effortsto improve water quality and lake health by focusing on waterand landscape management at new and older homes. It alsobrings attention to the area’s significant natural heritage fea-tures.

Key directions for the Lake Wilcox SNAP include: • Working closely with the well-established environmental groups in the area to engage homeowners in lot level practices with a stormwater focus for older lots, and naturalization for newer lots. • Private- and public-sector demonstrations, to act as conversation starters and inspiration for property owners. • Increased visitor education and stewardship around problematic invasive species and enhanced care for natural areas.




• Facilitation of green building and re-newable energy features, as part of ren-ovation in older areas.

The Black Creek SNAP, located in-Toronto, seeks to create a collaborativeplan that supports the City’s goal to re-duce basement flooding through im-

proved stormwater source controls andenvironmental improvement. Based onan understanding of community interestsin job training, income opportunities andincreased food security, the partnershave been working alongside commu-nity groups and green change agents toidentify local projects that address mul-tiple socio-economic and environmentalissues.

Therefore, key directions for the

• A community-wide urban agriculture program to increase access to local food production, which incorporates rainwater harvesting and re-use. • Increased revenues through facilitation of community-based power projects on high-rise buildings. • Improved natural heritage and stormwater management through green parking lots and neighbourhood tree planting.

It is often difficult to get residentsand businesses excited about infrastruc-ture improvements, or basement flood-ing solutions. That’s why SNAPs go wellbeyond the standard public consultationprocess and actively seek out local com-munity interests and explore solutionsthat complement them. In this way,SNAPs act as a bridge between the goalsof a municipality and those of the com-munity.

The demographics across the threeSNAPs are very different and each re-quires a tailored approach to communityengagement. Activities range from fun,family-oriented events, to more research-oriented activities designed to obtain feed-

ES&E editor Steve Davey enjoying asummer sail on Lake Wilcox, which isthe largest of several lakes located inRichmond Hill. (Photo Tom Davey)

The Lake Wilcox SNAPfor Richmond Hill,

Ontario, builds on along history of local

environmental awareness.

Black Creek SNAP include: • A residential pilot program for rainwater-fed vegetable gardens tied closely to the City’s downspout disconnection program.



formations in Lake Wilcox, and the Cen-tre for Green Change community huband green social enterprise in BlackCreek.

There is still work to be done. Eachof the three SNAPs described is cur-rently being refined, with full implemen-tation plans and financing strategies.

Even though we’re midway through theprocess, we feel there is much to learnfrom these projects. So far, they aredemonstrating a positive approach to en-gaging a diverse set of players in creat-ing a model for renewal of olderneighbourhoods.

By engaging a broader set of stake-

back from “beyond the converted” mem-bers of the community. These include per-son-on-the-street interviews, online anddoor-to-door surveys, focus groups,roundtable discussions with interested res-idents, barbecues in the park, newsletters,interactive workshops for kids, makeoverdemonstration projects, and SNAP out-reach at local events and fairs.

Helping residents make changes ontheir own property is an essential part ofa neighbourhood SNAP. Each plan usescommunity-based social marketing tech-niques to help with targeted actions,such as sustainable landscaping, treeplanting and home renovation. Researchsurveys and focus groups help to iden-tify and address barriers to change, andallow us to test local strategies for suc-cessful implementation.

We are finding that using demonstra-tion projects, during plan development,helps build community awareness andexcitement about the project. Corner-stone demonstrations include a water-wise garden in the park and a total greenmakeover of a detached home in CountyCourt, two front-yard landscape trans-

holders at the neighbourhood scale andconsidering multiple objectives, theSNAPs have identified strategic infra-structure options, that we believe makeefficient use of land and present oppor-tunities for resource-sharing. To learnmore about SNAPs, visit www.sustain-ableneighbourhoods.ca.

Shannon Logan and Sonya Meek arewith Toronto and Region ConservationAuthority. Hamid Hatami is with the

City of Brampton. John Nemeth is withthe Town of Richmond Hill and David

Kellershohn is with the City of Toronto.The authors wish to acknowledge fund-

ing from Region of Peel, Region ofYork, City of Toronto, Federation ofCanadian Municipalities, Metcalfe

Foundation, Enbridge Gas and numer-ous private-sector partners. They alsowish to acknowledge the involvementof Dillon Consulting, Urban Metrics,

Aquafor Beech, Planning Alliance,LURA, ARUP, and DuToit Allsopp

Hillier.

Each of the threeSNAPs described is currently being refined, with full

implementation plansand financing

strategies.



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Wastewater Treatment

The development of sludge min-imization technologies contin-ues to advance, both forapplications within the liquid

treatment process and for digester pre-treatment. Most waste activated sludgereduction technologies have full-scale ap-plications for industrial or municipalwastewater in Europe and Australasia,with a much slower implementation ratein North America. The exception to thistrend is combination biological processessuch as Cannibal®, which was developedin North America and has found wideracceptance.

However, many technologies have alimited number of installations (e.g.,chemical treatment technologies), andsome technologies have shown mixedperformance, particularly on applica-tions in North America (e.g., physicalpretreatment for digestion).

A recent study by the Water Environ-

WERF evaluates processes that reduce the generationof activated sludge solids and disposal costs

ment Research Foundation providesvaluable insight into cutting-edge re-search and emerging technologies asso-ciated with sludge minimization. Dataanalysis indicates positive results, al-though the performance of the sametechnology is often significantly differ-ent at separate facilities.

This study improves the understandingof why some sludges are more susceptibleto these technologies than others. The suc-cess of a technology depends on under-standing the mechanisms and processparameters; particular waste stream char-acteristics and economic conditions; theuse of appropriate operational parameters,such as adequate input energy for physicalprocesses; and the economics of heat,sludge disposal, existing infrastructure,equipment, and chemical costs.

The technologies that were includedin the evaluation, and the mechanisticprinciple category they represent, were:

• Biological: Combination process – Cannibal® process • Physical: Thermal hydrolysis – Cambi® process • Physical: Pressure release – Crown® Disintegrator • Physical/Chemical: Chemical conditioning and homogenization – MicroSludge®

These technologies also provided op-erating plant information, as well assludge samples that were used for thelaboratory testing program conducted aspart of this project.

The research team also obtained andevaluated data from a Microsludge®

demonstration study conducted at theDes Moines, Iowa, Water ReclamationFacility. One goal of this research was todetermine whether there were indicatorseither in the wastewater constituents, inthe biological sludge characteristics, orin the plant operation that would provide



Wastewater Treatment

insight into the potential for solids re-duction technologies to be successful.

The second goal of the study was to in-vestigate mechanisms for solids reduc-tion. This was conducted using data fromboth full-scale facilities as well as labora-tory units where sludge reduction tech-nologies could be compared with samplesthat were not treated or processed.

The third goal was to develop a mod-eling approach that could predict solidsreduction if adequate data were provided.This would include distinguishing be-tween processes that increased the rateof degradation and those that increasedthe extent of degradation. The modelwould also include processes that in-creased cell lysis and those that primarilysolubilized particulate organic matter.

To that end, this project has devel-oped a general framework for simulatingwaste activated sludge reduction tech-nologies using generally-accepted andused models.

Findings and recommendationsSludge reduction mechanisms gener-

ally fall into the following three categories:• Mechanisms that solubilize sludge

solids and lyse cells, thereby increasingthe rate of degradation; • Mechanisms that render the non-degradable organic fraction degradable,thereby increasing the extent of degrada-tion; • Mechanisms that result in the genera-tion of less sludge by process modifica-tion.

Several processes claim to rendersolids more biodegradable, and most ofthe vendors of these processes claim thatboth cell lysis and solubilization of partic-

ulate solids occur. These include: mechan-ical shear, sonication, pressure release,heating under pressure and chemical oxi-dation.

Most sludge reduction vendors claimto both increase the rate and extent ofdegradation. However, it is not clear thatthis is accomplished based on the dataavailable from this study. Data fromother investigations have found an in-crease in both the rate and the extent ofdegradation, but it is also not clear towhat extent cell lysis accounts for in-creases in solids reduction.

Modifiying the activated sludgeprocess, usually at the return sludge re-cycle stream, can directly reduce solids(e.g., by chemical oxidation) or can sol-ubilize solids in the same manner as theother two mechanisms, resulting in rapiddegradation when the recycle streamreenters the aeration basin.

To order this report, visitwww.werf.org.

This project has developed a general

framework for simulating waste activated sludge

reduction technologiesusing generally-

accepted and used models.



Each year, ES&E invites experts and leaders in environmental consulting to share their opinions, experiencesand values with our readers. We continue to be honored every

year with erudite responses from some of our leading consulting engineers. Their opinions are based on many yearsof collective experience in maintaining high standards, while

keeping up with the diversity and complexities of environmental engineering and managerial leadership.

gardless of the warning signs. By the time we hit Stage 4, we are on

the downside of the curve, in a steepdownward decline. We start to grasp atanything we think can pull us out, includ-ing searching for charismatic leaders, im-plementation of new and unprovenstrategies, and strategic acquisitions, allto stop the slide.

Collins believes companies can comeback from Stage 4. If they hit Stage 5 theyare pretty much doomed, having seen aloss in confidence by senior practitioners,erosion of financial strength, and a gen-eral loss of hope that leads to a companysale or outright death. The curve flat-lines.

The implication for consultants is thatif we continue to do things as we havedone in the past, we will not be sustain-able as a sector. We have all witnessedfailures of businesses in our personal andprofessional lives, so this process shouldcome as no surprise. It is presented herenot to preach gloom and doom, but ratherto show how to identify warning signsand address them — in effect, to stimu-late us to move to a new reality.

Real acknowledgement of issues willlead to formal dialogue, reviews of strate-gies, and ultimately reformulation ofplans that need long gestation periods toimplement and reap the benefits.

Current issues that are bandied aroundmake us seem like a broken record, andby “us” I refer to consulting firms, as wellas our clients. The more I get around inmy role as current chair of Consulting

Those of us with engineeringfirms spend a lot of time chas-ing work to satisfy corporatenear-term financial perform-

ance targets and mandates. I propose thatspending more time on the long-termview would provide greater benefits interms of company longevity, staff reten-tion and client satisfaction. We need todefine the “new reality,” then adjust ourcurrent thought processes to positionourselves to flourish in it.

Is engineering in decline as a sector?Jim Collins, author of the book, How theMighty Fall (Harper Collins 2009), wasable to capture the five stages of declineof a business or industry. While he maynot have been thinking of us specifically,his perspectives are applicable to our sec-tor. The stages are:Stage 1: Hubris born of successStage 2: Undisciplined pursuit of moreStage 3: Denial of risk and perilStage 4: Grasping for salvationStage 5: Capitulation to irrelevance

or deathThe five stages look somewhat like a

bell curve as a firm moves through them,not unlike the product life cycle. Stage 1sees a firm slowly building up its sales (orin our case, its client base). The curvesteepens in Stage 2 as success breedsmore success, often bringing in workahead of sufficient resources to deliver it.Stage 3 sees the curve peak and flatten,and the beginnings of a slowing of themarket, or expansion efforts, and failureto retune operations to those realities, re-

Engineers of Ontario, the more repetitivethe discussions become. They covermany elements, but ultimately comedown to three things: money, quality andtalent.

MoneyCertainly, the global financial crisis

has had an impact on our ability to fundmuch-needed infrastructure improve-ments. Looking ahead, I don’t see anynear-term relief or opening of the finan-cial floodgates from governments at anylevel. So money (or lack thereof) is defi-nitely an issue to be dealt with.

Is the only answer to the current stateof the industry to chase down moremoney? No, but it is part of the answer.If we had the political will, we could in-vite external capital to our marketplace tofund the current infrastructure deficit,which is anywhere between $20 billionand over $100 billion, depending on whoyou talk to. The creation of water boards,commissions and other arm’s-length en-tities will have some benefit, in that theycan borrow money without affecting mu-nicipal debt servicing capacity limits.

Raising water and sewer rates is some-thing that must occur, as we are still notin full-cost recovery mode in many mu-nicipalities.

Quantifying critical infrastructureproject-related risks to our political mas-ters would help. At the same time, thispresents a double-edged sword. We wantthem to understand the projects that theyneed to fund to be able to take educateddecisions, but at the same time we want

Is the future all gloom and doom,or is there still opportunity?

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



them to focus on governing, rather thanon the capital planning processes thatoccur in their engineering departments.Better communication between owners’engineering departments and councils iscentral to identifying and prioritizingneeds, then jointly putting plans in placeto address them.

There are concerns at the politicallevel about the public’s resistance to rateincreases, but I would propose that es-pousing the benefits of long-term secu-rity and safety would go a long waytowards gaining that acceptance. Rate in-creases will occur regardless of any out-cry, and we must work continuously withthe public to reinforce their near- andlong-term benefits. We seem to forgetthat as a country, we have some of thelowest rates in the world. It doesn’t hurtto bring this up in discussions.

QualityQuality is a function of time, talent and

experience. It goes without saying thatsufficient fees need to be provided to de-liver a project. I don’t want to beat the feesargument to death. It is still a contentiousissue with many clients and it does shadehow we consultants apportion work inter-nally to keep fees down. But, it can ulti-mately affect the quality of deliverables.

How is quality achieved? Throughthoughtful design, sufficient internal andexternal review, and collaborative discus-sions between contractor, consultant andclient owner at all stages of a project.Minimization of project risk is a directbenefit of higher levels of attention, dur-ing design and implementation.

Where we can fall through the cracksis by delegating increasing amounts ofdetailed design effort to inexperiencedstaff to keep overall project fees down.This in itself doesn’t have to be a prob-lem, if senior staff members are availableto critique deliverables before they aresent to the clients and contractors.

We should consider why litigationagainst consulting engineering firms isbecoming more common today than itwas in the past. Something in the industryhas changed in recent decades, and I canrelate it to quality outcomes born of in-experience. The junior–intermediate–se-nior balance in project resourcing needsto be reviewed.

TalentWe are seeing some great talent enter-

ing our sector, much of it from countries

outside North America. Where is home-grown youth? Many of our bright youngpeople complete engineering educations,but for various reasons either don’t gointo consulting or, shortly after enteringit, decide to leave to pursue other endeav-ours in different sectors.

We are increasingly seeing that an en-gineering education has become a step-ping stone for entry into advancededucation programs in preparation forother vocations. Many of them, like law,or teaching, can be more financially lu-crative, while also offering a more attrac-tive work/life balance and lower riskprofile.

Some of this relates to the inability ofour education system to turn out peoplewith relevant training. But another factoris the lack of role models and our inabil-ity to use social media channels, includ-ing television, to influence career choicesof youth and direct them to enter techni-cal fields.

If you were a young, impressionableteen flicking through television channelsat the beginning of the new season, youwould see career options from realityshows that include alligator hunter, crabfisherman and antique picker, amongothers. One sort of positive example ofengineers is The Big Bang Theory, al-though the show conjures up the standardgeeky and socially inept stereotype of thescientist and engineer. This is not reallyrepresentative of our industry today, or ofthe kind of people we need in the future.

What do you want your kids to bewhen they grow up? I would hope theywould be employed in some field thatprovides a comfortable income, directlybenefits their employer (which could bea municipality or consultant) and con-tributes to the betterment of society. Weneed to find a way to make engineeringmore inviting, enticing and exciting to at-tract our youth.

Effecting changeHow can we address these issues? Do

we change the type of work we do?Should we morph into a P3 model wherethe consultant is a member of the contrac-tor’s team? Should we continue to pushdesign down to suppliers to keep our owncosts and, therefore, our client fees down?We can begin to effect change by:• Acknowledging that there has been a decline in service delivery.• Identifying the underlying issues, then

building strategies to address each one.• Accepting that we will probably not soon (if ever) achieve the same level of fees as in the past.• Understanding that clients will continue to tighten project quality and timeline requirements. • Recognizing that new hires will have different work/life priorities.

Consulting firms will need to supporteach other in how they practise engineer-ing. All need to take the long view in es-tablishing growth by hiring young,growing staff internally, and training re-placements through formal successionplanning exercises. Improved levels ofstaff retention will help the individualfirm and the consulting sector.

Firms need to understand that companydecisions influence the health of the indus-try, sometimes to its detriment. Taking thelonger-term view of industry survival mayaffect near-term decision-making, but willbe beneficial overall.

Getting staff involved with industryorganizations is important. Volunteerismcan be as simple as joining a Young Pro-fessionals group at your firm, all the wayto joining an industry-wide associationthat looks out for the good of us all.

We have typically stayed away fromgovernment, but cannot afford to do soany longer. Engineers need to move intopolitics to help drive change in the indus-try, and our firms need to support thosewho choose to serve. We have been push-ing for engineers to run for political of-fice and the recent election saw eightprofessional engineers step up.

Relevant, meaningful and substantivechange occurs mainly at the politicallevel. We can ensure our survival by be-coming trusted advisors to politicians, bypushing for fair consideration of social,technical and financial analyses in the de-cision-making processes related to infra-structure projects.

Times are changing. We need to ac-knowledge this fact and move forwardcollectively as a sector. The signs arethere, the issues have been identified, theoutcomes of inaction are known, and theway forward is clear.

Contact: [email protected]



nicipalities to deliver world-class waterand sewage services to their residents.These schemes continued the role of fi-nancing, designing and constructingwater and sewage works that the ministryinherited from its predecessor, the On-tario Water Resources Commission.

In 1987, for example, the provincialgovernment introduced Lifelines, a grantprogram with the goal of cost-effectivelyrehabilitating existing water and sewagesystems. As it had done in the past, thegovernment favoured smaller municipal-ities, so those with populations less than1,000 received as much as 85% of thetotal cost of planned infrastructure im-provements.

The Lifelines program was just one ina long tradition of financial assistanceprograms that provided capital funds forwater and sewage infrastructure, a keydriver for accommodating population,and hence economic, growth.

So what can we expect from JimBradley this time around?

First of all, he is the environment min-ister under a minority government. Mov-ing forward with new policies, programsand legislation will likely require morebehind-the-scenes negotiations, increas-ing the time it will take to implement newinitiatives. Scrutiny and compromise maybecome part of the development processfor environmental (and all other) propos-als, before they become public.

Economically, Ontario has done a“180.” In contrast to 1985, Ontario’s GDPgrowth has dropped significantly and wasnegative in 2009, declining by 2.5%. Atthe same time, the provincial budgetdeficit reached $3.9 billion. As the in-creasing deficit and declining GDP show,Ontario has not been immune to worldeconomic conditions. This contrastssharply with the province’s historical role

On October 20, 2011, JimBradley was sworn in as On-tario’s minister of the envi-ronment. It was the second

time he had taken on the environmentportfolio. The first time was over 25years ago.

During Bradley’s first tenure as envi-ronment minister in the 1980s, Ontariohad a Liberal majority in power, givingthe government the mandate and strengthto take the lead among Canadian jurisdic-tions in proactively addressing environ-mental issues.

From an economic standpoint, thepopulation at the time was increasing atan average rate of almost 11% per year.The economy was booming. Real grossdomestic product was growing at an av-erage annual rate of 3.9%, and personalincome was increasing by 9.7%.

With a healthy economy and growingworkforce, the government of the day em-barked on ambitious initiatives aimed atsolidifying the environment ministry’s leadrole in environmental protection. Anyonearound at that time will remember: • The Municipal–Industrial Strategy for Abatement, which introduced specific effluent discharge limits for direct dischargers; • Remedial Action Plans, developed for water bodies in and around the Great Lakes that had been identified as “areas of concern”, due to the scope and nature of their degradation; and,• Significant contributions toward development of the Blue Box program through a combination of diversion targets and funding to match financing provided by industry-funded Ontario Multi-Materials Recycling Inc. (OMMRI).

A highlight of the initiatives was agroup of funding schemes to assist mu-

as an economic power, accounting for adisproportionately large share of Canada’seconomic and demographic growth overthe past 25 years.

Glimmers of hopeNotwithstanding the state of the econ-

omy, nor the fact that Ontario has a mi-nority government, there are glimmers ofhope for the environment going forward.

In the lead-up to the October 2011election, the main political parties out-lined their visions for the coming fouryears. A look at the various policy docu-ments released by the major parties dur-ing the election campaign provides areasonable basis for guessing how thecurrent government might proceed on theenvironment. The emphasis in all of thedocuments was on jobs and the economy.So framing the environment in terms ofjob creation and Ontario’s economic re-covery is a reasonable strategy, and agood place to start is with infrastructure.

In June 2011, the previous govern-ment announced Building Together, athree-year, $35-billion infrastructureplan, which emphasizes investment in anumber of sectors, including transporta-tion and transit, education, informationand communications technology, health-care, and water and other environmentalresources.

According to the ministry of infra-structure, Building Together is expectedto address safety, reliability and sustain-ability of drinking water, wastewater andstormwater systems. The plan relies onencouraging municipalities to explorenew Ontario water and wastewater tech-nologies. A key foundation for this is theWater Opportunities and Water Conser-vation Act (later abbreviated to the Water

What are the prospects for the environment under Ontario’s minority government?

By George Zukovs, M.Eng., D.WRE., P.Eng., President, XCG Consultants

and Jacinta O’Brien, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., Principal, Strategic Altematives

George Zukovs

Jacinta O’Brien



Opportunities Act), which was intro-duced a year ago. The Water Opportuni-ties Act focuses on sustainability andencouraging the development and use ofmade-in-Ontario technologies.

It also envisages working with smallercommunities that lack the capacity to ad-dress water-related infrastructure needson their own, principally through the On-tario Small Waterworks Assistance Pro-gram. This is a capital program formunicipalities and local services boardsthat own residential drinking water orwastewater systems providing services to5,000 or fewer people. Visions of the1987 Lifelines program are sure to bedancing in some people’s heads.

The pre-election Liberal policy docu-ment, Forward Together, commits to con-tinuing Building Together. The OntarioNDP and the PC Party of Ontario, thetwo other parties that together hold thebalance of power in the legislature, haveboth vowed to invest $35 billion in infra-structure over three years.

Their emphasis may not mirror thegoals of the Liberals. For example, thePCs seem to favour transportation. At thesame time, northern Ontario, which ishome to many communities with smallerpopulations, is predominantly repre-sented by MPPs from the Ontario NDP.With this in mind, it is not unreasonableto expect support for the Ontario SmallWaterworks Assistance Program.

Sustainability has recently been thefocus for many jurisdictions, and is an-other key feature of the Liberal policydocument, particularly in relation to the

environment. The Water OpportunitiesAct talks about optimizing systems andimproving water conservation. It calls forregulations to be developed to require“municipal water sustainability plans.”Strategies for managing risks associatedwith the potential impacts of climatechange are also expected to be includedin the sustainability plans.

The Liberal policy document commits$20 million over four years for imple-mentation of the Water OpportunitiesAct, and the PC Party has stated it willprotect all programs that safeguard waterquality.

So are regulations requiring municipalwater sustainability plans on the horizon?That’s hard to say.

The PC promise may not be enoughfor regulations to be realized. One reasonis because a regulated requirement mightbe viewed by the PCs as just more “redtape.” Besides, a number of Ontario mu-nicipalities have already developed waterand wastewater sustainability strategies,without being required to do so. Thismight bolster arguments not to regulatethe plans. On the other hand, if regula-tions are promulgated, municipal and en-vironmental consultants could expectopportunities to assist their municipalclients to prepare sustainability plans.

It is more likely that the PC Party willdirect its efforts at supporting local con-servation efforts that protect major On-tario waterways, such as the Thames, Donand French rivers. This is a promise out-lined in their pre-election policy docu-ment, Change Book. The PC Party and

the Liberals may find common ground onthis issue, since the Liberal’s Forward To-gether sets aside $4 million annually fora proposed Great Lakes Protection Actand a water clean-up fund. This wouldput Ontario in line with proposed federalUS legislation, namely the Great LakesEcosystem Protection Act, which wouldauthorize US funding in the amount of$475 million.

These funding initiatives would go along way to accelerating work that isbeing done through the Remedial ActionPlan process, which started in 1985. After25 years, it’s time to show that progressis being made and that goals to restore theenvironment are being met.

Even though it’s early days, Bradleymay be experiencing a bit of déjà vu. Is-sues and initiatives that were the focus ofthe government in the 1980s are still beingaddressed today. Other issues, like sus-tainability and climate change, have comeforward, while others, like recycling, areno longer a direct focus but have been in-tegrated into the Ontario psyche.

The dual factors of working within theconfines of a minority government andsignificant economic pressures will cer-tainly drive the province’s environmentalagenda for the next four years. It is timeto buckle up and make the best of the ride.


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legislation from 10 ministries and createsa more competitive business climate.

Changes to the Act affect approxi-mately 10 per cent of the legislation andincrease the clarity, transparency, account-ability and effectiveness of PEO’s work.

One amendment is making a signifi-cant difference in the lives of thousands ofnewcomers to Canada. The requirementto be a citizen, or to have the status of apermanent resident of Canada to obtain alicence to practise professional engineer-ing, has been eliminated. Newcomers arethe talent pool for building a skilled anddiverse Canadian workforce. Despite PEOhaving completely eliminated applicationfees for internationally trained engineer-ing graduates three years ago, some 60 percent of those who apply for a professional

On the one-year anniversary ofthe most significant changesto the Professional Engi-neers Act in over 25 years,

the engineering profession in Ontario isnow even more accessible, practitioners’mobility has been enhanced, and On-tario’s manufacturing workers are aboutto become safer in their workplaces.

Last October, Professional EngineersOntario (PEO) welcomed the passage ofBill 68, legislation that included the firstmajor amendments to the ProfessionalEngineers Act since 1984. The Open forBusiness Act, 2010 is a wide-rangingpiece of legislation focusing on economiccompetitiveness, labour mobility and ad-ministrative enhancement. The Act con-tains more than 100 amendments to

engineer licence live in Canada for morethan three years before they apply.

PEO research has shown that a misun-derstanding of the now eliminated resi-dency requirement was the primaryreason for this. Enabling the professionto issue licences based on technical meritwithout residency limitations, is an im-portant development. We hope qualifiedapplicants will now arrive in Canada withmany of the licensure requirements al-ready met and be ready to enter the engi-neering workforce.

This also means that US citizens maynow apply to obtain a professional engi-neer licence in Ontario. Previously, theycould only obtain a project-specific, tem-porary licence if they wished to practiseengineering in the province.

New Act enhances engineers accessibility and mobility By Kim Allen, P.Eng., MBA, FEC, , chief executive officer and registrar of Professional Engineers Ontario

When faced with making decisions in today’s ever-changing regulatory environment, it pays to have an expert on your side. At XCG, we will listen, provide advice and assist you in arriving at the best possible solution for your project.

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As a leader among regulators inCanada in assessing the credentials of in-ternationally trained professionals, PEOcontinues to provide a smooth applicationprocess for all and ensures that all quali-fied applicants are given a fair and equalopportunity to obtain their P.Eng. licencein Ontario.

Newcomers to Canada, as well asCanadian engineering graduates, alsocontinue to take advantage of PEO’s En-gineering Intern Financial Credit Pro-gram. Through this program, graduatesof engineering programs accredited bythe Canadian Engineering AccreditationBoard, and international engineeringgraduates with a bachelor of engineeringor applied science degree, may be able toapply for PEO’s professional engineer li-cence at no cost.

Another change to the ProfessionalEngineers Act aims to improve workplacesafety. The exception to having to be li-censed to carry out an act within the prac-tice of professional engineering, inrelation to machinery and equipment toproduce products in the facilities of a per-son's employer, has been repealed.

Under the exception in place since

1984, there was no requirement for engi-neers to design and analyze manufactur-ers’ production machinery or equipment.The only requirement was for a healthand safety review of newly installed or al-tered equipment or machinery by a pro-fessional engineer prior to start-up.Under the Occupational Health andSafety Act and its Regulation 851, if aPre-Start Health and Safety Review(PSR) found any deficiencies in the setupof the equipment or machinery, the com-pany would have to make the necessarychanges and then re-test the machineryfor compliance.

Even worse was the possibility that amachine deficiency would not be caughtin a PSR and a safety incident wouldoccur, harming a worker. With licensedprofessional engineers in place from thebeginning of the process, the safety ofOntario workers will be further assured.

At the national level, PEO is leadingthe effort to create a framework where allCanadian jurisdictions have the same re-quirements for licensure to best serve thepublic interest. Through the Open forBusiness Act, the Professional EngineersAct has adopted the following national

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definition of "professional engineering,"which is essential to harmonizing theserequirements:

“Any act of planning, designing, com-posing, evaluating, advising, reporting,directing or supervising that requires theapplication of engineering principles andconcerns the safeguarding of life, health,property, economic interests, the publicwelfare or the environment, or the man-aging of any such act.”

PEO is committed to a strong engi-neering profession that can best serve thepublic and respond to the needs of On-tario businesses and individuals seekingto be licensed. The amendments to theProfessional Engineers Act strengthenour governance of the more than 80,000licence and certificate holders in theprovince and assist our goal of harmoniz-ing licence and registration requirementsfor the nearly quarter of a million profes-sional engineers across Canada.

Contact: [email protected].



palities (FCM) is calling on all levels ofgovernment to work together to establisha fully funded, long-term plan to build thequality roads, water systems, communityfacilities and public transit Canada needsto support families, businesses, and futureeconomic growth. As part of the long-term infrastructure plan, FCM suggeststhat the federal government take the fol-lowing actions:

1. Renew the soon-to-expire BuildingCanada Fund.

2. Index the federal Gas Tax Fund(potential annual investment of $2 bil-lion) to keep up with rising costs and newgrowth.

3. Pay the federal share of any new in-frastructure costs imposed on municipal-ities, including upgrades to meet newfederal wastewater regulations.

4. Dedicate infrastructure funding forrural, remote and northern communitiesand set appropriate population thresholds.

Seek out industry trends and learnhow they can affect you

Through research and collaboration,industry trends provide a window into thefuture opportunities for growth. Focus onthese and learn how they can impact yourbusiness.

According to the 2009-2018 “Engi-neering and Technology Labour MarketStudy, Final Report,” Engineers Canadaand the Canadian Council of Techniciansand Technology, May, 2009, three keylabour issues have been identified. Theseinclude the need to:

1. Address the significant shortage ofjunior engineers.

2. Better understand the business andspecialized skill needs of industry, and re-flect those needs in traditional undergrad-uate and graduate programs.

3. Facilitate the movement of experi-enced engineers from declining sectorsinto growing sectors.

From industry research, it is apparentthat significant capital investments in in-frastructure are required. Unfortunately,

The one constant for consultingengineers in Canada is changeand, in fact, we are part of theprocess. We are collaborating,

partnering, and pushing the pace ofchange more than ever. We adapt to theuncertainties of domestic and foreigneconomies. We adjust to staffing trendsand alternative project delivery models.We build upon and develop new tech-nologies. Still, the dedication required tostay ahead of, or keep pace with, changein today’s marketplace can be over-whelming.

The key, as with many things in life, isfocus. One of my favourite quotes puts itbest: “If you chase two rabbits, you willlose them both.” Focus creates the path toresponding to change, and importantly, tocreating growth amidst significant com-petition. How can we take this focus andcreate change?

Recognize opportunityCanada represents significant opportu-

nities for growth and collaboration. In No-vember 2011, Mark Carney, Governor ofthe Bank of Canada, was approved as thenew chairman of the Financial StabilityBoard, and FutureBrand ranked Canadaatop its country brand index for the sec-ond straight year.

FutureBrand is a global brand con-sulting firm which surveys business andleisure travelers on their image percep-tions of various countries in five cate-gories, including good for business,tourism appeal, quality of life, value sys-tems, and heritage and culture.

These announcements serve as a vali-dation of the strong reputation of our fi-nancial system, as well as our country’simpressive brand awareness. Both ofthese create potential project opportuni-ties at home and abroad.

As a resource-based economy, Canadacontinues to weather the global economiccrisis by focusing on a risk-averse fiscaland regulatory environment.

The Federation of Canadian Munici-

revenues are lagging significantly behindthese investments. This is leading to al-ternative project delivery solutions, likedesign-build and public-private-partner-ships that continue to grow in promi-nence. These larger projects are alsobeing delivered to tighter timelines, re-quiring significant efficiencies.

Over the past five to eight years, theconsolidation of engineering firms (andcontracting firms, for that matter) has be-come a recognized trend. With the evolu-tion of this type of competitive landscape,it also appears that clients are parcelingout smaller project opportunities to pre-ferred “boutique” firms and larger proj-ect opportunities to the relatively largerfirms in the market. In addition, becauseof the weaker global economy, a newertrend is emerging in Canada. Large proj-ect opportunities are attracting interna-tional interest, which, in the Canadianmarket, creates exponential competition.

Embrace changeOur path to growth and evolution in

this industry can be directly connected toour ability to embrace change. Changehappens every day, especially in our dy-namic market and areas of expertise. Withdue respect shown to what has worked forus historically, we must also be open to theidea that there may be a better way to doit now, and into the future.

The bottom line is this: consulting en-gineers in Canada have plenty of reasonsto be optimistic. We operate in a market-place that continues to provide opportu-nity. We have increased our efficienciesand productivity through a greater under-standing of our clients’ requirements. Weembrace change by developing well-trained, passionate professionals who aremotivated by success.

But, we must remember to chase onlyone rabbit at a time!


Focus, focus, focus - If you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both!By Dan Meidl, M. Eng., P.Eng., Senior Vice President, Infrastructure & Environmental Division of Tetra Tech



employer observes the individual strug-gling and realizes they lack the skills tocomplete a task (e.g., processing shopdrawings without additional guidance).Training may be delivered to an individ-ual or a group.

Competency-based structured trainingis a planned coaching program to enableyoung staff to acquire the skill and knowl-edge they need over a fixed time periodto meet the requirements of their profes-sion and their employer. It consists of in-dividual and group coaching that mayoccur on-site, at the office, in a classroom, on the design floor, or during clientmeetings. A structured training programdoes not replace the need for a formal orinformal mentoring program.

There are three arguments in particu-lar that show why Canadian engineeringcompanies should follow the methodused by chartered institutes in the UK: thelabour market, professional responsibil-ity, and financial sustainability.

1. The labour market - There is ashortage of experienced engineers tocoach and mentor new graduates on an adhoc basis. A structured training programhelps with planning to determine whensuch professional advisors are required,and how best to use them in the program.

Engineering graduates enter the labourmarket with core technical skills, and em-ployers in Canada are for the most partsatisfied with those skills. However, thisis not the case with “soft” skills, whichinclude the ability to engage effectivelyin written and oral communications, con-tract administration, project management,team work and business case analysis.

According to Bill Empey, author ofEngineers and Engineering Techniciansand Technologists (ETT) Labour MarketTracking System: Labour Market Condi-tions – 2008 to 2011, “more than one-fifth of employers are dissatisfied withthe nontechnical skills of experienced en-gineers and technologists. For recentgraduates, the proportion is one-third. Bycontrast, dissatisfaction with technicalskills is much lower — 5% or less for ex-

The competencies required to bea professional engineer are setby engineering associations. Inthe first four to six years of

their careers, graduate engineers try toaccumulate the experience necessary tosatisfy these requirements. The depth andusefulness of their learning varies, de-pending on the type of work they are as-signed and the quantity and quality ofcoaching they receive from senior staff.

Many companies in Canada seeachievement of professional status as theindividual’s responsibility, although theysupport the applicant by reimbursingtraining and registration costs, and pro-viding work experience. They may alsomonitor the applicant’s progress throughthe performance appraisal process. Butthis approach falls short of the structuredprocess used by chartered institutes in theUnited Kingdom.

This is a lost opportunity. Young engi-neers with three to 10 years of experienceare the resource that drives the future ofengineering firms. Adopting a structuredtraining approach that will make staffmore productive earlier in their careers isa wise investment. Failing to do so incursa risk that they will only nominally satisfytheir experience requirements, withoutobtaining all the skills important to theiremployer.

Structured trainingA formalized training cycle is illus-

trated in Figure 1. Once the need is iden-tified, the content and delivery methodare established. The training is given andthe transfer is assessed. Support is pro-vided either through coaching (which fo-cuses on specific skills) or mentoring(which focuses on professional develop-ment of the person) to ensure that the per-son receiving the training effectivelyapplies the new skill.

Training may be proactive or reactive.Proactive training occurs when the em-ployer anticipates that the individualneeds to acquire a new skill (e.g., intro-duction of a new expense reporting sys-tem). Reactive training occurs when the

perienced engineers and technologists.”To progress in their careers, graduates

must increase their skill depth (that is, ac-quire specific industry and technologyskills) and their skill breadth (that is, ac-quire soft skills). In Canada, the primarymechanism for obtaining these skills isthrough working as part of a team withmore experienced engineers.

This method of learning is underthreat because of the shortage of experi-enced engineers with the patience andskills to coach and mentor new graduates.

One way to offset this trend is to en-sure that graduates benefit from theknowledge and experience of senior staff,without having to work on a team withthem for protracted periods. To a certaindegree this can be accomplished througha structured competency-based trainingprogram.

2. Professional responsibility - Uni-versities teach students to think; employ-ers train students to function asprofessionals. Measures used by univer-sities to assess learning are primarilyexams and projects, which are associatedwith particular courses. Measures usedby professional bodies to assess compe-tency may be a mix of exams, reports, in-terviews and references.

“Competencies are characteristics thatindividuals have and use in appropriate,consistent ways in order to achieve de-sired performance. These traits includeknowledge, skills, aspects of self-image,social motives, traits, thought patterns,mind-sets, and ways of thinking, feelingand acting,” state D.D. Dubois and W.J.Rothwell in Competency-Based HumanResource Management.

Professional Engineers Ontario(PEO), like other engineering associa-tions, relies on the applicant’s refereesand supervisors to attest to the applicant’scharacter, and assert that each portion ofthe work experience claimed by the ap-

Developing structured trainingprograms for new engineersBy Patrick Coleman, Ph.D., P.Eng. is with AECOM




plicant qualifies. Structured training pro-vides a record that the applicant has ac-quired the necessary competencies topractise as a professional engineer.

3. Financial sustainability - For newengineers possessing only the base set ofskills acquired from their university edu-cation, the ratio of the value of the em-ployees’ time to their salaries is low.Initially, the employer invests in employ-ees to expand the depth and breadth oftheir skills, until the ratio of the value oftheir work to their salaries reaches the tar-get value.

This period is often followed by an in-terval when the value of their work in-creases faster than their salary. This isbecause most employees progress veryquickly in the first three years of theiremployment. These tend to be employeeswho come to the workplace with a well-developed set of soft skills and a strongwork ethic.

If an employer concentrates on devel-oping these employees, they can grow

even faster, thereby increasing the valueof their time to their employer. This addedbenefit can then be used to fund graduatetraining. The best way to reward thesehigh performers is to invest in their ca-reers.

Structured training programs also pro-vide a map of how to recover from a sit-uation where an employee is notdeveloping as expected, or has stalled inhis or her career. Once the reasons forthese problems have been determined, anindividual training program can remedythe situation.

A sustainable organization is one thatdevelops and retains its staff. Concentrat-ing on assisting staff to deepen andbroaden their skills as new graduate hiresis more cost-effective than trying to re-cruit staff with these skills already inplace. A structured, competency-basedtraining program is the foundation of thiswise investment.

Four pillars of consultingA consulting firm has two primary as-

sets: its people and its reputation. There-fore, the focus of a structured trainingprogram is to develop and retain newgraduates. The spectrum of competencies

this requires is much broader than thearray of skills needed to be a professionalengineer. The associations are focused onwhether an individual can make soundand ethical engineering judgments. Aconsulting firm is also concerned withwhether an individual understands thebusiness of engineering.

A consulting firm is built on fourfunctions:• Business development: marketing and sale of engineering services.• Technical work: production of engineering deliverables.• Project management: management of budget, scope and schedule.• General management: management of people, resources, and company systems.

New engineers should demonstratecompetencies in all four areas by the timethey have obtained professional status. Asthey continue in their careers, they maychoose to assume a senior role in one ofthese four areas.

TrainingThere are 12 provincial and territorial

licensing bodies in Canada that regulatethe engineering profession and license the

CLEAR SOLUTIONS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

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TECHNICAL SALES POSITIONS

Paracel Laboratories Ltd. (Paracel) is awholly Canadian owned scientificcompany established in 1985 andspecializes in the solution ofenvironmental problems as well asproviding routine analytical services.Paracel is based in Ottawa with locationsthroughout Ontario. We currently havepositions available for Technical Sales.Primary responsibilities include businessdevelopment across the GTA andSouthern Ontario.

Education/Qualifications: UniversityDegree or equivalent qualifications inEnvironmental Science or Chemistry.

Experience: Laboratory client servicesexperience required; familiarity withenvironmental test methods andregulations is preferred. Environmentalconsulting experience is also an asset.

Anticipated Start Date: Immediate

Interested parties may forward theirresumes directly to Dan Barton [email protected].



country’s professional engineers. Sevenhave mandatory programs for reportingcontinuing professional development; theother five have voluntary programs.

These requirements are coming intoforce partly to convince legislators thatthe profession can and should remainself-regulated. As these requirements be-

come more onerous, employees will lookto their employers to help them acquirethe necessary training (with proof) to sat-isfy these requirements. Therefore, train-ing will tend to become more formalizedthan in the past. The establishment of astructured training program is the firststep in this evolution.

Municipal Infrastructure

Environmental Engineering (Multi-disciplines)

Structural Engineering

Environmental Management

Water Resources

Land Development

Corporate Support

[email protected]

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING LAND DEVELOPMENTWATER RSOURCES ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES TRANSPORTATIONENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

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Structured training programThe core competencies for a chartered

engineer (UK) and a professional engi-neer (Ontario) are similar. Both regulat-ing bodies expand on these competenciesto clarify what they require of applicants.Engineering firms in the UK base theirstructured training programs on this ex-panded list of competencies. Canadianengineering firms should adopt the sameapproach.

A structured training program nor-mally extends over two to four years. Thisprogram is “structured” in that training isbuilt on a core set of competencies. Thetraining follows the same model shownin Figure 1. The program is expressed asa “training matrix,” which consists of thefollowing items:• Category: business development, technical, project management, management• Learning activity: description of activity


Figure 1. Formalized training.

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• Method of learning: how learning is delivered (e.g. internal course, site placement)• Learning solutions: details of solution (e.g. place, time required, instructor)• Assessment: how learning will be assessed (e.g. exam, report, demonstration)• Competence standards: documentation of those being satisfied by this activity• Recommended year of training: the program year in which the activity is to take place.

The following are some examples ofa training program:Example 1: How to prepare design cal-culations using Microsoft Excel

A graduate engineer should be able tolay out design calculations in Excel ac-cording to the pertinent quality manage-ment system procedure. The trainingwould be delivered by internal staff in thefirst year of the program. The participantswould submit samples of their work for

assessment after the training. Example 2: Geotechnical report literacy

A graduate engineer should be able tounderstand, on a basic level, a geotechni-cal report. Training would be delivered byinternal geotechnical staff in the secondor third year of the program. Participantswould be given a short exam at the endof the training. Example 3: How to conduct a meeting

A graduate engineer should be able toestablish an agenda, conduct a meetingand prepare minutes. The training wouldbe delivered in the first year, duringworking lunch sessions. Participantswould be asked to chair and prepare min-utes for a meeting in the following sixmonths.Example 4: Site experience

In the first and second year, the par-ticipant should spend at least one monthon-site. Participants would be asked tokeep a log book and report on their expe-rience.Example 5: Using a wastewater simu-lator during design

The participants would be sent to at-tend a vendor’s introductory course in the

second year, and the vendor’s advancedcourse in the last year of the program.The participant must have first demon-strated competency in two areas, waste-water characterization and steady-statedesign of an activated sludge process, be-fore being sent on to attend the othercourse.Example 6: Costing a project

Participants would be taken through arecent cost estimate for a project over thecourse of one morning. The participantswould then be given a small project tocost. Their spreadsheets would be as-sessed by the instructor.

A competency-based structured train-ing program is an effective tool to retainstaff, develop a sustainable organizationand ensure that staff are ready to assumetheir roles as professional engineers. Theprogram pays for itself by retaining em-ployees in an organization that invests intheir careers and reaps the benefits oftheir increased productivity.


E. [email protected] W. www.terratec.amwater.com



Have you ever seen an article by a colleague, pub-lished in a business magazine such as this one, andthought, “I really need to get some articles pub-lished”? Have you attended a conference workshop

and thought, “why isn’t it me wearing a speaker’s badge? Iknow more about this topic than the presenter”. Have youheard that someone received the senior-level job you wanted,because their blog helped give them recognition as an “expert”?

Professionals in the environmental sector can improve theircareer prospects, obtain more interesting work and be in positionto get their ideas more widely accepted, through a thought-lead-ing program. By developing your message and getting it in frontof the right people through writing articles in professional andbusiness magazines, publishing papers, authoring books, blog-ging, developing your LinkedIn profile, and public speaking,you can help boost your image as the go-to person in your field.

It applies whether you’re an employee in a company provid-ing environmental goods and services, running your own com-pany (or thinking about it …), a consultant or other knowledgeprofessional, or in any other career trajectory.

It’s a journey, not a destinationOne of the biggest benefits to a thought-leading program

isn’t around influencing others at all. It’s around influencingyourself. Think back to the first time you were brave enough todive into water head-first. Or ride a bicycle without trainingwheels. Or making your first speech in elementary school. Re-member the thrill of accomplishment, and how you looked atyourself differently? Maybe you walked taller – at least insideyour own mind.

Thought-leading activities are like that. It’s having someonecome up to you to say that they saw your article in a magazine.Or, the look of respect at a conference when they see yournametag indicating you are a Speaker.

Your improved self-image comes across in group meetings,in conversations with colleagues, and in interviews for a pro-motion or a new job. This self-image gives you greater confi-dence. Your ideas get listened to more, and with greater respect.

Another benefit comes from what you learn in the course ofyour thought-leading activities. Pulling together enough infor-mation to write a speech or article, to feed a blog, or write abook, enlarges your personal store of knowledge about yourtopic. It forces you to keep current with developments in yourfield. For example, think of the recent developments in geo-thermal energy, due to the deep-drilling and directional drillingadvances originally made in the oil and gas sector, applied togeo-energy.

But, perhaps most important, a thought-leading programforces you to reach more deeply inside yourself to do the intel-lectual heavy lifting needed to develop new concepts and meth-ods. A lot of thought-leading is around creating your own ideasand solutions to common issues. This can mean technical issuessuch as unclogging ceramic filters in water purification systems,

or more “soft” issues such as ways to engage communities andgain their support in wind-energy developments.

For many people, it’s a hard thing to reach outside their com-fort zone and tell the world, “I have something original to sayabout my area of expertise.” But the fact is that everyone hasexpertise about something, and a thought-leading program is agreat way to find out how much you really know.

Just starting out, it may be best to take easy steps first. In-stead of making a speech yourself, seek out opportunities to joina panel presentation, where you don’t need to prepare. Or, startwith writing an article, which gives you a chance to thinkthrough your ideas at leisure, rather than deal with a questionfrom the audience at a speaking event.


How being a thought-leader boosts your career performanceBy Carl Friesen, Global Reach Communications Inc.

CBCL Limited is the leading independently owned multidiscipli-nary engineering and environmental consulting firm in AtlanticCanada. In business since 1955 we have a staff of over 300, lo-cated in nine regional offices.

As a firm which is 100% employee-owned, it is no surprise thata cornerstone of culture is caring for our employees as much asour clients. Our employee-centric environment, and focus onwork-life balance, were recently recognized when CBCL wasnamed one of Progress Magazine`s Best Places to Work in 2011,as well as an Atlantic Canada Top Employer for 2011 and one ofNova Scotia’s Top Employers for 2012.

We currently have a number of exciting and challenging ca-reer opportunities available in the fields of transportation,civil and industrial engineering in Nova Scotia, NewBrunswick and Newfoundland & Labrador.

If you would like to apply, please submit your resume [email protected], or to learn more about available opportunities, please contact our recruitment partners, Snow Recruit at 1-888-577-SNOW(7669).

Engineering Career Opportunities in Atlantic Canada



The ongoing financial troubles of Eu-rope and many other countries, includingthe United States, and the impact theseare having elsewhere are setting off rip-ples that Canadians are trying to deter-mine how to best navigate.

With ongoing disagreements amongour governments about how to proceedand the resulting lack of public confi-dence, it is understandable that many en-vironmental science and engineeringconsultants may be feeling a little gloomythese days and uncertain about what thefuture may bring.

The idea of working in developingcountries provides a much-needed bal-

It is hard to think of anything morepressing than the current state ofglobal economics. This is a domi-nant issue, even when considering

what the future holds for environmentalscience and engineering consultants.

Stimulus spending by the Canadianfederal government has largely come to aclose, compounding the effects of slowgrowth. Many provincial and municipalgovernments, faced with looming deficits,are cutting budgets and introducing othercost-saving measures. Governments arehaving trouble operating and maintainingexisting infrastructure, let alone findingmoney to spend on new infrastructure.

ance to the gloom, as many engineerswho have done just that over the past fewyears have found. It’s in times like thesethat the significant investments in hardcash and human capital that were madewhen there was so much happening athome actually begin to make great strate-gic sense. There are a handful of firmswithin Canada who are now well posi-tioned to continue to develop solutions toenvironmental problems and to improvelives in parts of the world where infra-structure investments remain a priority.

At the turn of this century, 189 mem-ber states of the United Nations came to-gether to adopt the UN MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs), buildingon a decade of major conferences andsummits. The blueprint agreed to by thesecountries and leading development andfinancial institutions has galvanized un-precedented efforts to meet the needs ofthe world’s poorest.

The external financing needed to meetthese goals from all funding sources hasbeen estimated to be in excess of US $70billion per year. The MDGs have specificmeasurable targets to significantly im-prove the lives of people by 2015. Theseare focused on the following:1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. 2. Achieve universal primary education. 3. Promote gender equality and empower women. 4. Reduce child mortality.5. Improve maternal health. 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. 7. Ensure environmental sustainability. 8. Develop a global partnership for development.

It is in meeting objective No. 7 thatsome environmental science and engi-neering consultants have found a partic-ularly meaningful way to apply their skill

By Debanjan Mookerjea, P.Eng. , Environmental Engineer, R.J. Burnside & Associates Limited

Opportunities abound for consultants whocan apply their skill sets offshore


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sets and experience. The aim to ensureenvironmental sustainability specificallyincludes four targets:1. Integrate the principles of sustainable development into a country’s policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources.2. Reduce biodiversity loss.3. Halve by 2015 the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.4. Achieve by 2020 a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers.

While there is much more work to doto achieve these goals, the efforts to datehave already improved the lives of mil-lions around the world, and have revealedand reinforced many of the strengths ofour profession.

The first and foremost is that the goodwork we do as environmental science andengineering consultants is fundamental ifthese targets are to be achieved. With ouranalytical skills and technical expertise,we are able to understand the complexproblems on a scientific level and then

develop practical solutions. Of particularrelevance is that we understand best prac-tices and through our experience are ableto apply international standards and nav-igate regulatory requirements.

The second strength is that we are get-ting better at working with others toachieve appropriate and sustainable re-sults. International technical consultantshave at times had a reputation in devel-oping countries of generating solutionsthat may meet needs from a technicalstandpoint, but do not adequately addresslocal social or economic considerations.

More consultants are realizing thatsolutions must not only be technically re-sponsive but also culturally appropriatein order to be sustainable, so they areworking with local governments, non-governmental organizations and otherstakeholders to develop suitable andlong-lasting solutions.

Many donors in the international devel-opment arena are beginning to see tangiblereturns on their investment through proj-ects that were realized through the involve-ment of a mix of these professionals.

These projects provide an injection of

challenge, global meaning and enthusi-asm into our day-to-day routine which, asmentioned earlier, can sometimes betinged with domestic gloom. We are find-ing our international projects to be an ef-fective tonic in the development of youngprofessionals and in renewing the enthu-siasm of some older ones.

Perhaps this is also due to the realiza-tion that engineering and people skillshoned in project work in the communitiesand towns where we live are increasinglyimproving the lives of others in far-offlands. Can you imagine the smile of thewoman in a northern city in Mozambiquewhen she turns on the tap at her frontdoor and for the first time clean waterflows into her container?




A diverse range of case histories and new developments is reviewed in ES&E’sES&E’s

semi-annual look at tanks, containment systems and spill management.

Through the quirks of municipal zoningby-laws, a number of them were able tochange use, without a zoning change andwithout much attention from the regula-tory authorities. As a result, innocent-look-ing properties may be hiding buried (andpotentially leaking) storage tank systems.

Any business that operates a fleet ofvehicles is likely to have storage tanks.Through subsidy programs, many fleetshave converted to natural gas, propane oralternative fuel. However, on-site gasolineor diesel storage tanks may remain. Fleetoperators include federal and provincialgovernments. Municipal public worksyards and fire stations often have vehiclerefuelling capabilities.

Mining and other large-scale naturalresource operations usually have storagetanks to fuel their vehicles and machineryat remote locations, where they typicallyoperate.

Farms may have fuel storage tanks torun tractors and other machinery. Farmstorage tanks were not explicitly regu-lated in Ontario, until the 1993 version ofthe Gasoline Handling Code.

Many manufacturing operations haveflammable liquid storage tanks contain-ing raw materials, such as alcohols andother solvents, as well as waste liquid.

Regulation of flammable and com-bustible liquid storage tanks in Ontario and

Storage Tanks in Canada - TheGuide to Environmental Regu-lation and Compliance, by envi-ronmental lawyer P. Douglas

Petrie, is intended as a primer on how toachieve and maintain compliance withthe applicable environmental rules forstorage tanks in Ontario, and, by compar-ison, elsewhere in Canada. It addressesstorage tanks situated within Ontario,whether they are under provincial juris-diction, federal jurisdiction, or both.

According to the 1994-1995 AnnualReport by the Environmental Commis-sioner for Ontario, there were an esti-mated 34,000 storage tanks located in theProvince. Environment Canada had esti-mated that there were over 8,400 federallyowned systems and another 4,500 oper-ated by tenants on federal lands acrossCanada.

The majority of large field-erectedtanks for bulk storage of flammable andcombustible liquids are found at chemicalplants, and at petroleum refineries anddistribution centres. They are also foundat major transportation facilities, such asairports, rail yards, bus terminals, ports,and marinas.

More typical storage tank systems areinstalled at retail gasoline outlets. Oftencorner convenience stores and donut shopsare built on former gas station sites.

in many other jurisdictions is rigorous, andfor good reason. Environment Canada es-timates that five percent of systems on fed-eral lands leak. The environmental andhealth and safety consequences have been,at times, alarming, and the remediationcosts have invariably been staggering. In a1994 study, Consulting and Audit Canadaestimated potential remediation costs forleaking systems on federal lands to be$294 million. The average cost was$147,000, not including third party claims.

Historically, most storage tank systemsleaked, or experienced spillage, at the fillpipe or joints in distribution piping.

Underground storage tanks cannot bevisually inspected and therefore rely oninventory and monitoring regimes to de-tect such problems.

Except for bottom leaks, abovegroundsystem problems can be detected and ad-dressed more readily, often resulting inless extensive environmental conse-quences. But they are more likely to posea health and safety risk.

Because of significant improvementsto tank system design over the pastdecades, system failures are now morelikely to occur in the associated works(piping, pumps, material handling out-side the tanks) than in the storage tanksthemselves.

Problems have been attributed to:

New guide published on storage tank regulationsand compliance



Good for the environment, better for your budget.All Westeel liquid storage products, including our Primary and C-Ring™ Secondary Containment Systems and AquaSweep™ Oil Water Separators are manufactured to exceed all government and industry standards. That makes them the right choice for storing liquids that can be a threat to not only the environment, but also your liability. Trust them for your operation.

Primary Containment System – Frac Fresh Water Storage: Higher capacities and easier to transport than traditional BBL tanks.

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westeel.com 1-888-674-8265 (204) 233-7133Westeel also offers: Fire rated ASTs Single wall and double wall ASTs Underground storage tanks Mobile service tanks Heated ASTs Stainless steel ASTs Custom fabrication available Corrugated Water Tanks BBL Tanks

Westeel is a member of the Steel Tank Institute and manufactures the Aqua Sweep technology under license in accordance with UL/ULC codes.

• Inappropriate deployment of equipment for the circumstances• Improper installation• Poor, or no inspection and maintenance• Poor design, or technology• Negligent manufacturing• Obsolescence• Poor, or no leak detection or monitoring.

In this book, environmental regulationmeans the legislation, as well as the guid-

ance documents developed by regulatoryauthorities, standard-setting bodies andindustry associations that pertain to stor-age tanks from an environment and safetyperspective. Some of the legislation is rel-evant to storage tanks in a specific con-text. Other legislation is of generalapplication. The focus of this book is onthe rules that govern:• Liquids (as opposed to pressurized materials that are gaseous rather than liquid) kept in aboveground and underground atmospheric-pressure storage tanks• Transfer of the materials into and out of these tanks• Design, installation, operations, maintenance, monitoring, and decommissioning requirements for these tanks (from an environment and safety perspective)• Responses to environmental problems.

This book deals with flammable andcombustible liquids, as defined in thevarious codes. These liquids may be rawmaterials, virgin products, or wastes.

As environmental problems associ-ated with storage tanks can lead to law-suits, prosecutions, and administrative

orders, an overview of the common lawcauses of action, statutory offences andthe range of available defences is pro-vided. Related legislation in the fields ofoccupational health and safety, land use,and buildings is also discussed.

To maximize the utility of this bookto facility managers and their profes-sional advisors, every attempt has beenmade to pull together in one place all ofthe regulatory requirements and interpre-tive guidance for a given topic, includinginstallation, operations, decommission-ing, and site remediation. It contains in-formation and photographs current to theend of December 2010.

Storage Tanks in Canada is available from Templegate Information

Services. For more information,or to order a copy, E-mail:

[email protected], orvisit www.templegateinfo.com



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flow proportional chlorine equipment thatwas installed in 1990.

According to Marc Belliveau, Lunen-burg’s Town Engineer, “because the reser-voir was open to the elements, our waterwas exposed to a variety of hazards thatcould potentially be harmful to our resi-dents. The new Provincial Surface WaterTreatment standards required an enclosedreservoir and water filtration for thetown's drinking water, so we had to re-place the reservoir with an entirely newwater treatment system."

The town received funds from threelevels of government to upgrade their sys-tem to meet the new water quality re-quirements. The project also included anew water treatment plant, pump houseupgrades, a wastewater pumping station,and force main to provide water to thetown's 2,500 residents. Because the townhad limited space to build two individual

The Town of Lunenburg, NovaScotia, famous for the schoonersBluenose and Bluenose II, nowhas a new 95' diameter x 19'

high Aquastore® potable water storagetank, complete with an aluminum geodesicdome. The Lunenburg tank also has a fea-ture that is rare in most water treatment ap-plications.

Inside it is a 34' diameter x 19' highfixed-volume chlorine contact tank thatcontinuously disinfects the town's water.As part of a new $7.2 million water treat-ment facility, the combination tank, con-structed by Greatario Engineered StorageSystems, with engineering firm CBCLLimited, proved to be the most economi-cal and timely solution for Lunenburg'supgrade.

Prior to the Aquastore installation, thetown received its water from an open-airreservoir. Water was pumped through

tanks, Steve Gregory, of Greatario, andBrett Pugh, of CBCL, had to develop awater storage and chlorine contact unitthat would be cost-effective and requirelittle maintenance.

"We came up with a few differentideas, but when it came down to maxi-mizing the space we had to work with,the best alternative was to go with thetank-within-a-tank with fabric baffle de-sign," says Gregory. "It's a unique appli-cation; all you see is one tank, but it'sactually doing the work of two."

A major concern with the design wasmaking sure the inner chlorine contact tankmaintained a fixed liquid level. If the liquidcontent in the chlorine contact tank everreached below the water level of the outerstorage tank, hydrostatic pressure wouldcrush the inner tank. Pugh and his team ofengineers determined a way to make surethe inner tank stayed full at all times.

Unusual system solves Lunenburg's need for potable water storage

Metcon Sales & Engineering Ltd. hasbeen proudly supplying equipment, sys-tems and services to the water andwastewater industry since 1985. Theycurrently have an exciting position opento join the company’s project manage-ment team. They are seeking a Full TimeProject Manager with an electrical back-ground and project experience.

The Project Manager will manage thethree important constraints for any proj-ect: cost, time and scope of supply. Basedout of the Concord, Ontario office, thepreferred applicant shall have familiaritywith instrumentation and chemical feedequipment. CAD experience and the abil-ity to follow schematics is a must.

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"In an unusual situation where main-tenance on the tank is required, we haveplanned for a bypass to make sure that thewater level stays the same at all times,"Pugh said.

Construction of the outer storage tankbegan in the fall of 2009. The tank withits dome was erected using Aquastore'sjack-build tank construction system. Thisallowed building materials for the inner

tank to be stored inside the empty watercomplex, which was completed at a laterdate.

"What made this project more attrac-tive for everybody was that we were ableto maximize the plot of land that we hadto work with. We didn't require a lot ofexcavation or an expensive and time-con-suming process of building with rein-forced concrete to get the desired results,"Pugh said.

The water treatment plant officiallyopened in September 2010 and has beenservicing the Lunenburg community withno setbacks. The complete treatment sys-tem was awarded the Atlantic CanadaWater and Wastewater Association 2010Small Utility Project of the Year.

For more information, visitwww.greatario.com.

The Town of Lunenburg received funding from three levels of government tobuild their new water treatment plant and storage reservoir.

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Molecules of polyethylene are made upof a backbone or chain of carbon atoms,with hydrogen atoms attached to eachcarbon on the backbone. Occasionally,short carbon and hydrogen branches canalso be attached to some of the backbonecarbons.

This material, the first type of polyeth-ylene made, is called branched polyeth-ylene. If only a moderate number ofbranches are present and the branches arerelatively short, the polyethylene mole-cule is called linear polyethylene – re-flecting the general domination of thelinear backbone. If the branches are evenscarcer, the material is called high-densitypolyethylene (HDPE), because the mole-cules form extensive crystalline regions,which increase density.

The physical and mechanical proper-ties of polyethylene are overwhelminglydominated by the interactions, or inter-

The overwhelming considerationin specification and final judge-ment on any product should beperformance in actual use.

While other considerations such as pro-cessing ease and raw material cost are alsoimportant, these are inconsequential if thepart will not perform as required.

Laboratory tests have been developedto determine the long-term performanceof storage tanks constructed with polyeth-ylene. However, these tests should beused in combination with actual perform-ance data as it becomes available, andwith an understanding of the molecularbehaviour of polymers, so that the natureof failure and survival can be understoodand improved.

PolymersPolyethylene is a polymer – a material

composed of many long molecules thatare highly entangled with each other.

mingling, between the polymer chains.Generally, the greater the interaction, thebetter the performance. As the polymerchains interact, they are separated lesseasily, thus making it more difficult forcracks to form between them; the forceneeded to pull them apart is increased,thus increasing strength and stiffness; andtheir ability to dissipate impact energiesis improved, thus increasing toughness.Other properties are increased as well.

To improve performance, polymerresin manufacturers and moulders haveconsistently worked to increase theamount of interactions between the chains.

One method to increase chain interac-tions is to increase the length of the chainor, in other words, the molecular weight,which simply increases the amount of en-tanglement between polymers. Earlypolymer performance was adversely af-fected by the inability of polymer manu-facturers to achieve high molecularweights. Gradually that problem wassolved but then it became apparent that, ifthe molecular weight was increased toomuch, the polymer could not be processedwell. As a result, a compromise was madebetween property performance and pro-cessing capability.

For many products, that compromisewas acceptable. However, for applica-tions where long-term performance iscritical, such as storage tanks, and pipesfor irrigation, the compromise caused aserious problem. Long-term exposure tothe environment often resulted in massivecracking and total product failure. Thepolymer chains simply did not have theamount of interaction required to givelong-term performance. The problem wasto increase polymer interactions, whilemaintaining processing capabilities.

Solving the dilemmaA breakthrough in polymer process-

ing provided a solution to the dilemma,which was to crosslink the polymer afterthe part had been formed. Crosslinkinghad been known for many years, as atechnique to improve properties in ther-

Improving the performance ofpolyethylene storage tanks

By Dr. A. Brent Strong

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moset polymers, but was always doneduring forming, never afterwards. Theconcept of forming a part, and thencrosslinking it, was highly successful.

Crosslinking is simply the formationof bonds between the polymer chains.These bonds, equal in strength and stabil-ity to the principal bonds along the poly-mer backbone, tie the polymers together,dramatically increasing molecular weight.The length of the polymer chains and,therefore, the physical properties, aremuch better than can ever be achievedwithout crosslinking.

Several methods were employed tocrosslink the polymer after it was formed.One method was to use peroxides andcrosslinking agents, much like the tech-nology used in making high performanceaerospace parts and fiberglass reinforcedplastics. This method was especially well

suited to parts made by rotational mould-ing and casting. Another method was tocrosslink using electron bombardment –a method especially well suited to partsmade by extrusion, injection mouldingand blow moulding.

The advantages of crosslinked polyeth-ylene are evident in the plastic mouldingprocess called rotational moulding or ro-tomoulding. This process is most commonin chemical storage tanks. Combining ro-

When long-term storage tank performance is required, usingcrosslinked resin is recommended.

tomoulding and crosslinking provides sev-eral processing capabilities not possiblewith linear (HDPE).

Product performance testingLaboratory tests showed that cross-

linked materials are better than linearmaterials. The Izod impact toughness ismore than five times better in crosslinkedmaterials, when compared to linear. Re-sistance to crack growth is 10 times betterin crosslink than linear. The Environmen-tal Stress Crack Resistance (ESCR) is 20times better than linear polyethylene.

Real world performance of crosslinkedmaterials has been closely monitored formany years and, in general, has confirmedthe performance of the product as indi-cated in laboratory testing. Therefore,when long-term storage tank performanceis required, using crosslinked resin isstrongly recommended.

Dr. A. Brent Strong is with BrighamYoung University. This article was pre-pared on behalf of Poly Processing. For

more information in Canada, pleasecontact Metcon Sales & Engineering

Ltd., www.metconeng.com/4tanks



allow the spray foam contractor easierand safer access to the underside of thedomes. Otherwise they would have hadto work on the underside of the domes,once fully erected.

The weather cooperated throughoutthe majority of the late fall, but aSaskatchewan cold spell did shut downwork for five days. These tanks can bebuilt in cold weather, but minus 10 to 15degrees C, without the wind chill, is alittle on the extreme side.

Weather also affected the piping con-tractor, who was tying in the new sys-tem, so this work was delayed until thespring. Leak testing in the spring wentwell, with the exception of some repairsrequired due to the tanks sitting emptyduring the extremely cold wintermonths, with no sidewall insulation.This was quickly and easily rectified andthe tanks were tested and disinfected to

To replace a failing concretereservoir in the Town of Ni-pawin, Saskatchewan, H2FlowTanks & Systems Inc. recently

worked with the town and AssociatedEngineering, in Saskatoon, to supply anderect two Permastore bolted steel tanks.

H2Flow acted as the general contrac-tor for the project, and were responsiblefor below grade piping to within 3 m ofthe perimeter, excavation, backfill andcompaction, concrete works, the tankand dome, insulation, cladding, leaktesting and disinfection.

Experience has shown that the qualityof sub-contractors and the people you getto work with can make or break a project.Working in a remote area and not know-ing the local contractors, H2Flow had torely on the advice of local businessmenand the town office. The effort paid off,and they had the good fortune to workwith some great people.

The site was right in the town, on a flatand wide open piece of land. Soil condi-tions were excellent and there was an in-teresting jack pine sand that was wellcompacted below a 900 mm silt layer.The local sand was perfect for foundationbearing. However, it was difficult toachieve a mix design that satisfied every-one, as sands for concrete mix in the areadefinitely weren’t the norm. In the end,however, the concrete passed the qualitycontrol procedures and load tests.

An interesting component of the proj-ect was the choice to spray foam on theunderside of the dome, for insulation. Itwas also decided to insulate the side-walls. BASF was very helpful providingtechnical support and making recom-mendations. One of these was having thealuminum primed before the spray foamwas applied, because there can be a re-action between these two materials.

An NSF coating was applied to theinsulation on the underside of the dome.Further research would be appropriatehere as the spray foam is a closed cellsystem and not in contact with the water.

Both tanks were partially erectedwith two rings and the dome, in order to

the satisfaction of the consultant andowners’ representative.

Once leak testing was completed thesidewalls were insulated. Spray foam wasused for this component as well, and thisproject showed that the cost of spray foamis very close to traditional fibre wool in-sulation. It is faster and less labour inten-sive, even though the material cost isgreater. A word of caution, however, be-cause spray foam is not as clean to installas fibre wool and there is a lot of over-spray. If you are going to consider it, besure that you are in a wide open area.

The sidewall insulation was coveredby a very aesthetically pleasing claddingproduct, installed by MidWest Metalfrom Saskatoon.

Darrin Hopper is with H2Flow Tanks & Systems Inc. E-mail: [email protected]

Insulating foam was sprayed on thetank walls.

The tanks were fully erected, just in time for winter.

Tanks after jacketing installed.

Bolted steel tanks replace failingreservoir in SaskatchewanBy Darrin Hopper



The NSF/ANSI 61 program is respon-sible for the certification of drinkingwater treatment chemicals and drinkingwater system components, to make surethese products do not contaminate drink-ing water and cause any health problems.

NSF certified products are inspectedand reviewed annually for retesting. If aproduct fails the retest, the manufacturerhas to stop all shipments of the product,until the cause of the failure can be cor-rected. Then, the product can be re-submit-ted and, if it meets all NSF/61 standards, itis once again listed as an NSF certifiedproduct.

ISO (International Organization forStandardization) also provides standardsand certification for quality managementsystems. ISO audits engineering andmanufacturing processes, instead of justthe final product, for effectiveness andcontinuous improvement. By reviewing

With so many choices avail-able, finding the rightstorage tank can be diffi-cult.

Certified tanks provide a sense of se-curity for the end-user, who knows thatthe tanks have been tested and meet thestandards to safely handle the product forwhich they have been certified.

NSF International is an independent,not-for-profit organization for publichealth standards and certification. Begin-ning 66 years ago as the National Sanita-tion Foundation, the organization wasfounded in order to standardize sanitationand food safety requirements. The namechanged to NSF International in 1990, asit expanded its services to more than san-itation and into international markets.Today, NSF has developed more than 75public health and safety American Na-tional Standards.

and monitoring these processes, productquality can be continually improved andprocess design flaws can be corrected.

Complete traceability via strict qualitycontrol and routing, which links the prod-uct back to the date of manufacture, rawmaterial lot numbers and processingtimes, is critical in conforming to laws re-garding bulk chemical storage. ISO cer-tificates are renewed at regular intervals.

Tank inspections are becoming moreand more common and, with completeISO documentation, these inspectionscan be handled in a timely fashion, with-out time-consuming background researchon the tanks’ production.

Assmann Corporation of America of-fers FDA-compliant, linear polyethylenetanks which are certified by NSF toNSF/ANSI Standard 61: Drinking WaterSystem Components – Health Effects.The certification is for multiple potablewater contact materials at ambient tem-peratures.

High-density crosslink Schulink XL-350 resin tanks from Assman are certi-fied by NSF International to ANSI 61standards for chemical storage. Thesetanks require no additional liner to meetthe certification.

Assmann offers double wall tanks aspart of the crosslink tanks certified byNSF for chemical storage. Double walltanks feature an inner tank dome, whichoverlaps the outer tank sidewall, to pre-vent the elements and debris from enter-ing the containment basin. This isespecially beneficial in the case of a cat-astrophic failure. With no contaminantsin the secondary tank, the chemicalswould not be tainted and could be saved.

Double wall tanks also eliminate theneed for expensive lined concrete contain-ment, which was used previously as pro-tection against possible chemical spills.Concrete containment also prevents anyfuture relocation if needed. The doublewall design helps eliminate cross contam-ination of contents, reducing the possibledanger of mixing reactive chemicals.

E-mail: [email protected].

Why you should specify certifiedstorage tanks?

Assmann Corporation Garrett, IN 46738Fax: 888-TANK FAX (826-5329) E-mail: [email protected]

Manufacturing facilities in Garrett, IN and Marshall, TX

Toll-free: 888-357-3181www.assmann-usa.com

• First Crosslink tanks approved for chemical storage by NSF

• Linear polyethylene tanks certified by NSF International to ANSI 61 standards for potable water

• FDO (Full Drain Outlet) outlet assembly provides the ability to fully drain your tank without the need for mechanically installed nozzles

• Certified tank models ranging in size from 20 to 12,000 gallons

• Variety of options available to modify tanks to meet your specifications

Certified to NSF/ANSI 61




construction of a temporary trailer parkfor residents displaced from their homes,and expansion of a landfill in the wake ofthe fire. Soil where one of two temporarytrailer parks would be located needed thestability of geotextiles. The landfill re-quired proper separation of waste fromsoil and the groundwater protection thatgeotextiles also provide.

Ken Hedin, branch manager for Apexand a former firefighter, helped severalextended family members and othersevacuate Slave Lake; he was one of thefew local people allowed back into townas firefighters battled the fires. Apex pro-vided parts to keep the firefighting equip-ment operating. In the fire’s aftermath,Apex donated equipment from fencing,to cordon off the smouldering residentialareas, to shelving for the local curlingrink, where the Canadian Red Crossstored relief supplies.Stabilizing soil for temporary housing

One of the most critical tasks in therecovery during the first year has been es-tablishing long-term shelter for severalhundred families who lost their homes in

Following one of the worst natu-ral disasters in Canada’s history,residents of Slave Lake, Alberta,are being helped to rebuild their

lives by Layfield Geosynthetics & Indus-trial Fabrics and Apex Distribution.

Wildfires fanned by rare southeasterlywinds up to 100 km/h destroyed severalhundred homes as well as several busi-nesses and municipal buildings in thetown of 7,000 in May 2011. Heavy rainsin July caused further damage to remain-ing foundations and the infrastructure.

With more than $700 million in dam-ages, Slave Lake is the second-costliestinsured disaster in Canadian history, ac-cording to the Insurance Bureau ofCanada. An ice storm that hit Quebec andOntario in 1998 cost more than $1.8 bil-lion, adjusted for inflation. The fire wassignificant enough that the Duke andDuchess of Cambridge, William andCatherine, made an impromptu stop dur-ing their 2011 visit to Canada, to raisemorale amid recovery efforts.

Layfield and Apex have providedgeosynthetic materials and expertise for

the fire and who might have to wait a fewyears for their homes to be rebuilt. TheCBC reports that about 700 families weredisplaced. Many temporarily moved inwith relatives, lived at campgrounds, oropted for public housing. Some have per-manently relocated out of town.

One trailer park on the east side oftown has been built for 150 trailers. Sincemid-August 2011, Slave Lake-basedSeguin Construction has been buildingslabs, driveways and roadways for thetrailer park. “This is something that wehave all lived through as a community,”says Dave Redgate, Seguin’s manager,who lost his home in Widewater, a smallcommunity west of Slave Lake. “Some ofour company contractors, suppliers andemployees are moving into the facilitythat we have built. We all know someonewho has been directly affected by thistragedy.”

Full occupation of the trailers was ex-pected around mid-October.

Each of five sections of the trailer parkconsisted of 30 slabs for individual trail-ers, with each slab measuring 12 x 32 m.

One of the most critical tasks in the recovery during the first year has been establishing long-term shelter for severalhundred families who lost their homes in the fire and who might have to wait a few years for their homes to be rebuilt.

Geosynthetics help Slave Lakeresidents recover from unprecedented wildfire damageBy Don Talend



The trailers were constructed in two rowsof 15 per section with utility corridorsrunning the full length of the slabs behindthe trailers.

In order to stabilize the muskeg soilsfor the slabs, driveways and roadways,Seguin initially installed 7,031 sq m2

of Layfield LP 200 woven slit-filmpolypropylene geotextile over a tempo-rary working pad. This pad was built onparent ground and was filled and com-pacted with clay to a depth of 600 mm.The same process was to be used through-out the 81,500 m2 development. However,weather conditions and timelines dictateda departure from the plan.

The rush for temporary housing withlooming cold weather necessitated athree-week construction window. Heavyrains in July, which forced short-term clo-sures of the roads surrounding SlaveLake, saturated the soil even more. Ratherthan use clay fill, Alberta Infrastructureand Seguin thought a sandy-pit run mate-rial would enable sustained operationsduring wet weather and make adherenceto the three-week timeline realistic.

The subsequent engineering decisionwas to shift from LP 200 to the relativelyheavy-duty LP 315 product. The totalamount installed under the pads, drive-ways and roadways throughout the devel-opment was 117,057 m2.

The project engineer, Focus Corpora-tion of Edmonton, selected the LP 315 tobe installed directly onto the undisturbedparent soil before fill was placed. Im-ported sandy-pit run fill was hauled,placed and compacted to a depth of 800mm. More than 112,000 m3 of fill wasimported for the project. Additional ag-gregate material was imported for individ-ual trailer pads, roadways and driveways.

Installing geotextile material in the re-gion’s muskeg soil is challenging undernormal circumstances, and the heavyrains made the task even more difficult.The site was deforested and crews en-tered the site to install the geotextile ma-terials.

“It was essentially a crew of labourersrolling out each roll individually, some-times in water up to their armpits, to getthe proper overlaps, and weighing the

Installing geotextile material in the region’s muskeg soil is challenging undernormal circumstances, and the heavy rains made the task even more difficult.

rolls down with available rocks or what-ever they could until the fill could be ap-plied on top of it,” Redgate recalls.

An environmentally safe landfillA disaster such as this generates

plenty of unexpected consequences. InSlave Lake, one such result was that theLesser Slave Lake Regional Landfill inWidewater was overwhelmed with about3,500 fire-damaged refrigerators in threedays, according to the Edmonton Journal.The newspaper reported that the existinglandfill would have had enough capacityfor three more years, but had to be ex-panded immediately due to the fire.

Expansion from two cells to threebegan in early September 2011 and wasscheduled to be completed by mid-Octo-ber. Each of the existing cells coveredroughly 2.2 hectares and the third coversthe same area. Closely overseen by theproject engineer, Associated Engineeringof Edmonton, in strict adherence to Al-berta Environment guidelines and regu-lations, the expansion of the Class IIwaste landfill also incorporates geosyn-thetic materials.

Layfield’s LP 200 material was used toline collection trenches at the bottom ofthe landfill cell. A 600-mm clay liner wasplaced over the collection system and aleachate collection pipe was covered withan impermeable clay liner 600 mm thick.Over the clay liner, a 300-mm-thick layerof tire shred was placed to serve as an-other filtration system. All told, the land-fill expansion used 7,525 m2 of LP 200.

Redgate looks back with pride and ad-miration on the efforts of numerous localtrades in the rebuilding.

“Because the temporary subdivisiondevelopment was a local project, we canall feel that as a community, we bandedtogether to provide for those who havelost everything,” Redgate adds. “I am soproud, at this moment, to be a SlaveLaker. This tragedy has and will reshapeus as individuals and as a community. ”

Don Talend is with Write Results Inc.For more information, visit

www.layfieldgroup.com.



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Assmann Corporation of America

Assmann’s compact feed stations, rang-ing from 40 to 550 gallons, store smallamounts of liquids and other chemicals.The feed stations are lightweight, strongand easy to handle. Assmann linearpolyethylene tanks are certified by NSFto NSF/ANSI Standard 61.Tel: 888-357-3181, Fax: 888-826-5329E-mail: [email protected]: www.assmann-usa.com

Chemical feed stations

Denso Bitumen Mastic is a high buildsingle component, cold applied liquidbituminous coating that is used to pro-vide economical corrosion protection onburied pipes, valves, flanges and under-ground storage tanks. Denso BitumenMastic is self-priming, VOC compliantand can be applied by brush, roller orspray. Tel: 416-291-3435, Fax: 416-291-0898E-mail: [email protected]: www.densona.comDenso

Corrosion protection

Geomembrane Technologies Inc. (GTI)designs, fabricates and installs coversystems on tanks and lagoons world-wide. Wastewater and water plants useGTI covers to control odours, block sun-light, collect gas, or reduce heat loss.

Web: www.gticovers.com

Geomembrane Technologies Inc.

Cover systems for tanks andlagoons

The patented Hexa-Cover® system canbe used on all kinds of liquids. It is theideal solution for eliminating: • Evaporation • Organic growth • Emission • Odour The unique design makes the elementsinterlock by wind pressure and ensurethat the Hexa-Cover tiles mechanicallyconstitute a coherent cover.

Tel: 519-469-8169, Fax: 519-469-8157E-mail: [email protected]: www.greatario.com

Greatario Engineered Storage Systems H2Flow Tanks & Systems

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: 905-660-9775, Fax: 905-660-9744E-mail: [email protected]: www.h2flow.com

MegaDome

Free span buildings

Every square foot of space is profitablein a MegaDome building. Ranging from30’ to 125’ wide and with no limitationto its length, MegaDome provides a pro-duction or storage area built in accor-dance with all building codes in yourarea. Tel: 888-427-6647, Fax: 450-756-8389E-mail: [email protected]: www.megadomebuildings.com

Spill Management

Specialist training

PracticalHands-onProgressiveFormats

Tel: 905-578-9666, Fax: 905-578-6644

E-mail: [email protected]: www.spillmanagement.ca

Transport Environmental Systems

To avoid any majorreoccuring expenseslike oil/water filtra-tion, shoveling snowand debris, or incur-ring tainted waterdisposal costs, Trans-

port Environmental Systems offersopen collector pan models andcloseable lid models to help avoid col-lecting snow, rainwater and debris.Also available are roll-under spill col-lector pans and other products fortrain/tanker truck loading, unloadingand spill containment.Tel: 252-571-0092, Fax: 252-489-2060E-mail: [email protected]: www.transenvsys.com

Spill containment systems

Westeel

Westeel's C-Ring Contain-ment Systemsare ideal forpetrochemical,frac waterstorage, oiland gas, fertil-izer, haz-

ardous material, and agriculturalapplications. All systems are made withhigh-strength (50-ksi) steel and haveheavy-duty G115 galvanizing, meetingthe stringent requirements of ISO 9001.Tel: 1-888-674-8265, 204-233-7133Fax: 1-888-463-6012E-mail: [email protected]: www.westeel.com

Containment system



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ACG Technology ACG Technology

ACG Technol-ogy’s packagetreatment sys-tem offers per-formance anddurability. Itprovides sewage

treatment within a small footprint. Aer-ation, mixing and settling can be ac-complished in compact, easilytransported ISO containers, ideal for re-mote locations. Provides flexibility ofadding future parallel units, an econom-ical means of meeting the needs of anygrowing sewage loads.Tel: 905-856-1414, Fax: 905-856-6401 E-mail: [email protected]: www.acgtechnology.com

Package Treatment System Coalescing oil/water separators

ACG Technology’scoalescing oil/water separatorsare available incarbon steel, stain-less steel, FRP andpolypropylene con-struction. Standard

systems include air-operated diaphragmpump, air filter and floating skimmer.Adjustable weir and skimmer height pro-vides optimal oil removal and minimaldisposal volume. Standard range is 1 to50 GPM.Tel: 905-856-1414, Fax: 905-856-6401E-mail: [email protected]: www.acgtechnology.com

Altech Technology Systems

Venturi air scrubber

Altech TechnologySystems offers thepatented System REI-THER™ venturi airscrubber advancedtechnology for up to99% removal of fineparticulate, aerosols,

acid mists, and many odorous gases, in-cluding H₂S, SO₂, ammonia, etc. from0.1 µ to 10 µ. Benefits include: ad-justable venturi throat, compact modularfootprint, few moving parts, low mainte-nance and co-scrub particulate and water-soluble gases in a single stage system. Tel: 866-734-8437 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.altech-group.com

American Public University

APU offers 87 degrees

American Public University (APU) has87 online degrees. Our tuition is farless than other top online universitiesso you can further your educationwithout breaking the bank. Learn moreabout one of the best values in onlineeducation.Web: www.studyatAPU.com/ESE.

Avensys Solutions

New signature meter

Teledyne Isco’s new Signature Meter simultaneously collects data from multi-ple flow and water quality measurementdevices, and automatically generates re-quired summary data. Most importantly,the SignatureTM meter electronically verifies that report data is authentic andunaltered.Tel: 888-965-4700 E-mail: [email protected]

Sprinkler shut off tool

Fire damage is ex-pensive but so isthe water damagecaused by an acti-vated sprinklerhead. The Shutgunis a simple toolthat will shut offan individual

sprinkler head while leaving all othersactive. Should the fire rekindle the Shut-gun includes a fusible link that releaseswhen heated, the gun drops out and thesprinkler reactivates. Tel: 800-265-0182, 905-949-2741, Fax: (905) 272-1866E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.cdnsafety.com

Phoenix Panel System

• Upgrades and optimizes all types of filters• Installs directly over existing underdrain system• Eliminates the need for base gravel layers• Improves backwash flow distribution• Provides longer filter runs and lower turbidity effluentTel: 403-255-7377, Fax: 403-255-3129E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.awifilter.comAWI

• Optimizes all types of filters• Extremely low profile; lowest available• Manufactured from corrosion-resistant stainless steel• Variable custom orifice sizing• Custom hydraulic design• Guaranteed uniform air scour distribution• Rapid, low-cost installationTel: 403-255-7377, Fax: 403-255-3129E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.awifilter.com

Phoenix Underdrain System

AWI

Canadian Safety Equipment 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


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Analytical system

The new Liquiline CM44x platform fromEndress+Hauser is a true multi-channel“Plug & Play” analytical system, usingMemosens digital communications. Justplug in up to eight digital sensors andyou are ready to go! Move now to a truedigital system.Tel: 1-800-668-3199, Fax: 905-681-9444 E-mail: [email protected]: www.ca.endress.com

Endress+Hauser

MECTAN® V (Variangle) is a completeredevelopment of the MECTAN® designwith 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD). It provides improved grit re-moval efficiency across the board andsurpasses other similar designs in thedifficult removal of grit in the 140 meshrange.Tel: 888-MEUNIERE-mail: [email protected]: www.johnmeunier.comJohn Meunier

Borehole pumps

KSB’s UPApumps are effi-cient, multi-stagepumps speciallydesigned for bore-hole operations.Coming in diame-ters from 50 mmto 200 mm, they

are offered in a variety of corrosion-re-sistant materials (i.e., duplex stainlesssteel) which makes them suitable forhandling aggressive fluids such asbrackish water from deep deposits.

Tel: 905-568-9200E-mail: [email protected]: www.ksb.ca

Membrane filtration

Throughout NorthAmerica, JellyfishFilter is setting newstandards instormwater filtra-tion. It has thehighest flow rate(80 gpm) and low-est head loss (18inches) of anystormwater filter.Its small footprintand easy mainte-

nance make it a low cost favorite for en-vironmental engineers and landdevelopers.Tel: 800-565-4801Web: www.imbriumsystems.com

Imbrium Systems

Differential level controller

The brand new and economical GreylineDLT 2.0 can measure both differentiallevel at a barscreen, plus open channelflow through a flume, all at the sametime! It works with two non-contactingultrasonic sensors and includes relays forbarscreen rake and level control as wellas three 4-20mA outputs.Tel: 888-473-9546E-mail: [email protected]: www.greyline.com Greyline InstrumentsGreatario Engineered Storage Systems

The JetMix Vortex Mixing System canbe used for sludge mixing, anaerobicdigester mixing, and aerobic digestermixing. Among the advantages of thesystem are: minimal tank obstructions;easy cleaning, loading/unloading; idealfor varying liquid levels; simplifiedmaintenance; easy retrofitting; and, fi-nally, its ‘as needed operation’. Tel: 519-469-8169, Fax: 519-469-8157E-mail: [email protected]: www.greatario.com

Vortex mixing system

H2Flow

H2FLOW offersPinnacle’s revo-lutionary Zenithozone systems,producing up to600 lbs/day (5%wt.) per unit.With their highlyefficient design,they can be

turned up/down for 100% dosage vari-ability. They are built with solid compo-nents, are rugged, proven, extremelycompact, and water cooled, with noyearly maintenance.Tel: 905-660-9775, Fax: 905-660-9744E-mail: [email protected]: www.h2flow.com

Ozone systems

The YSI Profes-sional Plus hand-held multi-parameter meterprovides extremeflexibility for themeasurement of avariety of combi-nations for dis-solved oxygen,conductivity, spe-cific conductance,salinity, resistivity,total dissolved

solids (TDS), pH, ORP, pH/ORP combi-nation, ammonium (ammonia), nitrate,chloride and temperature.Web: www.hoskin.ca

Multiparameter meter

Hoskin Scientific Huber Technology

With more than 700 installations, HuberTechnology’s Strainpress® InlineSludge Screen is designed to effectivelyscreen sludge in pressurized lines. It re-duces maintenance costs and increasesthe operating reliability of downstreamsludge treatment systems. The Strain-press is precision manufactured ofstainless steel. Tel: 541-929-9387, Fax: 541-929-9487E-mail: [email protected]: www.huber-technology.com

Inline sludge screen

KSB Pumps

Grit removal


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New water quality meter

The Ultrameter III 9P titration kit fea-tures fast, one-touch measurements forconductivity, resistivity, TDS, ORP, freechlorine, pH and temperature, and in-cell alkalinity, hardness and LSI titra-tions. LSI calculator function lets youpredict the effect of changes on waterbalance.

Web: www.myronl.comMyron L Company

Progressive cavity pumps

NEMO® Progressive Cavity Pumps arenormally used in wastewater treatmentplants with the following properties: lowviscosity or compacted, fibrous, adhe-sive, thixotropic, abrasive, corrosive,high gas content, toxic, varying tempera-tures, lubricating and non-lubricating.Capacities are up to 1,800 gpm, pres-sures up to 720 psi.Tel: 705-797-8426, Fax: 705-797-8427E-mail: [email protected]: www.netzsch.caNetzsch Canada

ORIVAL, Inc.now providescomplete waterfiltration systemsdesigned for spe-cific municipaland industrial ap-

plications. These systems include filters,manifold, valves and control. ORIVALORG and OR Series of Automatic Self-Cleaning Filters are designed to with-stand the day-in and day-out rigours ofPOTWs. A wide range of filters is avail-able from ¾” to 24”, and filtration de-grees from 5 to 3000 microns. Tel: 201-568-3311, 800-567-9767E-mail: [email protected]: www.orival.com

ORIVAL, Inc.

Measuring pen

The ULTRAPEN™PT1 is a new ground-breaking conductivity/TDS/salinity pen. Itfeatures the accuracy and stability of benchtop lab equipment,measuring conductiv-ity, TDS and salinity ina portable and conven-ient pen. Constructedof durable aircraft alu-minum, this pen isfully plotted with aneasy-to-read LCD andone-button functions.Web:www.myronl.com

MJ International & Associates

ArmorGalv is an environment-friendlyprocess that offers superior corrosion pro-tection and wear resistance, as well as anti-galling properties. It coats and penetratesthe surface of any type of steel, becomingintegrated with the part. An excellent alter-native for toxic coatings.E-mail: [email protected]: www.armorgalv.com

ArmorGalv® thermal diffusionenvironment-friendly cost

effective corrosion protection

MSU Mississauga

MSU MGSafety Hatches- the open andshut case forhatch stan-dards. With single, doubleand multi-doorconfigurationsin aluminum

and stainless steel, they are made righthere in Canada. Check us out on the web www.msumississauga.comTel: 1-800-268-5336, Fax: 1-888-220-2213 E-mail: [email protected]

Safety hatches

MSU Mississauga

MSU MG Safety Hatches set the standard in Canada for fall-through protection. They withstand pedestrian and occasional traffic loads. With single,double and multi-door configurations inaluminum and stainless steel, they aremade in Canada. Tel: 1-800-268-5336, Fax: 1-888-220-2213 E-mail: [email protected]: www.msumississauga.com

Safety hatches

Myron L Company National Ground Water Association

The National Ground Water Associationis the hallmark organization for anyoneaffiliated with the groundwater industry.NGWA's purpose is to provide guidanceto members, government representa-tives, and the public, for sound scien-tific, economic, and beneficial develop-ment, protection, and management ofthe world's groundwater resources.E-mail: [email protected]: www.ngwa.org

Association for groundwater industry

ProMinent Fluid Controls

Metering pump

The award-winning delta® with optoDrive®

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

Water reuse systems


Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine74 | November 2011Pro

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seDocumentation management

Robillard Document Management spe-cializes in the documentation needs ofengineering firms or consultants. Weprovide staffing solutions to firms thatneed temporary or permanent employees.Some other services include: scanning,CD/DVD burning, translations, proof-reading/formatting of documents andelectronic file renaming.Tel: 438-820-2262E-mail:[email protected] Web: www.rdmdocumentcontrol.ca

Robillard Document Management

Bladder pumps

Solinst Bladder Pumps prevent air/watercontact during operation, and are excel-lent for low flow and VOC groundwatersampling. They are available in stainlesssteel or PVC and are ideal for applica-tions to depths of 150 m (500 ft.). Blad-ders are quick and easy to change.Tel: 905-873-2255, 800-661-2023Fax: 905-873-1992, 800-516-9081E-mail: [email protected]: www.solinst.com

Solinst Canada

Mechanical actuators

The portable, elec-trically operatedHydrolift has beenone of the mostpopular mechani-cal actuators forthe Waterra InertialPump, and we've

been working to make it better. Today,the improved Hydrolift is more durableand easier to use and, most importantly,more affordable than ever.Tel: 905-238-5242, Fax: 905-238-5704E-mail: [email protected]: www.waterra.com

Waterra Pumps

Peristaltic pumps

The PegasusAlexis® PeristalticPump from Wa-terra is a self-con-tained samplingstation that in-cludes all the bestfeatures of thesedevices. Packagedin the rugged Peli-

can™ 1430 case and incorporating itsown power supply and charger, this pumpwill keep you sampling in the field allday long. Tel: 905-238-5242, Fax: 905-238-5704E-mail: [email protected]: www.waterra.com

Waterra Pumps

New name for ITTWW

ITT Corporation’s water business is nowa standalone global water technologycorporation, named Xylem. The com-pany’s product brands include Flygt,Wedeco, Sanitaire, and Leopold. Xylemcontinues to maintain a strong Canadianpresence, with 14 sales locations, 24 au-thorized distributors and several servicepartners to service the water and waste-water market.Tel: 514-695-0100E-mail: [email protected]: www.xylemwatersolutions.com/ca

Xylem

ProMinent Fluid Controls

Metering pumps

Feature-richand dependableSigma seriesmeteringpumps fromProMinent helpkeep yourchemical feedunder control.

Sigma pumps operate in capacities of upto 1000 LPH and pressures up to 174psi. Microprocessor controls are easy touse, with backlit LCD for rapid and reli-able adjustment.

Tel: 888-709-9933, Fax: 519-836-5226E-mail: [email protected]: www.prominent.ca

Smith & Loveless

Smith & Love-less Inc. an-nounces itslatest headworksinnovation,PISTA®

WORKS™, a pre-engineered packagedheadworks system, combining screen-ing, grit removal and grit washing intoone integrated system. It is pre-assem-bled and shipped direct to the job site,significantly reducing field-installationcosts, while allowing for a compactfootprint. All equipment componentsare constructed of stainless steel. Tel: 913-888-5201, Fax: 913-888-2173E-mail: [email protected]: www.smithandloveless.com

Headworks system

Solinst Canada

With absolute precision, the new Level-ogger® Edge records up to 120,000water level and temperature data pointsusing new linear compression sampling.It offers improved temperature compen-sation, reduced thermal response times,accuracy of 0.05% FS, 24 bit resolution,a 10-year battery, corrosion-resistant ti-tanium coating, and Hastelloy pressuresensor. Tel: 905-873-2255, Fax: 905-873-1992E-mail: [email protected]: www.solinst.com

Water level data logger

Waterloo Biofilter

Trickling filters

Waterloo Biofilters® are efficient, modular trickling filters for residentialand communal sewage wastewaters, andlandfill leachate. Patented, lightweight,synthetic filter media optimize physicalproperties for microbial attachment and water retention. The self-containedmodular design for communal use is now available in 20,000L/d and 40,000L/dISO shipping container units - ready toplug in on-site. Tel: 519-856-0757, Fax: 519-856-0759E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.waterloo-biofilter.com



Consulting engineeringawards presented

The 2011 Canadian Consulting Engineer-ing Awards were presented in October atthe Ottawa Convention Centre. These in-cluded:

The Schreyer Award (for most techni-cally innovative project) was presented toGENIVAR Inc. for the Gaspé Mines Re-habilitation for Xstrata Copper Canada,Murdochville, Quebec.

With an investment of $116 millionand four years of site work, the project isthe first smelter decommissioning projectand the largest mining and metallurgicalsite closure in Canada.

Awards of Excellence for Transporta-tion were presented to Delcan for theTrafalgar/Hale Street and CN ElevatedRoundabout, London, Ontario, and for theDufferin Street Underpass, Toronto, On-tario. SNC-Lavalin Constructors (Pacific)Inc. received an award for the CoastMeridian Overpass Design-Build Project,Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, andCIMA+ received an award for the Petite-Nation River Bridge, Highway 50,Lochaber, Quebec.

An Award of Excellence for Water Re-sources was presented to Stantec Consult-ing Ltd. for the Oxford Pollution ControlPlant Retrofit, London, Ontario.

Stockholm Junior WaterPrize awarded to US student

Alison Bick of the United States wasnamed the winner of the 2011 StockholmJunior Water Prize, a prestigious interna-tional student competition for water-re-lated research which is sponsored globallyby ITT Corporation. The $5,000 awardwas presented to Alison by H.R.H. CrownPrincess Victoria of Sweden at the annual

2011 Stockholm Junior Water Prizewinner Alison Bick and H.R.H. CrownPrincess Victoria of Sweden (left).Photo by Cecilia Österberg/Exray.

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World Water Week celebration in Stock-holm for her development of a low-cost,portable and publicly-accessible methodfor testing water quality.

Alison developed several devices totest water for harmful bacteria and accu-rately determine water quality. Her cellphone-based testing procedure can meas-ure the bacteria content of water and wasproven 99 percent accurate. She also re-ceived an invitation to present her findingsat the recent Water Environment Federa-tion annual conference in Los Angeles.

www.siwi.org

Survey of Canadaʼs drinking water plants

underway

Statistics Canada will be conducting aSurvey of Drinking Water Plants, whichwill include a census of public drinkingwater plants serving communities of 300or more people. The survey results willproduce a national portrait of treatmentprocesses and costs, and source waterquality across Canada, for facilities thatrange from complex treatment processesto basic groundwater well supplies thatprovide minimal or no treatment.

This data will be used to track the stateof source water stocks and treatment on aregional basis and will also be used in thedevelopment of environmental indicators.

www.statcan.gc.ca

Vancouver liquid wastemanagement plan approved

BC Environment Minister Terry Lake hasapproved a new liquid waste managementplan (LWMP) for Metro Vancouver thatdeals with the pressure of an increasingpopulation, while bringing an aging infra-structure up to modern standards. Theplan, developed by Metro Vancouver andvalid for the next eight years, includes up-grades to two existing wastewater treat-ment plants and incorporates resourcerecovery to capture heat and energy fromsewage.

Local governments are required to reg-ularly update their LWMPs and submitthem to the Ministry of Environment forapproval. The ministry reviews the pro-posed plan to ensure it meets provincial

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and federal rules for waste management,including BC’s Environmental Manage-ment Act. Local governments are also re-quired to consult the community and localFirst Nations before submitting the plan tothe ministry.

BC improves public environmental reporting

A new online database will make it easierfor British Columbians to keep track of thepeople, businesses and industries runningafoul of environmental rules. The freedatabase includes a wide variety of com-pliance and enforcement actions taken byministry staff and enforcement officers. Itincludes orders, administrative sanctions,tickets and court convictions coveringhunting and fishing, open burning, mudbogging, dam safety, and pesticide andpollution violations.

Users can search by names, dates ortypes of infractions, dating back to 2006when the Ministry of Environment beganpublic reporting of violations..

www.env.gov.bc.ca/main/compliance-reporting

NBʼs wastewater commissions reviewed

New Brunswick’s auditor general KimMacPherson has released her review ofprovincial wastewater commissions. Sheexamined governance, accountability andfinancial practices of the three largestwastewater commissions in the province:the Greater Moncton Sewerage Commis-sion, the Greater Shediac Sewerage Com-mission and the Fredericton Area PollutionControl Commission. By comparing thethree commissions, the auditor noted sig-nificant differences in expenditure pat-terns and reserves for the Greater MonctonSewerage Commission.

Her report acknowledges the valuedservice that the Greater Moncton Sew-erage Commission provides Moncton,Dieppe and Riverview. The report alsoacknowledges that the Greater MonctonSewerage Commission has achieved in-ternational recognition since its estab-lishment in 1983. MacPherson expressesconcern, however, with respect to boardgovernance practices, accountability of


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the commission and questionable finan-cial practices.

MacPherson makes a number ofrecommendations to the Department ofEnvironment regarding the Clean Envi-ronment Act, the legislation under whichthe commissions are created, geared tostrengthening governance and accounta-bility of the commissions.

New water treatment plant by 2015

Nanaimo’s $65M water treatment plantwill be completed by 2015, to meet thenew drinking water guidelines enforced bythe Vancouver Island Health Authority(VIHA). VIHA gave the City until March2015 to meet the British Columbia regu-lations. The City will also have to replaceits main reservoir, once the plant is com-pleted, because it is not covered.

All BC communities with surfacesources for drinking water have been man-dated to improve filtration in order to meetCanadian Drinking Water Guidelines. .

Water qualityinitiatives lauded

In 2010, Richmond, British Columbia, in-creased the number of water quality mon-itoring stations from 31 to 39. Thesededicated sampling sites are strategicallylocated throughout the city to provide agood representation of water qualitythroughout the entire distribution network.At each of these stations, city staff collectssamples and records water temperatureand chlorine residual levels.

The increase in stations allowed thetotal number of samples collected in 2010to increase to 1,649, compared to 1,489 in2009. The samples were analyzed atMetro Vancouver Laboratories and the re-sults were reviewed by Vancouver CoastalHealth to confirm the drinking water metthe strict standards and are in compliancewith BC’s Drinking Water ProtectionRegulations. At the end of 2010, over17,000 residential water meters had beeninstalled, which helped reduce water use.

Feds supporting Lake Simcoe clean-up

The Government of Canada will invest$2.9M in the seventh round of Ontario’s



Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund, as part ofthe Action Plan for Clean Water. The Townof Aurora will receive $650,000 towardscreating an innovative engineered wetlandto control urban runoff. This engineeredwetland facility will treat urban runofffrom 58 hectares of intensely developedlands and will reduce an estimated 60 kilo-grams of phosphorus per year from enter-ing Tannery Creek, a tributary of the EastHolland River, which empties into Cook’sBay in Lake Simcoe. This project demon-strates a new technology, and would be thefirst application of its kind in Ontario.

New measures on shale gasdevelopment announced

The New Brunswick government has setup a website that contains informationabout the potential of shale gas. The onlineforum, called Natural Gas From Shale,covers fracking, its environmental impact,and the potential economic benefits asso-ciated with shale gas development.

"Recently, there have been many ques-tions concerning the potential of shale gasdevelopment," said Natural ResourcesMinister Bruce Northrup. "We have heardthe concerns, which is why our govern-ment launched an open dialogue on thesubject of shale gas and what it couldmean to our province.” If this industry pro-ceeds, New Brunswick will have amongthe toughest regulations governing explo-ration and development on this continent,according to Premier David Alward..

www.gnb.ca/naturalgas

Nutrient recovery facility to be built

The City of Saskatoon has approved theconstruction of a facility at its H.M. WeirWastewater Treatment Plant that will re-cover phosphorus and nitrogen fromtreated wastewater streams and transformthem into a pure, slow-release fertilizercalled Crystal Green®.

In addition to removing nutrients fromthe facility, Ostara Nutrient RecoveryTechnologies Inc.’s Pearl® Nutrient Recov-ery Technology will help overcome cur-rent operational issues caused by the


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unintentional build-up of struvite. Struviteis a concrete-like mineral deposit whichchokes process equipment, increases op-eration and maintenance costs and threat-ens plant reliability. The City has beenforced to use chemical dosing to addressstruvite problems.

Saskatoon’s new nutrient recovery fa-cility will be the first Canadian site tofeature the newly-designed Pearl 2000,which has the capacity to produce 730metric tonnes of Crystal Green fertilizerevery year.

www.ostara.com

Honda office earns LEEDcertification

Honda Canada recently announced that ithas received LEED® Canada-Green gold-building certification from the CanadaGreen Building Council for its new head-quarters office in Markham, Ontario.Completed in May 2010, the facility isHonda’s eleventh LEED-certified buildingin North America.

By incorporating energy-saving fea-tures such as north-south building orien-tation and a heat-reflective white roof,Honda Canada’s head office uses 33 percent less energy than that of a traditionaloffice building of the same size. Throughinnovative site water management, potablewater consumption in the facility has beenreduced by 44 per cent compared to theLEED baseline and rainwater is collected

and stored for use in the campus’ irrigationsystem.

Additional green building features ofthe campus include an energy-efficientunder floor air distribution system and aparking lot outfitted with biofilters that fil-ter rainwater before it is released into thepublic sewer system.

Wajax rebrands its divisions

Wajax Corporation, a distributor and serv-ice provider for equipment, industrialcomponents and power systems, has un-veiled new brands for its three key divi-sions:• Wajax Power Systems – This divisioncombines Waterous Power Systems,DDACE Power Systems, and the recentlyacquired Harper Power Products. Its 28branches distribute engines, transmissionsand related products.• Wajax Industrial Components – For-merly known as Kinecor and its Peacockdivision, this division’s 58 branches dis-tribute, service and repair industrial com-ponents including bearings, powertransmission parts, hydraulics, processequipment and automation technologies.• Wajax Equipment – Wajax Industries re-ceives this updated brand name through-out its 31 branches, which reflects thedivision’s role as a multi-line distributor ofequipment.

www.wajaxindustrial.com

Ownerʼs engineer servicesfor trunk sewers

CH2M HILL has been awarded an assign-ment to provide Owner’s Engineer serv-ices for the design-build sanitary andstorm trunk sewers for the City of Saska-toon. The McOrmond Drive sanitary andstorm sewer trunks project is a key re-quirement in opening up Saskatoon’s EastSector for development. CH2M HILL hasbeen providing services to the City fornearly a decade.

New screens to be installedat Edmonton WWTP

Located in the North Saskatchewan RiverValley, the EPCOR-owned Gold BarWastewater Treatment Plant handles thewastewater requirements for over 820,000people in the greater Edmonton area. Itsexisting multi-rake screens will be re-placed with three Mahr bar screens fromHeadworks Inc., an order totaling over halfa million dollars. The screens will each bedesigned to handle flows of 79 MGD, with6mm bar spacing, and are scheduled to beinstalled in the spring of 2012.

Canadian clean technologyset to compete

Eighty-five per cent of Canada’s cleantechnology companies require no subsi-dies, are globally competitive, and are sit-uated in what promises to be a $3 trillionindustry by 2020. These findings are partof a major industry report released at thesecond annual Canadian Cleantech Sum-mit, coordinated by the Ottawa Centre forRegional Innovation (OCRI).

“Canadian clean technology compa-nies have proven their competitiveness byposting a compound annual growth rate of19 per cent during the recession, and theygrew by 56 per cent in 2010, ” says CélineBak, co-founder of the Canadian CleanTechnology Coalition. “Canada’s cleantechnology industry already employs44,000, similar to Canadian employmentin mining, and generates half of its salesfrom exports. We have the potential tobuild a $60 billion industry by 2020.”

Other results from the 2011 CanadianClean Technology Industry Report in-clude:



results, and reports on actions that weretaken by the city during this period. Aswell, they gathered samples of the waste-water to determine if the city was in com-pliance with the requirements of its license.Manitoba Water Stewardship also sampledthe river downstream from the plant.

OCSI speaks on behalf ofOntarioʼs infrastructure

professionals

The Ontario Coalition for Sustainable In-frastructure (OCSI) has announced the ap-pointment of Carl Bodimeade as Chair,Paul Jankowski as Vice-Chair, and Cather-ine Jefferson as Executive Director.

Originally formed in 2006, OCSIbrings together the combined resourcesof five well-established organizations,with a combined membership of privateand public sector professionals from mu-nicipalities, academia, consulting/engi-neering firms, equipment suppliers, FirstNations, provincial/federal governmentdepartments, and others, to work towardsustainable infrastructure in Ontario.

The Coalition comprises: MunicipalEngineers Association, Ontario GoodRoads Association, Ontario Public WorksAssociation, Ontario Water Works Asso-ciation, and Water Environment Associ-ation of Ontario.

www.on-csi.ca

Report highlights NSprogress

Nova Scotians continue to benefit from ahealthier environment, according to a re-cent progress report, which shows theprovince has met or exceeded 10 of its 21annual targets and that steady progresswas made in other areas, including:

• Launching “Water for Life” a waterresource management strategy, which pro-vides a 10-year plan to better understandthe quantity and quality of water, and pro-tect resources.

• Exceeding air-quality targets for re-ducing nitrogen oxide emissions andmeeting goals to reduce greenhouse gases,ground-level ozone, air borne fine-partic-ulate matter and sulphur dioxide emis-sions.

• Making progress on the goal oflegally protecting 12 per cent of Nova Sco-

tia's land by 2015. The province reached475,000 hectares of protected land in2010, which represents 8.6 per cent, andconsultations have begun to choose the re-maining lands to be protected.

• Generating 25 per cent of NS’s elec-tricity from renewable sources by 2015,and 40 per cent by 2020.

Work continues on contaminated sites,wetlands, and solid waste. The province isworking with Nova Scotia Power Inc. toreduce mercury emissions and is workingwith municipalities to meet targets for thetreatment of drinking water, wastewaterand septage.

www.gov.ns.ca

Meunier/Veolia to supplywater treatment system

John Meunier Inc./Veolia Water Solu-tions & Technologies Canada has beenawarded a contract to supply a drinkingwater treatment system, with a capacityof 500 m3/day to the Nisga’a Village ofGitwinksihlkw, British Columbia.

The company will provide a packagedrinking water treatment plant that in-cludes an ACTIFLO® high rate clarifica-tion system and Dusenflo® gravityfiltration, plus all ancillary chemical dos-ing, instrumentation and control systems.The ACTIFLO process has been selectedfor its suitability for treating Nass Riverwater, which contains very fine volcanicand glacial particles.

Gitwinksihlkw, with a population of250, is located on the north bank of theNass River, 100 km northwest of Terrace.Over the past several years, the village,one of four Nisga'a communities, has ex-perienced frequent water shortages, re-quiring water to be trucked in for domesticuse. The new treatment plant is designedto provide microbiologically/chemically-safe and aesthetically pleasing drinkingwater for the village.

Finished water quality will meet or ex-ceed the Guidelines for Canadian Drink-ing Water Quality (May 2008), as well asthe disinfection requirements outlined inthe Protocol for Safe Drinking Water inFirst Nations Communities, INAC (2006).Plant start-up was planned for this fall.

www.johnmeunier.com

• Canada has close to 700 clean technol-ogy companies. • The average Canadian clean technologycompany employs 62 people.• Industry employment grew 11 per cent(CAGR) from 2008 to 2010.• If the current growth rate is maintained,clean technology industry employmentcould total 75,000 by 2015 and 126,000 by2020.• Canadian 2010 clean technology indus-try revenues totaled $9 billion.· Canadian-owned clean technology com-panies generated 86 per cent of this rev-enue.• Canada’s clean technology industry rev-enues grew at a Compound AnnualGrowth Rate (CAGR) of 19 per cent be-tween 2008 and 2010.• If Canadian clean technology companiesmaintain a 19 per cent CAGR, Canada’sclean technology industry revenues willreach $61.4 billion by 2020, about the sizeof Canada’s automotive industry today.

www.canadiancleantechsummit.com/program

Partially treated sewage discharged

The City of Winnipeg reported the SouthEnd Water Pollution Control Centre hasbeen experiencing ongoing treatment dif-ficulties beginning October 7. The plant,which handles about 25 per cent of thecity's liquid waste, had been discharging 50million to 60 million litres of partiallytreated sewage each day into the Red River.

The problem stems from the mysteri-ous death of digestor micro-organisms inthe 37-year-old plant's secondary treat-ment tank. For some unknown reason, toofew of these organisms were in the tank,while bacteria that do not aid the biologi-cal treatment process were multiplying.The city was investigating whether toxicagents, such as metals, may have killed themicro-organisms, or whether the plant got"sick" for some other reason.

The City of Winnipeg reported theseverity of the problem on November 1,2011, to Manitoba Conservation which isconducting a full review to ensure every-thing possible is done to correct this situa-tion. Manitoba Conservation has requesteda detailed chronology of events, sampling




Canada needs fresh approach to water supply

management

A new report released by the NationalRound Table on the Environment and theEconomy (NRT) says that, if Canada is toensure the sustainability of its water sup-ply, which is crucial to the prosperity of itsnatural resource sector industries, govern-ments at all levels will need to engage incollaborative models of governance. Theymust also collaborate in the developmentand publication of a regularly updated na-tional Water Outlook, the first to be pub-lished within two years, and furtherexplore the use of water pricing for itslargest user: the natural resource sectors.

The report concludes that water hasreal economic value and outlines the stepsCanada should take to value, better man-age, and sustain water use by Canada’snatural resource sectors. While the reporthighlights that water use by the natural re-source sectors totals 86% of Canada’soverall use, it also predicts an increase inwater intake due to the economic growthforecasted in this sector.

Charting a Course: Sustainable WaterUse by Canada’s Natural Resource Sectorsis NRT’s second report concerning sus-tainable water use by Canada’s natural re-source sectors. It shows that threeemerging policy approaches would im-prove water conservation and efficiency:economic instruments such as pricing andtradable water permits; well-designed andproperly implemented voluntary initiativesby industry; and better data and informa-tion than is currently available. It showsfor the first time the potential benefits ofpricing water. A 20% water intake reduc-tion could be achieved with water prices

ranging from 5 to 9 cents per cubic metre. “While a shortage of water is not an

imminent issue facing Canada, the overalldemand by the natural resource sectors isincreasing,” said NRT Vice-Chair MarkParent. “This represents an opportunity forCanada to get ahead of a future problemand proactively take steps towards sustain-able water governance and management.”

www.nrtee-trnee.ca/charting-a-course

Xylem is ITT Water & Wastewaterʼs new name

ITT Corporation’s water business is now astandalone global water technology corpo-ration, named Xylem. Gretchen McClain,CEO and President of Xylem, says“Xylem is committed to solving today’sglobal water-related challenges, and welook forward to working with our partnersand customers to further drive innovation.”

Xylem’s technology helps its customerstransport, treat, and use water in publicutilities, residential and commercial build-ing services, industrial and agriculturalsettings.

In Canada, the company has 14 saleslocations, 24 authorized distributors andseveral service partners to service thewater and wastewater market, with itsFlygt, Wedeco, Sanitaire, and Leopoldproduct lines.

E-mail:[email protected]

Trojan acquires OpenCEL

Trojan Technologies has acquired the busi-ness assets of OpenCEL, a biotechnologycompany that offers a proprietary technol-ogy for processing wastewater biosolids.

Utilized for pretreating wastewatersludge prior to anaerobic digestion, theirtechnology employs high frequency elec-trical pulses to break open biomass cellmembranes, releasing soluble material thatis more readily digested and converted toenergy, reducing the amount of biosolidsthat are produced and disposed.

The OpenCEL business will operate asa division of US Peroxide, a Trojan Tech-nologies business headquartered in At-lanta, GA.

www.trojanuv.com

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American Public University ..........30

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Canada Unlimited ..........................35

Canadian Safety.............................31

CBCL Engineering .........................55

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Cole Engineering ...........................53

Corrugated Steel Pipe Institute ....84

D’Aqua Technologies ....................23

Delcan Water ..................................47

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MSU Mississauga ..........................17

National Ground Water Assoc. .....23

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Paracel Laboratories .....................52

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Smith & Loveless...........................39

Snow Recruit..................................55

Solinst Canada...............................29

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Nov11_ES&E_D4_ES&E 11-11-29 5:13 PM Page 83

Nov11_ES&E_D4_ES&E 11-11-29 5:13 PM Page 84

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Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine November-December 2011