the alberta capital region wastewater commission - Agenda

The Alberta Capital RegionWastewater Commissionwww.acrwc.ab.ca

2 WASTEWATER The Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission02Alberta Capital RWastewater Co

The Alberta Capital Region WastewaterCommission (ACRWC) is a model ofregional cooperation providing service to 13municipalities in the Alberta Capital Region.Formed in 1985, in response to growth in theregion at the time, the Commission was andis governed by the Municipal GovernmentAct with a mandate to provide safe, reliable,cost-efficient and environmentally responsiblewastewater service. Today, the ACRWC servesover 200,000 residents.

6 WASTEWATER The Alberta Capital Region Wastewater CommissionMike Darbyshire, general manager, describesit in the simplest terms: “The ACRWC deals withtransmission and treatment of wastewater, that’swhat we do. Each community connected to thesystem collects its own wastewater and dischargesit into the system. Then we take it andbring the water to the plant and treat it, beforedischarging it to the North Saskatchewan River.”How it all worksThe transmission system consists of 120 km ofgravity sewers, 51 km of pressure pipelines andfive pump stations. This system conveys wastewaterto the ACRW Treatment Plant from membermunicipalities in the west, north and east sectionsof the region. It also conveys wastewaterfrom the south members (City and County ofLeduc, and the Town of Beaumont) into the Cityof Edmonton system for treatment.In exchange, the ACRW Treatment Planttakes wastewater from Clareview in northeast Edmontonand from the Clover Bar Industrial Area.This exchange is regulated by the SWAP Agreementbetween Edmonton and the Commission(which expires in 2015).As for the treatment, the provincial govern-GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE.LOCAL FOCUS.

MAY 2010 The Canadian Business Journal7ment requires the plant treatment processes toachieve ammonia-nitrogen concentration to lessthan 10 mg/L during winter months and lessthan 5 mg/L during summer months, and totalphosphorus less than 1.0 mg/L.Darbyshire says this mandate is relativelynew. “We get an operating approval that setsthe parameters for how well we have to treatthe wastewater,” he explains. “In 1996, thegovernment changed it so that, by June 2005,we had to go from conventional treatment toan advanced treatment processes of biologicalnutrient removal (BNR) and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection.We had to start treating for nitrogen andphosphorous before the wastewater gets dischargedto the rivers.”Why it’s importantBecause wastewater management doesn’t affecthousehold drinking water, there is room for confusionas to why it’s important. What the publicshould understand is that treatment removes orreduces contaminants in the water, so that thetreated effluent from will not create pollution towater body after it is discharged.If wastewater goes untreated, the organicmatter it contains will decompose and leadto nuisance conditions, such as production ofmalodorous gases. It also contains nutrients thatYOU CAN HELP ▼You can help• Conserve water in your home by usinglow-flow fixtures and fix any leaks. Thisreduces the amount of water that needsto be treated.• Don’t pour fats, oils and grease downthe drain–dispose in the garbage. Thesesubstances clog pipes leading to costlyrepairs.• Take unused medications to thepharmacy for disposal rather thanflushing them down the toilet.Pharmaceuticals are not treated and endup in the environment.• Use phosphate-free cleaning materialsto reduce phosphorous levels in theriver. Phosphorous is a nutrient thatpromotes algae growth negativelyaffecting the aquatic environment.• Take household hazardous waste –motoroil, pesticides, herbicides, solvents,paint and chemicals –to a recycle facilityor community round-up event insteadof pouring it down the drain. Toxicsubstances are not treated and end up inthe environment.• Compost organic materials likevegetable peelings instead of using agarburator. Ground up organic materialcosts more to treat and must be disposedof at the wastewater treatment plant.

8 WASTEWATER The Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission

MAY 2010 The Canadian Business Journal9The Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commissionwill continue to maintain wastewater qualitywell into the future. In fact, the Commissionhas a major project out for tender to increasethe capacity of part of the plant; it is also buildinga new pump station in the City of St. Albert.“The expansions are mainly to meet the needs ofgrowth,” says Darbyshire. “We’re developing anasset management plan, to expand and to repair.After 25 years, some of the infrastructure wearsdown. We’re maturing to the point of developingreplacement programs. There will always be improvements.In the next decade, there could bemore stringent water requirements in treatmentthat may require an extra process.”“One other program we have initiated inthe last year is a source control program, whichcan stimulate the growth of aquatic plants andmay contain toxic compounds or compounds thatpotentially may be mutagenic or carcinogenic. Ifthis water is ingested, it can cause a lot of problemsfor animal and human populations. Forthese reasons, to protect public health and theenvironment, the wastewater should be treatedto remove the nuisances/contaminants so thatit can be reused or discharged into the environment(water bodies such as a river or a lake).Continuing to meet needstargets the industrial/commercial sector,” Darbyshireadds. “It’s an area that we’re working onwith our members, talking with industries andgetting out there to do site samples. The programis to promote responsible wastewater practices.”Although the ACRWC will remain committedto its mandate, it’s not only up to the Commissionto ensure our safety and health. There are severalthings the public can do to help within our homes(see sidebar). Together, we can all participate inhelping the environment and our future. CB

AS SEEN IN THE MAY 2010 ISSUEOF THE CANADIAN BUSINESS JOURNAL

‣ Bylaw No. 8 governing the quality of wastewater accepted by the Alberta Capital RegionWastewater Commission was adopted. This new by-law will form the core of ourmember municipalities’ sewer bylaws and is in integral part of the Commission’s sourcecontrol program.‣ The construction contract for the new DAF Facility 2 was awarded to Sure-FormConstruction Ltd. This facility is used to thicken waste activated sludge from thebioreactors before it is transferred to the digesters, reducing biosolids handling costs.‣ Board Members and Senior Managers attended a successful and fruitful StrategicPlanning Workshop in May.‣ Next Board Meeting – July 16, 2010‣ Performance Management Committee Meeting – June 18, 2010‣ MARK YOUR CALENDAR – Member Municipal Councils and StaffEvent:Date:Time:Location:RSVPBBQ and Plant ToursThursday, June 24 th11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Treatment Plant23261 Township Road 540Fort Saskatchewan, ABby June 14 th toCarolyn Lowther780 467-8655E-mail: clowther@acrwc.ab.caFor more information –Alberta Capital Region Wastewater CommissionPhone: 467-8655 Fax: 467-5398 Web site: www.acrwc.ab.caMike Darbyshire, General Managermdarbyshire@acrwc.ab.caBrad Willard, Manager of Operationsbwillard@acrwc.ab.caGil Carleton, Manager of Engineeringgcarleton@acrwc.ab.caPaul Krueger, Finance Managerpkrueger@acrwc.ab.ca