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Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment

Brent Wootton, Agata Durkalec, Dibyashree Shrestha, Chris Metcalfe

Assessing the Efficacy of Constructed Wetlands in the Treatment of Municipal Wastewater in Northern CommunitiesInternational Polar Year Research Project

Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment

What is CAWT?• Six outdoor sub-surface flow

constructed wetland cells

• Greenhouse facility for benchscale and mesocosm research

• Environmental Chamber

• Fully-equipped CAEAL accredited analytical laboratory

• Outdoor experimental ponds

• Solar Ecology System

Centre for Alternative Wastewater TreatmentCAWT Mandate:• Knowledge Creation Main focus on cold-climate research

• Knowledge and Technology Transfer Emphasis on rural and underdeveloped communities

• Education and Training Resources, courses, workshops

• Community DevelopmentLocal, nation, and international capacity development projects

Centre for Alternative Wastewater TreatmentProjects:• International Polar Year

• Mexico, China, Kenya

• Aquaculture Industry

• Province of Ontario – Institute forWatershed Science

• UNEP – IETC, Japan

BackgroundCanada-Wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater Effluent

CCME Regulatory Framework due to be finalized Spring 2008

Environment Canada’s proposed federal effluent regulations would be published in December 2008 for further comment

Preliminary cost to achieve proposals Strategy $10 –13 billion20 or 30 year implementation timeline only feasible if all levels of government ensure wastewater is a priority for funding

BackgroundDeleterious Substances and Effluent Discharge LevelsFederal Fisheries Act–Biochemical oxygen demanding matter:25 mg/L(CBOD)–Suspended solids:25 mg/L(TSS)–Residual chlorine:0.02 mg/L(TRC)–Acutely toxic effluent:non-acutely toxic effluent–Ammonia:specific requirements that consider both acute and chronic toxicity

Requirements for wastewater systems in the Arctic–Constraints exist due to the extreme climatic conditions and remoteness of Canada’s Arctic–Alternative effluent discharge levels and timelines are being considered and would be proposed by 2013–Defining the Arctic for this purpose a challenge–Monitoring and reporting a big challenge

WHAT ARE CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS?

• Artificial wastewater treatment systems

• Shallow ponds or beds planted with aquatic plants

• Rely on biological, physical & chemical processes [EPA, 1999

Adapted from Knight 1990 & Merz [2000]

Free water surface flow system (FWS)

Native soil

Inflow Outflow

SoilLiner

Surface water

Native soil

Inflow Outflow

SoilLiner

Surface water

Native soil

Inflow Outflow

SoilLiner

Surface water

Vegetated submerged bed (VSB)• Horizontal subsurface flow • Vertical sub-surface flow

Inflow Outflow

LinerNative soil

Sand, soil or gravel

Inflow Outflow

LinerNative soil

Sand, soil or gravel

WHY STUDY WETLANDS IN ARCTIC ?

1. Treats domestic, municipal, industrial and agricultural wastewaters

2. High treatment efficiency

3. Cost effective

Wetland Sequential Batch ReactorsCapital Cost $466,700 $1O MO &M Cost $6,000/yr $106,600/yrSource: EPA (2000)

Limited studies in Arctic environmentResearch need for an effective application

Loburg Brambach Scharf. HBNH4-N 99.25 27.43 77.79 33.28TN 97.51 28.95 59.64 40.13TP 98.59 88.56 88.03 75.14

Loburg Brambach Scharf. HBBOD5 98.58 85.80 94.90 81.62COD 90.43 81.16 90.21 79.92

Loburg Brambach Scharf. HBTC 94.21 79.79 99.27 99.53E. Coli 99.76 99.44 99.97 99.63Strep. 99.97 98.41 99.99 99.46

Nutrients Removal Efficiency

Organics Removal Efficiency

Pathogen Removal Efficiency

PERFORMANCE

Removal of organic matter and

pathogen removal efficiency

normally high

Source: Shrestha [2007]

Long-term Objectives

• Collect base-line date available for policy formulation for treatment and effluent discharge standards

• Train local people for monitoring and operation of natural and engineered treatment systems

Short-term Objectives• Study performance and efficacy of existing natural wetland treatment systemsin six communities in Nunavut• Study functioning of engineered constructed wetland systems in Arctic environment• Examine chemical, microbial processes occurring in treatment wetlandsin cold climates • Application models for use in Canadian Arctic: UNEP’s SubWET model

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

FIELD WORK: LOGISTICSPeriod:

Spring, Summer, Fall 2008

Field Lab:

Rankin Inlet

Sampling location:

Raw wastewater

final discharge point

Parameters:

pH, Total Solids, Conductivity,

DO, COD, CBOD5,

NH4, NO3, NO2, TKN, TP,

E. Coli, TC

Baseline SurveyTotal Sampling Locations 13Number of Parameters 12Locations X parameters 156Number of Weeks 12SubTotal baseline survey # samples 1872Additional 156Total Baseline survey # samples 2028

Intensive Survey# of wetlands 6# sampling locations 50Total intensive survey samples 300Number of Parameters 12Locations X parameters 3600additional 50Total intensive survey samples 3650

PROGRESS TO DATE

Phase 1: Summer 2007

Qualitative data collection in Arviat, Whale Cove, Chesterfield Inlet, Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet

Consultation meetings have been held with:

• Hamlets, SAOs, Mayors, Operators• Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami• Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.• Kivalliq Inuit Association• Nunavut Research Institute• Government of Nunavut Departments (CGS, Health, Environment) • Indian and Northern Affairs, Environment Canada, Department of

Fisheries and Oceans

STUDY AREA

Nunavut, Kivalliq region6 communities1. Arviat (AR)2. Whale cove (WC)3. Chesterfield (CF)4. Baker Lake (BL)5. Coral Harbour (CH)6. Repulse Bay (RB)

NEXT STEPS

• Completion of research plan and dissemination to stakeholders and partners for feedback

• Submission of Scientific Research License application, and amendment to Water Licenses for pilot sites

• Sampling to begin in 2008

AREAS OF EXPANSION

• New IPY Call for Proposals for Education, Training, Outreach

• ArcticNet Call for Proposals –Weather, water and health in the context of climate change

• Policy Recommendations – preparing impact reports for Nunavik, Nunavut and Inuvialuit Settlement Region as part of CCME’s consultation process for the Canada Wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater Effluent

WHO ARE WE?

• Dr.Brent Wootton, Senior Scientist, CAWT• Agata Durkalec, Project Coordinator• Dibyashree Shrestha, Doctoral Candidate• Technicians• Local Team Members• Communities, Government, Organizations• Prof. Sven Erik Jorgensen, Royal Danish School of

Pharmacy• Dr. Vicente Santiago, UNEP-IETC

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Assessing the Efficacy of Constructed Wetlandsin the Treatment of Municipal Wastewaterin Northern Communities.International Polar Year Research Project

Thank you!Questions?