profile - ntwwa.comntwwa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/journal_2005_web.pdf · water treatment...

PROFILE

• Ductile Iron Pipe & Fittings

• PVC Pressure Pipe, Sewer Pipe & Fittings

• HDPE Pipe & Fittings

• Copper Pipe & Related Fittings

• Factory Applied Pipe Insulation

• Fitting Insulation Kits

• Foam Packs & Mastic

• Butt Fusion & Electrofusion Equipment Sales & Rentals

• Grooved Pipe, Fittings, Bends & Couplings

• Fire Hydrants

• Valves & Valve Boxes

• Saddles, Tees, Caps, Wyes

• Brass Compression Fittings

• Curb Stops, Main Stops, Services Boxes

• Tapping Tees, Repair Couplings, Saddles

• Pre-Packaged Lift Stations

• Water, Sewer, & Well Pump Sales, Rentals & Service

• Sewage Treatment & Water Treatment Equipment

YOUR ONE STOP SHOP• Hydraulic Hose, Fittings & Adapter Headquarters

• Industrial Hose & Fittings• Hydraulic Pumps, Motors, Cylinders & Valves

• Filters • Gauges• Renewable Energy Systems

24-HOUR ON CALL SERVICE

Serving the Yukon Territory,Northern B.C. & Alaska

F E A T U R E S

3Journal of the Northern Territories Water & Waste Association 2005

Published by:

Del Communications Inc.211 Hespeler Avenue

Winnipeg, Manitoba R2L 0L5Fax: (204) 668-4641

PresidentDavid Langstaff

Toll Free: [email protected]

PublisherJason Stefanik

Toll Free: [email protected]

EditorPaddy O’Toole

Tel: (204) 255-6524

Advertising SalesChevy Alexander

Ross JamesDayna Oulion

Production Services Provided by:S.G. Bennett Marketing Services

Tel: (204) 895-2222www.sgbennett.com

Layout & DesignKathy Cable

Advertising ArtEric Bailey

© Copyright 2005,Del Communications Inc.

All rights reserved.The contents of this publication may

not be reproduced by any means,in whole or in part, without priorwritten consent of the publisher.

Publications mail agreement #40934510Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:

Del Communications Inc.211 Hespeler Avenue

Winnipeg, MB R2L 0L5Email: [email protected]

DELCommunications Inc. Journal

In this issueMessage from the Editor ~ Paddy O’Toole .........................................5

NTWWA First Announcement Annual Conference ...............................7

Northern Opinion ~ Steve Burden......................................................8

TRAINING ~ by Heather ScottResearch and development of a waste managementtraining program in the Northwest Territories ..................................10

ARVIAT ~ by Ron Kent and Dele MorakinyoSewage lagoon wetland treatment system, Arviat, Nunavut .............14

FORT SMITH ~ by Jean SoucyTreating high raw water turbidity in Fort Smith, NT .......................18

IQALUIT ~ by Ken JohnsonWater treatment improvements in Iqaluit, Nunavut.........................22

PANGNIRTUNG ~ by Peter ChristouRocks, snow and wastewater treatment in Pangnirtung, Nunavut ....25

SACHS HARBOUR ~ by Shannon Symewith contributions from John Bulmer, Vincent Tam & Ken JohnsonExtreme water treatment engineering in Sachs Harbour, NT.............28

TSIIGEHTCHIC ~ by Ken JohnsonSolid waste management improvements in Tsiigehtchic, NT ............30

WHITEHORSE ~ by Ken Johnsonwith information & photos provided by Brian Crist & Jason BerkersLivingstone Trail Environmental Control Facility (LTECF),Whitehorse, Yukon .........................................................................33

New TechnologyAdvanced cleaning technology for water treatment andstorage facilities ~ by Ulrich Reimann-Philipp .................................36

Message from the President ~ Kim PhilipA year of firsts................................................................................38

2005 Executive Director’s Report ~ Matthew Hough .......................40

CWWA Report ~ Dele Morakinyo .....................................................41

f

f

Water Management

fNatural Gas Services

Environmental Monitoring

•


MESSAGEFrom the Editor

PADDY O’TOOLE

Welcome to the first annual edition of the Journal ofthe Northern Territories Water & Waste Association.

Inside you will find reports and articles from every cornerof our vast northern region of Canada. These dispatchesdeal with the numerous challenges facing those who dealwith water and waste under often harsh and remoteconditions, as well as give insight into their communitiesand the people who live there. During the 1980’s, I hadthe opportunity to visit most of these communities as anaccessibility consultant, and was always amazed by thetype and quality of people living and working in thesecommunities; they came from all over the world, andpossessed a sense of community and gracious hospitalityencountered rarely, if ever, anywhere else. I can see fromthe stories herein that this has certainly not changed a bit!

Among the highlights in this issue is information onnew Training and Certification Programs developed forNorthern Operators, a message from the Canadian Waterand Wastewater Association (CWWA), and the

announcement of the NTWAA’s upcoming AnnualConference, being held in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Nov.5thto 7th, 2005. The Conference promises to be entertainingand informative, with a trade show and supplier/vendors inattendance, as well as numerous training and educationalopportunities. All Water Treatment Plant Operators shouldnote that attending the Conference, and a “hands-on”Operators Workshop afterwards are both counted asContinuing Education Credits.

Thanks go out to the many people assisting in puttingthis Inaugural Edition together, from the contributors, tothe advertisers, and most especially to our Technical Editorand Executive Member of the NTWWA Ken Johnson, whopulled the lion’s share of making this publication a reality.Way to go, Ken!

We hope you all find something to learn andsomething to laugh at in our first edition, and look forwardto seeing you all in Rankin Inlet November 5th to 7th2005.

!"

Galaxy Plastics Ltd.9 - 30321 Fraser HighwayAbbotsford, BC V4X 1T3

Phone: 887-808-1088 / 604-857-9660Fax: 877-808-1288 / 604-857-9674

Email: [email protected]:

www.galaxyplastics.com

• Complete line of PVCfittings (hydro & telephone)

• Backwater Valves• Flow Controls• Custom Fabrication• Pressure Fittings• Core Bell for lateral

connections of PVC toconcrete

OilScreenSoil™Inexpensive, rapid disposable test kits

for detecting hydrocarbons in soil.Canadian produced OilScreenSoil™ test kits were specifically

designed for the rapid detection of hydrocarbons in soil.

RED DYE INDICATES THEPRESENCE OF HYDROCARBONS

OilScreenSoil™ (Sudan IV)fold screening test kits.

• Are consistent detectors of oil from 500 ppm TPH in soil.

• Are useful for screening DNAPLs

(including TCE, TCA & PCE) and LNAPLs in soil.

• Can be used for detecting light to mid-range petroleum fractions.

• Produce immediate visual results in under two minutes.

• Does not require any external instrumentation.

• Are easy to use and only require a few minutes of training.

• When used in accordance with the MSDS, are

non-hazardous to human health or the environment.

#280, 5920 1A Street S.W.Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2H 0G3Tel: (403) 241-3276Fax: (403) [email protected]

6 Journal of the Northern Territories Water & Waste Association 2005

GEOSYNTHETIC SALES & SERVICES Á Pond & Lagoon Liners Á Geotextiles

Á Installation and Design Services

WATER TREATMENT PLANTS Á Custom made Á Up to 350 gpm in single trane

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS Á Rotating Biological Contractors (RBC)

HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE PIPE

Á Corrosion & abrasion resistant.

Á UV resistant for surface pipelines.

Á Available in diameters ½” - 63”

Á Available in pressure classes from 40 PSI to 400 PSI

Á Preinsulated and /or heat trace available.

S U P P O R T I N G A R C T I C D E V E L O P M E N T

DISTRIBUTOR:Pacific: Ph. (604) 513-4300Alberta: Ph. (780) 461-9400Saskatchewan: Ph. (306) 931-2900Manitoba: Ph. (204) 633-7213 Ontario: Ph. (519) 624-8765 Atlantic: Ph. (902) 465-2200

DISTRIBUTOR: Saskatchewan Phone: (306) 934-4549

PROFILE WALLED HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE

Á Corrosion & abrasion resistant profile wall HDPE for gravity flow applications.

Á Available in 18” – 120”

Á CSP Culvert replacement & relining.

Á Storm & sanitary sewers & dual containment.

DISTRIBUTOR: Laval Phone: (450) 963-3010

Manufacturer Representatives

For Quality Water Treatment

Microfiltration, RO, Specialty Media and Conventional Treatment

Don Burgess 35 B Rayborn Crescent, St. Albert, AB, T8N 5B6 Email: [email protected]

Phone: (780) 460-8433 Fax: (780) 418-2227


PROFILE

FIRST ANNOUNCEMENTAnnual Conference, Trade Show & Workshop

Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, November 5, 6 & 7

WHY ATTEND?This event is the premier opportunity in the Nunavut and the NWT

for water and waste water practitioners to stay informed on newtrends in the water and waste field, and acquire excellent technical

information to increase the quality of service they can provide tonorthern residents.

WHAT’S NEWAs the needs of northern communitieschange with the regulations, growth andeconomic developments, new approaches ofwater treatment and waste management maybe required.

Water Treatment Plant Operators can earn 1Continuing Education Credit for attending the conference, as a way of maintaining certification. An OperatorWorkshop will follow the conference on November 7, which will be “hands-on” sessions with great practicalinformation for operators; operators can also earn 1 Continuing Education Credit for attending the workshop.

REGISTRATIONRegistration will be coming out in September, so visit www.ntwwa.com to keep updated.

TRADE SHOWWhen our northern weather takes its toll on facilities

and equipment, it is important to know thecompanies and professionals with the products andservices to tackle the problems. The conference will

feature exhibits with some cutting-edge productsand services, and companies and product

representatives who know what works in the north.

It is expected that this year’s event will attract operators,engineers, regulators and suppliers from across northernand southern Canada. It will be a great opportunity forall participants to share experiences and information,take in over 20 quality presentations, and enjoy the finehospitality our host, Rankin Inlet, has to offer.

8

REPORTNorthern OpinionSTEVE BURDEN, P.Eng.

Ask any consultant if would they prefer contracts beawarded based on technical merit or price, and most

would say technical merit. The rationale being that aproject awarded on merit allows the consultants to usetheir experience, ingenuity and creativity to provide qualityengineering. Unfortunately we are all too often forced tocompete for projects based on price.

On these projects consultants are forced to deliver therequired services as cheaply as possible, often sacrificingthorough engineering evaluation to stay within budget.This obviously affects the quality of services provided, andthe satisfaction of the client. Clients who base their projectawards on price are often dissatisfied with the deliverablesand generally have a poor opinion of the consultingindustry.

A client once expressed his dissatisfaction with aconsultant, when it was suggested that they stop awardingcontracts to the consultant if they were not satisfied withthe service. They replied that they could not because theconsultant continued to submit the proposal which offeredthe most potential value. Clients must realize that qualityand completeness is more a function of the available fundsthan content of the proposal.

When engineering costs are such a small componentof the overall project costs (typically 10 to 15 percent),hiring the best consultant at even a twenty percentpremium will only result in a two to three percent increasein cost to the project. In fact the increased fees will resultin the consultant being able to complete a thoroughengineering review that will likely lead to cost savings, withthe engineering costs being offset by savings from lowercapital cost, fewer extras, or lower operational andmaintenance costs.

Clients often utilize the two envelop system, or weightthe cost submission relatively low (10 or 20 percent) in anattempt to get away from the award based on cost. Theproblem with these systems is that while it is easy toevaluate the costing submission, and significant differencesin price submissions easily justify significant difference inthe rating, it is much more difficult to evaluate thetechnical submission. It is not uncommon for firms to beonly a few points apart after the technical submission, andthe project award being based on cost.

To truly utilize the proposal evaluation system,

evaluators must be experienced and willing to rateproposals on their technical merit. Rarely are proposalsdeemed to be unresponsive no matter how poorly they areprepared. It should not be a big jump in logic to realizethat the consultants that provide poorly prepared proposalswill likely provide poor engineering services, and converselyconsultants that provide quality proposals will providequality services.

As a profession we need to educate our clients on thevalue of good planning and engineering. Most of theprofessional organizations are very active in trying toeducate the clients, (the Association of ProfessionalEngineers and Geologists and Geophysicists of the N.W.T.& Nunavut offer a publication on their web site entitled“Procedures for Selection of a Consulting Engineer”).However, we must accept that no matter what we do as aprofession, there will remain clients that award project

Buyer and Seller Beware

Ad - 3.375" x 4.625" (1/4 page ad)

May 2005Ad298.cdr

Journal of the Northern Territories Water & Waste Association 2005


REPORT

based on price. As consultants we will continue to respondto these Request for Proposals to maintain business and tomaintain existing relationships with clients.

It is possible and not uncommon for clients to receivequality engineering on projects awarded based on price. Ithowever requires much more work on the client’s behalfpreparing the terms of reference and scope of services.Clients with a good understanding of project developmentcan prepare a quality terms of reference which will ensurethe project is completed properly. This requires anexperienced client with the time and resources to apply tothe preparation of the Request for Proposal. This is morecommon with large municipalities, Territorial or FederalGovernments.

As consultants what should we do when dealing witha client we know will be awarding the project based onprice? The first question we should ask is do we really

want pursue this project? Assuming the answer is yes, wenext need to determine if we can offer a competitive pricewhile still being able to complete the requirements of theproject. Again assuming the answer is yes, we shouldensure the client has provided a clear and detailed scope ofservices. If the scope of services is not clearly defined, weshould request sufficient clarification to define the scope ofservices, ensuring that prices received will be comparingapples to apples. If the answer to any of the previousquestions was no, or if the scope is not clarified throughaddendums, we should consider not submitting a proposaland informing the client of the reason.

As consultants, if we submit proposals on projects thateither cannot be competitive and still provide qualityservices, or projects without clearly defined scopes, weopen ourselves up to many potential costs and liabilities.The cost of preparing a proposal we had no chance to winbecause we were not competitive, the cost of completingthe project which requires greater effort than anticipated,the cost of a poorly executed project has on our industriesreputation or cost of litigation are all potential costs weopen ourselves up to when bidding such a project.

Must we expose ourselves to these potential costs?Some firms may be fortunate to have developed a clientbase or niche market that allows them to forego biddingon such projects, but for many consultants it is a fact oflife. These projects are a case of seller beware as much asbuyer beware.

!"

Steve Burden is a Senior Engineer and Project Manager with Trow Associates.Over the past 20 years Steve has worked extensively in the eastern Arctic, most significantly in the City of Iqaluit.

ZENON Environmental Inc.

Membrane Technology forWater & Wastewater Treatment

Zenon Environmental Inc. is a leading supplier of mem-brane technologies for drinking water and wastewatertreatment. ZeeWeed® immersed membranes are theoptimal solution for removal of Cryptosporidium,Giardia, viruses, solids and color for production of safe,pure drinking water. When combined with theZenoGem® Membrane Bioreactor, the system is ideal forhigh-quality sewage treatment and wastewater reuse.

Zenon Environmental Inc.Western Canada Office:

9408-39th Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6E 5T9Tel: 780-465-5451 Fax: 780-465-9929


TRAINING

INTRODUCTIONProper waste management is an essential component

to maintaining healthy, clean and environmentally soundcommunities in the NWT; sewage must be safely collectedand properly treated, and solid waste must be containedand managed in an organized fashion. Even the bestdesigned municipal facilities can fail due tomismanagement and/or improper operation andmaintenance. For this reason, education and training foroperators of landfill sites, wastewater treatment facilitiesand wastewater collection systems is of vital importance tothe Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT).

Until recently, a specific training program did not existin the NWT for operators of landfill sites, wastewatertreatment facilities or wastewater collection systems.

In August 2004, Dillon Consulting, Ltd. was contractedby the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs,GNWT to develop a waste management curriculum for theSchool of Community Government (SOCG).

Prior to the development of this curriculum, wastemanagement was covered briefly in the SOCG’s SmallSystems Water Treatment Plant Operator Program, withmaterial briefly explaining lagoon operation andmaintenance and operation and maintenance of landfillsites.

Project ObjectivesThe main objective of this project was to develop the

curriculum for stand-alone courses in Solid WasteManagement, Wastewater Treatment and WastewaterCollection, specifically;• A two (2) day course in Solid Waste Management• A two (2) day course in Small Systems Wastewater

Treatment

• A three (3) day course in Class I Wastewater Treatment• A two (2) day courses in Small Systems Wastewater

Collection• A three (3) day course in Class I Wastewater Collection

The final deliverable for this project was thesubmission of respective student and instructor manuals foreach of the five (5) courses, designed to educate, train andcertify operators of sewage lagoons, wastewater treatmentplants, trucked and piped wastewater collection systemsand landfill sites in the NWT. Challenges

The NWT has eight (8) official languages. Therefore,one of the main challenges in developing the program wasto include the pertinent technical information required toproperly understand waste management systems whilemaintaining the curriculum at a level that speaks tostudents with varying skills in English literacy, math andscience.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF AWASTE MANAGEMENT TRAINING

PROGRAM IN THE NWT

Classroom training forwater and sewer operations.

Hurlburt Enterprises Inc.Owned and Operated by Dev & Louise Hurlburt

Septic Systems Sales & DesignFuel Tanks & Pumping SystemsWater Tanks, Pumps, & Pressure SystemsIrrigation and Water PurificationPipe & Tank Insulation

ph: (867) 633-5192fax: (867) 633-6222

Box 33058, Whitehorse, YT, Y1A 5Y5

We make it our business to serve you!

Another challenge was topresent material in a short andconcise manner, so that studentscan learn and absorb sufficientinformation to becomeadequately trained in a limitedamount of time.

The program also had to bedesigned so that an instructorcould sufficiently deliver theprogram with the materialsprovided in the student andinstructor manuals.

RESEARCHResources

A variety of resources wereused to gather the relevantmaterial to develop the program.The SOCG’s existing WaterTreatment curriculum was used asa base on which to build theWaste Management Program.Documents from Public Worksand Services, GNWT (PW&S),Indian and Northern AffairsCanada (INAC), AlbertaEnvironment, the Solid WasteAssociation of North America(SWANA) and the United StatesEnvironmental Protection Agency(US EPA) were used in addition toany applicable guidelines andlegislation as outlined in Table 1.

The SOCG currently uses theAssociation of Boards ofCertification (ABC) for testing andcertification in the Water TreatmentProgram. Therefore, ABC guidelinesin the area of Wastewater Treatmentand Collection were used indeveloping curriculum material. ABCdoes not currently have certificationin Solid Waste Management, sotraining materials from SWANA wereprimarily used in place.

ConsultationDillon consulted with a variety of

individuals for input on the contentand structure of program. Thesesources included several operators ofwastewater treatment and solidwaste facilities in the NWT, past

students of SOCG water treatmentcourses (certified water treatmentplant operators), and instructors ofSOCG courses. Dillon alsoresearched traditional methods ofmanaging waste in the NWT, so thatthey could be addressed in thecurriculum.

DEVELOPMENTFor each of the five (5) courses,

a student and instructor manual waswritten. The student manualscontain an introduction, a courseoutline, a list of important contacts,technical material, and addendums.Addendums include relevantdocuments and guidelines, a glossary

of terms and a math tutorial.Instructor manuals contain anintroduction, a course outline,chapter outlines, delivery methods,lesson plans and answers toquestions in the student manual. Inaddition, each manual chapter isaccompanied by a set ofcomprehensive electronic slides.These slides outline the curriculummaterial and are filled with graphics,photos, exercises and discussionquestions. The slides are designedsuch that an instructor canthoroughly deliver the coursematerial with their use.

Table 2 lists the chapter contentsfor the respective courses.


TRAININGby Heather Scott, B.Sc., M.A.Sc.

Water and Wastewater Systems Design Practice,Dillon Consulting Ltd., Yellowknife

SOURCE DOCUMENT CURRICULUM

MACA, GNWTSmall Systems Water Treatment Plant Operator

Program ManualWastewater Treatment/Collection

Solid Waste Management

MACA, GNWTGuidelines for the Planning, Design and

Maintenance of Wastewater Lagoon SystemsWastewater Treatment

MACA, GNWTGuidelines for the Planning, Design, Operations

and Maintenance of Modified Waste SitesSolid Waste Management

PW&S, GNWTGood Engineering Practice for Northern Water

and Sewer ServicesWastewater Treatment/Collection

ENR, GNWT Environmental Protection ActWastewater Treatment/Collection


ENR, GNWT Waste Reduction and Recovery Act Solid Waste Management

H&SS, GNWT Public Health ActWastewater Treatment/Collection


NWT WaterBoard

Guideline for the Discharge of TreatedMunicipal Wastewater in the NWT

Wastewater Treatment

INAC BAT for Sewage Treatment in the North Wastewater Treatment

INAC Community Wastewater Treatment Wastewater Treatment

INAC Community Solid Waste Solid Waste Management

AlbertaEnvironment

Water and Wastewater OperationsLevel I and II Manuals

Wastewater Treatment/Collection

SWANATraining Sanitary Landfill Operating Personnel

— Student ManualSolid Waste Management

US EPA Collection Systems Fact Sheets Wastewater Collection

TABLE 1: RESOURCES USED FOR CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT


TRAINING

In order to speak to studentswith a range of literacy, math andscience skills, Dillon wrote the coursematerial in plain language andaccompanied text with a wide varietyof graphics and photos. Pictures ofwaste management systems fromvarious NWT communities thatstudents can recognize and relate toare included. The content issupplemented with problems,exercises, articles, case studies anddiscussion questions that are practicaland relevant to the NWT. The mathaddendum includes a review of basicmath skills and builds to solvingmath problems relevant to theparticular course material.

Solid WasteManagement

• Municipal Solid Waste • Solid Waste Collection• Alternatives to Solid Waste Disposal • The Landfill Site• Landfill Operations and Maintenance • Closure of a Landfill Site• Regulatory Requirements • Occupational Health and Safety

Small SystemsWastewaterTreatment

• Introduction to Wastewater • Wastewater Treatment• Lagoon and Wetland Treatment • Lagoon Operation• Lagoon Maintenance • Lagoon Sampling• Regulatory Requirements • Occupational Health and Safety

Class IWastewaterTreatment

• Wastewater Treatment Processes • Secondary Treatment• Nutrient Removal • Sludge Digestion• Disinfection • Valves • Pumps• Wastewater Treatment Case Studies • Regulatory Requirements• Occupational Health and Safety

Small SystemsWastewaterCollection

• Introduction to Wastewater • Wastewater Treatment and Collection• Trucked Collection • Regulatory Requirements• Occupational Health and Safety • Addenda

Class IWastewaterCollection

• Piped Wastewater Collection Systems • Valves • Pumps• Sewerage System Maintenance • Regulatory Requirements• Occupational Health and Safety

TABLE 2: CONTENTS OF STUDENT MANUALS


Review of CurriculumThe curriculum underwent an extensive review

process by the GNWT; the program manuals weresubmitted to the SOCG in a series of three (3) drafts.Each draft was reviewed by an Advisory Committeecomprised of representatives from MACA and PW&S,GNWT and community governments. One draft wasalso reviewed by the Environmental ProtectionDivision of the Department of Environment andNatural Resources, GNWT, as well as a certified ClassII Water Treatment Plant Operator in the NWT.

Program Delivery The curriculum was completed in March 2005

and the first courses for Wastewater Treatment andSolid Waste Management were held in Fort Simpson,NT, in May 2005. The courses were a success; five(5) students attended the Solid Waste Managementcourse and six (6) attended the WastewaterTreatment courses. Wastewater Collection courseswill be held in Yellowknife, NT in September 2005.

!"

Sewage pumpout truckdischarging into lagoon.

TRAINING

PIPE � FITTINGS � FLANGES� Stainless Steel� Duplex & Nickel Alloys� Chrome Moly� I.P.S. & I.D. Gauge Dimensions� Pipe Hangers and Supports� ASTM - ASME - ANSI Specifications

TUBE � FITTINGS � VALVES� Stainless Steel� Duplex & Nickel Alloys� Carbon Steel� Copper & Brass� Teflon & Polyethelene� A-Lok® CPI� Fittings & Valves� Tube Bundles � Pre-Insulated � Electric

& Steam Traced

SERVICES� Project Management� Cutting, Bevelling & Machining Services� Custom re-coiling� 24 Hour - 7 Day Service

Edmonton8835 - 50 AvenueEdmonton AB CanadaT6E 5H4t. 780.468.5656f. 780-469-3651e. [email protected]

CalgaryBay #1 7408 - 40 Street S.E.Calgary AB CanadaT2C 2L6t. 403.236.2216f. 403.236.7458e. [email protected]


ARVIAT

IntroductionThe widely adopted method of treatment, in northern

Canada is the combination of sewage lagoons and wetlands.This combination is suitable for northern communitiesbecause of the nature of the communities (small, simple andsparsely distributed, abundant water and wetlandenvironments, and limited financial resources). Furthermore,wetland treatment is one of the few technologies that canmeet General Provisions of the Fisheries Act .

Sewage LagoonsA sewage lagoon is a shallow pond, usually man-made,

where sunlight, bacteria and oxygen interact to help purifysewage. The term is synonymous with oxidation pond andstabilization pond. Lagoons are classified as aerobic (havingoxygen), anaerobic (no oxygen) and facultative (aerobic &anaerobic). Facultative lagoons are the most prominent type.They have both aerobic and anaerobic processes. Algae andthe air supplies oxygen to the supernatant which is theupper portion of the lagoon. The lower portion has nosupply of oxygen. Facultative lagoons are common in theNorth because they are often the lowest capital andoperating and treatment systems.

WetlandsWetlands are transition zones between land and water

environments. They include all forms of water saturatedareas-from marshes and swamps to shallow ponds andestuaries. Wetlands function as the kidneys of the earth,filtering and cleaning water flowing through it, bladders ofthe earth, storing water and providing sedimentation, earth’sdigestive tracts transforming nutrients and livers of the earthfiltering toxins (Nowlan and Jeffries, 1996). These qualitiesenable wetland to satisfy the various Physical, Chemical andbiological cleansing requirements for wastewater. Cleansingof wastewater passing through wetlands takes place throughstorage (sedimentation), absorption of pollutants in thesurface soils, nutrient uptake and metabolic use by plants,transformation (oxidation) of elements by micro-organisms,

sewage dispersion over a large area through intricatechannelization.

Natural Wetlands (mashes, swamps, bogs or fens) aboundin the north and are readily available for sewage treatmentsubject to regulatory compliance. Where the land availablefor wetland treatment is not sufficient to provide treatmentthat meets the regulatory requirements, engineered orconstructed wetlands are used. The engineered system eithercreates a totally new wetland system where none everexisted or creates circumstances that make the smallwetlands to provide greater exposure to the sewage fortreatment.

Attempts at developing appropriate design parameters forwetland sewage treatment in the north have been made byDoku and Heinke (1993), Dillon (1994) and Dillon (1998).

FSC undertook a comparative analysis of these reports, theAlberta Environment AENV (2000) Model for wetlands, anda USEPA model. Also included in the analysis was a plugflow assessment of an overland flow system as a fixed filmreactor, using rate equations developed by Autotrol (1979).From this analysis it was determined that the AENV Modelcould be successfully modified and adapted for the North.

The AENV (2000)Wetland Model

For assessing the feasibility of a wetland for wastewaterpolishing after lagoon treatment, the AENV developed thefollowing empirical relationships:

The area of a wetland (A) and its expected effluent quality(Ce) are given respectively as:

SEWAGE LAGOONWETLAND TREATMENTSYSTEM, ARVIAT NUNAVUT

A = *In0.0365Qk

Ci - C*Ce - C* ;[ ]

C0 = C*+(Ci - C) *exp __- kA__0.365Q

Where:A = required area; Q = Design Flow; k = Rate constant for a given temperature;Ci = Influent Concentration; Ce = Target Effluent Concentration; C* = Wetland Background Concentration;

for BOD, C* = 7.8 + 0.063Ci, for TSS, C* = 3.5 + .053Ci

Co = Predicted effluent concentration:

The AENV model was developed for a temperature of20oC. Sewage decant to wetlands in the north always takeplace during the summer or fall months when there isexpected to be high levels of plant and microbial activities toclean the lagoon effluents. Average temperatures during thedecant months are usually between 5 and 10 oC. Hence, theAENV model needed to be corrected for temperature beforeit could be applied to the north.

Modifications to the AENV Model for NorthernWetlands

The rate constant, k, in the AENV Model varies in directproportion to the local ambient temperature, . The exactrate of variation is unknown. As a first approximation, wehave assumed a linear relationship. If the rate constant attemperature is k, then rate constants at temperatures0 / 2 and 20 are respectively k/2 and 2k. Fig. 1: Temperature and Rate constant Relationships(northern Wetlands)

A graphical illustration of this relationship is shown in Fig.1 starting with a parameter (e.g. BOD) with rate constant of40 mg/L at 20 oC.

FSC has successfully adopted this approach to designmany northern wetland systems. Further investigations will be required to verify the k -relationship (to be adopted in the AENV Model) for the

north . Real data from Surveillance Network Program (SNP)stations of northern communities operating Sewage lagoon /wetland systems is required to calibrate the AENV Model fornorthern wetlands. An attempt to calibrate this model atthe time of writing this article was inconclusive due to lackof sufficient data from the communities. FSC will undertakethis investigation and publish the result in a future edition ofthis magazine

Arviat Sewage Lagoon - Wetland Design ConceptPROJECT BRIEF

The Hamlet of Arviat had a 2-cell sewage lagoonsoperating in parallel with exfiltration discharge to HudsonBay. The existing cells no longer exfiltrated at a sufficient rateand therefore required decant structures. Furthermore, agrowth study in 2003 estimated the 20-year sewage volumeof Arviat at 141,000 m3. The existing sewage lagoon volumeestimated to at 49,600 m3 would not provide adequatetreatment or winter storage volume. . FSC was retained bythe Government of Nunavut (GN) to design and provideengineering services for addition of a new cell to the existingsystem and to complete the design work for a decantingdevice for the treatment system. Fig. 2: The Three-cell Arviat Lagoons and the overland flowarea (FSC’s Conceptual Design)

FSC’s Design ConceptFSC proposed that a third lagoon be constructed to

accommodate the 20-year volume estimated to be 141,000m3. The current lagoon volume was estimated to be 49,600m3 based on a 2 meter working depth. The annualevaporation for Arviat is 203 mm; precipitation is 297 mm.Therefore, the lagoons will incur a net gain of 94 mm ofprecipitation over the area of the lagoons. No runoff entersthe lagoons. Therefore, the required volume of the new


ARVIATRon Kent, P.Eng. and Dele Morakinyo, PhD, P.Eng.

FSC Architects and Engineers, Yellowknife

16

sewage lagoon was 98,353 m3. Thenew cell was designed with a sectionof the discharge berm constructedfrom coarse gravel (190mm+) forexfiltration of effluents directed to aproposed wetland area. The old cellswould be retained and provided witha decanting structure. Sewage will bedischarged to the lagoons year roundfrom a trucked system. As one cellbecomes full, the truck will discharge

to the next empty cell.For the old cells, FSC designed a

discharge system consisting of asiphon using solar powered pump.This option was arrived at as the bestoption for Arviat System afterconducting extensive research onavailable options and carrying outoption analysis based on Kepner-Tregoe (K-T) decision-making tool.

The modeled lagoon effluent

quality compared to Nunavut WaterBoard Guidelines for 2023 indicatesthat the effluent from the lagoonsprior to discharge to the wetlandwould potentially meet the NunavutWater Board (NWB) Guidelines fordischarges to marine environment forparameters such as BOD, TSS,T-PO4, TKN and Faecal Coliforms.

The land between the lagoon andthe Hudson’s Bay would be developed

ARVIAT

Fig 3: The Overland (Wetland) Treatment Area with Attenuation berms


4992 Sweet Home RoadNiagara Falls, NY 14305

Phone: 716-285-5680Fax: 716-285-5681

20 Sharp RoadBrantford, ON N3T 5L8

Phone: 519.751.1080Fax: 519.751.0617

5700 Escondida BoulevardSuite #201

St. Petersburg, FL 33715Phone: 800-998-8555

Fax: 727-865-0905

17

so that it naturally evolves into anoverland flow treatment areasupporting additional vegetation.Effluents from the sewage cells will bedischarged continuously to thewetland at the beginning of July andcontinue discharging until the end ofAugust at which time all the cells willbe at their lowest level to providesufficient storage to accommodate thesewage production throughout thewinter.

See figure 3 on previous page.The microenvironment will further

treat the sewage, and provide forevaporation of the liquid anddisinfection of the effluent. Irrigationtechniques and flow attenuationberms will be used to ensure liquid isthinly spread across the area andgiven sufficient exposure to oxygenand sunlight.

ConclusionsThe AENV model has been

successfully adopted by assuming alinear relationship between the rateconstant k and ambient temperaturefor the Arviat wetland and othernorthern wetlands. . Furtherinvestigations will be conducted tooptimize the relationship.

References— Alberta Environment, 2000:

Guidelines for the approval anddesign of natural and constructedtreatment wetlands for water qualityimprovements

— Autotrol Wastewater TreatmentSystems Design Manual, 1979.

— Dillon Engineering, 1994: SewageDisposal Improvements: Design andOperation Concept - ChesterfieldInlet.

— Dillon Consulting 1998: SewageTreatment using Tundra wetlands.

— Doku, I.A. and G.W. Heinke, 1993:Potential for use of wetlands for

wastewater Treatment in theNorthwest Territories.

— FSC Arviat Report, 2003: DesignConcept for Pumping System - ArviatSewage Lagoon

— Nowlan, L. and Jeffries, B., 1996:Protecting British Columbia’sWetlands - A Citizen’s Guide.

!"

Tel: (403) 252-9056Email: [email protected]

Fax: (403) 252-2538Web: www.watertech.ca

WaterPackage Water Treatment PlantsSkid Mounted Filter SystemsMembrane FiltrationWater ReservoirsChemical Systems

FlowmetersMag, Prop, DP& Rotameters

WastewaterPackage Sewage Plants(RBC, SBR & Others)Screens & Comminutors

Chopper PumpsMoney Back Performance Guarantee

Lowest Life Cycle Cost40 Years Experience

Complete Lift Stations Available

ARVIAT


FORT SMITH

Fort Smith is located in the southern extreme of theNWT, just beyond the Alberta border at 60 degrees

north latitude and 111 degrees west longitude. Thedrinking water source for Fort Smith comes from theSlave River, a 434 km river which emerges from thewaters of the Peace-Athabasca Delta. The Slave Riverconsists of mostly sandy and silty banks, and a riverbottom which continuously erodes as water levels riseand fall thereby presenting a high concentration ofturbidity to Fort Smith’s raw water supply.

While not unique, it is fair to say that few places inCanada deal with the treatment of such extreme levelsof turbidity (8000 - 10,000 NTU’s) as does the FortSmith Water Treatment Plant. Some locations in Canadahave seasonal extremes in turbidity, as does Fort Smith,but few would deal with such levels on a continualbasis.

During the summer months turbidity in the SlaveRiver averages between 300 and 500 NTU, however itpeaks to 10,000 NTU’s during spring break up or duringhigh water levels due to heavy precipitation.

During the mid 1970’s the Town of Fort Smithintroduced a 2 pond pre-settlement and pump housesystem to reduce the amount of high turbidity levelsentering the Water Treatment Plant. The intent at thetime was to fill one pond and simultaneously add analuminium sulphate as a flocculent, and once thatpond was full, allow the sediment to settle overnight.The cleaner water was then decanted the next daythroughput of the water treatment plan while fillingthe other pond and so on. This process has proven to

Slave River at Fort Smith.

Cleaning raw water settling ponds.

TREATING HIGHRAW WATER TURBIDITYIN FORT SMITH, NT


FORT SMITH

work very well at times when smallclarifier systems would normally havebeen overwhelmed with such levels ofturbidity.

The primary function of the pre-settling system at the time, along withthe chemical addition of aluminiumsulphate, was to allow detentionstimes to increase the floc settlement inthe settling ponds. However, whiledecanting, a certain amount ofsediment would become exposed onthe pond sides while pond levels weredropping, and the turbulence of windand rain created turbidity within thedecant water itself.

In 1993 a new water treatmentplant was constructed incorporatingthe same pre-settling process,however this time much larger pondswere constructed with a the totalcombined volume of 5000 m3. The fillprocess was also changed to filling atone point in the first pond andcontinuing to fill until levels reached aspillway between the ponds. Thiswould allow raw water to flow fromone pond to the other whiledecanting from the furthest point ofthe pond system and away from theraw water intake. This virtuallyeliminates any pond disturbance dueto the elements, further improvingfloc settlement by increasingdetention times to approx 33 hours at150 m3 per hour.

In 1995 the aluminium and sodaash application was replaced with abetter coagulant and flocculentchemical addition called poly-aluminium chloride with the brandnamed Niad 1-6. This new chemicaladdition further improved, andsimplified turbidity settlement andremoval by increasing floc formationand sizes, thereby speeding up andimproving the settlement process. Thissimple process has virtually removed

all turbidity before entering the watertreatment plant, where approximately98 percent of the turbidity is removedin the pre-settling ponds. The water isthen further treated by a solidscontact clarifier, and a multi mediagravity filters achieving potable water

quality of less than 1 NTU on thepotable water distribution. The endresult is a 99.99 percent turbidityreduction even when experiencingexcessive raw water turbidity levels.

While using this system, a fairamount of accumulated sediment or

Jean Soucy,Water Works Supervisor,

Town of Fort Smith

Water Infrastructure Environmental Transportation

Offices Across Canadawww.ae.ca

Providing engineering, project management, and asset management services for almost 60 years.

Journal of the Northern Territories Water & Waste Association 2005 19

20

FORT SMITH

Alberta British Columbia(780) 454-0638 (604) 986-0988

Ontario Nova Scotia(905) 846-0212 (902) 468-0118

Suppliers of Mustang Squeezetools & Reed pipe cutting tools.

• McElroy Fusionequipment sales,service & rentals.

• Fusion training.

• Friatec Electrofusion equipment,fittings sales & service.


sludge must be removed from the ponds every 6 - 8 weeksdepending on the amount of turbidity incurred during thepreceding period. This is easily accomplished with the use ofsludge pumps and fire hoses to dilute and push sediment toa collecting sump, which is then pumped directly back tothe waste collections tanks and then to the sewagetreatment system.

This process has proven to be successful time and timeagain, and is to date the most cost effective method ofturbidity removal for the Fort Smith Water Treatment Plant.The process provides a good source of raw water for thewater treatment plant, from what appears to be an unviableraw water source.

Future plans are in place for the Fort Smith WaterTreatment Plant to further improve on the water effluents byintroducing a micro filtration membrane system, which willcontinue to enhance the Town of Fort Smith potable waterquality for years to come.

!" Raw water settling ponds beside water treatment plant.


The essential elements to help your water operations run smoothly are truly Superior. From keeping the coffee hot on thejob to heating the entire worksite and making work life comfortableand safe, we’ve served the energy needs of water and wastewater operations across Canada many years.

Just think of us as your experts in energy solutions. Experts whocan supply site heating, equipment and appliances for every scale of operation so you can focus on what really matters– running your operation.

Playing an important role in your day-to-day work environment issomething we take great pride in. And, with our industry-leadingenvironment, health and safety program you can rest assured thatyour operations will be conducted in a healthy and environmentallyresponsible manner. All day. Every day.

To find out how we can provide the essential elements for youroperation, call 1-87SUPERIOR. www.superiorpropane.com

Essential Elements.

The CDM1550•LS and CDM1550•LS+Mobile Two-Way Radios:Clear, Reliable Communication at the Touch of a Button

Whether you’re installing a phone system, repairing a broken water main, orchecking on a reported gas leak, the CDM1550•LS and CDM1550•LS+ radiosprovide the communication power you need to get the job done right.

High-level features plus the efficiency of trunking available with theCDM1550•LS and CDM1550•LS+ keep workers connected. Mobile unit workorder acceptance, pre-programmed driver availability alerts, and other uniquemobile data accessories make it easy to customize these radios to fit yourneeds.

For high-performance communication that takes you where you want to go, the choiceis clear. Call today to ask about the CDM1550•LS and CDM1550•LS+ radios.

P r o f e s s i o n a l S e r i e sTwo-Way Radios and Accessories

CDM1550•LSCDM1550•LS+

VHF

UHF200 MHz700 MHz

Authorized Two-WayRadio Dealer

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in theUS Patent and Trademark Office. All other product or

service names are the property of their respective owners.©Motorola, Inc. 2002.

DANMAX Communication LimitedP.O. Box 2640Yellowknife, NT X1A 2P9Phone: 867-873-6961Fax: 867-873-6861

22

IQALUIT

Amajor upgrade was completed to the water treatmentplant serving the City of Iqaluit, Nunavut in 2004. The

project required design and construction work on a 40-yearold water treatment facility.

Iqaluit is located at the south end of Baffin Island, onFrobisher Bay at 64O 31’N latitude and 68O 31’W longitude.Iqaluit is also located within the continuous permafrost zone,therefore the buildings are usually constructed on steel pilesystems that extend well into the permafrost. Water andsewer services are provided by either shallow buried,insulated piping, or by tanker trucks.

Construction in Iqaluit requires the typical level ofpreparation for most northern locations. The delivery ofconstruction materials is dependent upon a relatively shortperiod between the end of July and the end of October,when cargo ships have access through the seasonal ice packfor the annual sealift. The flurry of the sealift activity ismatched by a flurry of construction activity to takeadvantage of the short construction season to completeexcavations and exterior construction on buildings.

One of the major challenges of this project was thespace restriction of the site. It would have been very difficult,and hence expensive, to expand outside the plant’s existingfootprint because of the surrounding steep bedrock terrain,

and the neighbouring power plant. The design incorporatedthe upgrading to keep the plant within this existingfootprint, while increasing the production capacity of thefacility eight-fold.

The new design also changed the treatment process

from conventional treatment to direct filtration, and UVdisinfection was incorporated to achieve pathogeninactivation without making additional modifications to theclear well. Process changes in response to the water qualityand capacity issues were:

WATER TREATMENTIMPROVEMENTS INIQALUIT, NUNAVUT

Exterior building improvements toIqaluit water treatment plant.

Construction of newfiltration system.


UV disinfection system.

23

IQALUIT

1. Increasing the capacity of the plantby constructing four new filters,extending the existing buildingstructure but remaining within theexisting footprint to house them,and installing new backwashpumps. Converting the existingsedimentation tanks into grit

removal and flocculation units.2. Providing additional backwash

waste storage.3. Providing facilities for dosing alum

(or other coagulant) upstream ofthe flocculation chamber. Installingcoagulant mixing facilities.

4. Providing powdered activated

carbon dosing facilities, if required.Design to allow for future inclusioninto process train.

5. Replacing the existing limehandling system with a causticsoda system.

6. Providing a PLC-based controlsystem and desktop computer toautomate certain plant functionsand provide data loggingcapability.

7. Designing systems to potentiallyaccommodate a future change inwater source as the capacity of LakeGeraldine will not meet futuredemands.

Beyond the new process design,the work had to incorporateprovisions to maintain the operability,and treated water quality of theexisting plant during construction.

A 20 year horizon was assumed

by Ken Johnson, MCIP, P.Eng.Senior Planner and Engineer,

Earth Tech, Edmonton


TOWER ARCTiC LTD

IQALUIT, NUNAVUT

BUILDING THE NORTHcontinuously since 1946

• Construction •• Residential • Commercial •

• Water • Sewer • Road Building •• Airfield Construction • Operation •

• Sealift Cartage • Welding Equipment •• Equipment Rentals • Repair Facilities •

• Excavation • Sand • Crushed Aggregates •

Tel: (867) 979-6465Fax: (867) 979-6591


IQALUIT

Mechanical Contracting for Commercial & Industrial

20310 - 107 AvenueEdmonton, Alberta T5S 1W9

Tel: (780) 447-3400Fax: (780) 447-4313

Bay 6, 6540 - 71 StreetRed Deer, Alberta T4P 3Y7

Tel: (403) 314-1636Fax: (403) 314-0815

[email protected]

for the design, and the population projections estimated11,300 persons, and a 400 litres per capita per day usage in2021. The estimated total cost, including engineering andcontingencies for the water treatment plant upgrade wasapproximately $4.5 million, and the project was completedwithin the City’s budget.

It was anticipated that a temporary water treatmentplant would be needed during construction because the oldfacility would be off line to permit the requiredmodifications. Rather than importing a temporary plant toservice the entire City, the UV disinfection system wasincorporated as both a temporary and permanentcomponent of the process. Fortunately, the high quality ofthe raw water permitted treatment of the water temporarilyusing only UV disinfection and chlorination. The installationof some temporary minor piping and controls allowed thecontractor almost unlimited access to the plant for theupgrades.

In order to reduce construction costs, decrease thepotential for delays due to shipping, and beenvironmentally conscientious, as much of the existing

plant as possible was reused for the upgrade. Theupgrading included the addition of four new filters alongwith a filter gallery, and these filters were placed on theexisting concrete structure forming the roof of the exteriorclear water well.

The very limited window for transportation to Iqaluitdemands that materials be manifested through Montreal onone of the cargo ships on the annual sealift. Any equipmentor materials that do not meet this schedule must betransported by air, which increases costs dramatically.

The relatively remote location not only makes themobilization of equipment and materials challenging, butalso the supply of trades people. Qualified local resourcesare limited, and importing trades people is very expensive.

The water treatment plant was successfullycommissioned in May 2004, with flow being redirectedthrough the new filters and clear well for the first time. Theefforts and “forward thinking” approach of the engineeringdesign team, the City of Iqaluit staff, and the contractorshave produced a water treatment plant to serve theresidents of Iqaluit for 20 years and beyond.

!"

25

PANGNIRTUNG

ROCKS, SNOW ANDWASTEWATER TREATMENT

IN PANGNIRTUNG, NUNAVUT

Upon starting employment with Sanitherm Engineeringin February 2004, I was asked if I like to take a northern

vacation, little did I know at the time of the adventure I wasabout to embark upon. Last year (2004) I spent a total of 17weeks in Pangnirtung, Nunavut commissioning,troubleshooting and improving the performance of the newwastewater treatment plant. When I first arrived inPangnirtung it was quite the culture shock. Spending thenext ten consecutive weeks in a tiny Inuit Hamlet on the rimof the Arctic Circle seemed like an immense undertaking. Myoriginal job was to commission the plant, produce theoperation and maintenance manual, and to train the local

Inuit to operate the treatment plant. After the end of the firstday I worked at the plant I realized how difficult it was toperform simple tasks in the Artic.

My first objective was to train an operator at thetreatment plant, unfortunately the Hamlet could only findone volunteer at the time, Billy Qaqisq. Billy has becomethe first Inuit mechanical wastewater operator in Nunavut,and I had the honour of training him, and working with himin Pangnirtung. Billy was born in an outpost camp nearPangnirtung and grew up in traditional Inuit family. He canspeak English, but has a hard time finding the right words touse a lot of the time. He has been extraordinarily interestedin the entire wastewater treatment process, reading theSacramento wastewater treatment books, and reallyenjoying the Water Environment Federation multi-mediawastewater training CD’s.

The way that I approached the training was a lotdifferent from what I’m used to, because most, if not all ofmy formal education and training comes from the CanadianArmed Forces. I really didn’t want to teach Billy wastewatertreatment the same way I was taught. The initial trainingwas awkward because all of my training courses andschooling didn’t prepare me for the significant culture andlanguage barriers that I had to work around on a daily basis.

by Peter Christou,Operations Specialist

Sanitherm Engineering, Vancouver

Hamlet of Pangnirtung.

Inukshuk near Pangnirtung.



The north’s own top-notch mining andindustrial supply house and service shop.From underground on up - the sky’s the limit!

Services:•heavy duty equipment repairs-zoom booms, forklifts, lift trucks…•welding and fabrication •hydraulic cylinder and pump repair •motor rewind •general machining •computerized balancing•genset manufacturing •submersible pump repair

Products:•custom hose assemblies •bearings •belts •seals•electric motors •welders •lubricants •paints •tools•environmental supplies •materials handling•custom diesel generators •portable power packs•batteries •welding supplies •submersible pumps •parts•filters •underground mining equipment and supplies

353B Old Airport Road • Box 1683 • Yellowknife, NT X1A 2P3www.midnightsunenergy.com

mmidnight sun bearing and mining supply867-873-6360

867-873-6361 (FAX)

Supplying PRE-INSULATED PIPEto the HVAC, municipal & industrial

sectors for over 30 years.

www.urecon.com

U.I.P. Factory Insulated Piping Systems

Thermocable Heat-Trace Cable & Related Accessories

Portafoam Paks

Engineering & Computer Design Assistance

District Heating & Cooling Systems

LOGSTOR Pre-Insulated Flexible Pipe (in coils)

ISO 9001:2000 Registered Company

Calmar, Alberta(780) 985-3636

St-Lazare, Quebec(450) 455-0961

27

PANGNIRTUNG

It took along time to build a trusting relationship where Billyfelt free to ask question or admit he didn’t understandcertain parts of the treatment process.

The biological aspect of the treatment process wasdifficult to explain because Billy had never heard of wordslike clarifier or bio-mass. One technique that I used to helphim understand was to relate everything to what he couldsee in nature. We would go for short walks and find thingsthat he could physically touch and see that would help him

understand the meaning of the words. For instance, Icompared the lichen on the rocks to the fixed biomass onthe RBC, and how a puddle of muddy water will settle outafter being stepped in as an analogy to a filter press.

When explaining how to change mechanical seals onpump, Billy was actually showing me better ways of doing it.Billy has successfully operated the Pangnirtung wastewatertreatment plant for over a year and is proud of the fact thehe is one of the only Inuit currently operating a wastewatertreatment plant in Nunavut. Six months after the plantbegan treatment, a new job position was posted; the Hamletreceived over thirty four applications.

It is my experience that when operating a treatmentplants in remote sites, mechanical maintenance is criticalbecause of the fact that equipment and materials are notreadily available. That is why I took a different approach withthe operation and maintenance manual, because I knew thatit could not be your typical arrangement of manufacturerspamphlets. It took a lot of effort to make a manual thatwould minimize the potential for maintenance mishandling.I found the best way to make maintenance easy as possible,was to log every maintenance job in the entire plant. Ilogged everything, from changing a cartage filter tochecking the gear box oil, and gave every maintenanceoperation a specific designation. For example - greasing theblower 1A was given the designation 1A-4 so every piece ofequipment had a page in the maintenance manual with allthe scheduled tasked that needs to be completed on aregular basis.

I took pictures of each task so when the operator saw1A-4 on the calendar, they would look it up in themaintenance manual, and see a picture of the specific taskthey needed to perform. By providing a yearly calendar thatshows each individual maintenance task, it allows theoperators to plan ahead and monitor all maintenanceoperations performed. This technique has proven to bemost effective in preventing mechanical breakdown, plusproviding a simple and accurate way for the operators tokeep track of the everyday maintenance requirements of awastewater treatment plant.

Since my original ten week visit, I have gone back toPangnirtung many times and successfully trained anotherwastewater treatment plant operator. I think the key to thetraining was to keep it simple, and build a basic relationshipof understand and trust, which allowed for a lot morequestions and a better understanding of the entirewastewater treatment process. Working in Pangnirtung hasbeen one of the best experiences of my life. Being in theArctic opened my mind to a lot of the different hardshipsand difficulties that comes with living in the Artic. I have theutmost respect for the people of Pangnirtung, and thecourage they show living in one of the most inhospitableclimates in the world.

!"

Plant operator Billy Qaqisq.



SACHS HARBOUR

IntroductionThinking outside the “box” or in the case of the

Canadian north, outside the “ice cube”, has allowed designand construction innovations for water treatment plants inresponse to extreme conditions across the NWT andNunavut. The challenges of working in the Canadian northextend well beyond remembering to add 10, to 20 degreesof latitude beyond the 49th parallel for a project location.Extreme cold, very limited access, extraordinary costs, andscant resources are a few of the “routine” challenges thatengineers, suppliers, and contractors have become familiarwith in designing and building for high latitudes.

The maps of the NWT and Nunavut that lead one tothe conclusion that the Territories have an abundance ofwater don’t present the entire picture. Raw water suppliesmay be abundant, but may be located at a great distancefrom communities, and may only be “accessible” for aperiod of time that may be counted, in some cases, inweeks. Distance presents a problem because of cost forroads and pipelines, and operation and maintenance to keepthe roads and pipelines operating. At nearly $1 million(Canadian) per kilometre for a road and a pipeline in somelocations, the economics places distant piped water sourcesbeyond the reach of most communities. Add to this costthe potential for pipeline freezing, and the severe operatingconditions for blizzards, and closer becomes a lot better.

Over the past several years the Government of

Northwest Territories has committed significant resources toensuring safe, reliable, and accessible drinking water for allNWT residents. A coordinated effort of GNWT departmentshas been established to deliver on this commitment.

From a technical perspective of drinking water quality, amulti barrier approach is the grounding principle. A multibarrier is an integrated system of procedures, processes, andtools that collectively prevent or reduce the contaminationof drinking water from source to tap in order to reduce risksto public health. For the NWT multiple-barrier approach,three distinct barriers have been formulated. The first barrieris “keeping water clean” by preventing contaminants fromentering drinking water sources. The second barrier is“making water safe”, which focuses on identifying, treating,and removing natural or man-made impurities. The thirdand final barrier is “proving water is safe” which focuses ondeveloping and maintaining strong quality monitoringprograms, and taking swift corrective action whendeficiencies are identified.

BackgroundAll of these factors are being applied to the extreme

water treatment engineering underway in Sachs Harbour,NWT. Sachs Harbour is located along the Beaufort Sea, onthe southwestern shore of Banks Island, at 71O 59’ Nlatitude, and 125O14’ W longitude. It is the most northerlycommunity in the Northwest Territories, and it is 520 kmnortheast of Inuvik. This small traditional community has anestimated population of 150 (2000 estimate), which isserviced by water and sewage trucks. Access to SachsHarbour is by scheduled and charter air service from Inuvik.Freight service is completed by a single annual supply bargewhich departs from Hay River in June.

Sachs Harbour was named after the ship ‘Mary Sachs’of the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913. In 1929 apermanent settlement was established when three Inuitfamilies settled there to trap. In 1953 the RCMP set up adetachment post, and the residents lived a very traditionallifestyle hunting muskox, caribou and polar bear. Today thecommunity’s economy is still based primarily on hunting andtrapping, and to a lesser degree on tourism. Oil and gasexploration continues in the Beaufort Sea, and localbusinesses include retail and food sales, supporting mostlythe local needs.

In 1978, an intake and truckfill facility near Water Lake(also referred to as DOT Lake, MOT Lake and Water SupplyLake) was constructed in Sachs Harbour, NWT. This water

EXTREME WATERTREATMENT ENGINEERINGIN SACHS HARBOUR, NT

Community of Sachs Harbour.


SACHS HARBOUR

system included oneintake complete with asubmersible pumpfeeding water fromWater Lake into theTruckfill Facility. Rawwater from Water Lakewas chlorinated using acalcium hypochloritesolution that was mixed

and stored in the facility. During August of 2002, the Department of Public Works

and Services Government of the Northwest Territories(GNWT) completed a review of Sachs Harbour’s watersystem management and infrastructure. This reportidentified several deficiencies related to the existing watersupply system, and the operation and maintenance practicesin place at the time. The major recommendation arisingfrom this report was the need for a new water treatmentfacility in the community.

During the summer of 2003, Earth Tech was selected toprovide engineering services to upgrade the existing watertreatment facilities in Sachs Harbour. The scope includedcompliance with current and future water qualityrequirements, and accommodation of future increased waterdemands as a result of population growth.

Formulating a Plan for ImprovementsRecognizing the need to upgrade water treatment

systems in small northern communities in the NWT, with asimple easy to operate system, the GNWT conducted pilottesting on various raw water sources around the Territory.The pilot testing concentrated on the use of cartridgefiltration in small northern communities which have excellentraw water characteristics. The purpose of the pilot testingwas used to seek approval from regulatory authorities for theuse of cartridge filtration for meeting all of the existing andproposed future guidelines as per the Guidelines forCanadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ). The resultsfrom the pilot testing proved favourable for the applicationof cartridge filtration for small communities, and approvalfrom the regulatory authorities was received in October2003. The approval letter stated that the cartridge filtrationtreatment method, along with chlorination, meets theproposed new GCDWQ turbidity guideline, and therefore is

approved for treating pristine surface water sources. Thesuccess of this pilot scale project provided another significantalternative to consider for water treatment upgrading inSachs Harbour.

The water treatment evaluation in Sachs Harbour usedthe following water use criteria for the evaluation of thepotential water treatment processes, and the design of thewater treatment system:

• 2025 Population - 192• 2025 Average Daily Demand - 18,043 L/day• 2025 Peak Day Factor - 2.1 • 2025 Peak Day Demand - 37,980 L/day• Fire Flow requirement - 1,000 L/minEarth Tech reviewed existing and anticipated legislation

pertaining to drinking water quality requirements for theNWT, as set out in the Public Water Supply Regulations(1990) under the Public Health Act (which follows theGCDWQ).

A raw water quality analysis in Sachs Harbour revealedthat only the turbidity parameter exceeded the goals, whichindicated that the source water from Water Lake is verygood. Although no analysis was done for Giardia andCryptosporidium, it was determined that Sachs Harbourfaces a low risk for the contamination of these twopathogens of the water supply due to the absence of anyactivities associated with these pathogens near Water Lake.

Water Treatment Process OptionsVarious viable treatment process options were evaluated

for water treatment improvements. Several advantages anddisadvantages of each option were identified and used in theevaluation of the options.

The evaluation indicated that Cartridge Filtration-UV(Future)-Chlorination was the best treatment option forimplementation in Sachs Harbour, based on meeting thewater quantity, water quality and operational requirements.Financial requirements of the treatment options were alsoconsidered.

Cartridge filtration may achieve a 2-log reduction ofGiardia and Cryptosporidium, and exceed the USEPAturbidity objective of 1.0 NTU. Therefore, cartridge filtrationprovides treatment greater than the current GCDWQ, and iscapable of meeting the new turbidity guidelines. Based onthis conclusion, UV disinfection was deferred as a futureprocess improvement, to be added if and when theGCDWQ adopt a Cryptosporidium goal of 3-log removal.

Considering that the Cartridge Filtration-UV (Future)-Chlorination process was capable of meeting all of thecurrent water quantity, water quality and operationalrequirements and was the least expensive, it was therecommended treatment train. The Cartridge Filtration-UV(Future)-Chlorination treatment train is capable of meetingall the objectives outlined by the GNWT and Sachs Harbour,and will provide a secure easy-to-operate water treatmentplant for this extreme location well into the future.

!"

New Sachs Harbour water intake,treatment and truckfill facility.

By Shannon Syme, EIT, Project Engineer, Earth Tech, EdmontonWith contributions from John Bulmer, and Vincent Tam,

Government of the Northwest Territories, and Ken Johnson, Earth Tech Canada

The original water intake andtruckfill facility built in 1978.

30

TSIIGEHTCHIC

IntroductionThe development and sustaining of infrastructure in

cold region communities, which includes solid wastemanagement, has always been influenced by a variety oftechnical, financial, administrative, operational andregulatory factors. Over the past 10 years the complexity ofthese factors has increased substantially with changes to theavailable financial resources, the administrative structures,the operational responsibilities, and the regulatoryenvironments.

Many of these changes have increased the overallcomplexity of infrastructure development, and sustainabilityin cold region communities, particularly at the communitylevel. Many communities are finding the demands of thesecomplexities to be well beyond their financial andadministrative resources, and as a consequence are placingthemselves in very undesirable situations with regard tocommunity funding and regulatory compliance.

BackgroundSolid waste management is a challenge for most of the

communities in the Yukon, NWT, and Nunavut, however thecommunity of Tsiigehtchic, NWT has managed to keep pacewith the challenges. The Charter Community of Tsiigehtchicis a Gwich’in community located at 67O 27’ N and 133O 46’W in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories. Thecommunity has a population of about 200 people , and islocated at the confluence of the Arctic Red River, and theMackenzie River on a high point of land. The town site is1010 air kilometres northwest of Yellowknife; the DempsterHighway connects Tsiigehtchic to Inuvik, 125 kilometres tothe northeast, and Whitehorse, Yukon 1400 kilometres tothe southwest.

For hundreds of years, the Gwichya Gwich’in of

SOLID WASTEMANAGEMENTIMPROVEMENTS INTSIIGEHTCHIC, NT

Tsiigehtchic area map showingwater and water facilities.


31

TSIIGEHTCHIC

Tsiigehtchic traveled up the Arctic Red River into themountains along the Yukon, NWT border, in late summer.There they lived and hunted through the winter, and whenthe river opened in the spring, they returned to their fishinggrounds at Tsiigehtchic, and other places along theMackenzie River. Missionaries established a Roman Catholicchurch in the area in 1868, however some familiescontinued to winter in the mountains until the 1960s.Construction of the Dempster Highway in the 1970sbrought wage employment to the community.

Surface material around the community is a mixture ofgravel, sand and fine sediments, with outcrops of sandstoneand shale; this is underlain by sandy or silty clay. The activelayer around the community is 0.3 to 0.5 metres deep. Thedominant trees are black spruce and birch, which grow inwell drained land areas; willow grows in the poorly drainedareas.

Existing Solid Waste FacilitiesThe solid waste disposal facilities in Tsiigehtchic operates

in two adjacent areas immediately west of the sewagelagoon, and 1 kilometre east of the community. The landfillareas provide discrete sites for the disposal of municipal solidwaste, household hazardous waste, clean fill, honey bagwaste, and bulky waste.

The solid waste disposal systems include:

• a municipal solid waste area; • a household hazardous waste disposal area; • a bagged sewage disposal area; and • a bulky waste disposal area.

The active portion of the disposal area covers an area ofapproximately 0.8 hectares with additional solid wasterelated areas to the south (bagged sewage pit, andhazardous waste area). A bulky waste site is also south ofthe main site.

The solid waste area is used by both the public and thelocal industries with no direct fee charged. There is nopermanent supervision of the site, and no records of thequantities and types of waste that are kept.

In 2003 the Community deposited approximately 1700cubic metres of municipal solid waste. This volume is basedupon an estimated average of 7.5 truck loads per week in a9 cubic metre truck (4.3 cubic metres per load).

Condition of FacilitiesThe solid waste disposal facilities for Tsiigehtchic

generally appear to be well managed, and this observation issupported by the Municipal Water Use Inspectionsconducted over the past several years. The appropriateequipment is used to collect, and manage the site.

Several aspects of the operations are in need ofimprovement in order to satisfy the generally acceptedpractices for solid waste disposal. These aspects concernlandfill burning and hazardous waste collection and storage.Open burning of municipal solid waste is a practice that isno longer acceptable from public health and environmentalimpact perspectives. This position is supported in the mostrecent guidelines for operations and maintenance of solid

By Ken Johnson, MCIP, P.Eng.,Senior Planner and Engineer,

Earth Tech, Edmonton


Solid waste site plan.

The Association of Professional Engineers,Geologists and Geophysicists of theNorthwest Territories and Nunavut

201, 4817 - 49th StreetYellowknife, NT X1A 3S7

www.napegg.nt.ca

Protecting the Public by registration ofEngineers, Geologists and Geophysicists

Look for the DesignationP.Eng. | P.Geol. | P.Geoph.

For information on registration or to confirm that acompany or individual is licensed to practice in the

Northwest Territories and/or Nunavut,contact NAPEGG at (867) 920-4055.

32

TSIIGEHTCHIC

Supplying Quality Products For Over Forty-Six Years

Liquid Alum – Dry Alum Sulphuric Acid

Aqua Ammonia – Phosphoric Acid

Box 62037, 104 Regent Ave. Phone #: (204) 222-3276Winnipeg, MB R2C 5G2 Fax #: (204) 224-0562

Certified to ANSI/N.S.F. Standard 60

waste sites in the NWT. The hazardous waste storage area

is a bermed area on the south side ofthe waste disposal area. The area isused for the storage of waste oil,batteries, and paint. The collection ofhazardous waste in Tsiigehtchicappears to include a significant non-residential component. Although thismay be seen as a beneficialcommunity activity, in fact, it is atremendous liability for thecommunity administration. Non-residential hazardous waste is not theresponsibility of the communityadministration, and the non residentialcommunity must be instructed toappropriately dispose of hazardouswaste at their own cost and effort.

The bulky waste area occupies anarea south of the main solid wastedisposal site. The bagged sewage pitis a bermed area on the south side ofthe waste disposal area. The pitreceives no cover material.

Waste ManagementImprovementsand Future Needs

The existing municipal solidwaste area is full, and the entire siteneeds to be redeveloped toaccommodate any future wastedisposal. A redeveloped site wouldhave an estimate volume of 5,520cubic metres without any volumereduction by burning or diversion.This would provide approximately 10years of capacity.

Approximately 25% of the honeybag waste area has been used in 3years of operation, based upon visualinspection and estimate. Theremaining capacity is estimated to be10 to 12 years.

The hazardous waste arearequires periodic removal of thevarious stockpiled wastes for shipmentto the appropriate treatment anddisposal facility. The existing bulkywaste is full, and the new site needs tobe developed to accommodate anyfuture waste disposal .

ConclusionsThe small communities of the

NWT and Nunavut have the potentialto appropriately operate and maintainsolid waste management facilities, as

seen in the community of Tsiigehtchic.Critical to their management is havingan appropriately engineered andorganized site, with the appropriateequipment and operation andmaintenance documentation. Seniorgovernments and regulators must alsoplay a role in the operation andmaintenance of the facilities by

providing the communities with theappropriate information and resourcesfor technical demands such asimproving operation and maintenancepractices. Small communities oftendo not have the capacity to retain ormaintain a resource for assisting in thismanner.

!"


33

WHITEHORSE

LIVINGSTONE TRAILENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL

FACILITY (LTECF),WHITEHORSE, YUKON

Lagoons are the most common type of sewage treatmentin Canada, and are often the treatment process of choice

for small and medium sized communities because of theirvery low operating costs, and proven capability to achievehigh quality effluent. This is particularly true for highlatitudes where for the costs, and operation challenges ofmechanical systems are magnified several times.

The City of Whitehorse used a four cell primary sewagelagoon system for many years, which provided appropriatetechnology for this community located at 60°34' N 135°4' Win the Yukon Territory.

In the late 1980's regulatory demands for a higherquality effluent prompted the City to investigate options forachieving a secondary quality or better effluent. A numberof studies were completed in the late 80's and early 90'sconsidering mechanical and lagoon systems. In the end, theterrain of an area to the north of the City, near what is calledthe Livingstone Trail, was able to accommodate a largelagoon system.

In 1994, work began on the Livingstone TrailEnvironmental Control Facility (LTECF) to serve the 18,000people living in the City of Whitehorse. The LTECF includesthe following major detention and retention components.• Two 115,000 cubic metre primary lagoons with a

combined retention time of 20 days • Four 293,000 cubic metre secondary lagoons with a

combined retention time of 100 days • One 5.813 million cubic metre Long-Term Storage (LTS)

pond with a one-year retention time.The primary cells can fill to a depth of 6.2 metres and

the secondary cells to a depth of 2.3 metres. The long-termstorage area, a wetland three kilometres long and twokilometres wide, can fill to a depth of six metres. The flowbetween the lagoons is controlled by a variety of flowcontrol structures.

The facilities were constructed over a period of 2 years,and the work also included clearing and extension of theMarwell forcemain from the old Whitehorse primary lagoonsto the LTECF, and upgrading of the other facilities associatedwith the collection system. The completion of the work inSeptember 1996, allowed the City of Whitehorse to end the

by Ken Johnson, MCIP, P.Eng., Senior Planner and Engineer, Earth Tech, Edmontonwith information & photos provided by Brian Crist, P.Eng., City of Whitehorse

additional photo credits to Jason Berkers, EBA Engineering Ltd.

Lagoon system after construction, during initial filling.

Flow control structure from lagoons.



WHITEHORSE

direct discharge of primary treated sewage effluent into theYukon River. The total capital cost of the LTECF wasapproximately $20 million ($1996), which was a cost ofabout $1,100 per resident.

The initial design of the facility included a dischargestructure from the LTS for a seasonal discharge into theYukon River. However with such a high quality effluentanticipated from the LTS, the City started considering anopportunity that would accommodate no direct discharge tothe Yukon River. Adjacent to the LTS is a glacial potholelake formation, which lies 16 metres below the level of thesurrounding lakes, and lies less than a decimetre above thelevel of the Yukon River itself. The materials in between thepothole lake and the river are sands and gravels.

The City applied to the Yukon Territory Water Board toobtain an additional Class A water licence for a trialdischarge of up to two million cubic metres of fully treatedeffluent into the pothole lake. The discharge would graduallyseep into the groundwater, along with other water from thelake, and very slowly make its way to the river. The trialdischarge into Pothole Lake (PHL) was a success, and everyfall since 1998 treated effluent has been discharged from theLTS pond into the lake.

Time, wind and sunlight do most of the work atWhitehorse's new sewage lagoon. In a typical July, this Cityreceives approximately 256 hours of bright sunshine and hasan average daily temperature of 14°C; the average annualprecipitation is 269 mm. The LTECF is designed to hold thesewage for at least 360 days at optimum capacity. During

Facility location and features (Old Lagoon to LTECF).

KUDLIKCONSTRUCTION LTD.

RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIALWATER, SEWER, ROADS, AIRFIELD CONSTRUCTION

EXCAVATION, SAND, CRUSHED AGGREGATES

P.O. Box 727

1519 Federal Road

Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0

Phone: (867) 979-1166

Fax: (867) 979-1169

[email protected]

WATERWORKS

ExtensiveInventory of

Piping and Fittings

SERVINGNORTHERN CANADA

Ph: 780-532-8785Fax: 780-532-3103

10850 -97th AvenueGrande Prairie, Alberta

T8V 3J7

35

WHITEHORSE

that time, the wind stirs the holding cells and puts oxygeninto the system, helping microbes and natural chemicalprocesses to break down the sewage contaminants. Theonly addition to the system is biological enzyme whichenhances biodegradation.

By mid May of each year the secondary lagoons aregenerally "ice-free" and algal bloomsquickly develop, significantly increasingthe pH levels (maximum 11.3) anddissolved oxygen concentrations(maximum >20 mg/l). The elevated pHlevels promote the volatilization ofammonia, reducing levels to belowdetection (0.005 mg/l) within 5 weeksof becoming ice-free.

The City is generally pleasedwith the operation of the facility. Thewater licence states fecal coliform levelsin effluent from the system may notexceed 2000 counts per 100 millilitres.Tests of the new system have foundfecal coliform counts ranging from lessthan 3 per 100 millilitres to a high of240 per 100 millitres. The old systemwould discharge over 100,000 countsper 100 millilitres.

In 2003 approximately3,770,000 cubic metres of sewage werereceived at the LTECF. In 2003discharge of treated effluent from theLTS into PHL commenced on August 1,2003 and ended on October 31, 2003,a total of 92 discharge days and a totalof 3,374,660 million cubic meters oftreated effluent was discharged into thePot Hole Lake.

The Livingstone TrailEnvironmental Control Facility is ashowcase project demonstrating theopportunity for a sewage lagoonsystem to produce a very high qualitysewage effluent at high latitudes inCanada, and essentially have a zeroimpact on the receiving environment.Certainly it must be recognized that thesurrounding natural features have asignificant role to play in the treatmentprocesses, and that the end productcomes with a significant price tag incapital costs.

!"


PotholeLake.

36

NEW TECHNOLOGY

Surfaces in contact with water willaccumulate deposits over time.

Depending on the properties of thewater, these deposits can consistprimarily of mineral or of organicmatter. Colored deposits, such as ironand manganese oxides, are readilyvisible, while biofilm can betransparent and not easily detectable.The accumulation is most obvious onfilter and clarifier walls, troughs andweirs. Finished water tank surfacesalso become coated over time. Ongranular filter media, the buildup ofmineral crusts and biomass affectsparticle size, media density andsurface structure, leading to decliningfilter performance.

The buildup of surface depositshas been considered for the mostpart a cosmetic problem. However,their effects on water quality andinfrastructure lifetime are beingincreasingly recognized. The mostcommon effects of surface depositsinclude:• Chlorine demand• Disinfection byproduct

accumulation• Microbial contamination• Poor facility inspection results• Corrosion• Declining filter performance

Considering the problemscaused by surface deposits, thebenefits of reducing or eliminating

them are obvious. However, thetraditional facility cleaning methods offlushing, pressure washing, hyper-chlorination and tank diving areinefficient against almost all types ofdeposits. The alternative is the use ofchemical cleaning products, whichcombine effective deposit removalwith safe and simple application.

The use of chemical surfacecleaners for drinking water facilitieswas pioneered in Germany as analternative to drinking waterchlorination more than 10 years ago.With a limit of 0.3 mg/l total chlorinein the water supply, water systemscould not rely on maintaining a

chlorine residual to ensure the safetyof the water supply. Prevention of re-contamination after treatment waspossible by regular cleaning oftreatment facilities and water tanks.Many German drinking waterproviders have abandonedchlorination completely, combiningUV disinfection with enhanced systemmaintenance.

Chemical surface cleaningproducts for water tanks, treatmentfacilities and filter media have recentlybeen introduced to the US andCanadian markets under theFLORAN™ brand name. The productsare NSF-60 certified and based on a

ADVANCED CLEANING TECHNOLOGYFOR WATER TREATMENT ANDSTORAGE FACILITIES

By Ulrich Reimann-Philipp,Ph.D., Director of Research and Development,

Floran Technologies (US) Inc.


37

NEW TECHNOLOGY

two-component chemistry. The twocomponents (cleaner and activator)are mixed immediately beforeapplication and then sprayed onto thesurfaces as a fine mist using low-pressure spraying equipment. After a10-30 minute reaction period, thesurfaces are rinsed with water.

Chemical tank cleaning requireslittle downtime and labor. Tanks upto 4000 m3 can usually be cleanedwithin one day by a 3-man crew. Byusing a telescopic spraying wand, allparts of the tank surface can becleaned without the need forscaffolding. Runoff disposalprocedures depend on localregulations. In most cases, the runoffis collected on the bottom of the tank,de-chlorinated and neutralized, andthen pumped into the storm drain orsanitary sewer. Particulates can beremoved with a filtration dirt bag.After treatment, the tank can beimmediately re-filled. After the

mandatory BacT testing, the tank canbe put back online. Runoff generatedduring filter cleaning is removed bybackwashing. The backwash watercan then be recycled to the head ofthe treatment process.

The efficiency of chemical tankcleaning is most obvious in paintedsteel tanks. In contrast to flushing orpressure washing, even resilientdeposits are removed and the surfaceis exposed. Since there is no need forhigh-pressure washing, there is no riskto damaging the paint coating ormetal surface. Tank inspection aftercleaning allows for detecting evenminor corrosion and paint failure sites.In several cases resurfacing of tankswas postponed after chemicalcleaning, because the exposed paintcoating proved to be in much bettercondition than assumed after theinitial inspection. Many tanks areresurfaced long before expiration ofthe nominal coating lifetime, because

surface deposits cannot be reliablydistinguished from corrosion orexisting corrosion sites cannot bedetected.

Both steel and concrete tanksdevelop a chlorine demand over time.This chlorine loss has to becompensated for by increasing waterchlorination. Chlorination byproducts(DBPs), such as trihalomethanes(THMs), accumulate to higherconcentrations in tanks that have ahigh chlorine demand. The US EPAStage 2 Disinfectants/ DisinfectionByproduct Rule reflects that increaseby requiring full-system DBPmonitoring and limiting chlorination.Chemical cleaning has beendemonstrated to reduce or eliminatethe chlorine demand of both steel andconcrete water tanks. In oneexample, the chloramine residual in acleaned Oklahoma undergroundconcrete reservoir was stable for morethan 4 weeks, while before cleaningthe residual was lost within one week.The 24h chlorine loss of a steelclearwell of a different Oklahomasurface water system was reducedfrom 94% to 14% through chemicalcleaning. Water samples incubated inparallel in a clean laboratory glass jaralso lost 14% of their chlorineresidual, demonstrating that the tankchlorine demand was completelyeliminated. The total THM concentra-tion in the clearwell effluent wasreduced by 29% at the same time.

FLORAN™ chemical surfacecleaning produces superior cleaningresults compared to conventionalcleaning methods. The main benefitsare improved water quality and costsavings through improved inspectionand extended surface coatingslifetime.

!"

Steel tank before and after FLORANTM

chemical cleaning.

RICHMOND9800 Van Horne WayRichmond, B.C. V6X 1W5Ph.604-273-1441Fax. 604-273-2046

SASKATOON4035 Thatcher AvenueSaskatoon, SK S7R 1A3Ph.306-934-5252Fax.306-242-5397

REGINA284 Mill StreetRegina, SK S4P 3Y3Ph.306-721-4911Fax. 306-721-6300

WINNIPEG99 Lowson CrescentWinnipeg, MB R3P 0T3Ph. 204-489-0102Fax. 204-489-0881

CALGARY4220-78 Avenue S.E.Calgary, AB T2C 2Z5Ph. 403-236-1713Fax. 403-236-2819

EDMONTON16911-118 AvenueEdmonton, AB T5V 1H3Ph. 780-452-6655Fax. 780-451-1027

NATIONAL CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTOR

CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS FOR WATER & WASTEWATER INDUSTRY


38

MESSAGE2005 President’s MessageKIM PHILIP, P.Eng.

Well, it’s been a great year so far for the NTWWA,which was “kicked off” by the 2004 Conference in

Inuvik. The conference was a huge success, and one of thebiggest ever with over 70 individuals in attendance thatincluded water treatment plant operators, engineers, andindustry and government representatives. We hadrepresentation from across the country from Jean MarieRiver to Gjoa Haven, Vancouver to Point Claire, Quebec.We even had a visitor from Alaska!

The town of Inuvik did a great job helping us facilitatethe conference with a great meeting hall, outstandinglogistical support, and an all-round welcoming atmosphereto the conference delegates. A special thanks goes toColleen Mitchell and Melissa Schab. The conference gotoff to a good start on Friday afternoon with a tour of thewater treatment plant, a “Meet and Greet” at the curlingclub Friday night, and a welcome from the Mayor of Inuvikon Saturday morning.

The conference had a total of 21 presentations on awide range of relevant and timely topics includingwatershed protection, new regulations, water treatmentplant construction and operation, water and waste trainingprograms, waste reduction and recovery initiatives, wetland

treatment…you name it! We also had tradeshow boothswith everything from piping to a brand new full sizemobile wastewater treatment plant (complete with tourguides to show you how everything works). Evan Birchard,with Imperial Oil, did a presentation on the proposedMackenzie gas pipeline on Saturday evening that initiatedlots of interesting questions from our members.

Following the conference and Annual GeneralMeeting, the NTWWA hosted our First Annual Operator’sWorkshop. This attracted more community watertreatment plant operators to the conference than we’dever had before, and all of these individuals receivedcontinuing education credits to maintain their operatorcertification for another two years. The operator’sworkshop was another great success to the weekend ofactivities. The presentations were wide ranging andincluded presentations from community water treatmentplant operators and industry representatives. My personalfavourite was the hands-on butt fusion demonstration thatinvolved the use of a tiger torch!

Many thanks to all the conference sponsors who gaveus discounts on hotels and travel, and donated everythingfrom hats and books to fancy goretex jackets. With theirhelp we raised almost $500 for Water for People, a charity



MESSAGEA year of firstsorganization that helps bring clean water to poor people inless developed countries.

As a post conference bonus we were able to produce aconference proceedings CD of all the presentations, and abunch of conference photos - another first for the NTWWA.These were distributed to all of the conference attendees,and are still available for a great price of $40, whichincludes an association membership.

With all the operators attending the conference wewere able to get an Operators Committee going this yearas well. The committee includes works superintendents,water treatment plant operators and plumbers from largeand small utilities alike. We are optimistic that thecommittee will help us focus our efforts to encourageoperators to participate more in the organization, comeout to the conference, and take their rightful place on theboard. The committee is planning a survey of water andwaste operators this year. If you haven’t seen it yet, watchfor it soon.

Another first this year (it seems like there’s been a lotof them) is the glossy, full colour journal you’re readingright now! We have our new Executive Director, MattHough, and our Southern Board Member, Ken Johnson to

thank for that. We’re very pleased with the way the newjournal looks and proud to provide an opportunity for ourindustry supporters to get advertising into the hands of theengineers and operators who need it. We’re hoping thenew journal will increase our profile in the NWT andNunavut and encourage even more people to sign up.

I think that just about sums up the major events of lastyear. This year the NTWWA’s annual Conference,Operators Workshop and AGM moves to Rankin Inlet inNunavut. The conference will be held November 4 to 7,2005, and from the way the crew in Rankin Inlet isworking, we’re all expecting quite a splash! I look forwardto meeting you all there, and hope to see you makingpresentations, signing up for the Board or the operatorscommittee, and just generally having a great time gettingto know each other.

Until then, Kim Philip, NTWWA President!"

4992 Sweet Home RoadNiagara Falls, NY 14305

Phone: 716-285-5680Fax: 716-285-5681

20 Sharp RoadBrantford, ON N3T 5L8

Phone: 519.751.1080Fax: 519.751.0617

5700 Escondida BoulevardSuite #201

St. Petersburg, FL 33715Phone: 800-998-8555

Fax: 727-865-0905

Kim is a Senior Engineer with the Department ofPublic Works and Services, Government of theNorthwest Territories, and Acting Head of the

Water and Sanitation Section.


REPORT2005 Executive Director’s ReportMATTHEW HOUGH, P.Eng.

NTWWA’sMandateThe Northern Territories Water &Waste Association’s mandate is:✔ The advancement of knowledge in the design,

construction, operation, and management of waterworks, wastewater treatment and disposal works, andsolid waste site works;

✔ The encouragement amongst its members of a friendlyexchange of information and experience in an effort tocontinuously improve the provision of water andsanitation provided to the public; and

✔ The improvement of the professional status of allpersonnel engaged in any aspect of the provision ofwater and sanitation services to the public.

Over the last twelve years, the NTWWA has fulfilled itsmandate by hosting an annual conference, trainingoperators, and circulating newsletters. This association hasprovided a forum for a small but indispensable industry inthe North. Through representation to the Canadian Water& Wastewater Association (CWWA), the NTWWA has alsobrought the views and needs of its members to thenational stage.

In a climate of improving water and waste regulationsand an increased public awareness of the need for theprovision of sustainable municipal services, contributionsby professionals such as Ron Kent and Bob Phillips haveestablished this association to connect the people whowork to achieve these goals on a daily basis.

Today the NTWWA continues to play an important

role in the water and waste industry across Nunavut andthe Northwest Territories. The NTWWA is a volunteerorganization with a Board of Directors who meet viaconference call once a month. The current President ofthe NTWWA is Kim Philip. Administration of theorganization is handled by myself and Pearl Benyk, our parttime administrator.

The primary focus of the NTWWA continues to be theannual conference. Over the past decade this conferencehas been held in a variety of places in both territories andthis year it will be held in Rankin Inlet on the weekend ofNovember 4. I have no doubt that we will continue toenjoy the participation of professionals from all areas of thewater and waste sector. The formal exchange of ideas andthe informal opportunity to put faces to names and get toknow the people who supply, design, and operate keyelements of municipal infrastructure across the territories isinvaluable. The annual conference is an event that regularattendees mark in their calendars many months inadvance. I invite everyone involved in water and waste inNunavut and the Northwest Territories to give somethought to attending, presenting a paper, or participatingin the operator’s workshop.

!"

Toll Free: 1-888-443-4493 Cell: (604) 785-5183Bus: (604) 513-3800 Fax: (604) 513-3811

TERMINAL CITY IRONWORKS (ACS) INC.#3 - 9494 198TH STREET, LANGLEY, BC V1M 3C8

E-MAIL: [email protected]

Water Treatment Chemical Solutions

Saskatoon, SK 1 800 606 2586

Calgary, AB

1 877 822 2586

Fort Saskatchewan, AB 1 800 661 5553

Prince George, BC

1 800 661 5553

Matt is a Project Manager with Earth Tech based inYellowknife. Matt’s northern engineering experience includes

Director of Engineering for the City of Iqaluit.


REPORT

The Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA)is a national body representing the common interests of

the municipal water and wastewater services & their privatesector suppliers and partners. CWWA is recognized by thefederal government and national bodies (e.g. The CanadianCouncil of the Ministers of Environment (CCME)) as thenational voice of the municipal water and wastewaterservices public service sector.

The Northwest Territories Water and WastewaterAssociation (NTWWA) is one of the association members ofCWWA.

In recent times, CWWA has been working on a coupleof Government liaison activities in the water and wastewatersector:

Water Issues:CWWA provided comments to Health Canada on

proposed new guidelines on drinking water - the guidelineson microbiological quality of drinking water andtrihalomethanes in drinking water.

CWWA contributed to the work of the CanadianCouncil on Human Resources and the Environment Industry(CCHREI) on the development of National OccupationalStandards for Canadian Water and Wastewater Operators.CWWA also worked with the Department of Public Safetyand Emergency Preparedness Canada on Canada’s securityprograms on water and produced a position paper on “ANational Strategy for Critical Infrastructure Protection”

CWWA also worked on international topics ensuringthat the voice of the Canadian Water and Wastewater sectoris head across the globe on such issues. CWWA liased withWorld Health Organization (WHO), International WaterAssociation (IWA) and other associations on policies that willinevitably affect the Canadian Water and Wastewater sector.

CWWA hosted the 11th Canadian National Conferenceand 2nd Policy Forum on Drinking Water.

Wastewater Issues:Environment Canada (EC) planned to adopt Pollution

Prevention (P2) Planning approach as an instrument tomanage ammonia and chloramines. CWWA, after dueconsultations with its members, submitted a positionstatement to EC to rather adopt a guideline approach andtreat the ammonia and chloramines issue along with othercontaminants in the Canada Wide Strategy for theManagement of Municipal Wastewater Effluents. As a resultof the CWWA’s statement and the similar positions obtainedfrom consultations by EC with other organizations, ECchanged its approach to use of guideline for ammonia andP2 Planning for chloramines. EC published a Guideline onthe Management of Ammonia in Wastewater Effluents andnotices requiring the preparation of a P2 Plan for theManagement of Chloramines and Chlorinated MunicipalEffluents, in the Canada Gazette, December 04, 2004.

CWWA’s efforts also helped influence the decision by ECto change the ammonia threshold for compliance. Thisremoved a major planning burden on a large number ofmunicipalities and reduced the number of municipalities that

will ultimately be affected. The number of municipalitiesaffected by P2 Planning for chloramines, which was thestrategy retained by EC, has been reduced.

CWWA has been deeply involved in the development ofCanada Wide Strategy for the Management of MunicipalWastewater Effluents (CWS-MMWE) since its inception inMarch 2004. CWWA personnel has served as a co-chair ofthe Core Advisory Group (CAG), a body set up by CCME toprovide consultative and technical advice to the CCMEDevelopment Committee on CWS-MWWE. The CCME DChas received and reviewed reports from its varioussubcommittees and the consultants.

The DC is currently engaging municipalities and otherstakeholders in consultation. The consultation materials arebeing posted on the CCME website for review andcomments by the stakeholders.

CWWA also submitted position statements and com-ments on other issues such as on performance testing of 6Ltoilets, Drain Line Carry Evaluation Report and Fisheries ActEnforcement Activities. Details of these position statementsand reports can be obtained from the CWWA website.

Future Challenges:CWWA will continue to work with the CCME DC in

developing CWS-MWWE strategy. The timelines for theremaining activities on the CWS-MWWE can be found onthe CWWA website.

CWWA will continue to participate in the review of theCanadian Environmental Protection Acts (CEPA) and theproposed Health Protection Act. The schedule of the CEPAreview process can also be obtained from the CEPA website.

CWWA will also continue to monitor the developmentof Fisheries Act Section 36 (3) and continue to monitor anumber of other federal programs involving fertilizers andmetering.

The association (CWWA) has planned a couple of eventsfor the 2005-2006 year, details of which can be obtainedfrom the CWWA website.

Benefiting from / Contributing to CWWA:CWWA benefits her members mainly by representing

their views on national issues and by promptly informing themembers of happenings in their sector. Membercontributions are required through responses to CWWArequests for comments and discussions on policies andregulations at the developmental stage. You can send yourcontributions directly to CWWA or through NTWWA.

Detailed information about CWWA activities discussedabove and several others can be found on CWWA website:www.cwwa.ca.

Dele MorakinyoNTWWA representative on CWWA Board of Directors

!"

CWWA Report DELE MORAKINYO, PhD, P.Eng.

Dele is a Senior Environmental Engineer with FSCArchitects & Engineers. He specializes in environmental site

assessment and remediation; water and wastewater; andwater flow and contaminant transport modeling.


INDEX TOADVERTISERS

PLEASE SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS WHO HAVEHELPED MAKE THIS PUBLICATION POSSIBLE.

A.H. McElroy Sales & Service 20

Anthrafilter Filter Media 16

Aqua-Pure Ventures Inc. 6

Associated Engineering 19

Avensys 19

BD WaterTech 17

Border Chemical Company 42

Canada Pipeline Accessories (1986) Corp. 38

Cheiron Resources 5

ClearTech 38

Daly Environmental Consultants 9

Danmax 21

Dorr-Oliver Eimco 12

DWG Process Supply Ltd. 6

EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd. 8

Earth Tech 23

Emco Engineering Ltd. 27

Galaxy Plastics Ltd. 5

Gartner Lee Limited 20

Hetek Solutions Inc. 4

Hoskin Scientific Ltd. 32

Hurlburt Enterprises Inc. 10

Industrial Supply & Service IFC

Kinetico Canada Inc. 35

Kudlik Construction 34

Marsulex 40

Mequipco Ltd. 26

Midnight Sun Bearing and Mining Supply 26

MSC Mississauga 30

NAPEGG 31

Perkin Elmer Life & Analytical Service IBC

Raymac Enviromental Services OBC

Robins Flotech Ltd. 36

Schendel Mechanical Contracting Ltd. 24

Superior Propane 21

Terminal City Ironworks (ACS) Inc. 40

Tower Arctic Ltd. 23

Troy-Ontor Inc. 36

Unified Alloys 13

Univar 37

Urecon Pre-Insulated Pipe 26

Wolseley Engineered Pipe Group 6

Wolseley Waterworks Group 34

Zenon Environmental Inc. 9

Supplying Quality Products For Over Forty-Six Years

Liquid Alum – Dry Alum Sulphuric Acid

Aqua Ammonia – Phosphoric Acid

Box 62037, 104 Regent Ave. Phone #: (204) 222-3276Winnipeg, MB R2C 5G2 Fax #: (204) 224-0562

Certified to ANSI/N.S.F. Standard 60

DELCommunications Inc.

Supporting Associationsthrough profitable

publishing.