INNOVATION January-February 2017

f ea t u r e s

As the old plants were nearing end-of-life, community leaders decided to upgrade the district’s wastewater facilities with the most environmentally friendly technology they could afford. They initiated a design–build RFP process with stringent requirements, including eliminating odour outside the facility, meeting rigorous effluent criteria (5/5/1 milligrams/litre total suspended solids/ biochemical oxygen demand/turbidity), and reducing noise to a conversational level of 55/45 decibels. In addition, the structure and the entire process would have to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards. Sechelt engaged Maple Reinders Inc., representing a consortium that included Urban Systems as lead designer and Veolia Water Technologies Canada as technology and equipment provider. “The District of Sechelt set the performance criteria and left it to the proponents to innovate and execute the design and construction,” says Maple Reinders’ manager of Civil and Environmental Engineering in BC, Andrew Ambrozy, P.Eng. “We were the builders, but we have knowledge of wastewater treatment, so we sat at the design table with Urban and Veolia. Basically, we tried to make the design as construction-efficient as possible.” “The reuse of water was a very important factor because of the increasing pressures on the local creek that supplies the community’s water,” Urban’s Matt Smith says. “The system we designed makes it possible for them to reuse the reclaimed wastewater locally for agriculture and industry, instead of using potable water.” There are four different categories of treated wastewater for reuse in BC. “The highest quality is indirect potable reuse, and that’s the standard we meet,” says District of Sechelt Sewage Department Plant Manager Angela Smith. “We hand the bio- solids over to Salish Soils, and they turn it into compost that can be used as a Class A soil amendment. Eventually we should get to a point where there’s zero waste.” Funding for this $24.9-million project was provided by federal and provincial government sources, the District of Sechelt, and

An Organica fed batch reactor combines treatment and clarification in the same tanks while using plants as part of the process ( T op : Aerators line the water tanks). A Sewage SHARC system ( B ottom ) extracts heat from the sewage, reducing the centre's energy use. P hotos : Maple Reinders Inc.

the Sechelt Indian Government District. The new plant doubles the treatment capacity of the two older plants while reducing overall energy use by 48 percent. The facility uses a proprietary heat recovery system, the Sewage SHARC, which extracts heat from sewage, effectively eliminating the need for electrical or gas heating inside the building. In sunny weather, rooftop solar panels generate about 10 percent of the centre’s power. Nash says the district also required the design allow for the public to tour the facility. “There was a lot of scepticism in the community, but the new facility has really shown the public what can be done. They can come here and learn that wastewater is not something to be afraid of. It can actually be used as a resource with many economic benefits.” The key technology for the facility is the Organica process, invented in Hungary but new to North America. “When we proposed it, Organica was being used in only about 20 plants around the world, mostly in Europe and China,” says Veolia’s Municipal Business Developer Chris Howorth, P.Eng. The Organica fed batch reactor combines treatment and clarification in the same tanks while using plant roots as part of the process. A greenhouse covers the tanks and tropical plants

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