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West Pubnico Sewer - Waste Water Treatment Facility

Type of initiative FCM Green Municipal Fund - Capital Project
Sector Water
Project value$4,200,000
Project Type Capital Project
Sub Sector Wastewater Management and Treatment
Grant amount$127,272
Program type GMF
Municipality Municipality of Argyle, NS
Loan amount$1,272,728
Status Fully Disbursed
Population 7,870
Project timeline 2010 - 2011
Project number 10313

Description

The Municipality of the District of Argyle will retrofit its sanitary sewage collection and treatment plant system to introduce a sequence batch reactor, ultra-violet disinfection technology and a dewatering sludge management system. The upgrade will address the system’s current non-compliance with the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour (NSDEL) and Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) standards for effluent quality.
The upgrades will improve effluent quality dramatically. Residual chlorine will drop from 1.31 mg per litre to zero. Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand (CBOD5) quality will improve from 48 to 20 mg per litre, total suspended solids will decrease from 58 to 20 mg per litre, and the system will not require the use of Chlorine. With the upgrade, NSDEL will allow extensions to the wastewater infrastructure so that old septic systems can be replaced.
Ultra-violet disinfection technology will replace the existing chlorine chamber and the most current technologies and practices will be implemented and/ or adopted. Special consideration will be given to investigating the possibility of heat recovery from the wastewater or sludge and use of heat pump technology to minimize heating/ cooling costs of the facility. This environmental initiative could offset possible increases in power costs due to the increased demand of the technology. Cleaner effluent will protect potable groundwater and it will also affect the quality of the oceanwater, thus supporting commercial fishing and fish processing operations in the area.
(Project description from original funding application)

Project results

Environmental outcomes

  • Reduced energy use
  • Reduced or avoided GHG emissions
  • Reduced hazardous residuals from water treatment
  • Biodiversity and ecosystem protection

Social outcomes

  • Protection/improvement of public human health
  • Community revitalization

Economic outcomes

  • Increased service life
  • Increased job creation or retention
  • Increased tourism
  • Local spending/consumption
  • Use of feasibility tools

Lessons learned

  • Stakeholder and community engagement
  • Council support/buy-in
  • Resources

Applicant

Municipality of Argyle, NS