Septage Treatment Feasibility Study

The County of Renfrew will study available options to seek a local solution to treat rural septage and sludge from private septic systems. The current practice of land applying the waste to facilitate natural decomposition of the material is no longer sustainable. The study will follow the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process and will adhere to the legislative requirements of the Province of Ontario’s 2002 Nutrient Management Act, which contains a proposal to ban the land application of septage over a five-year period. Alternatives will be evaluated and rated based on the criteria most important to the community, including: cost, sustainability, community acceptance, compliance with regulations, innovative technology and life cycle cost. An objective of the study is to significantly reduce trucking costs and the resultant greenhouse gas emissions. Possible spin-off benefits will be considered, such as, the potential to generate electricity from the processing of the waste and marketability of by-products (fertilizers or soil enhancements). A business case analysis to enhance the cost-effectiveness of a proposed solution will be developed. The final report will include recommendations for a public awareness campaign highlighting water conservation and the benefits of reduced water usage in ensuring the proper functioning of private septic systems, plus a public education program directed at reducing the use of chemicals with an adverse effect on septic systems’ operation.