Rosebud Hamlet Algae Cultivation Biofield for Wastewater Treatment Pilot

In partnership with Symbiotic EnviroTek Inc. and Queens University, the Hamlet of Rosebud in Wheatland County, Alberta, will install and test an algae cultivation biofield (ACB) that will replace a failing septic field for 60 residences. The new biofield will be located near the original septic field that is now saturated but will require new piping and a lift station to the new location. Partners anticipate that the system could provide supplementary environmental and economic benefits by sequestering carbon dioxide and attracting water-related businesses to the community. The treatment system uses a photobioreactor technology to treat waste water to tertiary standard through the combined microbial and mechanical breakdown of complex organic and inorganic compounds. Algal colonies residing in the photobioreactor assimilate nutrients, removing them from the water and promoting biomass production through metabolic uptake. Wastewater treatment using algae is not new, but the pond systems currently in use are only viable in high heat and sunny climates. While the ACB has demonstrated effectiveness at lab and 1/50th scale, Alberta Environment has requested a pilot to test the robustness and consistency of the treatment process before approving it as a viable treatment option. A scaled up system in Rosebud Hamlet would include two modules for wastewater treatment which would be operated by Symbiotic EnviroTek under a Lease and Operating Agreement, while Wheatland County would remain responsible for the collection system. Rosebud also offers the opportunity to expand the algae cultivation biofield to include a parallel operation for four modules to grow food grade algal biomass with an intended market in the natural health products industry. The pilot project is supported by an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan and the Regional Growth Management Strategy which targets green infrastructure, and wastewater and stormwater treatment and re-use as priority areas. The Hamlet has been actively involved in leveraging the ACB to attract additional water based businesses including greenhouses or a micro-brewery in line with their already strong tourism focus. At full scale, the algae cultivation biofield will treat 9460 cubic meters of municipal wastewater annually. The 250 tonnes of algal biomass grown in the process will sequester 1.8 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of biomass annually. The project is being undertaken as a result of a feasibility study conducted in 2014 to evaluate approaches to ecological wastewater treatment (GMF 13020). (Project description from original funding application)