The CAWT's Dr. Gordon Balch's presentation to the Alberta Onsite Wastewater Management Association (March 2015). Emerging Technologies in Onsite Wastewater Treatment.

1. Emerging Technologies in
Onsite Wastewater Treatment
Gordon Balch
Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment, Fleming College,
Lindsay,
Alberta Onsite Wastewater Management Association: Convention and Trade Show
Friday, March 6th, 2015, Edmonton, Alberta

2. Overview
Opportunities for Rural Growth through Sustainable Service
• Framework (Building Code)
• Advanced Treatment Systems
– domestic
– Customized (alternative systems)
• CAWT Testing
• Future Trends / Needs
2

3. Ont. Building Code
Part 8: Sewage Systems
• Building code regulates a number of
different classes of onsite treatment
systems
• Class 4 is most common and is intended
to minimize pathogens released into the
environment
– can include secondary and tertiary
(advanced) treatment systems located
between septic tank and leaching bed
3

4. Advanced Treatment Systems
4

5. 5
Advanced Treatment Systems
Advantages
• provide the opportunity to service sites not suited for conventional septic
systems
• Better treatment
• may extend the life of an existing leaching bed
• take up less room in the yard
• require mandatory maintenance (ensures the unit is functioning properly)
• may reduce nutrient output (depending on type)
Disadvantages
• may be more expensive to purchase and install
• more expensive to operate (e.g. yearly electrical costs, media replacement)
• mechanical parts that can break down or need replacement
• requires mandatory maintenance (increases costs)

6. Conventional Septic System
6
septic tank pipe
30-50% treatment in septic
tank
50-70% treatment in soil
Pre-treatment Final Distribution and Soil
Treatment
Absorption trench or filter bed
SepticSmart 2010

7. native soil
advanced
treatment
unit
pump
chamber pressure
flow
pressure pipe and chamber
pre-treatment
tank*
Advanced treatment units use oxygen
to enhance treatment.
saturated soil
7
Advanced Treatment System
Pre-treatment Final Distribution and Soil
Treatment
Shallow Buried Trench
SepticSmart 2010
30-50% treatment in septic
tank
50-70% treatment in soil

8. advanced
treatment unit
gravity or
pump flow
Area Bed
pre-treatment
tank* stone
sand
pipe
native soil
saturated soil
Advanced Treatment System
8SepticSmart 2010
Pre-treatment Final Distribution and Soil
Treatment
Shallow Buried Trench
10% treatment in soil90% treatment in septic tank

9. Advanced Treatment Systems
Intent of ATS:
• To mitigate site impediments to installation
(e.g., heavy clays, shallow soils, limited
space, high water table, etc.)
• To provide added protection (nutrient
abatement) to at-risk sites (e.g., nutrient
sensitive lakes, ground waters, etc.)
9

10. 10
Smaller foot print of advanced
treatment systems
conventiona
l
advanced
WSB Clean

11. Approval Criteria for ATS
Must meet performance criteria set out by
building code
– testing and certification by the NSF
International (U.S.-based) standard
– consideration of Ontario’s
environmental/climatic conditions
– evidence of in-field performance.
11

12. Evaluation of ATS
Technologies
• Treatment unit technologies were
evaluated by MMAH
• List of approved treatment units found in
Supplementary Standard SB-5 to the
Building Code
• All currently approved systems incorporate
microbial treatment and or physical
filtration
12

13. SB-5 (Ontario): Advanced
Treatment Units
Suspended Growth
• Aquarobic Canada
• Aqua Safe and Aqua Air
• Biocycle Aerated Wastewater System
• Clearstream Treatment Systems
• Norweco Singulair Treatment Systems
• Whitewater Treatment Systems
• WSB® Clean Treatment Systems
13

14. SB-5 (Ontario): Advanced
Treatment Units
Attached Growth
• Bio-Microbics — FAST®Wastewater Treatment
Systems
• Bionest Technologies Inc.
• Nayadic Wastewater Treatment Systems
• Rotordisk Wastewater Systems
14

15. SB-5 (Ontario): Advanced Treatment
Units
Synthetic Media Filter
• Orenco AdvanTex® Wastewater Treatment System
• Waterloo Biofilter Treatment Systems
Peat Filter
• Premier Tech Environment — Ecoflo Biofilter
Treatment Systems
• Puraflo® Peat Fiber Biofilter Treatment Systems
Sand Filter
• Orenco Treatment Systems
15

16. Alberta manufacturers/parent companies authorized to sell
their NSF 40 Class 1 Sewage Treatment Plants.
16
Treatment Plant Manufacturer/Parent Company
AdvanTex Orenco Systems Inc.
Bionest Bionest Technologies Inc.
Aero-Tech Aero-Tech
Singulair Norweco Inc.
Singulair Norweco Inc.
Mo-Dad Acquired Wastewater Technologies, LLC
AdvanTex Orenco Systems Inc.
Singulair Norweco Inc.
Fast Bio-Microbics Inc.
Ecopod Pentair (formerly Delta Environmental Products)
Ecoflo Bioflo Premier Tech Technologies Limited
SludgeHammer SludgeHammer Group Ltd.
Singulair Norweco Inc.
Pro Flo Pro Flo Aerobic Systems, LP
Jet Bat Jet Inc.
Bionest Bionest Technologies Inc.

17. Waterloo Biofilter
17
There are different configuration depending on
the wastewater constituents and desired
treatment level

18. CANWEST tanks & ecological
systems Ltd. Surry, BC
18

19. 19
1
2
3
4
5
6
1. Primary Clarification
2. Moving Bed Bioreactor
3. Aeration
4. Final Clarification
5. Sludge Return
6. Outlet
WSB® clean Septic System

20. CAN/BNQ 3680-600
• CAN/BNQ 3680-600, “Onsite Residential
Wastewater Treatment Technologies” is the new
national standard for testing wastewater
residential treatment technologies.
• This standard will replace the current criteria for
treatment units set out in the Ontario Building
Code, and the list of treatment units found in
Supplementary Standard SB-5 which are
deemed to meet these Code requirements. [to
be revoked Jan 1/17]
20

21. Treatment Options
Domestic
 Conventional Septic Systems
 Advanced Wastewater Treatment
• Microbial (suspended or fixed) ± aeration
• Physical filtration ± aeration
Alternative
 Constructed Wetlands
 Engineered Bio Reactors (e.g., S-reducing Bacteria for
Arsenic)
 Sportive media for Phosphorus
 Moving Bed Bio Reactors for Oxidized N
 Ozone
 UV
 Hybridized nano-membranes with nanoparticles
 others
21

23. Disposal Challenges
23
• Regulatory oversight / requirements
increasing
– post Walkerton
– Ont. Environ Protection Act, Ont. Clean Water Act,
etc.
• Complexity of wastewater increasing
– Pharmaceuticals and personal care products
• Increasing number of wastewater sources
– Petroleum, agra-farms, aquaculture, etc.
• Treatment Costs Increasing

24. Specialized (site-specific)Treatment
Needs
• Complexity of waste stream is increasing
• Greater need for site specific treatment
options
– reduce treatment burden on existing systems
(e.g., high BOD from brewery industry)
– Meet industry specific needs (aquaculture,
mining, health care, etc.)
• Ozone, sulfur reducing bioreactors,
hybridized constructed wetlands, etc., all
showing promise
24

25. Enhanced Nitrogen Removal
(stationary fixed film)
25
Anoxic Aerobic Clarifier
Denitrification Nitrification
+
BOD removal
Denitrification
• 2.3 g BOD per g NO3-N
• 3.02 g organic matter per g NO3-N
• Heterotrophic bacteria for generation of carbon source
• Significant portion of BOD generally consumed during nitrification, leaving little
for denitrification
High in
BOD &
NH4
Return unconsumed
Carbon

26. Moving Bed BioReactor
(MBBR)
26
• Small foot
print
• Very efficient
• Up to 5Xs
biofilm
• Does require
pumps and
aeration

27. Phosphate Removal
adsorption, precipitation
27
H2PO4
- + Fe Fe
O
O
Fe
O
Fe
O P
O
O
H
O
H
Adsorption (Fe, Al, Mn oxides)
Precipitation (Fe, Ca, Al phosphates)
Variety of Sources and Manufactures
• Blast furnace steel slag
• Oxide rich natural clays
• Manufactured oxides (Al, Fe,
mixtures)

28. Phosphorous adsorptive media
for Stormwater runoff
28
• Adsorptive media can also be used in advanced treatment systems
(residential)
• Work is proceeding in looking at ways to incorporate and regenerate
media

29. Mining Sector
29
Arsenic Removal from Tailings Waters
Engineered wetland to
complex dissolved
Arsenic with Sulfur
with the use of
bacteria
Use of sulfur reducing
bacteria

30. Agriculture Sector
30
CUI2I – Agriculture
Wastewaters
• Greenhouse wastewaters rich in Cl-, SO4
2-,
Na,+ K+, Ca++
• High in Nitrates and Sulfates
• Employ salt hyper-accumulating plants,
denitrification reactors (removing NO3 and
convert SO4 to H2S)
College-University idea to innovation Grants

31. Aquaculture Sector
31
Land Based fish farm
• Solids
• Nutrients (N & P)
• Fish pathogens

32. Trickle Filters
32
• High removal rate of
BOD, Nitrogen, TSS
• Aerobic and
anaerobic zones
• Food wastes,
aquaculture
applications (e.g.
winery wastes)
• Sewer by-laws

33. Advanced On-Site Treatment
33
• Ozone
• Pressure differentials
• Poly-filter
• Granulated activated carbon
filter
• Nutrients (N & P)
• TSS
• BOD
• Pathogens
• PPCPs

34. Overview of System
34
Off gas &
destruct

35. Results: Selected PPCPs (ppt)
35
0 200 400 600 800 1000
Levonargestrel
Progesterone
Medroxyprogesterone
Aspartame
Diclofenac
Carbamazepine
Trimethoprim
Sulfamethoxazole
Influent Effluent
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
n.d.
Concentration (ng L-1) Mean ± SD

36. 36
Constructed Wetlands
• Man-made with specific design
specifications
• Intended to treat domestic waste
using natural processes
– Filtration / sedimentation
– Microbial oxidation / transformation
– Chemical processes
– Adsorption / absorption

37. 37
Hybridized Constructed Wetlands
Flow = 40 m3/d; Inlet COD = 1000 mg/L & NH3 = 1000 mg /L
Each line consists of:
1. SFS-v (e.g.,VSSF) stage with a superficial peat layer to ensure odor remove, leachate pre-
oxidation and metals precipitation;
2. Two stage SFS-v in series for nitrification (add O2) and organic load removal (e.g., BOD);
3. Two stage SFS-h (e.g., HSSF) in series for denitrification (remove O2) and removal of persistent
organic compounds;
4. A stage FWS to complete the denitrification and the organic compounds removal and to
enhance the evapotranspiration;
5. A final detention pond to accumulate the effluent and enhance the evapotranspiration.
The system is designed to ensure high removal rates (>90-95% COD and NH3), and a good
reduction of the effluent due to evapotranspiration.

38. Future Trends (???)
38

39. North America
Wastewater Infrastructure Deficit
39
• Wastewater
infrastructure deficit
in 2 Provinces and 8
US states is $10
billion
• $90 billion needed in
next 10 y (2007) to
replace and upgrade
Canada wide
Great Lakes Commission – 2007 report

40. Aging municipal
infrastructure
40
When Bigger Isn’t Better: Decentralized Wastewater
Treatment Systems (On. Environ. Commissioner 2009)
• Small or rural communities in Ontario faced with:
– Increasing population
– Climate change
– Stricter environmental regulations
• A call for decentralized systems

41. Waste Generation from DWWT
41
• 1980 USA census – 3.8
trillion L per year to vadose
zone (US EPA 1987)
• 25-30% of households in
USA are served by septic
systems (Bremer & Harter
2012)
• 22% of Canadians utilize on-
site systems (Richardson &
Fulton 2009)
Septic system leachate represents the largest
unregulated source of wastewater

42. 1st everything
(1,385 km diameter)
2nd groundwater, fresh
surface water
(272.8 km diameter)
3rd fresh water in lakes
and rivers
(56.2 km diameter)Source: Scientific American
Global
Water
Supply

43. 43
Cluster Systems
Cluster systems are generally used to collect
wastewater from a small cluster of homes
• Waste is transported to the
site of treatment via alternative
sewers
• The transported wastewater is
treated at either a
conventional treatment
system or receives pre-
treatment prior to soil
absorption of the pretreated
effluent

44. 44
Final disposal to Wetland and
Drainfield

45. 45
Application of Cluster Systems
• There can be many reasons
to install a cluster systems
• Most often installed
because the land size of
individual properties is not
large enough to
accommodate an on-site
system OR
• Because the financial cost
for construction of a
conventional treatment
plant is not feasible
Small rural areas

46. 46
Human Health
Concerns
• Methaemoglobinaemia
• Cancers (increased risk)
• Thyroid disruption
2013
May see a
greater
emphasis on
removal of
Nitrates

47. Phosphorus ???
47
• Phosphorous
not strongly
linked to
human health
• Most issues
are impacts to
surface waters
• Cyanobacteria
?
• Present
concerns are
focused on
agriculture,
stormwater,
etc.

48. Concluding Remarks
• Demand for decentralized treatment likely
to increase
• Demand for specialized treatment to off-
load burden to centralized systems may
increase
• May see greater need for advanced
treatment systems for Nitrate and
Phosphorous in relationship to source
water protection
48

49. Questions
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the
world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to
decide what kind of difference you want to make.” — Jane Goodall
49