Meet the Speakers

The Schedule of Events is building for the upcoming convention and trade show taking place February 8 – 10^th at the Red Deer Sheraton, 3310 – 50 Avenue, Red Deer.

A diverse and interesting group of presenters is being gathered to provide delegates with information on regulatory issues, technical innovations, the newest information in research and interesting and innovative projects that are changing the face of decentralized wastewater.

Don’t miss your opportunity to listen, learn and network at this exciting event!

Keynote Speaker – Wm. Patrick Lucey, B.Sc., B.A. (WD), M.Sc., R.P. Bio., CBiol, MRSB

$\"Patrick$ Mr. Lucey, the president of Aqua-Tex Scientific Consulting Ltd., is a senior aquatic ecologist with a background in freshwater and marine science, urban and resource management and political science. His specialties are managing water resources that add financial value to development projects and demonstrating how regeneration and enhancement of ecological function can provide cost-savings on infrastructure and result in a healthier environment. He has established a personal reputation as a specialist in design and construction of quality rainwater management systems and is respected by both clients and regulators for his ecologically sound, yet innovative approaches to protecting water resources within urban environments. He is a co-author of a report commissioned by the Province of BC, entitled “Living Water Smart: British Columbia’s Water Plan” which formed the basis for the new Water Sustainability Act.

Patrick supervises graduate students at the University of BC, Royal Roads University, University of South Florida, and the University of Victoria where he conducted research in the Department of Biology for two decades. Mr. Lucey was a Special Advisor to the British Columbia Government on Water Policy, the Climate Change Action Plan and Green Cities Initiative programs, as well as the United State’s Federal Government’s Office of Sustainability, in Washington DC. Mr. Lucey is a Member of the British Royal Society of Biology.

Changing the Conversation: Engineered Ecology – Ecomimicry+ Urban Development & Design

The total effect of human activities on the planet’s ecology rivals that of natural processes, such that a new geological era has emerged – the Anthropocene. Man’s activities are so pervasive we are leaving a geological record – a footprint that whose record will be evident far into the future. While the effects of human technology related activities are not dispersed equally around the planet, the expansion of human populations in the 20th Century, and continuing into the 21st Century, are resulting in serious risks/threats to the health of urban ecosystems. The challenge lies in understanding the risks and threats we have inadvertently created and crafting alternative, financially viable land use activities that reverse historical harm and regenerate ecosystem health – by mimicking nature design principles. This presentation will build on earlier AOWMA talks, showcasing recent projects and new programs in education and training for design and implementation practitioners. The key to shifting to an ecomimicry + design model lies in understanding that water is the fundamental integrating element, a simple effective metric to measure the success of what each of us does on a daily basis.

Shane Sparks, P Eng

$\"Shane$ Mr. Sparks is the Principal Hydrogeologist and co-founder of SD Consulting Group. In his 10+ years of consulting experience, he has experience as a project manager for a wide range of sustainable projects that include the design of decentralized water, wastewater and stormwater systems for communities, residential developments, golf courses, and backcountry camp facilities.

With SD, he manages onsite water, environmental, and wastewater projects while performing soils/hydrogeological investigations, water source development, wetland delineation, and other field services related to habitat restoration. Specifically to community wastewater, these services include soils investigations, hydrogeological studies, project meetings, open house presentations and council meetings.

Large Onsite Wastewater Systems in Alberta – Overview on Country Lakes Development in Leduc County and Silverhorn Development in Rocky View County

Despite a slowing economy and lower demand for new residential developments, demand for large onsite wastewater systems in Alberta has remained consistent. With over ten systems constructed, we are now able to gather valuable operational data on the success of these systems that utilize a variety of different treatment technologies and final effluent disposal methods. This presentation will discuss operational data from the Country Lakes development in Leduc County, which disposes treatment effluent into a natural wetland and the Silverhorn Development Rocky View County, which utilizes soil disposal. Further, this presentation will discuss the challenges of high strength wastewater in RV dump stations, such as the Spring Hill RV Park and the new wastewater treatment plant located at Bow Valley Provincial Park. Permitting strategies, construction techniques and operational data will all be presented in an effort to highlight the challenges and successes associated with large onsite wastewater systems.

Yvonne Wille, Alberta Safety Codes Authority

$\"Yvonne$ Yvonne Wille is the Contract Manager for the Alberta Safety Codes Authority (ASCA), a new division of the Safety Codes Council. ASCA is responsible for administering the Safety Codes Act, including safety codes permitting, inspections and related compliance.

Permitting and Inspection in Open Areas

This presentation will provide an update on Alberta Safety Code (ASCA) activities in 2017 including statistical data on the effectiveness of changes made since May 1/2016. Details of plans and initiatives for 2018 will be outlined. Contractors and stakeholders will be given the opportunity to ask questions and submit ideas for how ASCA can help effective improvements in the safety codes system.

Dean Morin, P Eng, Alberta Municipal Affairs

$\"Dean$ Having been involved in the private sewage industry in some capacity for almost 20 years now, it has been an interesting adventure that has led me to my current position as Chief Inspector/Technical Administrator of Private Sewage with Alberta Municipal Affairs. Being involved in some of the early at-grade research that produced a paper for the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) Conference in 2000, I could see early on how my education in Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta in water and wastewater treatment could benefit the private sewage industry. After graduating from my undergrad in 2002, I undertook a Master’s degree in Geoenvironmental Engineering, which involved research that assessed the ability of various sampling technologies in monitoring natural attenuation at upstream oil and gas sites. This degree focused on remediation of contaminants in groundwater and soil environments. This is the same consideration and knowledge that is fundamental to the soil based treatment of onsite systems.

Using these learned skills I then gained practical experience in designing and installing through my close to 4 years as a project manager with EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd.: I had the chance to apply my knowledge throughout the National Parks, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It was in 2008 that an opportunity presented itself to take a more active role in the legislated and policy aspects of the private sewage industry and I joined the Private Sewage discipline of Safety Services within Municipal Affairs. It is in this role over the last 9 years that as a safety codes officer I have worked closely with many of you in the private sewage industry. Through my involvement in industry training delivery, public education outreach, committee work and managing issues throughout the province, I have heard the industry’s challenges and concerns.

It was based on this experience that I felt it was the right timing to take on the next stage of my career as the Technical Administrator. As many of you have experienced, there has been a drastic change in the legislated world of private sewage, especially within the Standard of Practice (SOP) in 2009. The technical demands of the industry have led to many challenges with competencies and the proper application of the science behind the SOP, which has resulted in a lot of uncertainty in the industry. That is why I will be focusing my efforts on training, continued education and certification review in order to reinstill the public’s confidence in the industry. There needs to be greater accountability within the industry if we are to be considered professionals. It is with this in mind that I think the presentation I will be giving has been aptly named “Changes at the Helm”. Welcome aboard and I look forward to sharing some of this direction with you at convention and hearing your thoughts on how we best move the industry forward.

Rick Baxter, Safety Codes Officer,The Inspections Group

Certification Review Committee – Industry Enforcement

This presentation delivered by Dean Morin, Technical Administrator, Private Sewage and Rick Baxter, Safety Codes Officer, will take a look at the work of the recently formed Certification Review Committee.

This new committee was formed by Alberta Municipal Affairs to review homeowner complaints regarding non-compliant systems.

Over the past several years, complaints from homeowners regarding failing and non-compliant systems have increased significantly. In order to find a mechanism to address this issue, a committee which includes representation from government and all industry sectors has been struck to review the findings of Alberta Municipal Affairs inspectors following a complaint.

All documentation associated with the system in question is examined as are interview transcripts of all parties involved. The committee then makes recommendations to Alberta Municipal Affairs regarding the situation. Alberta Municipal Affairs then may choose to follow the recommendations of the committee or take an alternate course of action.

Recommendations may focus around remediation of the failed or non-compliant system, additional training requirements, system design reviews, or in extreme cases, administrative penalties.

The committee also reviews applications for Certifications of Competency from contractors who have not been active in the industry for significant periods of time (two or more years) and now wish to re-enter the industry.

Nicole Paggett, Park Enterprises

Municipal Process Development & Initiatives

A review of various Municipal needs & challenges as well as the efforts made to address and improve the delivery and enforcement of Private Sewage systems in different Municipalities. What has worked, what hasn’t worked and how have various challenges been met? What went wrong? Where are we going? A discussion to address Private Sewage concerns, questions and issues and how we can be involved in positive industry growth and sustainable development.

Shane Patterson, Ph.D., P.Ag.

$\"Shane$ Shane Patterson is a Science and Technology Specialist within the Land Conservation and Reclamation Policy Section at Alberta Environment and Parks. One of the areas he is currently working on involves the consolidation of Alberta’s Land Application Guidelines for various residuals. Prior to joining the Government of Alberta, his graduate work involved the use effluent wastewater as a source of irrigation water, as well as the use of wood ash and biosolids as soil amendments for agricultural lands.

Update on the Consolidation of Alberta’s Land Application Guidelines for Residuals

Alberta has a number of land application guidelines for residuals that focus primarily application to agricultural land. Over the last few years there has been interest in consolidating these guidelines and expanding the use of these residuals for other applications including reclamation. Last summer a draft that AEP had developed was circulated for comment. This presentation will provide a summary of the feedback received and provide an overview on options that are being considered for moving forward.

Wade Teveniuk, Regulatory Services Manager, Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission

$\"\"$ Wade is the Regulatory Services Manager at the Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission. The Commission is committed to protecting the environment and public health through the provision of responsible wastewater transmission and treatment services to it’s thirteen, member municipalities which surround the City of Edmonton. Wade started with the Commission in 2007, first as a supervisor within the Operations & Maintenance department and later assumed his current role in 2012 when the new Regulatory Services department was formed. Wade’s background includes Chemistry and Power Engineering, and more recently he has achieved a Certificate in Municipal Management and Leadership. Responsibilities include oversight of the Commission’s Industrial Source Control program, the Environmental, Health & Safety programs, the ISO Accredited Laboratory, and regulatory reporting to the Commission’s federal and provincial regulators. A significant rewrite of the Commission’s Quality of Wastewater Bylaw and the development of an Oil & Gas and Support Services Sector Code of Practice are recent initiatives he has led.

Prior to transitioning into the Utilities sector with the Commission, Wade spent nearly twenty years in the Petro-Chemical industry in various operational and supervisory roles.

Solids Management in the Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission Transmission System through a Code of Practice and a Residential Awareness Campaign.

Solids are introduced into the Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission’s (ACRWC) Wastewater Transmission System from industrial, commercial, institutional (ICI) and residential connections, as well as from liquid waste haulers discharging at the ACRWC Hauled Waste Septage Receiving Stations. Solids entering the Wastewater Transmission System accumulate in low-scouring sections of sewer piping, potentially leading to blockages and overflows during wet weather events, ultimately leading to costly clean-up and repairs. To address these ongoing issues, ACRWC is developing a Wastewater Collection System Flushing/Solids Disposal Code of Practice (COP) targeted at its thirteen member municipalities. The COP will be developed by researching existing best practices as well engaging stakeholders. It will ultimately provide best practices for managing high solid loads from waste haulers.

In addition to the COP, ACRWC is working to reduce the introduction of solids at the source through a Residential Awareness Campaign which aims to address non-flushables: Wipes, fats, oils and grease (FOG) and personal care products. The campaign targets the residents within the Commission’s thirteen member municipalities, with the goal to bring awareness to non-flushables and the consequences of introducing them to the sewer system. A single page website was developed as the hub of the campaign, with all print and digital campaign material directing residents to visit the site to learn more.

The presentation will be of interest to wastewater haulers as well as wastewater utilities who are faced with issues caused by solids and non-flushables in their systems. It will provide insight into the development and delivery of a COP and Residential Awareness Campaign within a regionally based services commission.

Jason Davis, Progressive New Home Warranty Program

$\"Jason$ Jason Davis is the Vice President of Client Solutions with Progressive Home Warranty, and he has been a proud member of Progressive for over 13 years. He has expertise in claims, mediation and policy interpretation and has valuable experience working with government bodies, insurance companies, and regulators. Passionate about his industry, Jason was also a key committee participant in revising and developing the Residential Performance Guides for BC Housing and Municipal Affairs, respectively.

In his free time, Jason loves to travel with his fiancé Nikki and fly fish with his dog Kuula.

Grateful for the experiences throughout his life, Jason volunteers his time building houses in the Dominican for families in need through the Progressive Foundation. He is also a supporter of the Stollery Children’s hospital including the Stollery Kids Art Gallery which auctions off paintings at the Snowflake Gala.

Onsite Wastewater Systems Under the New Home Warranty Program

Abstract to come. . .. .

John R. Buchanan, Ph.D., P.E.

$\"John$ Dr. John R. Buchanan is an Associate Professor and is on the faculty of the Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Department at the University of Tennessee. He has 27 years of teaching, research, and outreach experience in the areas of onsite and decentralized wastewater management, water quality and storm water engineering. Dr. Buchanan has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Agricultural Engineering and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, all from The University of Tennessee. John is a member of the Water Environment Federation, Soil and Water Conservation Society, NOWRA, and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. He is a registered professional engineer in Tennessee.

Designing and Installing a Subsurface Drip Dispersal System

We depend on the soil to provide wastewater treatment. When working with shallow soils, we need to use wastewater application methods that can take full advantage of the limited resource. Subsurface drip dispersal systems ensure that the whole distribution area receives uniform doses and can maintain aerobic conditions within the soil. However, in order to accomplish this, drip systems must be based on good design, installed with care, and maintained by professionals. This session will focus on the critical design parameters that must be understood when installing a drip dispersal system.

Managing Nitrogen in Sensitive Areas

When we breathe approximately 78% of the air we inhale is nitrogen gas. With this much nitrogen around us, it is sometimes hard to believe that there is so much concern about nitrogen from onsite wastewater treatment systems. However, the nitrogen that we produce during wastewater treatment is in the form of nitrate. This form of nitrogen is a plant available nutrient and when excessive nitrate is available, then there will be excessive plant growth. Of primary concern is the overgrowth of aquatic plants and algae that can destroy the ecological balance of a waterbody. Because of these concerns, some jurisdictions are demanding that onsite wastewater systems that serve shoreline properties do more to convert nitrate back to nitrogen gas – the process of denitrification. This session will focus on the denitrification process and the issues associated with applying this technology to onsite wastewater treatment systems.

Colin Boog, Bionest Canada

$\"Colin$ Colin Boog has worked as a consultant for over 20 years. One of his first introductions to wastewater treatment and biosolids management was with the Project Engineering Department of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. The experience was excellent and led him to meeting one of the owners of Bionest Technologies, one of Canada’s largest companies singularly focussed on wastewater treatment.

Colin has enjoyed successfully introducing Bionest to Western Canada and has developed a solid reputation for working collaboratively with other wastewater professionals to design, implement, and maintain very successful and environmentally sensitive systems for both residential and commercial applications. Mr. Boog is proud to be working throughout BC with people who are committed to getting systems properly designed, installed professionally and working to protect the environment.

Sizing, Building and Maintaining Grease Traps

Abstract to come . . .

Keeping Track of Spare Parts – Gold or Garbage?

Ten minutes at the end of every day and give yourself a $10,000 bonus every year! Not only will parts bins in a trailer or the pickup save you time. . .it will save you money! We’ll talk about small habits for morning departure and end of day cleanup that will make all the difference in your business.

Amirreza Sohrabi, PhD

$\"Amirreza$ Amirreza Sohrabi is the co-founder and CEO of Roshan Water Solutions. After receiving his PhD in materials engineering from University of Alberta in 2017, Dr. Sohrabi and his wife, Dr. Parmiss Mojir Shaibani decided to found Roshan Water Solutions with one vision: assure safe and clean water while protecting the environment.

Onsite and Rapid Testing for E Coli in Water

For so long, water and wastewater treatment utilities had to rely on laboratory-based procedures for testing their samples for E.coli. These procedures require the transportation of the samples to a well-equipped laboratory; they are labor intensive and take a long time (few days) to report the final results. The transportation step has caused a significant cost for these utilities, especially ones far away from cities. Moreover, occasional resampling is required if the sample properties change during the transportation. The few days delay between sampling and final results causes late and after the fact decision making that can bear serious consequences for the utilities such as the loss of variance. Roshan Water Solutions is pleased to introduce its innovative technology, VeloCens™. VeloCens™ is a handheld device that can be taken to any location for testing samples for E.coli. This eliminates the need for sample transportation and can save a significant amount of money for the utilities. Moreover, the device analyzes samples and shows the final results in 1 hour. This would help utilities to make decisions quickly and avoid non-compliance problems. In a sentence, VeloCens™ enables onsite and rapid testing and quantification of water and wastewater samples for E.coli.

Dean Morin, Technical Administration, Alberta Municipal Affairs

Charles Hallett, AOWMA

Private Sewage Working Group – Review of the Standard of Practice

A Private Sewage Working Group has been struck under the supervision of the Safety Codes Council. This group will review technology changes relating to private sewage, suggested changes to the Standard of Practice, guidelines for work camps and other regulatory or technological issues. The Working Group is made up of stakeholders from all sectors of the onsite wastewater industry.

This presentation will provide an overview of the tasks carried out by this working group and will provide opportunity for delegates to suggest changes for the new Standard of Practice 2020.

Rick MacLennan, MACINK

$\"Rick$

Rick is a business consultant and a certified leadership coach/ trainer. He has been working with business owners and teams for more than 2 decades and splits his practice between his own clients and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) for whom he is an external consultant. Over the years Rick has worked with over 100 business owners helping them realize their dreams.

He specializes in Strategic Planning and building a comprehensive roadmap to give his clients the direction they need to execute the tasks necessary to reach their goals.

Rick has spoken at conventions and workshops in both Canada and the United States and has been a facilitator for leadership training.

Business Keynote

“Strategic Planning…why it’s vital for every business regardless of size or length of time in operation.

What makes up a complete strategic plan
How a Strategic Plan integrates into all areas of your business
Why it’s vital to growth and stability
It’s role in succession planning (either to a child or employee(s))
As a view for sale to a competitor or new buyer/investor
How a proper Strategic Plan can give the business owner the one thing they are all short of…time

Afternoon Workshop:

A deeper dive into 3 specific components of a Strategic Plan

SWOT Analysis – the first step is understanding where we are now
What business are you really in (not as simple as it first sounds)
TEAM – who is doing what…currently and is the structure right for growth?

John Spoelstra, PhD, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Waterloo

$\"John$

Dr. Spoelstra obtained his PhD in 2004 from the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Waterloo. For the past decade, he has been a Research Scientist in a groundwater group with Environment and Climate Change Canada in Burlington, Ontario. His research includes using novel tracers such as stable isotopes and artificial sweeteners to determine the sources and cycling of contaminants in the aquatic environment. Dr. Spoelstra also holds an adjunct professor position at the University of Waterloo, where he supervises undergraduate and graduate thesis research in environmental biogeochemistry.

Artificial sweeteners as tracers of septic wastewater in the environment

Artificial sweeteners are common in food, beverage and medicinal products, used to reduce sugar consumption, prevent tooth decay, and control diabetes. Some artificial sweeteners are not completely broken down in the body, or during wastewater treatment, and are therefore being detected in lakes, rivers, and groundwater around the world. In urban areas, municipal wastewater treatment plants and leaky sewer systems can be a source of artificial sweeteners to local groundwater and surface water. In rural areas, domestic wastewater is treated using septic systems that discharge partially treated effluent to the sub-surface for further treatment, making them the primary source of artificial sweeteners in rural groundwater.

The Groundwater Lab at Environment and Climate Change Canada analyzes water samples for four commonly used artificial sweeteners, acesulfame (ACE), cyclamate (CYC), saccharin (SAC), and sucralose (SUC), using ion chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Method detection limits are very low, ranging from 2 to 20 ng/L (parts per trillion) for the individual artificial sweeteners, making it possible to detect wastewater in the environment, even after substantial dilution.

The persistence, mobility, and relatively high concentrations of artificial sweeteners in the environment, particularly ACE, means that these compounds may still be detectable long after other wastewater constituents (e.g. nutrients, pharmaceuticals, pathogens) have been removed or diluted to levels below detection limits. Artificial sweeteners are a powerful screening tool for identifying streams, lakes and aquifers that are impacted by wastewater and where testing for additional contaminants may be warranted, especially where the water is used for potable water supply. In addition, in rural areas where groundwater nitrate concentrations are an issue, artificial sweeteners are potentially very useful for apportioning nitrate contributions from septic versus agricultural sources, particularly when combined with nitrate stable isotope analyses.

Ivan R. Whitson, Ph.D, P.Ag

$\"Ivan$ Dr. Whitson is a soil scientist and hydropedologist. His work involves applications of soil classification and mapping, including related interpretations of soil quality for conservation, reclamation, land capability and erosion. He has contributed to projects involving agricultural and forest management, municipal planning, soil conservation for pipeline, utility and energy developments, irrigation licensing and wastewater application. Active research interests include soil-groundwater relationships, especially in riparian soils. Dr. Whitson markets his specialized skills through I Whitson Innovations Inc.

Presentation Title: Generation of Lateral Subsurface Flow in Luvisolic Soils

I will present data from two studies focused on lateral and vertical water movement patterns in forested Luvisolic soil profiles. With platy structured, silty A horizons overlying blocky structured, clayey B horizons, hydraulic properties of Luvisolic soils should encourage lateral flow in the A horizon. However, reduced soil structure in the C horizon may also mean that lateral flow occurs in the B horizon. In the first study, we instrumented a hillslope with lysimeters to measure rates of lateral flow through the A horizon in response to rain and snowmelt events. Virtually no flow was measured over a two year period, due in part to very dry weather. In a second study involving similar site conditions, the crest of a hillslope was irrigated with water from an adjacent pond and soil response was measured. Instruments included lysimeters in both the A and B horizons, moisture and temperature probes, rain gauges, wells, piezometers and dataloggers. In May 2016, 56 mm depth equivalent of water was added in five discrete irrigation events, but no subsurface flow was observed in the lysimeters. Dry soil conditions likely meant that lateral flow thresholds were not exceeded. In 2017, five events of 20 mm depth equivalent each were applied over an eight day period in June. Subsurface lateral flow occurred in events three to five, but only in the B horizon, and was completed within three hours of irrigation. Deeper groundwater at the same midslope position responded within 1.25 hours and peaked from 5 to 12 hours after irrigation. The water table at the lower slope position peaked just four hours after irrigation event two, but from 20 to 26 hours after events three to five. Hydraulic gradients at lower slope were initially upward (discharge) but switched to downward (recharge) during events three to five, and then back to discharge after the end of the study. Results suggest that flow velocities were higher in the B horizon than through the deeper groundwater zone. Midslope position of the hillslope maintained an unsaturated zone between the two layers of saturated soil during these intervals. Subsurface lateral flow in Luvisols probably occurs in the blocky structured B horizon due to favorable porosity. These studies highlight the importance of soil structure in controlling rates of vertical and horizontal percolation.

Bryer Manwell M.Sc., P.Eng., Hydrogeological Engineer and Partner at Western Water Associates Ltd. (WWAL)

$\"Bryer$ Bryer holds a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Calgary and is a Professional Engineer registered with APEGBC. Ms. Manwell has over ten years of experience as an engineer/ hydrogeologist specializing in the study of ground and surface water interaction and water quality and quantity-related investigations.

She has designed and evaluated environmental monitoring programs to assess potential impact on the receiving environment at dozens of landfill and wastewater disposal sites within the interior of B.C. Her master’s thesis involved investigating the effects of groundwater and surface water dynamics on non-point source contaminant migration within the Elbow River watershed, east of Calgary, Alberta. Bryer is proficient at water quality evaluation and has conducted groundwater under the direct influence of surface water (GWUDI) assessments. She has also developed several aquifer and wellhead source water protection plans.

Currently she manages the environmental monitoring programs for nine landfills within the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) (five sites) and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) (four sites). She also manages the groundwater monitoring networks at eight sites in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District along with several other sites throughout the interior.

Further, she is currently performing a land-use and water quality assessments at Swan Lake for the Regional District of North Okanagan and along the Coldstream Creek for the Okanagan Basin Water Board. Bryer was a member of the core groundwater team who completed the groundwater resources assessment for the Okanagan Basin Water Board Groundwater Study.

Nutrient Removal – the Subject No One Wants to Talk About in the Onsite Community

In Alberta, the 2015 Standard of Practice calls for a horizontal setback of at least 90 m between septic (wastewater) systems and surface waters to protect the receiving environment from impact (Article 2.1.2.4.(1)). However, the same Article in the ABSOP states that: notwithstanding the requirements of Sentence 1, where the principal building or other development feature is situated between the soil-based treatment component and a lake, river, stream or creek, such that a failure of the system causing effluent on the ground surface will be obvious and create an undesirable impact on the owner, the distance may be reduced to the minimum distance requirements set out in this Standard for the particular type of treatment system being used (Article 2.1.2.4.(2)). This means the horizontal setback might be reduced to as low as 15 m. Is this setback enough to avoid environmental impact in the form of nutrient loading from Type 2 and Type 3 onsite wastewater systems into the receiving environment? If we cannot meet the setback, should that automatically require nutrient removal?

We have evaluated downgradient water quality at numerous Type 2 and Type 3 wastewater systems operating in the interior of B.C., installed near lakes, both meeting and not meeting the 30 m setback. From this work, we have shown that at many locations, nitrate concentrations in the foreshore groundwater and surface water downgradient of the Type 2 and Type 3 systems exceeded the provincial aquatic life guideline of 3 mg/l (30-day average) and in some instances, also exceeded the drinking water guideline of 10 mg/l.

Given the results from our work, we have to ask “Is the 30 m setback to surface water bodies for Type 2 and Type 3 systems adequate in protecting the receiving environment?” Further “Should the onsite wastewater industry assess if nutrient removal from Type 2 and Type 3 wastewater effluent is required for systems operated in areas with high water tables and within 100 m of a surface water body?”

Is an industry funded investigation of downgradient nutrient loading into the receiving environments from Type 2 and Type 3 wastewater systems within 100 m from surface water bodies required to assess how widespread these issues are and if regulatory changes are required to address them?

Andy McKinlay, Waterloo Biofilters

$\"Andy$ Andy McKinlay is the current Head of Business Development for North America at Waterloo Biofilter Inc, a leader in the Onsite Wastewater Treatment industry for residential and commercial applications.

Mr McKinlay has spent over 25 years in the wastewater treatment industry. Mr McKinlay started his career at Environment Canada’s Wastewater technology Centre which was Canada’s leading government wastewater research facility. Mr McKinlay has authored and co-authored several research papers in the wastewater treatment field. Mr McKinlay is focussed on providing cost effective, passive solutions for homeowners and communities across North America. Mr McKinlay is passionate for the environment and has a clear understanding of the demands with the onsite industry.

Improving Septic Tank Performance by Enhancing Anaerobic Digestion

Septic tanks have been used as ‘anaerobic treatment tanks’ for raw sewage for well over a hundred years, and anaerobic digestion with first fermentation then methanogenesis is well established in the commercial food and energy industries as well as municipal sewage treatment. Designs for improved on-site treatment include: consistent and warmer temperature; flow baffles to utilize all tank space; directing the sewage through sludge particles retained in the tank; and remove air space for better methanogenesis. The use of biomass sludge in the septic treatment process has been overlooked, but tanks can be designed with a ‘duality’ of liquid + solids with different retention times in the same space, and improved sewage solids digestion obtained.

When sewage flow is directed to minimize stagnant zones instead of open-channel flow across a short tank with an air space, solids are more thoroughly digested into water and gas by-products. The Waterloo ‘InnerTube™ Anaerobic Digester’ was developed to address these issues of flooded directed flow, conduit flow, no air space, and warmer temperatures. Multi-year third-party testing shows that raw sewage can be directed into a ‘treatment tube’ without the need for a solids chamber at the inlet. The benefits are that a smaller diameter, flexible pipe can be inserted into any standard box-like tank. The pipe is kept warm in the septic tank water itself.

The effluent is improved over septic tanks especially with respect to TSS removal and sludge + scum production. Pump-outs are less frequently needed, and the effluent is better prepared for subsequent aerobic treatment.

Stephanie Munn, P Ag

$\"\"$ Stephanie Munn was raised in the sewage industry. A plumber-in-training from birth, her folks wanted an education for their girl. A Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Alberta in Edmonton was obtained, punctuated by some \”real\” learning – a small scale study on the first LFH At-Grades for Bruce Sylvester, and excessive dinnertime discussions of the 1999 Code Revision. After a short time earning her stripes at an Engineering Firm, Stephanie began taking on Sewage Design work. Projects such as the Leisure Campground on Pine Lake, at 5500 gal/day, the Wetaskiwin Rest Area at 5000 gal/day and the Pipestone Creek Campground at 4500 gal/day are the heavyweights in a design career now spanning 15 years.

Creating a Permit Package

Preparing your paperwork for a permit application can be intimidating, but it doesn\’t have to be. Everything you need to include is part of your design process already. We will walk through the steps of what to include and where the information can be found. In the process you will not only create a permit application but a complete system design package that will function as a Homeowner Manual as well – just print one more copy!

Daniel Morris

System Sizing & Selection

This session will review the criteria for system sizing, including sizing for maximum occupancy, fixture unit considerations, and selecting the right system for the site.

Identify why it is important to accurately anticipate sewage volumes; they are a key factor for design. Identify factors that impact the source of sewage from facility served:

o Water use patterns (chart)

o Number of people or anticipated number of people using facility.

o Recognition of sewage strength sources.

o Recognize benefit of water conservation and impact on sewage strength.

Review application of the Standard of Practice tables:

o How to use them

o Understand tables include estimates for average conditions, include a safety factor and have limits in their applications.

o Understand differences in application of actual measured amount and estimated amounts in tables to design of system.

o Recognize facility characteristics that affect applying suitable safety factors to using actual flow volumes.

Review your basic understanding of differing flow volume patterns:

o Day vs. evening and night, and daily changes in flow from facilities such as a church or hall.

o Basic understanding of how flows volume can affect initial treatment and methods of managing flow volumes.

Recognize and use characteristics of facility to determine sewage flows used for the design of the system and recognize problem situations.

Lanny Laroche, P. Eng

Gravity & Pressure Distribution Systems

This session will provide a review of gravity and pressure distribution systems. Recognize and understand benefits from effective effluent distribution.

Gain a basic understanding of Gravity Distribution method and able to design basic system:

o Know the advantages and disadvantages of gravity distribution/recognize when gravity may be used.

o Understand gravity distribution piping arrangements – headers, distribution boxes, layouts

o SOP requirements

Review your understanding of Pressure Distribution method and ability to design a basic system:

o Recognize the difference between pressure distribution only to head of treatment field laterals and of distribution through entire lateral length.

o Know the advantages and disadvantages of pressure distribution.

o Understand and be able to determine orifice size/spacing from tables.

o Determine desired/required dose volume

o Understand the benefits of timed interval dose volumes over demand dosing

o Calculate piping friction loss pressure head, total head and apply the values to piping and pump selection

o Ability to use related tables in SOP

o Recognize the effect of distribution laterals at difference elevations on effluent volumes delivered

o Know effluent filtering requirements

Separating the Installer and Designer Designations

Alberta Municipal Affairs is considering splitting the disciplines of Onsite Wastewater Designer and Onsite Wastewater Installer. Currently, those who successfully complete the Onsite Wastewater Practitioner Training Program may apply to Alberta Municipal Affairs for a Certificate of Competency, which allows them to apply for permits to design and install onsite wastewater systems up to 1250 gallons per day.

Under the proposed change, there would be separate training programs for Installer and Designer. Those wishing to act as Installers would complete a shorter training program focussing on that discipline with considerably increased practical application, while those wishing to act as Designers would take a more in-depth training program, with additional training in soils science, business ethics and performance-based design application.

This open forum discussion will allow the onsite wastewater community to hear about this proposal and provide their input.

Design Workshop

This half-day workshop will take the concepts reviewed during the convention of soils, system sizing, gravity and pressure distribution and pull them together into the design process.

Using case studies provided, participants will work through the design process for a mound system and an at-grade system.

More information to come. . .

Alberta

2018 Convention and Trade Show – Meet The Speakers