sewage and organic wastes

Sewage and Sewage and Organic WastesOrganic WastesTREN 3P14: Sustainable TREN 3P14: Sustainable

Integrated Waste ManagementIntegrated Waste ManagementDavid T. BrownDavid T. Brown

Water PollutantsWater Pollutants• toxicstoxics

• nutrientsnutrients• suspended mattersuspended matter

• pathogenspathogens• thermal pollutionthermal pollution• dissolved gasesdissolved gases

• anthropogenicanthropogenic origin origin (e.g. industrial (e.g. industrial effluent, municipal effluent, municipal sewage, tourism sewage, tourism operations)operations)

• naturalnatural origin origin (e.g. (e.g. silt, mineral nutrients, silt, mineral nutrients, wild animal wastes)wild animal wastes)

Significant concern in the tourism Significant concern in the tourism industryindustry

• Water qualityWater quality• Water quantityWater quantity• Aesthetic Aesthetic

concernsconcerns• Disease and Disease and

pathogenspathogens• Local equity Local equity

issuesissues

Controlling Water Controlling Water PollutionPollution

• Upstream:Upstream: before the problem occursbefore the problem occurs

• Downstream:Downstream: after the problem occursafter the problem occurs

Upstream Methods of Upstream Methods of Controlling Water PollutionControlling Water Pollution• process modification in industry: process modification in industry:

elimination of pollutants and toxicselimination of pollutants and toxics• avoidance of direct discharge into:avoidance of direct discharge into:

– water bodieswater bodies– storm sewersstorm sewers– sanitary sewerssanitary sewers

• identification of storm drains (e.g. Yellow identification of storm drains (e.g. Yellow Fish Road project)Fish Road project)

Upstream Methods of Upstream Methods of Controlling Water PollutionControlling Water Pollution• decoupling of storm and sanitary sewersdecoupling of storm and sanitary sewers• runoff control:runoff control:

– increasing absorptive surfacesincreasing absorptive surfaces– avoiding erosionavoiding erosion– maintaining streambank and shoreline maintaining streambank and shoreline

vegetationvegetation• legislation and regulation: legislation and regulation: guidelines and guidelines and

laws establishing limits on dischargelaws establishing limits on discharge

Neolithic revolutionNeolithic revolution• small towns and settlements -> small towns and settlements ->

human excreta control generally human excreta control generally non-problematicnon-problematic

SSEEWWAAGGEE

“In days of oldWhen knights were bold

And toilets weren’t inventedThey’d leave their loads

Upon the roadsAnd walk away contented.”

SSEEWWAAGGEE

Post - Neolithic revolution:Post - Neolithic revolution:Large towns and cities -> Large towns and cities ->

human waste control became a problemhuman waste control became a problemhigh-density living required technologies for handling high-density living required technologies for handling

human wastes in urban areas:human wastes in urban areas:• chamber pots and open gutterschamber pots and open gutters

• pit privies / trench latrines/ outhousespit privies / trench latrines/ outhouses• septic systems and variantsseptic systems and variants

• centralized sewage collection and treatment systemscentralized sewage collection and treatment systems

SSEEWWAAGGEE

"Our excreta--not "Our excreta--not wastes, but misplaced wastes, but misplaced resources--end up resources--end up destroying food chains, destroying food chains, food supply and water food supply and water quality in rivers and quality in rivers and oceans....How did it oceans....How did it come to pass that we come to pass that we devised such an devised such an enormously wasteful enormously wasteful and expensive system and expensive system to solve a simple to solve a simple problem?“problem?“

- Sim van der - Sim van der Ryn, ‘The Toilet Papers’ Ryn, ‘The Toilet Papers’ (1978)(1978)

Downstream Methods of Downstream Methods of Managing Sewage: Small Managing Sewage: Small scalescale• Temporary /Temporary /

short term:short term: – packing it outpacking it out– single-use holessingle-use holes– pit priviespit privies– trench latrinestrench latrines

Meyer, Kathleen. 1989. How to shit in the woods : an environmentally sound approach to a lost art. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, Calif.

Downstream Methods of Downstream Methods of Managing Sewage: Small Managing Sewage: Small scalescale

• Long-termLong-term

– outhousesouthouses– settling pondssettling ponds– septic tanksseptic tanks– septic fieldsseptic fields– composting toiletscomposting toilets

van der Ryn, Sim. 1978 (republished and revised 1999). The Toilet Papers: Recycling Waste and Conserving Water. Chelsea Green Publishing, Vermont. Online edition available at www.brocku.ca/tren/courses/tren3p14/2006/ToiletPapers.pdf

Tourism operations:

Land-based wastewater treatment: Surface spray

Land-based wastewater treatment: Overland flow

Land-based wastewater treatment: Subsurface infiltration

Downstream Methods of Downstream Methods of Sewage Treatment: Large Sewage Treatment: Large ScaleScale

• domestic sewage treatment:domestic sewage treatment:– preliminary: preliminary: screening andscreening and removal of large removal of large

contaminantscontaminants

– primary:primary: straining and settling of solids straining and settling of solids

– secondary:secondary: removal of biodegradable organic removal of biodegradable organic matter and nutrientsmatter and nutrients

– tertiary:tertiary: removal of residual dissolved nutrients removal of residual dissolved nutrients and pollutantsand pollutants

Downstream Methods of Downstream Methods of Sewage TreatmentSewage Treatment

• effluent treatment processes:effluent treatment processes:

– mechanical:mechanical: filtering, gravity separationfiltering, gravity separation– chemical: chemical: flocculation, coagulation flocculation, coagulation– biological:biological: microbes or macrophytesmicrobes or macrophytes

aerobic or anaerobicaerobic or anaerobic – disinfection:disinfection: chlorination, ozonation, etc.chlorination, ozonation, etc.

(pathogen control)(pathogen control)


• ‘‘physical plant’/ ‘engineered’ approachphysical plant’/ ‘engineered’ approach (usually centralized, large scale)(usually centralized, large scale)

• ‘‘constructed wetland’ approachconstructed wetland’ approach (centralized or (centralized or decentralized, large or small scale)decentralized, large or small scale)


Primary Sewage TreatmentPrimary Sewage TreatmentBAR

SCREENGRIT

CHAMBERSETTLING

TANKCHLORINATION

TANK

SLUDGEDIGESTER

SLUDGEDRYING

BED

Raw sewage

Sludge

outflow

Secondary Sewage TreatmentSecondary Sewage TreatmentBAR

SCREENGRIT

CHAMBERSETTLING

TANK

CHLORINATIONTANK

AERATIONTANK

SETTLINGTANK 2

SLUDGEDIGESTER

SLUDGEDRYING

BED

Activated sludge

outflow

Air pump

Raw sewage

Methane

Constructed WetlandConstructed Wetland


S.W.A.M.P. (SEWAGE WASTE AMENDMENT MARSH PROJECT)Niagara on the Lake, Ontario

EXPERIMENTAL CELLS


EXPERIMENTAL CELLS

Constructed WetlandConstructed Wetlandmacrophytesmacrophytes

Cattails and Water Hyacinth

Large scale Large scale constructed wetlandconstructed wetland

Saha Pat Industrial Park, Laem Chabang, Thailand

Settling tankSettling tank


Sludge dewateringSludge dewatering and drying and drying


Aeration pondAeration pond


Outflow into Outflow into

constructed constructed wetlandwetland


Large scale Large scale constructed wetlandconstructed wetland


Waterless toilet Waterless toilet technologiestechnologies

Clivus Multrum Clivus Multrum composting composting

toilettoilet• converts converts

human and human and organic wastes organic wastes into odourless into odourless compostcompost

Waterless toilet Waterless toilet technologiestechnologies

• ScalableScalable• WaterlessWaterless• Low energyLow energy• Suitable for remote Suitable for remote

areasareas• Now CSA approvedNow CSA approved

Water and LegislationWater and Legislation• multijurisdictional: multijurisdictional: federal, provincial, and municipal areas of federal, provincial, and municipal areas of

responsibilityresponsibility• multifaceted:multifaceted:

laws and regulations deal withlaws and regulations deal with– conservation and management of water conservation and management of water

resources; protection of aquatic liferesources; protection of aquatic life– pollution and liquid dischargepollution and liquid discharge– drinking water standardsdrinking water standards

Federal Water LegislationFederal Water Legislation (in areas of federal jurisdiction)(in areas of federal jurisdiction)

Canadian Environmental Protection Act Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) :(CEPA) : regulates the release of specified toxic regulates the release of specified toxic substances, the concentration of nutrients in products substances, the concentration of nutrients in products (e.g. nitrates, phosphates); national regulations for pulp (e.g. nitrates, phosphates); national regulations for pulp and paper mill effluentsand paper mill effluents

Fisheries Act: Fisheries Act: forbids the depositing of deleterious forbids the depositing of deleterious substances in any waters frequented by fish; regulates substances in any waters frequented by fish; regulates aquatic toxicity testing; regulates pulp and paper mill aquatic toxicity testing; regulates pulp and paper mill effluents and requires monitoring of effects on fish effluents and requires monitoring of effects on fish habitat habitat

Provincial Water Provincial Water LegislationLegislationOntario Water Resources ActOntario Water Resources Act: : Section 30(1) Section 30(1)

prohibits the discharge of any material into any prohibits the discharge of any material into any water body, shoreline, or bank that may water body, shoreline, or bank that may impairimpair the the quality of the water quality of the water

Environmental Protection Act (EPA) Environmental Protection Act (EPA) :: Subsection 14Subsection 14: prohibits discharge of any contaminant : prohibits discharge of any contaminant into the natural environment that causes or is likely to into the natural environment that causes or is likely to cause an cause an adverse effectadverse effect

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Statutes/English/90o40_e.htm

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Statutes/English/90e19_e.htm

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Statutes/English/90e19_e.htm#BK16

Water Quality Guidelines, Policies, and Objectives: Water Quality Guidelines, Policies, and Objectives: • cover water quality for many types of water uses and aquatic cover water quality for many types of water uses and aquatic

environments (e.g. water storage structures, sewage plant environments (e.g. water storage structures, sewage plant discharge, drinking water quality objectives and treatment discharge, drinking water quality objectives and treatment requirements, etc.)requirements, etc.)

• legally enforceable when incorporated into a Certificate of legally enforceable when incorporated into a Certificate of Approval or a Control Order Approval or a Control Order

Banned and Phased-Out Chemicals:Banned and Phased-Out Chemicals:• primary and secondary lists of substances to be banned, phased primary and secondary lists of substances to be banned, phased

out, or reduced in use due to their persistence in water or out, or reduced in use due to their persistence in water or aquatic systemsaquatic systems

• Drinking Water: Drinking Water: Municipalities are Municipalities are responsible for conforming to provincial water responsible for conforming to provincial water quality and treatment guidelines for drinking quality and treatment guidelines for drinking water from surface and ground sourceswater from surface and ground sources

MISAMISA ((Municipal, Industrial Municipal, Industrial

Strategy for AbatementStrategy for Abatement))

• program aimed at the virtual elimination of persistent toxic program aimed at the virtual elimination of persistent toxic contaminants from all discharges into Ontario waterwayscontaminants from all discharges into Ontario waterways

• dealt with dealt with direct dischargersdirect dischargers (into surface waters, e.g. (into surface waters, e.g. sewage treatment plants, certain industries) and sewage treatment plants, certain industries) and indirect indirect dischargersdischargers (into municipal sewer systems). (into municipal sewer systems).

Objectives:Objectives:

• identify and measure toxic substances in identify and measure toxic substances in dischargesdischarges

• increase emphasis on control technlogyincrease emphasis on control technlogy

• pollution prevention and reduction in multi-media pollution prevention and reduction in multi-media transfer of pollutantstransfer of pollutants

• strengthen abatement and enforcement strengthen abatement and enforcement mechanisms -> mechanisms -> eventual virtual elimination of eventual virtual elimination of persistent toxic substancespersistent toxic substances

• Municipal-Industrial Strategy for Abatement Municipal-Industrial Strategy for Abatement Advisory Committee was eliminated by Harris Advisory Committee was eliminated by Harris government, and MISA program severely weakened. government, and MISA program severely weakened.

• Avenues for both public input and multi-stakeholder Avenues for both public input and multi-stakeholder input to government decision-making were input to government decision-making were removed.removed.

Starting in 1995, the Harris Government weakened or Starting in 1995, the Harris Government weakened or revoked nearly every environmental protection law revoked nearly every environmental protection law in Ontario and numerous regulations under these in Ontario and numerous regulations under these laws. laws.

• Every aspect of environmental protection was affected, Every aspect of environmental protection was affected, including controls on air pollution, water pollution, including controls on air pollution, water pollution, pesticides, waste disposal and recycling, urban sprawl, pesticides, waste disposal and recycling, urban sprawl, energy use and climate change, natural heritage and energy use and climate change, natural heritage and biodiversity protection, mining, and forestry.biodiversity protection, mining, and forestry.

DETAILS: DETAILS: • Canadian Environmental Law Association (http://www.cela.ca/): Canadian Environmental Law Association (http://www.cela.ca/):

Environmental Deregulation in Ontario - 1996-2000Environmental Deregulation in Ontario - 1996-2000 http://62.44.8.131/coreprograms/detail.shtml?x=1780http://62.44.8.131/coreprograms/detail.shtml?x=1780

Discharges to Sewers: Discharges to Sewers: Municipal sewer use by-laws Municipal sewer use by-laws regulate substances which can be discharged to sanitary, regulate substances which can be discharged to sanitary, combined, or storm sewers. Based on MOE Model Sewer combined, or storm sewers. Based on MOE Model Sewer Use Bylaw.Use Bylaw.

In absence of municipal by-laws, the In absence of municipal by-laws, the Ontario Clean Water Ontario Clean Water AgencyAgency regulated these parameters. regulated these parameters.

Harris Government Bill 107 promoted privatization of Harris Government Bill 107 promoted privatization of municipal water and sewer infrastructure municipal water and sewer infrastructure withoutwithout voter voter assent.assent.

Budgets for monitoring and regulation were slashed.Budgets for monitoring and regulation were slashed.

Municipal Water LegislationMunicipal Water Legislation

• E. ColiE. Coli contamination of municipal water supply contamination of municipal water supply from cattle manure results in hundreds of illnesses from cattle manure results in hundreds of illnesses and seven deaths, including two-year old child and seven deaths, including two-year old child

• Tragedy deemed preventableTragedy deemed preventable

• Incompetent management by Koebel brothers Incompetent management by Koebel brothers (managers of water supply), lack of adequate water (managers of water supply), lack of adequate water testing, excessive budget cutbacks and testing, excessive budget cutbacks and deregulation all identified as factors in tragedyderegulation all identified as factors in tragedy

WalkertonWalkerton

Further Details:Further Details:• The Walkerton Tragedy: The Walkerton Tragedy:

http://www.canoe.ca/EcoliTragedy/http://www.canoe.ca/EcoliTragedy/

• Walkerton Flash presentation:Walkerton Flash presentation:http://www.canoe.ca/EcoliTragedy/Walkerton.swfhttp://www.canoe.ca/EcoliTragedy/Walkerton.swf

• Walkerton Inquiry report:Walkerton Inquiry report:http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/walkerton/part1/http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/walkerton/part1/

http://www.canoe.ca/EcoliTragedy/

http://www.canoe.ca/EcoliTragedy/Walkerton.swf

http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/walkerton/part1/

2002: Tory government introduced2002: Tory government introduced• Safe Drinking Water ActSafe Drinking Water Act• Sustainable Water and Sewage Sustainable Water and Sewage

Systems ActSystems Act to guard against another water tragedy to guard against another water tragedy

like Walkertonlike Walkertonhttp://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/water/sdwa/index.htmhttp://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/water/sdwa/index.htm

• Act authorized the government to Act authorized the government to implement key recommendations in implement key recommendations in Walkerton inquiry reportWalkerton inquiry report

• Acts criticized as inadequate, as source Acts criticized as inadequate, as source contamination concerns not addressedcontamination concerns not addressed

• Tories defeated in 2003Tories defeated in 2003

• Liberal government elected 2003Liberal government elected 2003

• Introduced Clean Water Act (Dec 2005)Introduced Clean Water Act (Dec 2005)

• The Act ensures that communities are The Act ensures that communities are able to identify potential risks to their able to identify potential risks to their supply of drinking water, and take supply of drinking water, and take action to reduce or eliminate these action to reduce or eliminate these risks. risks.

• Municipalities, conservation Municipalities, conservation authorities, landowners, farmers, authorities, landowners, farmers, industry, community groups and the industry, community groups and the public all work together to meet public all work together to meet common goals.common goals.

• http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Source/Statutes/English/2006http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Source/Statutes/English/2006

Clean Water Act(received Royal Assent on October 19, 2006)

Other related Ontario government initiatives:Other related Ontario government initiatives:

• Watershed-based source Watershed-based source protection planningprotection planning

• Revision of Revision of Permits To Take WaterPermits To Take Water

• Nutrient Management Nutrient Management

• Groundwater StudiesGroundwater Studies