Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine

Producers are facing enhanced extended producer responsibility throughout the life cycles of their products, which, under the regulation, means additional blue box fees, reporting categories, as well as reporting deadlines

The many drawbacks of disinfection by chlorine in pre- and post-treatment applications has led to a growing interest in peracetic acid (PAA) as an alternative in some applications. PAA has a unique chemistry that is highly effective against bacteria and other contaminants. It does not form any known DBPs and has less environmental impact. Before substituting chlorine with PAA, it is critical to understand the chemistry, its applications, and methods of handling and dosing.

After switching to ClariPhos™ rare earth coagulant to evaluate its ability to improve phosphorus removal, operators at an Ontario WWTP noticed that UV disinfection also experienced a big boost. It turns out that better settling in the clarifier led to higher UV transmittance in the effluent, and a significant improvement in UV disinfection.

Dealing with old technologies, unsupported infrastructure, and monolithic architecture is an unfortunate reality for many cities and agencies. These outdated systems not only leave organizations vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, they also create a management nightmare for IT teams. They require a lot of time and resources just to keep the lights on and are not appealing to the new generation of workers that are very much needed in the municipal water industry.

Nine renowned scientists from global institutions are seeking to highlight how existing models for climate change massively over-simplify precipitation, with models failing to account for fundamental physics. These failings were shown yet again in the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment report, with findings subject to major uncertainties in rainfall at both the local and regional scale.

GHG emissions due to water and wastewater services are noted to be a relatively small portion of national inventories. However, from the perspective of a municipal corporation, GHG emissions due to water and wastewater services are much more significant.

In early October 2021, the existing Goodfish Lake Water Treatment Plant in Whitefish Lake, Alta. suffered a catastrophic failure and could no longer produce water. A public communication and water system changeover strategy was quickly organized to complete the transition to the new regional water supply. The project marked a successful collaboration between the Whitefish Lake First Nation #128 leadership, Associated Engineering, and Thompson Infrastructure.

Municipal wastewater utilities have always dealt with grease and feminine hygiene products, and tried their best to educate customers to only flush the 3Ps – pee, poop and paper (toilet paper). We would get the odd clog, but we were doing “fairly” well, until the introduction of wipes.

The City of Calgary has been focusing on process to improve the management of their natural assets, developing a more holistic view of the services that use and impact them, with the goal to build a more resilient city and create an environment that is more resistant to the effects of climate change.

After a three-year hiatus, the Great Canadian Icebreaker is scheduled to be held at WEFTEC 2022. As I found out attending WEFTEC for the first time in 1987—the launch year for ES&E Magazine—these events truly reveal the scale and importance of the wastewater sector, especially to young professionals.

After winning two prestigious awards for its new Water Supply Master Plan, the Ontario City of Guelph has now approved the plan for implementation. The...

Calgary-based natural gas processing company Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Ltd. has been fined $100,200 by the Alberta Energy Regulator for an acidic water release...