Harnessing the power of wastewater treatment plant digesters with co‑digestion
Concerns can arise when implementing a co-digestion system that operates using both wastewater and municipal food waste. However, with the proper tools and the right collaborative partnership, WWTP operators can take the guesswork out of feeding and understanding the state of the biological system.
Overcoming anaerobic digester failures: Shared lessons from municipal and industrial facilities
Municipal and industrial anaerobic digesters can be prone to process upsets and failures, which present significant issues for owners and operators.
Quebec’s new biochar plant set to be largest in North America
Canada’s first and largest industrial-scale biochar plant — an $80-million project capable of eventually sequestering 75,000 tonnes of carbon per year — is set...
Québec bans U.S. biosolids imports until it develops PFAS protections
As a “sign of caution,” Québec has issued a temporary moratorium on biosolids imports from the U.S., as it works to establish control mechanisms...
Ontario’s Whitesand First Nation secures long-sought funding for biomass plant
After lobbying for the project since 1992, the Whitesand First Nation in northwestern Ontario has finally secured $35 million in federal funding for its...
Can thermal hydrolysis of sludge solve problems caused by micro/nanoplastics?
A new study by researchers from the University of Alberta identified that thermal hydrolysis of sludge before anaerobic digestion could alleviate oxidative stress on the digester microbiome and maintain smooth operation under high levels of polystyrene nanoplastics in sludge. The study also found that thermal hydrolysis could also mitigate the spreading potential of antibiotic resistance genes in digested sludge, or biosolids, which can be encouraged by the high levels of polystyrene nanoplastics.
Decanters provide smooth operation for military base’s WWTP
The wastewater treatment plant's most important goal in dewatering was to maximize the reduction of the volume of sewage sludge.
Vancouver firm using electrochemical oxidation to destroy PFAS, WEF begins pyrolysis study
As Vancouver-based Axine Water Technologies reports some success in destroying per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) compounds in water and wastewater through electrochemical oxidation, the U.S.-based...
AECOM set to design biosolids upgrades for Bradford WPCP in Ontario
The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ontario’s second-fastest growing municipality, has hired infrastructure consulting firm AECOM as the design partner for a three-phase biosolids...
Fergus, ON completes new steel roof for WWTP secondary digester
Ontario’s Centre Wellington Township has removed and replaced the 30-year-old roof of the Fergus Wastewater Treatment Plant’s secondary digester for biosolids, which had been...
Alberta hamlet conducts bioaugmentation optimization study for wastewater lagoons
Treating a lagoon with Waste Go bioaugmentation can restore its health, mitigate costs, and postpone dredging for lengthy periods of time. However, eventually, even the healthiest of wastewater lagoons will require dredging as their capacity for biodegraded sludge will be reached. Sludge that has been properly treated with Waste Go will meet or exceed all environmental standards, thus making it readily available for disposal without further treatment or penalties, saving the treatment facility substantial costs.
Remote gas flow monitoring in a biodigester
In the natural gas industry, it is a well-established technique to produce biogas by aerobic or anaerobic digestion, starting from various biodegradable materials.
Canada ready to unleash the power of biogas
Canada saw a 50% increase in operational biogas capacity over the last decade, which is great news for both the economy and the environment, as is the strong outlook for future development contained in the latest report from the Canadian Biogas Association.
Thermal hydrolysis boosts biogas production from biomass
The conversion of various forms of sustainable biomass into biogas and advanced liquid biofuels has significant potential to contribute to renewable energy and carbon reduction goals
Quebec landfill gas to be used as a renewable energy source
Waga Energy, a European company in the landfill gas-to-renewable natural gas (RNG) field, has signed a contract with Enercycle to deploy its patented WAGABOX® technology at the Saint-Étienne-des-Grés landfill. This project will be the first of its kind in Canada.
Bridge prevention is key to successful sewage sludge handling applications
Solids content of sludge cake in sewage sludge handling operations is a persistent problem. Traditional bridge-breaking technology fails to adequately address bridging in the resulting difficult-to-convey sludge applications. More recently, improved technology, such as NETZSCH Pumps & Systems’ aBP-Module®, has proven to be highly effective in ensuring bridge prevention.
Alberta city launches sewage pilot project for biofuel conversion
The Alberta city of Chestermere has begun a pilot program to convert the sewage of its some 20,000 residents into raw water, fertilizer and...
Hamilton discovers PCBs during WWTP upgrades, biosolids project nears completion
The City of Hamilton has experienced further delays on its massive wastewater treatment plant upgrades after discovering a “significant amount” of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs)...
Geotextile system provides long-term biosolids management savings for small town
When a small town began planning to replace its aging wastewater plant, it looked for a simple, economical and sustainable process for biosolids management.
New fluid bed municipal biosolids incinerator and dryer meet updated emission limits
The Green Bay WWTP went through a major solids handling upgrade. This included two anaerobic digesters and a new cold wind-box fluid bed incineration system.
B.C.’s CRD biosolids application plan generates some backlash
British Columbia’s Capital Regional District (CRD) Board decision to overturn a ban on the spreading of biosolids is generating some backlash among residents who...
New monitoring technologies enable biogas plants to optimize their efficiency
By Antti Heikkila
Waste management presents a significant challenge to communities, with wastes increasingly being viewed as resources. Organic wastes are a particular concern because...
Analyzing heating requirements for mesophilic and thermophilic biosolids digestion
This article compares the heating requirements of both mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion operating modes.
Waste handling trends that save time, money and environmental impacts
Transportation and disposal of solids represents a significant operational cost for wastewater plants. Dewatering and drying can play a huge role in reducing the mass and weight of solids, lowering costs.
Maine legislators order wastewater plants to test for PFAS in biosolids
Municipal wastewater treatment facilities in the U.S. state of Maine are under pressure to meet a May 7 deadline that forces them to test...
Lystek wins multi-year biosolids contract with the City of Guelph
Lystek International announced that it had formally executed a multi-year (up to 10) biosolids management contract with the City of Guelph, Ontario, on October...
Biosolids digester replacement project delivers savings and helps sustainability
The process hydrolyses dewatered biosolids, using low-temperature steam, high-speed shearing and alkali, in an enclosed, low-pressure reactor.
London’s Greenway WWTP chooses centrifuges for sludge dewatering
London Ontario’s Greenway wastewater treatment plant takes in sludge from six other city treatment plants. Sludge dewatering is achieved using centrifuges.
Evaluating the performance of new fluid bed incinerators
The Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) in Pickering, Ontario, is jointly owned by the Regional Municipalities of York and Durham.
New device reduces polymer use and controls struvite during sludge dewatering
HydroFLOW technology is being used in the wastewater sector to control struvite and other scale forming issues during sludge dewatering processes.
Injecting manure into soil reduces estrogen runoff loads
A new study shows that applying manure to crop fields by means of shallow disk injection into the soil, rather than traditional surface broadcast,...
Biochar shows benefits as manure lagoon cover
Manure can be a useful fertilizer, returning valued nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to the soil for plant growth. But manure has problems. Odour offensiveness,...
Analyzing digester heating requirements
An analysis of Ashbridges Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant led to some conclusions that may be used for digester heating design and operation purposes.
Dry phase anaerobic digestion of organic waste: Resource recovery
If energy recovery is part of a organics recycling strategy, two well-proven routes are available: thermal processes and anaerobic digestion .
Lessons learned from successful applications of biological landfill leachate treatment
Landfill leachate treatment is a major engineering challenge due to the high and variable concentrations of dissolved solids, dissolved and colloidal organics, heavy metals and xenobiotic organics.
Study identifies significant benefits to Canadian biogas development
Biogas is a "good news" sustainability story for farmers, municipalities, food processors and for quality of life and the environment.