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ES&E Magazine – December 2020
Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine’s December 2020 issue includes our annual operator and consultant forums. Article topics include, welcoming the next generation of women engineers, Hamilton’s Woodward Avenue WWTP gets new raw sewage pumping station, preventing WWTP equipment freeze up, unidirectional distribution system flushing, safer brownfields development, environmentally conscious building; and more.
OSPE working to welcome next generation of women engineers with open arms
The number of women working in engineering over the last decade has increased by only 2% in Ontario. Groups across the province are calling for action.
Evaluating the business case for using wastewater digestate
Digestate has multiple benefits when used as soil additive or biofertilizer despite it being often only used as livestock bedding or biomass fuel.
Unidirectional distribution system flushing program improves White Rock’s water quality
Watermain flushing in White Rock, B.C. has been conducted regularly for corrosion control, sediment removal, taste and odour control, maintaining low turbidity, maintaining disinfectant residual, and the prevention of bacterial growth.
Hamilton’s Woodward Avenue WWTP gets new raw sewage pump station
The $340 million upgrade to Hamilton’s Woodward Avenue WWTP includes elevating the plant’s final treatment process from secondary to tertiary levels, increasing the processing of treated wastewater and allowing the plant to reach strict discharge limits.
Helping the water sector chart a path through the rough waters of public relations
Three municipal experts in navigating the minefield of public opinion on difficult water issues such as lead and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances swapped success stories during a recent virtual summit organized by the American Water Works Association.
Improving vapour barriers and installation practices allows safer development
Over time, best practices have been developed into standard operating procedures to ensure that contaminant vapour barriers will function as intended over their service life. A vapour barrier installation best practice program involves properly training installers on the latest best practices for installation and validating a barrier’s proper installation through QA/QC testing.
Applying multi-criteria decision making in wastewater treatment process selection
Sustainability, expandability, adaptability with new and upcoming regulations, and social impacts of a treatment system are some examples of a long list of parameters that have to be considered and evaluated during the selection of a treatment process.
The project delivery process has suddenly become much more complicated
As was the case for most businesses that were to continue to deliver services, consulting engineers had to scramble to address issues, not only those relating to the sustainability of their business, but also on the long-established mechanics of delivering projects.
Why keeping a notebook can help young engineers become reliable and promotable
We take notes to record and comprehend what is said or what we read. The last part, to comprehend, is essential. When we engage with others or read written material, we must think critically to dive below what was said to what was meant.
Considering all the impacts of the pandemic on the consulting industry and client relations
When COVID-19 hit Canada in March of this year, many in the consulting engineering business had never heard of Zoom. Web-X meetings had to be set up by one of our administrative staff, and we watched teams play sports, rather than do our work on Teams. Working from home was something only a few of us did, and the daily commute was a normal part of life.
What is environmentally conscious building?
Advances in construction continue to happen as people look in closer detail at how buildings are created. Environmentally conscious building, also known as sustainable construction, is an innovative design idea that introduces more environmentally, socially and economically aware construction methods.
Environmental sector jobs to see growth in spite of pandemic, report says
A recent environmental employment outlook report from ECO Canada forecasts moderate 8.1% growth from 2019 to 2029, representing more than 50,000 new jobs in spite of an economy hit hard by COVID‑19.
The important role of high capacity water filters in eDNA sampling of surface water
Once the sampling site locations and protocols have been established, the next practical matter is sampling protocol. There is a compelling case to do filtration in the field as opposed to the logistical challenge of transporting samples to a laboratory setting.
AIR Intake filter recycles waste heat to prevent WWTP equipment from freezing
Just as winter always arrives, intake filters for blowers and compressors always have the potential to freeze in cold, humid climates. In nearly all of Canada, filter freezing and early morning high differential pressure alarms can be a fact of life for plant operators.
Chemical feed flowmeters must be extremely accurate
An over- or underdose of chemical can adversely affect treated water quality and can lead to wasted chemicals, which also has a financial impact. Accurately monitoring the amount of chemical being dosed into the system is crucial to ensuring effective water treatment.
The Internet Of Things is transforming wastewater collection system maintenance
Utilities began to realize that they were “cleaning clean pipes”. With the advent of the IoT technology, maintenance departments now have tools that can predictively assess remote conditions and provide indications when to clean.
How can we strengthen the environmental industry workforce?
How can we make it possible for everyone to have a fair chance to work in Canada's environmental, water and wastewater sectors?
Alberta town secures funding for next phase of major stormwater project
The Alberta Town of Coaldale has received new funding towards the next stage of the Malloy Drain implementation project, aimed at combating overland flooding and stormwater capacity that has hurt the area over the...
U of Guelph to track wastewater for food-borne illnesses, COVID-19
A new $6.5-million outbreak detection project led by a University of Guelph food scientist aims to develop an approach to metagenomic detection of food-borne pathogens in raw sewage that could also apply to tracking...
B.C. district switches out lake drinking water source over rise in algal blooms
Flooding and unusual weather patterns likely played a role in the unusually high amount of algae within Kalamalka Lake this year, states B.C.’s Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO), which reports that it is...
WWF report warns of data gaps in 60% of Canada’s sub-watersheds
A new report from World Wildlife Fund Canada warns that missing monitoring data from 100 of the country’s 176 sub-watersheds may be obscuring threats.
That missing data is putting freshwater health at risk, the report...
City of Belleville investigates trial of wastewater odour suppressant
City water staff in Belleville, Ontario, have been testing a new odour-control product to break down and control sulfur compounds like hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans that can often fill the autumn air surrounding the...
Halton becomes first Canadian municipality to win AWWA drinking water quality award
A commitment to improvement at water purification plants in Burlington, Burloak and Oakville has led to Halton Region, Ontario, being selected as the first Canadian municipality to receive a First Year Directors’ Award for...