A pilot project on a Quebec farm is now underway to determine the viability of collecting and storing rainwater for reuse in sanitary facilities, and for irrigating crops during droughts and hot weather. The farm is on Île d’Orléans, which is roughly twice the size of Manhattan and has some 7,500 residents.
The prototype underground retention unit has a 35 m³ capacity that can supply bathroom water for 200 workers. This project was funded through the Sector Development Program under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, an agreement between the governments of Canada and Quebec.
According to Richard Bossinotte of Soleno Inc., the main problem was a lack of space, due to the fact that as much of the farm as possible is dedicated to growing and processing crops. To get the desired supply capacity of 35,000 litres, the solution was to use pipes to construct an underground retention system. This customized tank was assembled on site using Soleno high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe.
The system used 24 metres of 1200-mm diameter Solflo® Max corrugated HDPE pipe from Soleno’s Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu plant. A 900-mm diameter chimney provides access for inspection and maintenance. Heat fusing the pieces on site provided the required watertightness.
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The corrugated HDPE pipe meets the material standards of AASHTO M294 and ASTM F2306, and complies with the Canadian Standards Association, CAN/CSA B182.8. Made with recycled HDPE, this underground tank is resistant to corrosion, abrasion and inert to chemical elements and has a lifespan of over 100 years.
The project was sponsored by the Institute for Research and Development in Agro-Environment (IRDA) in Quebec, which works to reduce the vulnerability of infrastructures to hydric deficit and rainwater storage.
The IRDA selected Ferme Onesime Pouliot, which grows raspberries, strawberries and blueberries on some 200 acres. The family-run operation also has individual areas of agronomy, agroeconomics and agri-environmental engineering. It hires several hundred temporary foreign workers annually, who live in houses located on the property.
For more information, visit: www.plasticpipe.org/drainage
This article appeared in the February 2025 edition of Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine. Read the full issue below.
