By Irene Hassas
With population growth and urbanization, there is increased market pressure for the development of residential houses on private property and existing recreational facilities beyond city boundaries. In some instances, they are located close to environmentally sensitive natural features, making growth and resource management a larger challenge. Development of these lands has created the need for new sustainable water management approaches including water reuse.
Water resource management
One particular challenge involves water management on multi-use properties where golf and residential developments are combined. In many of these instances, the physical distance to the municipal servicing area makes connection via piping financially unfeasible.
This type of growth and multi-use development has become increasingly common and popular in the suburban and rural areas surrounding larger cities. Land value appreciation has created a financial incentive for the development. It is therefore imperative to look at ways to develop on-site and distributed neighborhood-scale approaches to water management, including drinking water supply, irrigation and wastewater treatment.
Integrated water systems
Utilizing a complete design approach, developments are able to integrate proper planning and implementation to build sustainable water and wastewater systems. These communities are able to take advantage of complete potable water treatment, pumping, piping, wastewater and irrigation systems to meet their needs.
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Recently, Aslan Technologies has been engaged in multiple development projects to provide integrated water treatment solutions. The Lebovic Golf Club, located south of Aurora, Ontario, is a sustainable development that includes a golf course, clubhouse and maintenance facility. Also, there are 75 homes surrounding the course, requiring drinking water and subsequent wastewater treatment.
Utilizing a packaged water treatment and sequestering batch reactor, the golf course and development has a capacity of 170 m3 a day for drinking water and wastewater treatment. As part of the development’s water management program, a water reuse strategy has been implemented. Treated effluent from the wastewater system is discharged to the golf course irrigation and aesthetic ponds.
Another example of progressive water reuse is at the Whitevale Golf Club, located north of Pickering, Ontario, where a larger clubhouse and corresponding wastewater treatment system were built. The new high efficiency sequencing batch reactor has a treatment capacity of 30 m3 per day. It meets surface water discharge criteria, enabling the club to recycle treated wastewater to the pond for irrigation use.
For the Wyndance Golf Club development, located South of Uxbridge, Ontario, a completely integrated approach to water and wastewater management was required to meet very stringent environmental constraints. A communal water and wastewater plant with a capacity of 245 m3 per day was constructed to service the clubhouse, maintenance buildings and 125 homes. The wastewater treatment system utilizes a modified sequencing batch reactor, meeting surface water discharge criteria. All surface water is collected and stored in a series of aesthetic ponds and reservoirs for irrigation of the golf course and common areas.
These types of communities, which are managed on a development level, rather than supplied by municipal servicing, must utilize and integrate technology solutions into their master servicing plan.
“We are integrating technologies and systems that are proven to minimize any environmental impacts, in order to preserve both the natural functioning of the Oak Ridges Moraine and its beauty,” says Daniel Guizzetti, President of Empire Communities, developer of the Wyndance Golf Club community.
Irene Hassas is with Aslan Technologies Inc. This article appears in ES&E Magazine’s August 2016 issue.
