Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Transcription

1 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1. Why is there a need for consolidation? Can t we upgrade what we already have? Each of us produces about 400 Litres per day of wastewater (almost 1-1/2 bathtubs). The City presently treats this wastewater at the Townsite/Cranberry, Wildwood, and Westview treatment plants before discharging it into Malaspina Strait. All three wastewater treatment facilities require upgrades to meet new federal regulations and existing provincial regulations. The LWMP process that the City undertook over the past years evaluated various alternatives, and determined that a single WWTP plant would be the best overall, and the most economical solution. This considered capital and life-cycle costs. The new (CWWTP) will not be a new discharge into Malaspina Strait -- only a much cleaner one. 2. How much of the City s 20-acre parcel will the new Consolidated WWTP require? Only approximately one quarter of the City s 20-acre parcel will be used for the Consolidated WWTP; specifically, the area adjacent and upslope from the existing Townsite WWTP. The 10-acre waterfront piece will not be used. 3. Does the City have legal access to the Consolidated WWTP site from Marine Avenue? Yes, by way of road dedication and statutory Right of Way. 4. How will the new plant protect public health? The principle goal of any wastewater treatment system is to protect public health. The new Consolidated WWTP will meet all specific regulations that are designed to protect human health. These include: Pathogen reduction using chemical-free, ultraviolet light disinfection. Measures to ensure that the marine discharge does not contact humans. 5. How can we be sure that the new facility will not give off any offensive odours? A core objective for any new wastewater treatment plant is to minimize the potential for offensive odours in the community. The new Consolidated WWTP will be equipped with the latest technology for controlling odours. The design of the treatment facility achieves this objective by: Installing airtight covers on all areas of the facility that have the potential to produce odours Extracting air from these spaces and sending that air to a foul air treatment system that will remove offensive odours.

2 Treatment process that are supplied with air/oxygen are called aerobic processes. There is no need to cover aerobic processes, because these treatment processes do not cause offensive odours. Maintenance activities throughout the plant can occasionally produce minor odours for short intervals; however, these would be only experienced within or immediately adjacent to the plant We are not aware of any communities in BC where aerobic treatment processes have been equipped with covers. Only in very unusual cases are aerated processes covered, such as arctic temperatures and extremely space limitations where treatment tanks are stacked on top of each other. The existing Townsite treatment plant that was constructed in 1974 has no containment of odours, or mitigation of odours. There are often significant odours in the area immediately surrounding the existing Townsite WWTP; however, the existing Townsite treatment plant has never been the subject of complaints regarding odour, noise, or public health. 6. Should we be concerned about airborne contaminates from the new facility, such as pathogens and viruses? Past studies of residents in proximity to wastewater treatment plants (by the US Environmental Protection Agency) have concluded that living in proximity to wastewater treatment facilities does not adversely affect human health. Residents of the Townsite should not be concerned about the proximity of their homes or Brooks and Henderson schools, to the new Consolidated WWTP. The existing Townsite treatment plant that was constructed in 1974 has never been the subject of complaints regarding odour, noise, or public health. 7. Should we be concerned about birds transmitting disease? Residents of the Townsite should not be concerned about birds transmitting disease from the new Consolidated WWTP. Homes on Larch Street are approximately 130 m from wastewater treatment operations many communities in BC have wastewater treatment operations within 60 m of their homes. The existing Townsite treatment plant that was constructed in 1974 has never been the subject of complaints regarding public health. If, for some unforeseen reason, unusually high birds are attracted to the new facility, the City would consider methods for preventing birds from gaining access to the treatment system. 8. How will the new plant better protect the environment? The new Consolidated WWTP will protect the marine environment by treating wastewater to a standard that will meet new federal and provincial regulations. These include: Better technology and processes to treat incoming wastewater A better outfall pipe and diffuser system where treated effluent is discharged into the ocean

3 A system for beneficial reuse of biosolids, instead of discharging them into the ocean, as is the present practice at Townsite The treated effluent discharge will also meet the new federal 2020 ammonia criteria. 9. Will viruses and pathogens be removed from the wastewater prior to release? The treatment facility will meet the two key regulations the federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulation, and the provincial Municipal Wastewater Regulation. Pathogens and viruses will be treated using UV disinfection. 10. Will toxins and heavy metals be removed from the wastewater prior to release? The provincial Municipal Wastewater Regulation require that treated effluent be non-toxic, and the Consolidated WWTP will be required to undertake a toxicity test on a quarterly basis. Toxicity in municipal wastewater most often arises from the presence of unionized ammonia when the ph is elevated. Ammonia toxicity is unlikely to be an issue for the Consolidated WWTP for two reasons: The treatment process will oxidize ammonia into nitrates, which are non-toxic The ph of the marine environment will shift residual ammonia to its non-toxic form Municipal wastewater does not normally contain significant concentrations of heavy metals. The City anticipates that trace amounts of heavy metals in the final discharge will be well within acceptable limits. 11. Will micro plastics be removed from the waste stream prior to entering the ocean food chain? Removal of microplastics is currently not a regulatory requirement; however, the design will allow for the addition of a membrane filtration system in the future, if/when desired/required. Microplastics find their way into the wastewater system directly from residential activities, including: some laundry detergents, makeup, and clothing made of synthetic fibres. The most effective way for the residents to reduce the release of microplastics is to choose not to use these products in our daily lives. The City intends to mount an educational component of what not to put down the sewer system.

4 12. How far out into the ocean and to what depth will the outfall pipe go? How does that compare to the existing pipe? The existing Townsite discharge is located approximately 400 m from shore and m depth. The new discharge diffuser system will be located in the same general area. The EIS has confirmed that this location will reliably meet the provincial MWR requirements. 13. What effect will the higher flow have on water quality along the beachfront? Even though all of the City s wastewater will now be treated at a single facility, the quality of the final discharge will be significantly improved compared to the existing wastewater treatment facilities, and this will reduce the environmental impact everywhere, including the waters off First Beach. Consider the following: wastewater will be treated to a much higher standard all of the incoming wastewater will be treated, even during wet weather events biosolids will no longer be discharged, as is the present practice at the Townsite WWTP the final discharge will be disinfected, using UV radiation there will no longer be any flow discharged from the Westview facility, nor the Wildwood facility (Gibson s beach) 14. How will biosolids be dealt with? The new Consolidated WWTP will produce Class B biosolids, which will be a significant upgrade from the biosolids presently produced at the Westview WWTP. The City will continue to send the biosolids to a farm on Vancouver Island for beneficial reuse, for now. Other options and opportunities are being investigated and considered. 15. What will the new plant look like? How will the facility fit into the historic Townsite community? Although much of the design and structure of a wastewater treatment plant is dictated by operational requirements, there are several opportunities to make the plant more visually attractive. The new plant will have two buildings: A process building that will house treatment processes and equipment An operations building for staff who manage the plant The City is considering two different design themes for the overall site and facility:

5 16. Can the plant be buried to mitigate the visual impact? The treatment tanks will be largely below ground. Only the downslope side of the treatment tanks will be significantly above ground level, due to the natural slope of the site. Designing the process and administration buildings to be below ground would add considerable cost. The City is also considering landscaping options to soften the downslope concrete faces. Presently, the treatment plant area is predominantly covered with alder that has grown since the golf course was closed in the early 1990s. These alders are currently much higher than the proposed buildings. There are two significant groups of Douglas Fir trees in the treatment facility area that are visible from the Larch and Laburnum Street areas, that are approximately years old. The treatment facility will preserve these trees. The treatment buildings will be visible from Larch and Laburnum areas. 17. Has an environmental impact study been done for this project? An Environmental impact study (EIS) is required in the Municipal Wastewater Regulation (MWR). This has recently been submitted to the MOE. The EIS studied the release of treated effluent in the marine environment to ensure that the MWR regulations will adequately protect the marine environment. The marine EIS also considered the net benefit to the marine environment of decommissioning the three existing discharges (Wildwood, Townsite, and Westview). The MWR also requires an EIS for disturbance caused by construction of the new facilities. This work is in progress for the treatment facility site, and for the wastewater conveyance infrastructure from Westview and from Wildwood. 18. Will the new plant cause habitat loss or affect at-risk, or endangered species? Construction of the project will have environmental impacts, and these are being studied in an Environmental impact study. Obviously, the project will remove a portion of the young deciduous forest on the site. As a result, some impacts to wildlife or wildlife habitat are possible, and regulatory permit applications are anticipated. These issues will be within the normal range for construction projects in vegetated areas, and will be manageable with standard approaches to environmental design, mitigation, and monitoring. Mitigation measures will include minimizing vegetation removal, respecting sensitive timing windows, conducting wildlife salvages if necessary, minimizing invasive species establishment and spread, and obtaining the necessary environmental permits for construction to progress. 19. Has a health impact study been done for this project? There is no requirement for a Health Impact Study under the provincial Municipal Wastewater Regulation, or under the federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulation.

6 20. Has an archeological study been done of the plant site and the pipe transmission routes? The City received the provincial Archaeological Permit needed to conduct an archeological study in January The City s archeologist has now completed the archaeological study of the Treatment Facility site, the Willingdon Beach Trail corridor, and the Wildwood conveyance corridor. The City is expecting an interim archeological report in April Has a geotechnical study been done for the plant site or the pipe transmission routes? Geotechnical investigations are underway under the coordination of the City s engineering design consultant. The City anticipates that geotechnical investigations will be completed in April 2018, and a geotechnical report available shortly thereafter. 22. Is there a plan to recover methane or other recoverable resources? The City is considering resource recovery opportunities that could be implemented together with the project. At this point we are looking at two possibilities: producing reclaimed water suitable for non-potable uses such as irrigation recovering heat from the treated water for heating the buildings Even if there are no users for these resources at this point, the design will be undertaken in a manner that will make it relatively straightforward to implement resource recovery/reuse in the future. Methane recovery from wastewater is accomplished using anaerobic digestion of solids. This is a process that would require natural gas for heating in the winter months, which makes it uneconomical for smaller cities such as Powell River. The Consolidated WWTP will also produce Class B biosolids, for beneficial reuse as a soil amendment. The City may also consider using photovoltaic energy for plant lighting. 23. What creative environmental, social and community aspects are being considered for the project? The City is looking for opportunities for the project to provide social, environmental and community benefits. Two different design themes are being considered:

7 The environmental benefits of the project include: Improving the treatment to achieve compliance with the federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulation, and the provincial Municipal Wastewater Regulation. Elimination of four existing outfalls and consolidation into a single discharge that meets the regulations. 24. Will the plant site be landscaped for secondary usage, e.g. park benches, a games area for children, parking for waterfront access? The City is looking for opportunities for the project to provide social and community benefits, in addition to context-sensitive landscaping. Two different design themes are being considered: Waterfront access may be improved from the present. The existing trails will be preserved but will be rerouted around/through the new treatment plant area. 25. Will the plant have a visitor and educational centre component? This is not a priority for the City at this time, however tours could be accommodated as they are now at the current facility. The City is looking into different opportunities to have an elementary and university educational center within the area of the new treatment facility lands. 26. How will the plant affect tourism in Powell River? Tourists come to see the heritage sites in the Townsite. The City is looking for this project to provide social and community benefits that would enhance the Townsite community. Two different design themes are being considered: The City is also considering opportunities to enhance waterfront access to the First Beach area. The existing Townsite treatment plant has no containment of odours, or mitigation of odours. There are often significant odours in the area immediately surrounding the existing Townsite WWTP. The new Consolidated WWTP will provide a significant improvement in this regard.

8 27. Will the design use sustainable technologies and materials that will make the project attractive for grant funding? The City was successful in its first grant application, which has provided 83% of the funding needed for the design development phase. The City is confident that the Consolidated WWTP project will align very well with the grant requirements, including: Alignment with community plans, economic development Protection of the environment, including improved fish habitat Improved protection of human health Alignment with social values and community integration objectives 28. How will odours be dealt with along pipeline routes? The pipeline from Westview to the Consolidated WWTP will be a closed pipeline, as opposed to a traditional gravity flow sewerage system with manholes that vent freely. The City anticipates that there would be no release of gases from the pipeline. It may be necessary to provide a small number of locations where air could be released, if necessary, from time to time. The design will include effective odour control system at these locations, if necessary. 29. Are you able to preserve the trails in this area? Some trails in the vicinity of the existing Townsite WWTP will be affected by the new Consolidated WWTP. The design is considering how best to re-route these trails so that they remain continuous. There are also two significant groups of large conifer trees that the City intends to preserve. The City is looking for opportunities for the project to provide social and community benefits. Two different design themes are being considered: The City is also considering opportunities to enhance waterfront access to the First Beach area. 30. If the Willingdon Beach Trail is used for a pipeline, how will how will it be protected? The City is considering a Willingdon Beach Trail pipeline alignment, if it can be implemented without causing any significant impacts to the environment and without causing any material change to the trail.

9 The City is carefully studying a number of design and operational issues that would have to be successfully dealt with for the Willingdon Beach Trail pipeline routing to be selected. These include: Trees and disturbance to root systems Archaeological resources Slope stability Sea level rise caused by climate change A professional arbourist is working closely with the engineering and environmental team. He has identified 15 trees along the route that may have some portion of their root systems extending into the Willingdon Beach Trail. Ground penetrating radar is being used to provide 3D images of their root systems, and these will be studied closely. The arbourist will work closely with the engineers to develop construction methods that would strictly limit disturbance to tree roots. Since it is not an active roadway, the excavation for the 450 mm (18 inch) diameter pipeline can be minimized. Trenchless technologies for pipeline installation are also being investigated for some certain sections. The engineering design includes consideration of climate change, including sea level rise. 31. Will the treatment facility be able to accommodate future growth in Powell River? Option 2, approved by Council as the preferred treatment process, has capacity in the design sufficient to accommodate the largest growth projections that the City is considering at this time.