43rd BC Water & Waste Association

Annual Conference & Trade Show

May 27 - 30, 2015 | Kelowna, BC

Book of
Abstracts
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE | Prospera Place

CONTENTS TIME PRESENTATION/DEMO

Technology Showcase 1
Opening Session and Keynote 5
Thursday’s Education Sessions 6
Panel Sessions 21
Friday’s Education Sessions 24
Closing Session and Keynote 46
10:30-10:40 am Fixed water distribution leak detection. Al Turner, Echologics and Joel Sansome, Mueller Canada
10:45-10:55 am Smarter data management with WaterTrax. Andrew Lewis and Sheena Graham, WaterTrax
11:00-11:10 am All your data in one place. Mike Scott, FlowWorks
11:15-11:25 am Biological processes and trouble shooting in wastewater treatment. David Mains, Hanna Environmental Equipment
1:45-1:55 pm Aquanox water control products. Michael Lawrence, Aquanox and Ric Gill, Unified Alloys
2:00-2:10 pm Cla-Val self-operated, hydraulic control valve with new electronic controller. Matt Dorval and Fred Fuller, Spartan Controls
2:15-2:25 pm Easy to operate, cost effective secondary treatment using MBBR-DAF. Chris Howorth, Veolia
2:30-2:40 pm
Non-contact ultrasonic level measurement – The digital evolution. Steve Calbraith, Pulsar PM and Dan Carnduff, Delpro
Automation
2:45-2:55 pm Cost effective wastewater management and sludge removal. William Powell and Patricia Powell, Acti-Zyme Products
TrojanUVTelos™ UV disinfection system: A revolutionary advancement in drinking water disinfection for small communities
3:00-3:10 pm
John Houghton, Ramtech Environmental Products

The Outdoor Technology Showcase in the parking lot beside Prospera Place will feature exhibitors that are showcasing:
Arc Armor SAFE control systems. Don Weirens, Primex Controls
AX-Max Waste Water Treatment Module. Trina Comartin, Pure Elements Environmental Solutions
ROMAC alpha pipe burst demonstration. Mike Connolly, Canada Pipeline Accessories (1986) Corp.
Tackling ‘Flushable Wipes’ The Intelligent Way. George Terry, Pureworld Solutions Inc.
Singer Valve: The SPI-MV Single Point Insertion Flow Metering Valve. Patrick Leroux, Summit Valve and Controls (BC) Inc.

INSIDE - THURSDAY, MAY 28 Time: 11:00 – 11:10am

Time: 10:30 – 10:40am
Title: Fixed water distribution leak detection
Presenters: Al Turner, Echologics and Joel Sansome,
Mueller Canada
Available in market: 1 year or less
Imagine receiving a text message on your smart phone
indicating you have a water leak that has just started
on a main street in your city. Echologics Echoshore DX
is here providing revolutionary water leak technology.
Title: All your data in one place
Presenters: Mike Scott, FlowWorks
Available in market: 2 – 3 years
FlowWorks is a powerful web-based suite of monitoring,
analysis and reporting tools that enable you to
efficiently manage all of your monitoring systems.
FlowWorks consolidates data from any source, allowing
you to perform real-time analysis, check flow monitoring
status’ and set alarms through a single interface that
transforms raw data into actionable information.

Time: 10:45 – 10:55am Time: 11:15 – 11:25am

Title: Smarter data management with WaterTrax
Presenters: Andrew Lewis and Sheena Graham, WaterTrax
Available in market: 4 – 5 years
WaterTrax was specifically designed to help utilities
and agencies create smart data management plans
to manage their system information, by allowing
them to access an accurate picture of their water
system. WaterTrax is a smart data management system
that helps utilities maintain regulatory compliance
through automated compliance verification and robust
reporting tools. In this presentation you will learn how
to increase efficiency and reduce the costs of managing
your utility infrastructure, which will improve the
quality of your community’s water and wastewater
assets. In short WaterTrax automates compliance, data
verification and alerting processes, allowing utility
staff to better manage their water systems, and to
deliver water safely to their communities and back into
the environment – all while staying in compliance with
ii regulations, and minimizing cost and risk.
Title: Biological processes and trouble shooting in
wastewater treatment
Presenters: David Mains, Hannah Environmental
Equipment
Available in market: 1 – 2 years
Bioscience Inc. has been a global leader in waste and
wastewater treatment and monitoring for nearly
30 years. Drawing from their roots in production
of process test equipment and biological analysis,
they’ll explain the biological processes in wastewater
treatment and offer advice on trouble shooting.
Bioscience produces microbes and offers more than
50 compounds developed to address particular acute
and chronic challenges that can occur when treating
wastewater.
1
TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE | Prospera Place
Through real world examples, they’ll explain how they
tailor compounds and apply them to address common
problems including:
• Fat, oil and grease (FOG) buildup.
• Insufficient ammonia oxidation.
• Foaming.
• Erratic BOD and COD reduction.
• Odor and corrosion caused by hydrogen sulfide buildup.
• Poor sludge settlement in primary clarifiers.
Time: 1:45 – 1:55pm
Title: Aquanox water control products
Presenters: Michael Lawrence, Aquanox and Ric Gill,
Unified Alloys
Available in market: 1 – 2 years
Aquanox is a new player in the fabricated stainless
steel gate business in Canada. Our team are all former
Fontaine employees, including the previous head of
engineering and director of sales. Our products are
used exclusively in water and wastewater applications
to control flow.
Time: 2:00 – 2:10pm
Title: Cla-Val self-operated, hydraulic control valve
with new electronic controller
Presenters: Matt Dorval and Fred Fuller, Spartan Controls
Available in market: 1 – 2 years
The Cla-Val VC-22D Valve Controller is designed to
enable remote control of electronic valves in the water
distribution system; it interfaces between a SCADA
system and other field devices. For ease of use, the
controller is pre-loaded with a wide variety of the most
common valve applications.
Time: 2:15 – 2:25pm
Title: Easy to operate, cost effective secondary
treatment using MBBR-DAF
Presenters: Chris Howorth, Veolia
Available in market: 1 year or less
Moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) coupled with
dissolved air flotation (DAF) technology is simple and
cheap to operate, easily achieves secondary effluent
quality and occupies a similar footprint to membrane
bioreactors (MBR). MBBR-DAF offers a cost effective
treatment solution for plants of almost any size, either
by retrofitting existing infrastructure, or as a new
build. Our short presentation will cover how it works,
where it can be applied and present results from
Canadian installations.
2 3
Time: 2:30 – 2:40pm
Title: Non-contact ultrasonic level measurement – The
digital evolution
Presenters: Steve Calbraith, Pulsar PM and Dan
Carnduff, Delpro Automation
Available in market: 4 – 5 years
This live demonstration will show how Pulsar’s
ultrasonic automatically adapts and masks around scum
build-up, ledges and other obstructions within a well,
while continuing to maintain a true level reading.
Time: 2:45 – 2:55pm
Title: Cost effective wastewater management and
sludge removal
Presenters: William Powell and Patricia Powell, Acti-
Zyme Products
Available in market: 4 – 5 years
Acti-Zyme is a 61-year-old company that supplies
microbial granulation technology (MGT) – the simplest,
most cost effective bio-matter, wastewater and sludge
management solution.
For existing sludge removal, we are able to disperse the
sludge within the cell, therefore avoiding disposal and
environmental issues. A bioassay has shown that the
product, when used as directed, is safe for discharge
into waterways.
Time: 3:00 – 3:10
Title: TrojanUVTelos™ UV disinfection system:
A revolutionary advancement in drinking water
disinfection for small communities
Presenters: John Houghton, Ramtech Environmental
Products
Available in market: 1 year or less
The TrojanUVTelos is the latest evolution in UV
disinfection for small communities, and was created
to address the needs of the energy- and maintenance-
conscious buyer. It is a low-pressure, high-output
UV system that utilizes high-wattage lamps in order
to carry out bioassay-validated disinfection with as
few lamps as possible. The TrojanUVTelos will be
demonstrated with a presentation highlighting the
features and benefits of the product.
TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE | Prospera Place
OUTSIDE – WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY Title: Singer valve: The SPI-MV single point insertion
flow metering valve
Title: Arc Armor SAFE control systems Presenters: Patrick Leroux, Summit Valve and Controls
Presenters: Don Weirens, Primex Controls Available in market: 2 – 3 years
Available in market: 1 year or less
The Singer model 106-SPI-MV is a single point insertion
Arc Armor is a multi-compartment control system. An electromagnetic flow meter. It is installed and
actual system will be shown, showcasing the contents calibrated in conjunction with a Singer valve to provide
of each compartment. An introductory video will an accurate flow rate that can be utilized with the
cover what Arc Flash and Arc Blast is, and why owners/ metering valve as a stand-alone option, or built into
operators should be concerned. a 106-2SC-PCO pilot system to provide complete flow-
based valve control. Recipient of the 2013 Flow Control
Title: AX-Max wastewater treatment module Innovation Award from Flow Control.
Presenters: Trina Comartin, Pure Elements
Environmental Solutions
Available in market: 3 – 4 years
The AX-Max is a packed-bed, recirculating media filter
producing outstanding effluent quality. The integrated
and compact wastewater treatment plant is ideal for
projects with strict discharge limits (BOS, TSS, nitrogen
and ammonia). It’s also perfect for applications targeting
reduced operations and maintenance costs and
offers reduced operational complexity. The proposed
demonstration consists of a guided tour through an
actual, “life-sized” 23-foot demonstration unit.
Title: ROMAC alpha pipe burst demonstration
Presenters: Mike Connolly, Canada Pipeline
Accessories
Pro-Line Fittings is showcasing a trailer full of specialty
products.
Title: Tackling flushable wipes the intelligent way
Presenters: George Terry, Pureworld Solutions
Available in market: 1 year or less
Wet wipes labeled as ‘flushable’ are the industry’s
latest challenge, as they create costly pump clogs and
time wasted for collection system operators. But, the
problem can be prevented before it even starts.
The Deragger2 is an intelligent controller that retrofits
into the existing infrastructure and monitors the pump
in real time, detecting the buildup of even one or two
wipes. It then initiates the pump ‘clean cycle’ before a
larger rag ball forms in the pump.
The energy savings of this solution can reach up to
50%, just by keeping the pump clean and operating at
its peak design efficiency at all times.
EDUCATION SESSIONS | Thursday May 28, 2015 OPENING SESSION AND KEYNOTE | Okanagan Room, Delta Grand

STREAM 1 STREAM 2 STREAM 3 STREAM 4 STREAM 7

Small Water Systems
Ensuring Water Quality &
Resource Recovery
Sustainable Utility Technology & Thursday, May 28, 2015
Supply Management Innovation
Room Shuswap Skaha Vaseaux / Kootenay Pennask / Skeena Cascade / Cassiar 8:00 - 9:30 am
Freda Leong, Jonathan Funk, Wayne Wong, Bill Sims, Kevin Reilly,
Moderator
Associated Engineering Kerr Wood Leidal AECOM City of Nanaimo H2O Innovation
9:45-10:15 am Water system upgrade Performance of a Coanda Application of Preparing for change: The Role of
Communicating the value of water to the public and elected officials: Challenges
in Lytton First Nation screen raw water intake thermal hydrolysis for Lulu Islands solids Suspended and opportunities
(Nickeyeah IR25) – on Norrish Creek advanced anaerobic system baseline Pavement Solutions
A community based Roderick MacLean, digestion of the City definition project in Achieving LID Presenter: Melanie Goetz
solution towards safe Associated Engineering of Kelowna’s biosolids Christopher Muller, Stormwater Goals
drinking water Ehssan Hosseini Brown and Caldwell Michael James,
Acclaimed author of Communicating Water’s Value: Talking Points, Tips
Madjid Mohseni, Koupaie, University of DeepRoot Canada
University of BC BC Okanagan & Strategies, Melanie will speak to the challenges and opportunities for
10:15-10:45 Doing the little things Sustainable groundwater Organic waste Blue City: Envisioning Fraser River flood communicating the value of water to the public and elected officials.
am that make a big management for management the water sustainable monitoring app
difference municipal water supply in and processing: city of the near future Ben Kerr, Foundry
Garry Drachenberg, the Township of Langley Composting and Kirk Stinchcombe, Spatial Melanie specializes in helping utilities effectively communicate with their
Associated Engineering Christine Bieber, Golder digestion Econics customers, elected officials, boards and stakeholders. With over three decades
Associates Seamus Frain, Opus
DaytonKnight
of public relations experience, she has been a driving force behind community
10:45-11:15 First Nations clean Emergency water supply Sechelt Water City of Richmond: A practical approach supported rate increases, effective strategic marketing, public education, and
am water initiative – An system in Sendai City Resource Centre – Out of the box ready to membrane award-winning outreach campaigns that changed behaviors. Melanie is an
approach to water/ based on our experiences Creativity from idea to Solution Results in ageing:
wastewater delivery in from the Great East Japan outcome Easy Migration Mobile A Canada-wide
ongoing contributor to the American Water Works Journal, has served on utility
the Atlantic Region Earthquake Paul Nash, District of to AMI collaboration with boards, and holds an MBA from Old Dominion University, VA.
Graham Gagnon, Takafumi Kusaka, Sechelt Corrine Doornberg, water treatment
Dalhousie University Sendai City Waterworks City of Richmond plants
Bureau Shona Robinson,
University of BC
STREAM 1 STREAM 6 STREAM 3 STREAM 4 STREAM 7
Sustainable Utility Technology &
Small Water Systems Building Resilience Resource Recovery
Management Innovation
Room Shuswap Skaha Vaseaux / Kootenay Pennask / Skeena Cascade / Cassiar
Julian Noel,
Chris O’Donnell, Brandon Stearns, Tjaart Van den Berg, Leslie Nemeth,
Moderator Filterco Water
AECOM AECOM Landinfo Technologies AECOM
Treatment
1:45-2:15 pm Central versus point- Using SBR technology Co-digestion Master planning, Closed vessel UV –
of-entry/point-of-use to cost effectively programs: reinvestment More than just for
treatment: accommodate future BNR Experiences from planning and drinking water
The case of three small requirements planning through financial planning: Patrick Bollman,
BC communities Steve Green, Xylem implementation The combination Engineered
Cheryl Gomes, BI Pure Christopher Muller, that worked for the Treatment Systems
Water Brown and Caldwell District of Squamish
David Roulston,
District of Squamish
2:15-2:45 pm Clinton Water Securing remote access Nanaimo Reservoir Lessons learned Ranking the toxicity
Treatment Plant – High to water and wastewater No.1 and energy and benefits of of drinking water
level water treatment critical infrastructure recovery facility Metro Vancouver’s contaminants as a
for small communities Zane Spencer, MPE Lewis Macrae, Technical Training and
prelude to the choice
Dave Underwood, Engineering Ltd. Associated Procedures (TTAP) of point-of-use
TRUE Consulting Engineering multi-year project and point-of-entry
Lucy Cotter, CH2M treatment devices
HILL Mohammed Dore,
Brock University and
Res’eau-Waternet
2:45-3:15 pm BC policy on point of Building a water Heat-seeking sewer Life cycle optimization Experiences from
use and point entry treatment plant for model Catherine Dallaire, using ion exchange
water treatment: remote communities Yuko Suda, Kerr Wood Opus DaytonKnight resins for organic
An assessment and in cold environments Leidal removal
progress report Cheryl Gomes, Mohammad Mahdi,
Mohammed Dore, BI Pure Water Bazri, University of
University and Res’eau- BC
Waternet
3:30-5:00 pm Panel sessions

4 5
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Thursday, May 28, 2015
9:45 - 10:15 am
STREAM 1: SMALL WATER SYSTEMS
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Water system upgrade in Lytton First Nation
(Nickeyeah IR25) - A community based solution towards
safe drinking water
Presenter: Madjid Mohseni, Ph.D., P.Eng.
University of BC
Additional Contributors: Jim Brown, Lytton First Nation,
Lytton, BC; John Bergese, UBC, Vancouver, BC; George
Thorpe, BI Pure Water Inc., Surrey, BC; Irfan Gehlen,
Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd., Burnaby, BC; Ted
Molyneux, AANDC, Vancouver, BC; Danny Higashitani,
AANDC, Vancouver, BC
Ensuring safe drinking water in small, rural and First
Nation communities has been a challenge throughout
the country. Conventional solutions and approaches
have unfortunately proven not to be successful in
many communities. This project aimed to bring an
innovative approach to the design and implementation
of a water system upgrade in one of the Lytton First
Nation’s reserves, Nickeyeah IR25 (total of six homes on
centralized system), by placing the community at the
centre and through collaboration among community,
government, academia, engineering firm, and design
and construction teams.
The work started with community engagement and
understanding the views of the band members and
water operators. Comprehensive water sampling
program was also conducted over a period of one
year, resulting in an understanding of the source water
(Nickeyeah creek) quality and its seasonable variation.
The work was also complemented by extensive
pilot activities during which the treatability of the
source water was examined using various alternative
technologies (including different filters, ion exchange,
activated carbon, and ultraviolet radiation). The
final stage involved the design, construction, and
implementation stage.
In this presentation, we will highlight the process and
present the results from each of the stages. More
importantly, we will present some lessons learned
in the process of applying this innovative approach
towards ensuring sustainable and safe drinking water
to a small and rural First Nation community.
6 7
STREAM 2: ENSURING WATER QUALITY & SUPPLY
Skaha room, Delta Grand
Performance of a Coanda screen raw water intake on
Norrish Creek
Presenter: Roderick MacLean, M.Sc., P. Eng.
Associated Engineering
Additional Contributors: Brent Schmitt, P. Eng. Water
Planning Engineer, City of Abbotsford Engineering
32315 South Fraser Way Abbotsford, BC V2T 1W7
Norrish Creek is a major water source within the Fraser
Valley Regional District, City of Mission and City of
Abbotsford. The City of Abbotsford operates a water
treatment plant approximately seven kilometers up
Norrish Creek Forestry Road. The old intake to the
facility was a constant operations and maintenance
issues being prone to sedimentation, debris, fish
entrapment and exposure to the creek’s large flow
fluctuations. The City installed a new weir and Coanda
screen intake upstream of the original. At this time,
few, if any, Coanda screens have been used on a
municipal system, but was a viable option to help the
City meet all regulatory and operational requirements
for water quality and fish exclusion.
The new intake’s capacity is 141.5 ML/day, and
slightly above the current capacity of the slow sand
and newer membrane filtration systems in the water
treatment plant. The project design was subjected
to a complete Environmental Impact Assessment,
and was monitored regularly by the Department of
Fisheries and Oceans. The Coanda screens operations
have significantly reduced the quantity of sediment,
pine needles and turbidity of the intake water. Fish
entrainment in the system has been eliminated, and
frazil ice issues have been reduced significantly, but
not completely eliminated.
The authors will be presenting some of the interesting
design and construction challenges involved in the
project, and provide some updated results of raw
water quality entering the water treatment facility
following two years of operation.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
9:45 - 10:15 am
STREAM 3: RESOURCE RECOVERY
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Application of thermal hydrolysis for advanced
anaerobic digestion of the City of Kelowna’s biosolids
Presenter: Ehssan Hosseini Koupaie
University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus
Additional Contributors: Cigdem Eskicioglu, P.Eng., Ph.D.,
UBC Okanagan, Kelowna, BC
In recent years, the City of Kelowna has begun to
investigate ways to further reduce the amount of
the biosolids generated at a rate of 60 dry tons/day
at Kelowna’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).
Currently, the biosolids are trucked to a composting
facility in Vernon where it is mixed with wood chips to
produce a commercial fertilizer, Ogogrow. However,
due to the limited capacity of the composting site,
investigation of new biosolids management options is
essential.
One option under consideration is the implementation
of an anaerobic digester at Kelowna’s WWTP.
Anaerobic digestion is a biological process in which the
organic waste is converted into methane-rich biogas
and fertilizer in an oxygen-free environment. Under
this scenario, methane recovered from the biosolids can
be utilized for electricity generation. The bottleneck of
conventional anaerobic digestion is slow degradation
of complex organic waste such as biosolids, requiring
long retention time and large digester volume. In
this study, thermal hydrolysis using microwave and
conductive heating was applied on Kelowna’s biosolids
to disrupt its structure prior to being digested. The
biosolids solubilization (disintegration) ratio was
improved up to 5, 6.8, 3.1 and 2.9 times in terms of
COD, sugar, protein and humic acid after thermal
hydrolysis. Up to 58.1% and 70.2% of total and volatile
solids were removed in the digesters fed with thermally
hydrolyzed biosolids, respectively. The maximum
biogas yield (534 ml/g VS-added) was achieved at the
optimum thermal hydrolysis condition resulting in more
than 10% improvement in methane production (over
the control digester).
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY MANAGEMENT
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Preparing for change: Lulu Island’s solids system
baseline definition project
Presenter: Christopher Muller, Ph.D., P.E.(WA)
Brown and Caldwell
Additional Contributors: Ian McKelvey, P.E.(WA), Brown
and Caldwell, Seattle WA; Jim McQuarrie, Metro
Vancouver, Richmond, BC; Eron Jacobson, P.E.(WA),
Brown and Caldwell, Seattle, WA; Yinan Qi, Ph.D.
P.E.(NM), Brown and Caldwell, Seattle, WA
Wastewater utilities are driven to make changes to
their facilities for a number of reasons, including
increasing flows, regulatory changes, service changes,
and replacement of aging and obsolete equipment.
While many of these changes are inevitable, effective
planning can provide a confirmation of project need
and alignment of expected economics, environmental
and social outcomes.
Metro Vancouver’s Lulu Island Wastewater Treatment
Plant in Richmond, BC treats 70 MLD of domestic
wastewater and stabilizes the resulting sludges in
its anaerobic digesters. Fully evaluate the costs and
benefits of any potential future improvements to the
solids stream processes (such as co-digestion, nutrient
recovery, and beneficial use of biogas), Lulu Island WWTP
is taking a proactive strategy by completing a holistic
system baselining exercise prior to any changes, using an
independent third party to conduct the evaluation.
The objective of this exercise is to quantify and verify
existing systems operations in order to quantify the
impact of any changes to the system. This presentation
will include a discussion of Metro Vancouver’s
decision to use this approach, the approach taken to
develop the plant’s baseline including the parameters
measured, results to date and the potential use of
these measures in future projects. Topics will include
dye tracer studies, digester gas characterization,
systems capacity measures, nutrients and biosolids
characterization.
This presentation would be beneficial to any utility
looking to implement a system change or upgrade,
providing an approach to understand current
conditions and quantify future benefits.
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Thursday, May 28, 2015
9:45 - 10:15 am
STREAM 7: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
The role of suspended pavement solutions in achieving
lid stormwater goals
Presenter: Michael James, Hon Pub. Admin.
DeepRoot Canada Corporation
Traditional LID stormwater solutions such as
bioretention swales are difficult to apply in dense
urban settings - the place we need LID solutions the
most.
• Land is too expensive;
• Not enough space;
• Loss of parking; and
• High maintenance costs.
This presentation will demonstrate how Suspended
Pavement Systems are providing all of the services of a
traditional bioretention swale without the associated
cost of using bioretention swales in downtown dense
urban settings.
This presentation will use 3rd party peer reviewed
research and case studies to demonstrate:
• How bioretention swales work: the integration of
trees/soil/stormwater;
• The cost savings that LID solutions can provide
compared to traditional large pipe solutions;
• A review of the various forms that Suspended
Pavement Systems come in; and
• Demonstrate through the use of case studies how
Suspended Pavement Systems can provide LID
stormwater services economically without the
problems associated with traditional LID solutions
in downtown dense urban settings.
8 9
10:15 - 10:45 am
STREAM 1: SMALL WATER SYSTEMS
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Doing the little things that make a big difference
Presenter: Garry Drachenberg, P.Eng.
Associated Engineering
Additional Contributors: Alvin. Beier, P.L.(Eng.), R.E.T.,
Associated Engineering, Edmonton, Alberta; Grant.
Dixon, Operations Specialist, ATAP, Edmonton, Alberta
Small water systems certainly face a variety of
challenges including the lack of financial resources
and the readily available technical expertise that
is found in larger community systems. Yet despite
these challenges, smaller communities are faced with
meeting the same standard and the reality of having
to be self-reliant in the quest to provide safe drinking
water. Keeping that water safe requires tools and
resources to ensure that our communities remain
safe. Traditional methods have relied on end-point
testing of water quality, but there are limitations
to this approach. The detection of contaminants in
water during monitoring indicates that something has
already gone wrong, and that consumers may already
have been exposed to unsafe water. An arguably
more effective way of protecting public health is to
stop contamination and contributing events in the
first place (a preventative approach). One tool that
can helpful in this regard is the use of Drinking Water
Safety Planning (DWSP).
DWSP takes a preventative risk management approach
and guides water suppliers to look at what can possibly
go wrong in a water supply or water treatment plant,
to help pinpoint what the causes potential events may
be and take actions to reduce the likelihood of the
event occurring. Although the techniques of system
risk analysis and management and risk communication
techniques have been commonly applied within other
process industries, their routine use within small water
system applications is relatively new.
This session will review some of the learnings and
observations from working with community operators
as part of Alberta’s DWSP initiative as well its
applicability to very small systems.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
10:15 - 10:45 am
STREAM 2: ENSURING WATER QUALITY & SUPPLY
Skaha room, Delta Grand
Sustainable groundwater management for municipal
water supply in the Township of Langley, Canada
Presenter: Christine Bieber, M.Sc., P.Geo.
Golder Associates Ltd.
Additional Contributors: Jillian Sacré, M.Sc., P.Geo.,
Golder Associates Ltd., Vancouver, BC; Asher Rizvi,
M.Sc., P.Geo, Township of Langley, Langley, BC; Aaron
Licker, ADP GIS, Golder Associates Ltd., Vancouver, BC;
Willy Zawadzki, M.Sc., P.Geo., Golder Associates Ltd.,
Vancouver, BC
The Township of Langley, BC, lies approximately 45 km.
east of the City of Vancouver. The northern municipal
boundary of the Township is the Fraser River while
the southern boundary is the Canada-United States
border. The Township is faced with the challenge of
competing interests for its groundwater supplies, with
requirements for municipal usage, private domestic
usage, agricultural, industrial and commercial use,
together with a reliance on groundwater to support
baseflow for its valuable aquatic habitats.
In addition to groundwater extraction, changes in
groundwater recharge are occurring through increased
development pressures. A comprehensive regional
groundwater model has been developed for the
Township aquifer system using MODFLOW modelling
code based on a rigorous data gathering and review
exercise, and the model is being used by the TOL as
a groundwater management tool. The model was
initially developed in 2003 and has been recently
updated to incorporate changes to groundwater
extraction and land development, as well as additional
hydrogeologic information that have been gathered
since the initial model development. The updated
model is being used by the Township to determine
the long-term availability of groundwater to support
future demand and aquatic needs by evaluating the
effects of future municipal extraction and land use
development scenarios on water levels in aquifers,
and baseflows to aquatic habitats. These results will
be incorporated in landuse planning, and to identify
groundwater management options that will ensure
the viability of groundwater as a sustainable long term
water-supply source for the Township.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 3: RESOURCE RECOVERY
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Organic waste management and processing:
Composting and digestion
Presenter: Seamus Frain, P.Eng.
Opus DaytonKnight Consultants Ltd.
In the Lower Mainland of BC, regulation banning the
disposal of organic waste to landfills have just come
into effect. Other local governments throughout BC
are likely to follow this lead. What does this mean
for local governments, and what are the options for
dealing with organic waste?
The main constituents of organic waste are biosolids
from municipal wastewater treatment plants and food
waste from commercial and institutional facilities,
residential accommodation of all kinds, food processing
industries and other sources. Dealing with organic
waste is a challenge for local government, waste
management companies, institutions, industries and
even households.
The presentation will provide an overview of the
state of the organic waste industry and will cover
processing options such as composting and digestion,
handling and processing, odour risk and management,
blending of waste streams for processing, and options
and perceptions for managing the processed organic
waste streams. The presentation will include a short
overview of some selected small and large scale organic
waste processing operations and will seek to identify
trends and developments of interest to small and
medium markets.
The purpose is to provide an overview of the
technologies, identify some of the issues with, and
drivers for, selecting a technology and an overview of
the market conditions for these facilities.
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Thursday, May 28, 2015
10:15 - 10:45 am
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY
MANAGEMENT
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Blue City: Envisioning the water sustainable city of the
near future
Presenter: Kirk Stinchcombe, B.A., M.E.S., M.B.A., PMP
Econics
Additional Contributors: Louise Brennan
What would a city look like if water really mattered?
This was the central question of Blue City: The water
sustainable city of the near future. This important
national publication was developed as a project of
the Blue Economy Initiative and was sponsored by the
Royal Bank of Canada, the Canadian Water Network
and the Gordon Foundation. Its purpose is to help
practitioners and decision-makers build a business case
for advanced and integrated water management.
The publication tells a story about possibilities in
urban water sustainability. It embraces ideas that are
emerging but well within reach for most – and even
implemented by some - North American communities.
The Blue City is not a utopian fantasy. The elements
that make it exemplary are occurring in real places
across Canada and around the world.
See the full report online at
www.blue-economy.ca/report/blue-city
Through interviews with 17 North American industry
experts and thought leaders from diverse backgrounds,
the authors distilled a collective vision, strategy
and business plan for the Blue City. Although the
interviewees offer a Canadian perspective on urban
water management, their insights are informed by
examples and trends from around the world.
The vision of the Blue City is a place where the urban
environment is in sync with nature and with its citizens.
Water is visible and valued. Citizens have a culture of
conservation and a shared responsibility for action and
stewardship is recognized.
10
STREAM 7: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
Fraser river flood monitoring app
Presenter: Ben Kerr, A.Ag.
Foundry Spatial Ltd.
Additional Contributors: Matt Osler, P.Eng., City Of
Surrey, Surrey, BC
Until recently, SCADA data has not been made
available under Surrey’s Open Data Initiative to
empower residents with information and data
collected with tax payer funds. This case study explores
new tools to visualize data and combine multiple data
sources for improved intelligence and decision making
at the municipal level. A mashup application is being
released to combine water level data from multiple
local governments, Department of Fisheries and
Oceans and Water Survey of Canada. The benefits of
combing near real-time water level data throughout
the Province assists local governments in planning for,
and reacting to, flood threats during the Fraser River
Freshet and ocean storm surges.
A mobile friendly, high performance interactive and
intuitive interface will be showcased to highlight the
intelligence that can be mined from a comprehensive
dataset that spans the length of the Fraser River. Prior
to this approach, spreadsheets were used to manually
stitch together datasets from a variety of sources into
static charts for a variety of stakeholders to interpret.
On demand interpretation and interaction with
rapidly changing water level data will be explored in
this presentation.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
10:45 - 11:15 am
STREAM 1: SMALL WATER SYSTEMS
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
First Nations clean water initiative – An approach to
water/wastewater delivery in the Atlantic region
Presenter: Graham Gagnon
Dalhousie University
Additional Contributors: Lindsay Anderson, M.A.Sc.
Dalhousie University
The Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act came
into effect on November 1, 2013. This new legislation
enables the development of regulations and it is
anticipated that enforcement of water and wastewater
regulations will be more rigorous than is currently the
case. This legislation is a vital step towards ensuring
First Nations have similar health and safety protections
for drinking water as other Canadians.
In preparation for the Act, Dalhousie University, in
conjunction with the Atlantic Policy Congress of First
Nations Chiefs Secretariat (APCFNC) developed a
proposal (2010) for a Drinking Water Regulatory and
Operational Framework for First Nations Communities
in Atlantic Canada. This Framework proposed a
pooling of resources and the development of a
regional based entity that would manage and operate
all water and wastewater infrastructure in First Nation
communities in Atlantic Canada.
In 2014, the First Nations Clean Water Initiative –
Atlantic Region was developed. This initiative is
a collaborative venture that involves the APCFNC,
Dalhousie University, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern
Development Canada, participating Atlantic First
Nation communities, PPP Canada and Natural
Resources Canada. This project aims to use an
innovative approach to improve water and wastewater
services to First Nation communities in the Atlantic
region. This may be of interest to small communities
that are considering aggregating water services and
will provide an update on the project which has a
timeframe of 2014-2018.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 2: ENSURING WATER QUALITY &
SUPPLY
Skaha room, Delta Grand
Emergency water supply system in Sendai city based on
our experiences from the great east Japan earthquake
Presenter: Takafumi Kusaka
Sendai City Waterworks Bureau
Sendai is the capital of Miyagi prefecture, located
in the northeast of Japan and the largest city in the
Tohoku region. The Sendai City Waterworks Bureau
supplies a population of 1.07 million with 330,000 tons
of water everyday. Sendai faces the Pacific Ocean and
is close to the Japan Trench, where the Pacific Plate
sinks beneath the North American plate. Therefore,
we experience large-scale earthquakes approximately
every 30 years.
Due to this, we had prepared high-tech earthquake-
proof pipelines and emergency water supply facilities
in advance in Japan. However, on 11th March 2011,
the Great East Japan Earthquake, the most powerful
earthquake (Mw 9.0) ever recorded in the country,
occurred causing a suspension in water supply for
500,000 people - half of the population in Sendai. It
took us approximately half a month to restore the
service. In response to this widespread suspension, the
Sendai City Water Works Bureau conducted the largest
emergency water supply operation in its history, with
the support of 61 water supply business units and other
organizations from around the country.
We will present an overall picture of the large-
scale operation carried out in Sendai, and evaluate
our responses based on data collected. We will
also introduce a new project to solve manpower
shortages, which were a major problem during the
disaster, including ‘emergency water taps’ that enable
citizens to set up water supply stations on their own
in times of a disaster.
11
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Thursday, May 28, 2015
10:45 - 11:15 am
STREAM 3: RESOURCE RECOVERY
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Sechelt Water Resource Centre – Creativity from idea to
outcome
Presenter: Paul Nash, Ph. D.
District of Sechelt
Additional Contributors: Sechelt WRC Operations
Supervisor, Sechelt, BC; Larry Sawchyn, P.Eng.,
Tetratech, Richmond, BC; Jean Lambert, PMP, M.B.A.,
MHPM, Vancouver, BC; Andrew Ambrozy, Maple
Reinders, Kelowna, BC; Marie Meunier, Veolia,
Montreal, QC; Urban Systems, BC.
The District of Sechelt is a growing community of
9,500 people on the Sunshine Coast. The District is
committed to sustainable development. When its two
wastewater treatment plants needed replacing to
meet capacity and quality demands, the District saw an
opportunity to maximize value from a hitherto wasted
resource. This resulted in distinct project objectives:
• Highest level effluent quality – Indirect Potable
Reuse – to enable the widest range of reuse
possibilities;
• Biosolids processing to a Class A product;
• Innovation in the treatment process, and the
project in general;
• A focus on maximizing the value delivered -
social, environmental and financial – instead of
minimising costs;
• A welcome neighbour – noiseless, odourless, and
aesthetically pleasing; and
• Highly energy efficient and meet LEED Gold
The District’s approach to meeting these objectives
embodied creativity throughout, from identifying
needs through keeping the project on-track, to
commissioning and handover. This presentation will
review the project from start to end, including results
from the first few months of operation. This is your
chance to discover how pushing the boundaries worked
out for Sechelt.
12
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY
MANAGEMENT
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
City of Richmond: Out of the box ready solution results
in easy migration mobile to AMI
Presenter: Corrine Doornberg, City of Richmond
Additional Contributors: Angela Zapp – Director Service
Business, Neptune Technology Group; Darlene McNichol
- Product Manager, Neptune Technology Group
Deployment of ready-to-use, out of the box radio
frequency endpoints by the City of Richmond has
resulted in the transition, expansion and advancement
of their water meter system from a mobile technology
to an AMI solution.
In 2004, the City designed a multifaceted water
management and metering strategy. A volunteer
residential water metering program was developed to
respond to the public’s demand for equitable water
billing. The popularity of the program generated
enough demand for the City to expand its program in
2010 to add volunteer multi-family metering, and by
2013 the City achieved an impressive 70% residential
install base. This critical mass created the foundation
that justified a five-year mandatory universal metering
program in 2014 and encompassed all remaining
unmetered accounts.
The deployment and integration of enhanced leading
edge technology allows the City to easily migrate to
fixed network AMI at their own pace. This session
is ideal for those who would like to gain a better
understanding of the factors that contributed to the
success of the Richmond AMI program. Topics to be
examined will include:
• Overview of the City’s drivers for advancing to
AMI technology;
• Review project objectives and progress against
those objectives;
• Outline the City’s easy migration strategy;
• Demonstrate the benefits and ease of installation
at existing SCADA sites;
• Explore plans for future expansion; and
• Showcase case data and scenarios.
This session is also pertinent to communities of all sizes
and is highly relevant to utilities with varying degrees
of metering and reading technology.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
10:45 - 11:15 am
STREAM 7: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
A practical approach to membrane ageing: A Canada-
wide collaboration with water treatment plants
Presenter: Shona Robinson, M.Sc.
University of British Columbia
Additional Contributors: Pierre Berube, P.Eng., Ph.D.,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
Membrane filtration is a rapidly expanding choice for
water treatment. However, there is limited data to
explain the long-term changes (ageing) in membranes.
Lab-based ageing studies found that chemical cleaning
degrades membranes over time. However, research
also indicates that lab-aged membranes show starkly
different ageing behavior than membranes in full-scale
use. It is infeasible to perform ageing tests in the lab
that incorporate all aspects of full-scale membrane
operation. The project presented here involves
collaboration with 10 membrane plants from across
Canada, contributing membrane fibers of varying ages.
By characterizing the long-term changes in the fibres,
we were able to postulate how and why membranes
age during normal use.
This project takes a practical perspective, focusing
on how membrane performance changes during
ageing. As performance factors - namely fouling rate,
cleaning rate, resistance, and breach potential -decline,
membranes must eventually be replaced. As well as
quantifying performance factors, membranes’ physical
and chemical characteristics were monitored, to explain
the mechanism of performance changes. By forming
an understanding of the four performance factors’
contributions, ideas for adjusting operation to improve
these factors are presented.
For the 2015 BCWWA conference, the outcomes of
the first year of this project will be presented. As our
partner facilities have membranes ranging in age,
the ageing process is already captured in our results.
Beyond the membrane community, this presentation
will appeal to water professionals who would like to
learn about how collaboration with researchers can
benefit both parties.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
1:45 - 2:15 pm
STREAM 1: SMALL WATER SYSTEMS
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Central versus point-of-entry/point-of-use treatment:
The case of three small BC communities
Presenter: Cheryl Gomes, M. Eng.
BI Pure Water
Additional Contributors: Madjid Mohseni, P. Eng., Ph.D.,
RES’EAU WaterNET
Household water treatment devices installed in
individual homes are often recommended for very
small communities. At a certain population, however,
a centralized treatment facility may become a better
investment. To date, there has been no detailed
analysis of the parameters and factors affecting
the choice between central, point-of-entry (POE)
and point-of-use (POU) treatment. This project
examined this for three small BC communities of
different sizes and source waters, with the focus on (a)
minimizing overall cost; (b) meeting Canadian Drinking
Water Quality Guidelines (CDWQG); (c) minimizing
maintenance and operator expertise level; and (d)
eliminating health risks to end users.
The three communities were Nickeyeah IR25 (Lytton
First Nation, six homes), Middle River (Tl’azt’en Nation,
11 homes), Shawnigan Lake (Cowichan Valley Region
District, 2,000 residents). Treatment technologies and
processes considered for each community were based
on the source water type (e.g., lake, creek, river) quality
and variation. An Excel template was developed to
analyze user-selected combinations of central, POE or
POU treatment technologies; calculating capital, O&M
and total cost as a function of flow rate, over a 20-year
analysis period for a small system.
In this presentation, we will present the results
detailing the feasibility of applying POE/POU in very
small communities. Also, we demonstrate through
a sensitivity analysis that (a) reducing capital cost of
expensive POE devices has no effect on the choice of
treatment option, and (b) considerations of long term
growth of community size may affect the choice of
treatment (i.e., POE vs. central treatment).
13
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Thursday, May 28, 2015
1:45 - 2:15 pm
STREAM 3: RESOURCE RECOVERY
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Co-digestion programs: Experiences from planning
through implementation
Presenter: Christopher Muller, Ph.D., P.E.(WA)
Brown and Caldwell
Additional Contributors: Ian McKelvey, P.E.(WA), Brown
and Caldwell, Seattle, WA
Utilities in North America have instituted the
co-digestion of organic wastes, such as food waste,
fats, oils and grease, to achieve a number of fiscal
and environmental goals. Co-digestion can benefit a
utility through increased revenues, carbon emissions
reductions, utilization idle capacity, and renewable
energy production. The implementation of programs
like these can be a real benefit, but also can present
challenges. These challenges can range from the
technical to the logistics of actually implementing a
program. Examples include:
• Competitive market conditions.
• Significant infrastructure requirements.
• Under defined process impacts and limits.
• End product integrity, biosolids characteristics.
• Energy market conditions.
• Carbon emissions reduction goals.
• Digester process conditions.
This presentation will cover the lessons learned from
the earliest planning stages through, design and
implementation of multiple co-digestion projects
across North America. Experiences from projects
looking a food waste, FOG and other organic wastes
will be presented. As an example, the value of a
market study will be discussed, a utility identified
through a market study that a co-digestion facility
they wanted to construct at their plant would not be
utilized by haulers in the region, potentially avoiding a
stranded capital investment. Other utilities operating
FOG receiving programs have experienced significant
grit issues, leading to wear on equipment and
deposition in tanks, a consideration for designers and
operators alike. The specific challenges faced utilities
trying to implement a program will be different, but
the lessons learned by others can help avoid some
potential pitfalls and provide relevant solutions.
14
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY MANAGEMENT
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Master planning, reinvestment planning and financial
planning: the combination that worked for the District
of Squamish
Presenter: David Roulston, P.Eng.
District of Squamish
Additional Contributors: Clive Leung, P.Eng., Opus
DaytonKnight Consultants, North Vancouver, BC
The District of Squamish’s Asset Management Plan has
estimated that Asbestos Cement (AC) watermains in
the District are expected to have 10 years of remaining
service life and compose of 70% of its water system. A
significant infrastructure spending gap was identified.
The District retained Opus DaytonKnight to prepare a
Water Master Plan with these primary objectives:
1. Develop a comprehensive capital expenditure
budget that addresses the needs of new residents
and the infrastructure gap;
2. Review utility finances and develop sustainable
funding including updating an outdated water
rate structure;
3. Prepare a water conservation program; and
4. Recommend a water metering strategy.
A Risk Assessment that sought to address the initial
infrastructure gap was carried out. Opus DaytonKnight
reviewed the criticality of replacement of AC
watermains which moved beyond theoretical age
based assessments to real and tangible condition and
performance-risk based assessments of reinvestment
need. This was achieved through inclusion of
break history records and balanced responses to
consequences of asset failure. A field testing program
and revisions to asset repair logging were also
recommended to improve estimates of remaining
service lives of these assets and future revisions of the
risk assessment approach.
A 25-year Capital Plan summarized capital
infrastructure projects required through growth and
reinvestments needed for AC watermain replacements.
A Financial Plan concurrently prepared considered
borrowing capacities and debt servicing limits of the
utility to inform the District of required water rate
increases needed to finance the water utility going
forward for the next 25 years.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
1:45 - 2:15 pm
STREAM 6: BUILDING RESILIENCE
Skaha room, Delta Grand
Using sequencing batch reactor (SBR) technology to
cost effectively accommodate future biological nutrient
removal requirements
Presenter: Steve Green
Xylem Inc.
Additional Contributors: Scott Mulinix, P. Eng., Brown
Deer, WI
This presentation demonstrates the flexibility of the
Intermittent Cycle Extended Aeration System (ICEAS)
to adapt to future biological nutrient removal (BNR)
requirements in a cost effective manner.
In 1999 the Rock Creek Public Sewer District (RCPSD)
selected a new treatment system to consolidate
treatment capacity while planning for future growth.
The ICEAS technology was chosen on the basis of
footprint, peak flow capacity, and BNR efficiency. The
ICEAS process is a modification of the sequencing
batch reactor (SBR), allowing continuous inflow of
wastewater into the treatment basins during all phases
of the cycle.
The new facility was commissioned in 2004 with
average flow and peak flow capacity of 4.8 and 16.7
MGD respectively. Initially, RCPSD was required to meet
BOD5, TSS, and NH4-N limits, but future requirements
of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP)
removal were anticipated. With future nutrient
removal expectations, the ICEAS reactor and
supporting equipment were designed to accommodate
the more stringent requirements. Installing all of the
equipment initially was not necessary as effluent TN
and TP limits were relaxed for the first six years of
operation.
In 2010, the district added mixers and the treatment cycle
was modified with alternating periods of aeration and
anoxic mixing during the react phase to address TN and
TP limits. After upgrading, the RCPSD WWTP produced
effluent below expected future permit limits, while
maintaining exceptional BOD5, TSS and NH4-N removal.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 7: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
Closed vessel UV - more than just for drinking water
Presenter: Patrick Bollman, P. Eng.
Engineered Treatment Systems (ETS), LLC.
Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection is now a standard
feature in many wastewater utilities. UV has also
been adopted by the drinking water community as
a barrier against chlorine tolerant species such as
Cryptosporidium and Giardia. The technology is widely
favored due to its non-chemical nature, the fact that
no subsequent dechlorination process is required, and
its ability to be unselective in disinfection performance.
Throughout the years, the focus in municipal
wastewater is to install UV in an open channel.
However, there are alternative solutions to achieve
required disinfection.
The presentation will focus on the following aspects:
• UV fundamentals (UV 101) – what is UV; how
is UV light generated; what UV does and how
it works; how organisms respond to UV; and a
comparison of available lamp types.
• Equipment selection – what manufacturers
will require to provide an adequately sized
system including flowrates (peak, average and
minimum); water quality (transmittance – how
much light passes through the water, soluble
iron and manganese, hardness, TSS); required
disinfection/dose and existing plant hydraulics.
• Introduction to closed vessel UV technology for
treatment of municipal wastewater and reuse.
• Benefits of closed vessel UV for disinfection
including: installation savings and flexibility,
reduced maintenance, and improved safety.
The purpose of this presentation is to give engineers
and municipalities information regarding other forms
of successfully operating ultraviolet disinfection
systems instead of designing around the “traditional
open channel” types of UV disinfection.
15
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Thursday, May 28, 2015
2:15 - 2:45 pm
STREAM 1: SMALL WATER SYSTEMS
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Clinton water treatment plant - High level water
treatment for small communities
Presenter: Dave Underwood, P.Eng.
TRUE Consulting
Additional Contributors: Don Burgess, P.Eng., DWG
Process Supply Ltd.
The Village of Clinton is a small rural community
located in the interior of BC between Cache Creek and
100 Mile House. With a population of approximately
650 residents, the Village has limited available
resources in terms of taxation revenues. As such, the
implementation of capital improvements to its water
system is extremely challenging.
The Village relies upon surface water from Clinton
Creek for its potable water supply. Treatment has
historically consisted of chlorination for primary
disinfection and therefore did not achieve 4-3-2-1-0
compliance.
The Village acquired 100% contribution infrastructure
grant funding assistance in the amount of $2.4M in
2013 under the Gas Tax General Strategic Priorities
Fund program. The project involved implementing
water treatment improvements with the objective of
achieving Interior Health’s filtration deferral criteria.
During the predesign stage it was determined that
implementation of microfiltration was feasible from a
capital cost perspective, thereby providing opportunity
for the Village to achieve not only its current treatment
needs for organics reduction, but its ultimate water
treatment requirements, all in one stage.
Using chemical precipitation as pretreatment for
organics reduction and relying upon the microfiltration
process for solids and bacteria removal, the Village was
able to achieve 4-3-2-1-0 compliance guidelines within
available budget allocations.
This project illustrates that small communities can apply
membrane filtration technology in an affordable way
to attain their water treatment objectives. In addition,
carefully applied public consultation and procurement
methods provide opportunity for a small community to
achieve a streamlined construction stage with reduced
capital costs.
16
STREAM 3: RESOURCE RECOVERY
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Nanaimo reservoir No.1 and energy recovery facility
Presenter: Lewis Macrae, P.Eng.
Associated Engineering
The City of Nanaimo is embarking on a major water
treatment upgrade program. This program will include
the construction of a new water treatment plant
and water storage reservoir. Due to the elevation
difference between the water treatment plant and the
distribution system, water entering the new reservoir
has significant excess hydraulic pressure.
The City has long recognized the potential for hydraulic
energy recovery at the existing reservoir and as
such was keen to incorporate energy recovery in the
design of the new reservoir No.1 facility. As the City’s
lead engineer for the overall program of upgrades,
Associated Engineering devised a concept whereby
traditional function of reservoir control valves could
be combined with the installation of hydraulic energy
recovery equipment.
This presentation will describe the typical requirements
for hydraulic energy recovery systems and how these
systems were integrated into the control philosophy for
the City’s new reservoir.
The presentation will refer to the hydraulic analyses
and feasibility exercises undertaken during the
preliminary and detailed design phases of the project.
Construction of the Energy Recovery Facility started in
March 2013 and was commissioned in April 2014. The
presentation will incorporate analysis of data obtained
during the year of operation and will discuss potential
operational modifications which may increase the
energy capture and revenue potential of the facility.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
2:15 - 2:45 pm
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY MANAGEMENT
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Lessons learned & benefits of Metro Vancouver’s
technical training and procedures (TTAP) multi-year
project
Presenter: Lucy Cotter, P.Eng., M.A.Sc.
CH2M HILL
Additional Contributors: Tameeza Jivraj, P.Eng., Metro
Vancouver, Burnaby, BC; Rhonda Harris, MBA, PE, CH2M
HILL, Dallas, USA; Bryan Krafchik, CH2M HILL, Burnaby,
BC; Melodie Hobbs, CET, CH2M HILL, Burnaby, BC
Metro Vancouver is showing regional leadership
by investing in British Columbia’s largest water and
wastewater municipal project to directly address the
need for Metro Vancouver-specific technical training
and procedures documentation.
After two years of Metro Vancouver’s 5-year project to
address organizational resiliency through knowledge
capture and creation of technical training materials
and procedures, lessons learned include: benefits of
program planning activities; building support within
the organization through early delivery of training
materials; stakeholder engagement; and benefits of
building standard templates and workflow processes.
Benefits of the knowledge capture and competency-
based training materials observed so far include:
eLearning training prior to commissioning activities
greatly appreciated by operators; standardization of
procedures and knowledge checks across multiple
operator teams; detailed safety review of procedures;
and building organizational resiliency to staff
retirement or staff turnover.
In parallel to delivery of training materials identified
for Metro Vancouver’s existing infrastructure, the
project team is building the framework for continued
updates to training materials, as well as the framework
for training materials related to any new capital
projects, i.e. making the project sustainable well
into the future. The project team is also developing
methods to measure the long term benefits of the
project to Metro Vancouver, including risk mitigation.
The project results, lessons learned and training
materials are scalable for large and small municipalities,
and are of interest to management, engineering, and
maintenance and operations personnel.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 6: BUILDING RESILIENCE
Skaha room, Delta Grand
Securing remote access to water & wastewater critical
infrastructure
Presenter: Zane Spencer, P.Tech.(Eng.)
MPE Engineering Ltd.
Process control systems are utilized throughout water
treatment, water distribution, wastewater collection,
and wastewater treatment systems. Many of these
systems provide remote access to operators, engineers
and vendors who, through varying levels of interaction,
can enhance their day-to-day job functions. Concerns
regarding the cyber security of these remote access
schemes have emerged as a result of an increase in the
number of reported security vulnerabilities in industrial
process control system components.
The presentation will discuss:
• Current concerns regarding cyber security of
process controls systems.
• Typical requirements for remote access to process
control systems.
• Industry best practices for developing remote
access schemes.
• Common factors which should be considered
when developing remote access schemes.
Additionally, the presentation will provide examples of
a remote access scheme for a small, medium and large
process control system. Each example will outline the
specific connection methods for various groups of users
as well as the security considerations implemented in
the different control systems.
17
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Thursday, May 28, 2015
2:15 - 2:45 pm
STREAM 7: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
Ranking the toxicity of drinking water contaminants
as a prelude to the choice of point-of-use and point-of-
entry treatment devices
Presenter: Mohammed Dore, Ph.D.
Brock University and Res’eau-Waternet
Additional Contributors: Prof. Andrew Laursen,
Department of Biology & Chemistry, Ryerson
University, Toronto, Ontario
Point-of-Use (POU) and Point-of-Entry (POE) treatment
devices with NSF classification numbers 42,53,55, 58
and 401 are now available that could enhance the
multiple barrier approach to drinking water treatment.
NSF # 401 is capable of removing most micro-pollutants
such as pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupters. The
objective of this research is to provide households, with
and without centralized water treatment, information
on the choice of such devices.
While the choice for specific locations would depend
on their source of raw water, some generalized
information on the ranking of toxicity of contaminants
would be beneficial. Accordingly, we develop a metric
of the toxicity of priority contaminants following the
method used by the US Center for Disease Control’s
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Their
prioritization is risk-based, with risk calculated as a
function of geometric mean concentrations in media
of exposure (air, water and soil), and relative toxicity,
incorporated into the calculation as a categorical factor
score. Here, we present a revised priority list based
upon drinking water as the sole route of exposure,
following the procedure of CDC but excluding soil and
air as routes of exposure. We use this to determine
the 10 highest-priority chemical contaminants in each
of several categories (inorganics, volatile organic
contaminants, and synthetic organic contaminants).
We then test various point-of-use (POU) devices in the
marketplace to determine their efficiency for removal
of these highest priority contaminants. We present
an assessment of relative cost versus efficiency for
common POU devices.
18
2:45 - 3:15 pm
STREAM 1: SMALL WATER SYSTEMS
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
BC policy on point of use and point entry water
treatment: An assessment and progress report
Presenter: Mohammed DORE, Ph.D.
Brock University and Res’eau-Waternet
In BC, from 2001 to 2012, there were 20,749 reported
Cryptosporidium cases, 8,162 cases of Giardia and 1671
Shiga toxigenic E. coli cases (BC Centre for Disease
Control, 2010 and 2012). Almost all of these outbreaks
continue to be in small communities. Many of the
small systems are under Boil Water Notices, mainly due
to lack of treatment. One alternative is to promote
the use of Point of Use (POU) or Point Entry (POE)
treatment.
In this presentation we review the regulatory
requirements in BC for the use of POU/POE that
requires that 100% of the communities sign a service
agreement, which raises costs. We review the progress
that has been made in the Interior Health Authority
and its “Small Systems Strategy” and action plan. We
consider one case study where the community remains
on a Boil Water Notice, but part of the community uses
POU/POE. We consider the implications of allowing
that sort of flexibility whereby a household could “go
it alone.” Many POU systems with NSF certification # 53
and 55 are affordable, with light maintenance.
Finally we attempt to assess the current progress in
enhancing water safety in the Interior Health Authority
both through POU/POE and the new strategy of
“engagement and outreach.” One indicator of progress
is the number of Boil Water Notices, which in part is
due to more water systems being covered by the data.
We show what progress has been made so far and
what remains to be done.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
2:45 - 3:15 pm
STREAM 3: RESOURCE RECOVERY
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Heat-seeking sewer model
Presenter: Yuko Suda, P.Eng.
Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd.
Additional Contributors: Genevieve Tokgoz, P.Eng., Metro
Vancouver, Burnaby, BC
A significant amount of renewable heat flows through
Metro Vancouver’s sanitary sewers each day as warm
sewage. This excess energy can be recovered and
used to heat buildings and is an economical means
of displacing natural gas and reducing greenhouse
gas emissions. The increasing interest in recovering
sewage heat for space heating and cooling led to a
study to determine the viability and implications of
implementing sewage heat recover projects in Metro
Vancouver.
A key concern for sewage heat recover projects was
how much heat can safely be recovered without
endangering sewage treatment processes, both now
in the future. In order to address this concern, the
Heat-Seeking Sewer Model was developed. The
Model calculates the sewage flow rate and associated
sewage temperature at nodes within the sanitary
sewer network. The sewage heat capacity throughout
the system is calculated by tracking the flows and
temperatures of each sewage component (base
sanitary flow, inflow, and infiltration) separately.
The model can be adjusted to account for seasonal
variations of each variable, population growth, and
water/energy conservation measures.
The Model results show that there is plenty of heat
in the sewer system to heat homes. Up to 100 MW
of recoverable heat is available across the region,
enough to heat about 650 to 1,000 high-rise buildings.
Although this Model was applied to Metro Vancouver,
it can be deployed in any sewer collection system,
enabling widespread implementation of sewage heat
recovery projects and effective management of the
underlying sewage systems.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY
MANAGEMENT
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Life cycle optimization
Presenter: Catherine Dallaire, P.Eng.
Opus DaytonKnight Consultants Ltd.
Additional Contributors: Bernadette O’Connor, NZCE,
Opus, Victoria, BC
Finding the right mixture and timing of investments
to deliver on service levels, yet stay within the fiscal
constraints, is a complex question. What type of
rehabilitation should be done, where, and when to
minimize overall expenditure. Least life cycle cost
requires decision makers to evaluate many alternatives
to maximize the value, level of service, and risk profile
of their infrastructure.
Various approaches have been used to assess long
term rehabilitation needs and develop capital plans.
Historically, the “worst-first” approach to rehabilitation
has often proved to be far from optimal. Other
methods try to approximate the best return within the
current year’s investment.
Life Cycle Optimization (LCO) seeks to maximize the
benefit of investment across the entire infrastructure
portfolio over a long term horizon. If your investment
solution is to be the least life cycle cost, it has to
consider alternative combinations of investment
and timings over a long term time horizon. The
LCO methodology generates a multi-periodic linear
programming matrix which describes every potential
choice over the entire planning horizon and then solves
for the mathematical optimal solution.
It selects the best choice based on management
criteria, an objective function and constraints. This
approach results in selecting only strategies that offer
the best benefit for the level of investment over the
analysis period. It maximizes infrastructure investment
outcomes. This paper focuses on the application of
LCO for strategic municipal infrastructure planning
by examining how this advanced asset management
decision making approach was applied on drainage
and wastewater treatment assets in Halifax.
19

43 RD
BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Thursday, May 28, 2015
2:45 - 3:15 pm
STREAM 6: BUILDING RESILIENCE
Skaha room, Delta Grand
Building a water treatment plant for remote
communities in cold environments
Presenter: Cheryl Gomes, M. Eng.
BI Pure Water
Building a water treatment plant for a remote
community with extreme weather conditions comes
with a unique set of challenges. Kugaaruk, Nunavut
is the location of the coldest wind chill ever recorded
in Canada (-92°C, 1975). BI Pure Water and Williams
Engineering delivered a package plant to Kugaaruk for
the Government of Nunavut in 2013.
The source water is a manmade reservoir along a river,
2km northeast of the Arctic Ocean. The river surface
is frozen most of the year, and when it does thaw,
there are very high levels of sediments and dissolved
minerals.
Functionality in subzero temperatures, reliability and
mobility were key objectives. Positioning the intake
involved a careful balance between avoiding the river
surface (which freezes) and avoiding near-bottom
layers (which may consist of dense sea water during
high-tide surges into the river). The plant includes two
independent parallel treatment trains (dual intake/
cartridge filtration/UV/chlorine) for redundancy, and
a truckfill system used for water delivery to each
home’s storage tank in the 750-person community
of Kugaaruk. Traditional pipe distribution systems
cannot be installed due to extensive permafrost and
frost heaving. The plant enclosure is insulated with 4”
polyurethane panels and steel-lined for bullet proofing
to accommodate hunting lifestyles. The plant was
manufactured at BI Pure Water in Surrey and shipped
via Canadian Coast Guard ice breakers, during their
annual delivery to Kugaaruk.
This presentation will outline numerous ongoing
challenges associated with this project, and how
all parties collaborated to proactively evaluate and
overcome each one.
20
STREAM 7: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
Experiences from using ion exchange resins for organic
removal
Presenter: Mohammad Mahdi Bazri, M.A.Sc. , Ph.D.
Candidate
University of British Columbia
Additional Contributors: Dr. Madjid Mohseni
Anionic ion exchange (IEX) process is a feasible,
robust, and effective technology for the removal of
disinfection by-product precursors such as natural
organic matter (NOM) as well as inorganic anions
(e.g., NO3-) from surface waters. With its excellent
performance and simplicity of operation, IEX has
been increasingly considered and implemented in
water treatment plants of various sizes (municipal to
small communities). However, its wide application
is challenged by potentially costly regeneration of
spent resin, a step that is required to maintain the
resin performance through multiple cycles. Studies
evaluating IEX resins for NOM removal generally lack
a comprehensive picture assessing different resins in
terms of NOM removal efficiency, long-term operation,
and regeneration efficiency.
In this work, we have tested a number of strongly
basic and weakly basic anion exchange resins
from several manufacturers and assessed their
long term performance against different water
qualities through evaluation of removal capacity.
Two different regeneration strategies using brine
and caustic solutions were used to assess the
regeneration efficiency of resins. Also, other operation
considerations such as optimum contact time, resin
amount, etc., were investigated. Resin performance
in terms of DOC removal and regeneration efficiency
was found to be influenced by water source, resin
characteristics, operational mode (i.e., mixed or
column), and regenerant choice and shall be considered
and assessed when making decision on implementation
IEX resins.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
3:30 - 5:00 pm PANEL SESSIONS | Delta Grand
COMMUNICATING THE VALUE OF WATER • British Columbia Guidelines (Microbiological) for
Skaha room, Delta Grand Maintaining Water Quality within Distribution
Systems – Secondary Disinfection
Moderator: Kellie Garcia Bunting, Environmental Planner,
• Drinking Water Treatment Objectives
Associated Engineering
(Microbiological) for Ground Water Supplies in
Panelists: Melanie Goetz, Hughes & Stuart Marketing; Linda
British Columbia version 1
Kelly, Sr. Director, Association Engagement & Governance;
• Guidance Document for Determining Ground
Tanja McQueen, CEO, BCWWA
Water at Risk of Containing Pathogens (GARP)
version 2
What can communities do to help the public and elected
• New requirements for private water utilities under the
officials to better understand the value of their water and
Water Utility Act and the Utilities Commission Act.
wastewater infrastructure, so that they support full cost
Join this panel and get informed about the recent and
pricing and reinvestment in asset renewal?
upcoming changes to the way water is sustainably managed
Join this panel for a presentation of current campaigns,
in BC.
and an interactive discussion about effective strategies to
communicate the value of water.
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR WATER
AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS
SUSTAINABLE WATER AND WASTEWATER
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
SYSTEMS – A GLOBAL VIEW
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand Moderator: Anna Warwick Sears, Executive Director,
Okanagan Basin Water Board
Moderator: Robert Haller, Executive Director, CWWA
Panelists: David Hendrickson, REFBC; Brian Bedford, Ministry
Panelists: Mr. Gene Koontz, incoming President of AWWA,
of Community, Sport & Cultural Development;
and Senior Vice President with Gannett Fleming; Mr.
John Weninger, Urban Systems; Kevin Van Vliet, City of
Paul Bowen, incoming President of WEF, and Director of
Kelowna
Sustainable Operations for Coca Cola;
Dr. Anna Robak, Technical Principal with Opus International’s
How will your utility fund and finance its future operations
Global Asset Management Team, based in New Zealand
and development? What is your organization doing
to enhance the financial sustainability of our water &
“Sustainable” water and wastewater infrastructure provides
wastewater systems?
safe and reliable services today and in the future, balancing
Join this panel of distinguished experts to discuss the barriers
fiscal and human resources with level of service, to protect
to financial sustainability for communities, and examples of
public health, the environment, and economic well-being.
success stories from across BC.
Join our panel of esteemed international utility management
leaders, including the incoming Presidents for AWWA and
WEF, for a thought provoking discussion about what it takes LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS IN DEVELOPING A
to successfully integrate sustainability principles into utility RISK RESILIENT UTILITY
management, in both public and private sector settings. Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Moderator: Don Dobson, Urban Systems
WINDOW ON VICTORIA – GOVERNMENT Panelists: Ms. Deborah Carlson, West Coast Environmental
UPDATES ON WATER POLICY AND REGULATION Law; Ms. Sonia Sahota, Valkyrie Law Group; Ms. Christina
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand Yamada, Interior Health
Moderator: Colwyn Sunderland, CWWA Director
How does your utility minimize its risk and maintain high
Panelists: Ms. Lynn Kriwoken, BC Ministry of Environment; Mr.
quality service through varying circumstances? What does
Steve Baumber, BC Ministry of Health; Ms. Elena Oliphant, BC
your utility need to take into account to ensure it complies
Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations
with applicable legislation and guidelines, or manage its
exposure to liability?
BC’s regulatory landscape is changing for water systems. This
Join this panel of legal and professional experts to learn
panel will present updates and answer your questions about:
more about what your utility could, or should, be doing to
• The new Water Sustainability Act.
minimize its risk.
• Recent changes to water quality and ground water
documents:
21
EDUCATION SESSIONS | Friday May 29, 2015 CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT

STREAM 4 STREAM 2 STREAM 6 STREAM 7 STREAM 8 STREAM 4 STREAM 5 STREAM 1 STREAM 2 STREAM 9
Sustainable Utility Ensuring Water Quality Technology & Stormwater Sustainable Utility Building Public Support Ensuring Water Quality
Building Resilience Small Water Systems Other
Management & Supply Innovation Management Management for Water & Supply
Room Vaseaux / Kootenay Skaha Shuswap Cascade / Cassiar Pennask / Skeena Room Vaseaux / Kootenay Skaha Shuswap Cascade / Cassiar Pennask / Skeena
Catherine Dallaire, Colin Kristiansen, Jeff Phillips, Chris Howorth, Shelir Ebrahimi, Jennifer Miles,
Moderator Mike Homenuke, Colin Kristiansen, Michael Celli, Wayne Wong,
Opus DaytonKnight Kerr Wood Leidal IPEX Veolia University of BC Moderator Regional District of North
8:30-9:00 am Utility criticality Transient analysis and Performance of pipes Design, construction Victoria rainwater Kerr Wood Leidal Kerr Wood Leidal AECOM AECOM
Okanagan
assessment: An design considerations during earthquakes and operation of water management standards: 1:30-2:00 pm Dealing with fugitive What you need to know Organic carbon removal Kamloops Sewage Harmonizing WSER and
application of artificial for hydraulic pipelines Camille George Rubeiz, infrastructure using 3D Now with DIY sewer odours resulting about human behaviour – Treatment Centre MWR: A status report
neural network in asset Jonathan Funk, Kerr Plastics Pipe Institute design tools Laurel Morgan, from municipal when preparing service DBP compliant drinking Matthew Smith, Urban Ian Cameron,
management Wood Leidal Walt Bayless, Opus Kerr Wood Leidal combined sewer delivery strategies water Systems Environment Canada
Alexander Kolesov, DaytonKnight separation programs Anna Robak, for ALL communities and Justin Sabourin, BC
AECOM Yuko Suda, Kerr Wood Opus DaytonKnight Madjid Mohseni, Ministry of Environment
9:00-9:30 am Dynamic field document Legislative and Adapting to climate Overcoming common Adsorbents for the Leidal University of BC
management using regulatory tools for change, one farm at a pumping pitfalls removal of contaminants 2:00-2:30 pm Transitioning to MMCD Public stakeholder Occurrence of viruses, The BC Water Use Don’t move a mussel –
portable technology local governments to time Stephen Horsman, from stormwater 2014 communication can other pathogens, and Reporting Centre Protecting BC waters
Yariv Ben-Shooshan, protect groundwater Colwyn Sunderland, AECOM Karin Bjorklund, design guidelines make or break your organic wastewater (BCWURC) from the impacts of
Opus DaytonKnight Rina Thakar, Valkyrie Kerr Wood Leidal University of BC David Chan, MMCD project – indicators, in seven First Natasha Neumann invasive species
Law Group LLP Case Study: The Mara Nation Communities in Lisa Scott, Okanagan
9:30-10:00 Rate structure design Transitioning from Incorporating seismic Buried surprises and Gutters, gardens, Lake WTP Southern BC and Similkameen
am and the universally surface water to design into a large high pressures – A rooftops, and taps Jean Lambert, Marta Green, Summit Invasive Species Society
metered water system: groundwater: The diameter steel water retrospective look at a Dean Barrett, MHPM Project Leaders Environmental
How and where to District of 100 Mile main in proximity to the UV retrofit Canadian Association Consultants
begin? House water supply Fraser River Tom Robinson for Rainwater 2:30-3:00 pm Overview of the City of Lessons learned – Using Ion exchange: Microcystins – Pharmaceuticals
Karyn Johnson, FCS strategy Joel Melanson, Associated Engineering Management Regina’s the integrated design Predicting NOM occurrence and and personal care
GROUP Ryan Rhodes, Metro Vancouver WWTP upgrade/ process to removal laboratory analysis products as emerging
Western Water expansion as a carry-out a major during drinking water Rudy Pante, Plante H2O contaminants of
Associates P3 project planning study for the treatment Consultant concern in municipal
STREAM 4 STREAM 2 STREAM 1 STREAM 7 STREAM 9 Chris Baisley, Deloitte Lions Gate Secondary Heather Wray, wastewater
Sustainable Utility Ensuring Water Quality Technology & Wastewater Treatment University of BC Kevin Barnard,
Small Water Systems Other
Management & Supply Innovation Plant Project Definition Capital Regional District
Room Vaseaux / Kootenay Skaha Shuswap Cascade / Cassiar Pennask / Skeena Report
Chris O’Donnell, Stephen Horsman, Jonathan Funk, Kevin Reilly, Mike Brady, Richard Bitcon, AECOM
Moderator
AECOM AECOM Kerr Wood Leidal H2O Innovation AECOM 3:15-5:00 pm Closing session and keynote – Adam Kreek, Mental toughness, teamwork and leadership stories of a death-defying ocean
10:15-10:45 Leveraging your Yellow flags and green Beyond disinfection: Towards a wastewater Extracting practical adventurer
am SCADA system as a thumbs: Two successful Expanding the role of treatment plant that information from
management/planning social marketing UV in drinking water generates “zero” excess climate change
tool Initiatives in the for small systems sludge modeling
Adrian Vasiu, Opus Kootenays Laith Furatian, Rony Das, University Michael MacLatchy,
DaytonKnight Neal Klassen, University of BC of BC Associated Engineering
H2Okanagan Water
Conservation
10:45-11:15 Managing performance River for life – Reducing Nutrient removal in Pump performance Anaerobic digester
am for small to medium urban pollutant cold climate lagoon and efficiency testing: design using linear
sized water utilities: A loadings to Edmonton’s systems Bridging the gap motion mixer
component and system receiving watercourses Merle Kroeker, from speculation to Leslie Nemeth,
based approach Kerri Robinson, Urban Nelson Environmental knowledge AECOM
Husnain Haider, Systems Fabian Papa,
University of BC HydraTek & Associates
Okanagan
11:15-11:45 The Sewage Recycling Using hydraulic Microbiological NF-UF range Stormwater treatment
am System (SRS) – Breaking modeling to identify contaminant intrusion membranes for drinking using ballasted
new ground in alternative water management in small water treatment flocculation, the north
wastewater treatment supply options during water distribution Joerg Winter, american experience
– “Presenting a a planned supply main systems: A simplistic University of BC Chris Howorth,
sustainable, efficient shutdown – A case study approach for detection Veolia
and environmentally with the City of Powell and protection with
friendly approach to River booster chlorination
wastewater treatment” Werner de Schaetzen, Nilufar Islam,
Van A. Ridout, GeoAdvice Engineering University of BC
Western Water Okanagan
Resources

22 23
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Friday, May 29, 2015
8:30 - 9:00 am
STREAM 2: ENSURING WATER QUALITY & SUPPLY
Skaha room, Delta Grand
Transient analysis and design considerations for
hydraulic pipelines
Presenter: Jonathan Funk, E.I.T.
Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd.
Understanding hydraulics is key to maximizing the
value and design life of pipelines and associated
infrastructure. One critical but often overlooked aspect
of pipeline hydraulics is transient analysis. This includes
modeling gradual or sudden changes to flow, and the
(often) large pressure surges (“water hammer”) they
can create.
Jonathan will discuss the principals of transient analysis
as it applies to water and wastewater pipelines, and
provide a case study featuring the Skookum Creek
Power Project’s hydro-power penstock. This 2,000 mm
diameter penstock can move up to 9,900 L/s of water
over 6 km with more than 300 m variation in elevation.
• How did steady state hydraulics affect the design?
• How did transient analysis hydraulics affect
the design?
• What are the causes of hydraulic transients and
what can be done to mitigate their impact?
• What theory and data are required to conduct
transient analysis for industrial, commercial, or
municipal applications?
Pump start/stop (including power failures) and sudden
valve closures are the most common sources of hydraulic
transients. For large diameter watermains, such as the
case study presented, even modest variations in flow
during day-to-day operation can have a dramatic impact
on pipeline pressures.
Understanding hydraulics is essential to maximizing the
value of pipeline and pipe network infrastructure, which
includes operation and maintenance over the duration
of design life. One critical, but often overlooked, aspect
of pipeline hydraulics is transient analysis. That is, the
study of flow velocity and pressure variations over time.
This often includes analyzing sudden starts and stops to
flow, and the large pressure surges (“water hammer”)
they can create.
24
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY
MANAGEMENT
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Utility criticality assessment: an application of artificial
neural network in asset management
Presenter: Alexander Kolesov, M.Sc.
AECOM
Additional Contributors: Jonathan Welke, P.Eng.,
Drainage Engineer, City of Kamloops
Accurate criticality assessment methodology can
significantly reduce infrastructure maintenance and
renewal budgets by focusing asset management
practices only on critical assets. Application of Artificial
Neural Network (ANN) methodology for criticality
assessment can provide more precise and effective
asset management decisions.
ANN are universal and highly flexible models widely
used in the fields of cognitive science and engineering.
In asset management they can be used to replace
traditional linear asset criticality models which are
based on various input factors with predetermined
weightings. A trained neural network can be thought
of as an “expert” in the category of information it has
been given to analyse.
During the criticality workshop, an agreed list of
inputs and their data sources for the criticality
model, and a sample of asset criticality outputs have
been determined for the City of Kamloops’ water,
wastewater and drainage assets. These inputs and
outputs were used to train an ANN model to determine
the relationship and weightings of the various inputs
and model the criticality outcomes in order to provide
insight into the importance of various factors for
assessing criticality, and allow the City to focus their
efforts on improving the accuracy and confidence of
these inputs.
The advantage of this approach is that the criticality
model can be re-tuned as the City’s priorities change in
the future, and the model can be used for other asset
types to provide a robust and objective methodology
for determining criticality.
STREAM 6: BUILDING RESILIENCE
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Performance of pipes during earthquakes
Presenter: Camille George Rubeiz, MS, PE
Plastics Pipe Institute
This paper will summarize the damage to water piping
systems in the recent 5 earthquakes in Christchurch
(2010- 2011), Chile (2011) and Japan (2011) and others.
In seismic areas and for all critical water pipes, the
U.S. and Canada need to re-evaluate the common
practice of pipe replacements; in the absence of
regulations, utilities and design engineers need to
protect life and water system and specify a resilient,
highly-ductile, continuous and self-restrained system
as was successfully implemented and earthquake-
tested in Christchurch.
The earthquake data will be based on reports from
the Water research Foundation, Cornell University
and others. In addition, this data will be compared to
previous work from ASCE, AWWA and others.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 7: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
Design, construction and operation of water
infrastructure using 3D design tools
Presenter: Walt Bayless, P.Eng.
Opus DaytonKnight Consultants Ltd.
Engineering design for most clients is still conducted
using historical 2 dimensional drawing tools, even
though Owners, Operators and Designers visualize
the world in 3 dimensions. The necessary tools to
design in 3D have been around for several decades
and continually improving, but the implementation
to the market has been slow. Over the past 10
years the tools necessary for the complete project
implementation within a 3D environment have
become applicable and cost effective for the majority
of municipal projects. These tools include the ability
to survey existing infrastructure using laser equipment
which can generate a virtual model of the as-built
facility, permitting a designer to work directly from
existing conditions. Designers can utilize this model to
incorporate new equipment or, for new facilities, build
a model from the ground up. As the model is developed
Owners and Operators can walk through the facility
in a virtual environment, allowing a quick and concise
visual understanding of the project. This approach also
allows the design team to incorporate all major design
disciplines into a single model which can then be used
for conflict identification and resolution. As a model is
constructed building information can be added to the
incorporated databases. Such information can include
pipe details, equipment model numbers, conditions
and functional requirements. This holistic approach
to infrastructure design opens up new options for
understanding and implementation of projects.
25
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Friday, May 29, 2015
8:30 - 9:00 am
STREAM 8: STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Victoria rainwater management standards: Now with DIY
Presenter: Laurel Morgan, P.Eng.
Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd.
Additional Contributors: Adam Steele, B.Sc., Stormwater
Management Specialist, City of Victoria
The City of Victoria’s new stormwater utility program
offers financial incentives to property owners who
actively manage rainwater on-site with rain gardens,
cisterns, bioswales, and other approved rainwater
management methods. In developing the Rainwater
Management Incentive Program, the City of Victoria
developed case studies of rainwater management
opportunities and issues on volunteer properties.
With lessons learned from the case studies, the
City developed standards for the design and
implementation of Rainwater Management Methods.
The City of Victoria Rainwater Management
Standards provide guidelines tailored to the City’s
characteristics, program goals, and chosen rainwater
management criteria. They will be used as a basis
for approvals, and to ensure Rainwater Management
Methods are effective without the need for onerous
performance monitoring. They are a departure from
other existing guidance documents as they provide
significant detailed guidance for homeowners who
wish to construct their own Rainwater Management
Methods, as well as minimum design requirements for
professionals to meet the City’s rainwater management
needs. The Standards offer do-it-yourself planning,
simplified sizing and design, step-by-step construction
guidance, and maintenance requirements. KWL and
MDI worked closely with the City to ensure that the
Standards provide the appropriate levels of detail
needed for each audience. This presentation will
describe the process of building Victoria’s Rainwater
Management Standards and share the final product.
26
9:00 - 9:30 am
STREAM 2: ENSURING WATER QUALITY & SUPPLY
Skaha room, Delta Grand
Legislative and regulatory tools for local governments
to protect groundwater
Presenter: Rina Thakar
Valkyrie Law Group LLP
Additional Contributors: Sonia Sahota, P. Eng., LL.B
This session will provide a broad review of some
land use planning and regulatory tools that local
governments could consider using in respect of
regulating and protecting groundwater within their
jurisdiction, such as regional growth strategies,
official community plans, Aquifer Protection
Development Permit Areas, Aquifer Protection
Development Permit Approval Information Areas and
bylaws to regulate waste and recyclable materials that
may permeate groundwater.
Friday, May 29, 2015
9:00 - 9:30 am
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY
MANAGEMENT
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Dynamic field document management using portable
technology
Presenter: Yariv Ben-Shooshan, MBA, P.Eng.
Opus DaytonKnight Consultants Ltd.
Additional Contributors: Peter Seeley, B.Sc., Opus,
Sherwood Park, AB.
Field crews and operators require up to date and
available record drawings for a large variety of sites.
Unfortunately keeping a personal library up to date
with the most recent drawings in their field vehicle for
easy access can prove to be a difficult task. With last
minute changes, and the size and complexity of even
small municipal infrastructure systems it’s difficult for
the operators to have all the drawings and documents
they might need with them in their vehicle. Portable
technology has progressed to the point where field
maps, drawings and additional documentation can be
collected in a compact and portable tablet. Opus has
been working with municipalities as well as private
oil pipeline crews to develop a stable platform for the
management of extensive libraries of as-built drawings
and documents for field use. The system incorporates
dynamic mapping (linked to GPS), drawing overlays
for various infrastructure and related documents.
This technology has been developed to allow field
crews to pinpoint their location on a map, access all
relevant documentation from technical drawings,
to legal or regulatory documentation. This allows
crews to have greater mobility, moving from site to
site without having to stop to pick up drawings or
documents. Through the use of tablets, the audience
will be introduced to an easy-to-use system, and will
be run through field scenarios to better understand
the implications such technology can have for on-site
information management.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 6: BUILDING RESILIENCE
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Adapting to climate change, one farm at a time
Presenter: Colwyn Sunderland, A.Sc.T.
Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd.
Additional Contributors: Michelle Revesz, P.Eng., Kerr
Wood Leidal, Burnaby, BC; Kathy Lachman, Business
Development Officer, Economic Development Cowichan,
Duncan, BC; Emily MacNair, Coordinator, BC Agriculture
& Food Climate Action Initiative, Victoria, BC
Agriculture and water are inextricably linked.
Producing crops, raising livestock and on-farm
processing all have specific water requirements in
terms of volume, quality and timing throughout
the year. Field drainage and runoff must also be
successfully managed to provide sufficiently dry soils
for planting in spring, and to prevent adverse impacts
on neighbouring properties and watercourses.
In BC’s south coast region, climate change is expected
to affect all aspects of agricultural water management.
More extreme storm and drought events will increase
the risks of crop losses and poor yields. Reduced
snowpack at high elevations will reduce the availability
of water for summer irrigation demands. New water
management strategies will be required to cope with
these changes.
In 2013, Economic Development Cowichan and the BC
Agriculture & Food Climate Action Initiative retained
Kerr Wood Leidal to develop a water planning toolkit
to pilot with producers in the Cowichan region. The
project was intended to address a need for integrated
water management for individual farms.
This presentation will provide an overview of the
Farm Water Planning Toolkit, including the results of
initial piloting with Cowichan producers in fall 2014.
Key opportunities for improving resiliency include:
measuring and recording groundwater use and aquifer
levels; preparing for the Water Sustainability Act;
engaging neighbours in protecting and managing
shared water resources; managing land use impacts;
and sharing innovations.
27
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Friday, May 29, 2015
9:00 - 9:30 am
STREAM 7: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
Overcoming common pumping pitfalls
Presenter: Stephen Horsman, P.Eng., P.E.
AECOM
Pumping is an integral component of most municipal
operations and often represents a significant
operation and maintenance cost for a utility. Over
the years, the pumping industry has seen several
advancements that improve the efficiency and
functionality of municipal pumping infrastructure –
this is especially evident in the field of solids handling
pumps. These advancements have resulted in a wide
range of available pumping technologies and afford
owners and operators the opportunity to reduce the
maintenance, replacement and energy costs over the
life cycle of their pumping infrastructure. In order to
maximize the efficiency of pumping infrastructure, it
is important to look at the pump system as a whole.
Intake and discharge hydraulics, motor selection,
material compatibility, maintenance requirements and
accessibility can all impact the overall life cycle cost
of pumping infrastructure. Left unchecked oversights
during design and installation can result in premature
equipment failure, increased maintenance frequencies,
electrical and hydraulic inefficiency, and other
potential impacts to the overall life cycle cost of the
equipment. The start-up and commissioning process
serves as the last line of defense to compare the
installed performance with the design intent and root
out potential equipment performance or layout issues.
This presentation will review pumping fundamentals
and highlight how to apply industry best practices
from design through commissioning to optimize pump
efficacy and efficiency. Recommendations offered
within the presentation will be supported by case
studies representing a range in municipal water and
wastewater pumping applications.
28
STREAM 8: STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Adsorbents for the removal of contaminants from
stormwater
Presenter: Karin Bjorklund
University of British Columbia, Civil Engineering
Department
Additional Contributors: Loretta Li, P.Eng., Ph.D.,
Professor, UBC, Vancouver, BC
Contaminated urban runoff is a major cause of concern
for water quality and aquatic ecosystems worldwide.
Recent research shows that stormwater often contains
metals and emerging organic contaminants at levels
exceeding environmental quality standards. To
comply with quality guidelines for receiving waters,
stormwater treatment is considered to be critical.
Filtration of stormwater through an adsorptive material
is one of the most promising techniques for removal
of particulate, colloidal and dissolved pollutants.
The aim of this research was to use laboratory-based
experiments to determine the removal capacity of
selected sorbents for organic pollutants and metals
found in stormwater. The ideal sorbent should be
efficient in removing pollutants, inexpensive, abundant
and easily accessible. A variety of materials, including
minerals, wood- and bark-based media, were subjected
to batch tests. By comparing the capacity of a range of
sorbents under identical laboratory conditions, the most
promising sorbent can be identified.
The study revealed that cellulose and minerals adsorbed
organic pollutants to a negligible degree. However,
these materials may serve as efficient adsorbents of
metals because of their potential to attract cations.
Sawdust and bark efficiently and promptly sorbed
organic compounds, whereas their capacity for metals
was found to be low. Activated carbon produced from
sewage sludge exhibited substantially higher adsorption
capacity for organic pollutants than the wood- and
bark-based media tested.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
Friday, May 29, 2015
9:30 - 10:00 am
STREAM 2: ENSURING WATER QUALITY & SUPPLY STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY
Skaha room, Delta Grand MANAGEMENT
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Transitioning from surface water to groundwater: the
district of 100 mile house water supply strategy Rate structure design and the universally metered
Presenter: Ryan Rhodes, P.Geo. water system: How and where to begin?
Western Water Associates Ltd. Presenter: Karyn Johnson, MBA
Additional Contributors: Phil Strain, Director of FCS GROUP
Engineering and Operations, District of 100 Mile House;
Doug Geller, P.Geo., Western Water Associates Ltd., This presentation will focus on the concepts, principals
Vernon, BC; Dave Underwood, P.Eng., TRUE Consulting, and best practices of utility rate-making. Emphasis will
Kamloops, BC. be placed on developing metered water conservation
rate structures, including transition strategies to move
The District of 100 Mile House presently obtains the from flat to metered rates. Through lecture and case
majority of its water supply needs from Bridge Creek, study examples, this presentation will demonstrate
augmented by groundwater from a single 175 metre the key considerations in rate design; water rate
deep well. In 2013, grant funding was awarded to components (fixed and variable charges); alternative
complete comprehensive studies to guide long term rate structure options (including applicability of use,
water system planning. In light of evolving water advantages/disadvantages, etc.); implementation
treatment requirements and concerns over the security decision points, and potential implementation
of the Bridge Creek source driven by land use and challenges and solutions when transitioning from
climate changes, increasing reliance on groundwater flat to metered rates. Sample rate structures will be
resources was identified as the preferred long-term presented for a variety of customer types including
water supply option. Detailed hydrogeological agricultural, single family residential, multi-family
investigations were carried out, including confirmation residential, commercial, parks & irrigation, and other
of aquifer and well capacity, groundwater quality and unique and/or large customer groups.
assessing the feasibility of Aquifer Storage and Recovery.
The aquifer sourced by the District of 100 Mile House
is somewhat unique in BC. Analogous to the prolific
Columbia River Basalts in the Northwestern United
States, the aquifer forms in layered lava flows and is
highly productive and characterized by good water
quality. The aquifer is also secure: deep and isolated
from the effects of land use at the surface, the source
is not at risk of containing pathogens.
This presentation outlines District’s plan for transition
to increased reliance on groundwater, including
the implementation of microbiological manganese
removal, additional source development, and water
treatment requirements in the context of the recently
released Drinking Water Treatment Objectives for
Groundwater Supplies in BC. The hydrogeology of the
deep basalt aquifer will also be discussed, as little is
known about this regionally extensive aquifer, yet to
be heavily developed in Interior of BC.
29
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Friday, May 29, 2015
9:30 - 10:00 am
STREAM 6: BUILDING RESILIENCE
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Incorporating seismic design into a large diameter steel
water main in proximity to the Fraser River
Presenter: Joel Melanson, P.Eng
Metro Vancouver
Additional Contributors: Anthony Fuller, Golder
Associates
In order to meet growing water consumption demands
of the communities south of the Fraser River, Metro
Vancouver is in the process of installing a new 1.5
metre diameter water main called Port Mann Main
No.2 in Coquitlam, BC. Due to the steep slopes and
low-lying peaty soil conditions along the proposed
alignment and its proximity to the Fraser River, Metro
Vancouver undertook a significant seismic analysis to
estimate the vertical and lateral displacements that the
new water main would be exposed to under the 1:2475
year seismic event. The seismic analysis was carried out
using 1-D and 2-D ground response analyses and finite
difference (FLAC2D) modeling of lateral displacements.
Results indicate liquefaction in the upper 10-15 metres
with significant vertical and lateral displacements.
These soil movements were then used in conjunction
with a finite element model of the pipeline to account
for soil-structure interactions. The pipeline design was
optimized to account for these forces. Results also
indicated a differential movement of up to 4 metres
between the water main and its connecting point
to the seismically designed Port Mann Water Supply
Tunnel. Innovative techniques using large diameter
rotating ball joints and flexible expansions joints
were incorporated into the design to account for this
significant differential movement.
30
STREAM 7: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
Buried surprises and high pressures – a retrospective
look at a UV retrofit
Presenter: Tom Robinson
Associated Engineering
In the Municipality of North Cowichan, the Boys Road
pump station is used to supply up to 54 ML/d of
groundwater to the community. The pump station
is over 35 years old, and the Municipality wanted to
upgrade the pump station, primarily to incorporate UV
disinfection and expand the building. The addition of
new water infrastructure provided the Municipality the
opportunity to improve a number of other features,
including more hydraulically efficient delivery of
potable water, new electrical equipment and the
addition of surge protection to the building.
Water pressure within the building can exceed 200 psi.
As UV reactors are conventionally rated to 150 psi, this
would mark be the first UV system in North America
operating at such high pressures. Additional caution
was therefore needed.
Typically retrofits to existing infrastructure lead to
unexpected developments and this project was no
exception. The Boys Road site had already gone
several iterations of upgrades which led to a network
of buried mains and conduits, some of which had
been abandoned and forgotten. Inside the building,
the interface between the old and new piping led
to some challenges during construction, requiring
creative design to resolve the issue efficiently without
compromising functionality or the aesthetic inside
the building.
With construction complete, this presentation looks
back at some of the solutions that were proposed for
the pump station’s various challenges, and reflects on
what did and did not work
Friday, May 29, 2015
9:30 - 10:00 am
STREAM 8: STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Gutters, gardens, rooftops, taps
Presenter: Ken Nentwig, B.L.A., M.L.A., CLP CLD
Canadian Association for Rainwater Management
(CANARM)
Rainwater Harvesting is getting a lot of news in
Canada and across the globe. With climate change
underway, drastic modification to current manners
of dealing with water resources are being considered
and implemented at the watershed scale. Site-specific
solutions, and best practices for design and installation,
require regulations, guidelines, and qualified personnel
in order to develop and maintain a high standard of
water quality and quantity. While Canadians use over
one-third of their potable water supply for outdoor
purposes where rainwater would serve just as well,
additional proactivity in applying rainwater harvesting
for flushing and other indoor uses is not only possible
but viable. The capture of rainwater for infiltration or
detention on site is a very positive flood-prevention
strategy in stormwater management. Homeowners,
landscape and irrigation specialists, roofers and
gutter installers, will all be involved in this developing
industry. Municipal, design, and professional decision-
makers, along with the practitioners and DIY’ers,
require guidance and expertise in best practices
that utilize existing and new technologies. And
the development of workable local regulations and
parameters for the design and installation of systems,
both in new developments and as retrofits, is essential.
The Canadian Association for Rainwater Management
(CANARM), its members and associates, are working in
this direction, from the ground up, at the site level.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
10:15 - 10:45 am
STREAM 1: SMALL WATER SYSTEMS
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Beyond disinfection: Expanding the role of UV in
drinking water for small systems
Presenter: Laith Furatian, Ph.D. Candidate
University of British Columbia - Department of
Chemical and Biological Engineering
Additional Contributors: Adrian Serrano, M.Sc. Candidate,
UBC CHBE, Vancouver, BC; Madjid Mohseni, Ph.D., UBC
CHBE, Vancouver, BC.
Production of microbiologically safe and aesthetically
acceptable drinking water is challenging for small
systems that rely on surface water. The application
of ultraviolet radiation is an effective method
of disinfection, particularly for chlorine resistant
pathogens such as Giardia. UV can also be used to treat
chemical contaminants that may have aesthetic or
human health relevance. The use of Far-UV radiation
produced from the same conventional UV lamps and
a specially designed reactor can be used to degrade
chemical contaminants such as naturally occurring algal
metabolites that may be toxic or produce unacceptable
taste and odor, as well as man-made substances such as
pesticides. Water temperature and its composition such
as total organic carbon (TOC), alkalinity, and chloride
can influence the efficiency of such a process. In this
presentation, we will discuss these factors and present
results demonstrating treatability of contaminants of
relevance for small surface water systems under water
quality conditions found in the Pacific Northwest.
31
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Friday, May 29, 2015
10:15 - 10:45 am
STREAM 2: ENSURING WATER QUALITY & SUPPLY
Skaha room, Delta Grand
Yellow flags and green thumbs: Two successful social
marketing initiatives in the Kootenays
Presenter: Neal Klassen, Masters in Environmental
Education
H2Okanagan Water Conservation Ltd.
Almost every water provider has some form of
watering regulations, but how many are actually
enforced - and do they really work? Compliance is
rarely measured and enforcement is often
non-existent.
In 2015 the Columbia Basin Trust’s Water Smart
Program initiated a watering regulation education
program in seven communities across the Kootenay
region. From June to August, summer students in
each community patrolled neighborhoods looking
for residents and businesses irrigating outside of the
allowed periods. When an “offence” was observed,
the student placed a bright yellow flag on the front
lawn. Printed on the flag were a telephone number
and a link to the local regulations.
This paper examines the surprising results and some
unintended consequences of the program, which
suggest that 1) water regulation bylaw enforcement
can be simple and inexpensive; and 2) existing water
regulations may not be the best fit for a community.
The students who carry out the yellow flag initiative
are part of a larger Water Smart Ambassador Program,
which is cost-shared between Columbia Basin Trust and
participating communities. In addition to distributing
lawn flags, the students provide residential irrigation
system audits. By making small changes and fine-
tuning irrigation schedules, the students can reduce a
homeowner’s irrigation by up to 50 per cent.
The presentation will demonstrate how a suite of social
marketing initiatives (water audits, yellow flags, etc.)
can lower peak demand, helping to reduce overall
water use and extend the life of existing water supply
infrastructure.
32
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY
MANAGEMENT
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Leveraging your SCADA system as a management/
planning tool
Presenter: Adrian Vasiu
Opus DaytonKnight Consultants Ltd.
Additional Contributors: Adrian Vasiu, Victor Wong
SCADA systems are primarily used by the Operations
Department and very seldom used by Engineering
or the Planning Group. Data collection devices
strategically placed on important water / wastewater
nodes can provide planners an insight on the overall
system performance and will also allow them to:
Improve water distribution by moving water from low
to high demand areas
• Determine points of failure and take action
before a breakdown
• Assist with leak detection and mitigate leaking
water and costs of water lost
• Monitor Demand for the purpose of expanding
the water and wastewater systems
• Provide data to automatically generate
work orders from Computer Maintenance
Management systems
• Generate reports for internal management
review
• Generate external reports for government
agencies responsible for oversight
Three key points will be discussed in this presentation:
1. Without accurate and good “easily retrievable”
data, planning becomes a much more difficult
function.
2. Historical data can be linked to CMMS programs
to provide timely significant information on
possible upcoming failures.
3. Live Historical data on flows and pressures will
confirm water/sanitary modelling software.
Come and see how your Municipality can leverage your
existing SCADA system to more than an Operations tool!
Friday, May 29, 2015
10:15 - 10:45 am
STREAM 7: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
Towards a wastewater treatment plant that generates
“zero” excess sludge
Presenter: Rony Das, University of British Columbia
Additional Contributors: Eric R. Hall, P. Eng., Professor,
Department of Civil Engineering, University of British
Columbia
Excess sludge handling and disposal in conventional
and advanced wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)
account for 50 to 60 % of capital and operational
costs. In addition, treatment and final disposal of
treated sludge have serious environmental and social
impacts. Therefore, it is the ultimate dream of a
process engineer to design WWTPs that can eliminate
sludge generation without impacting the treatment
efficiency. A process has been conceptualized, using
infinite sludge age, which manipulates solids retention
time (SRT) of biomass to realize the “zero” excess
sludge objective. An experimental program has been
undertaken at the Staging Environmental Research
Center (SERC) at the University of British Columbia, to
explore the “zero” excess sludge concept. Preliminary
results of the membrane-assisted enhanced biological
phosphorus removal (EBPR) process operated at very
long SRTs (25 days, 40 days, 60 days) show that biomass
(sludge) yield was decreased by 17 % (0.30 g VSS/gCOD
Vs 0.25 g VSS/g COD) with the increase of SRT from 25
days to 60 days. COD removal efficiency was found to
be more than 85%, irrespective of process SRT. Effluent
ortho-P concentration was less than 0.10 mg/L for all of
the SRTs studied. Unlike EBPR process performance at
normal SRT (12-20 days), the process showed increased
stability in biological nutrient removal at higher SRTs.
Initial results show promise for the design and operation
of a future WWTP generating “zero” excess sludge.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 9: OTHER
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Extracting practical information from climate change
modelling
Presenter: Michael MacLatchy, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Associated Engineering
Climate change modelling provides coarse scale
estimates of the potential changes in climatic normals
and extremes that will come about due to increasing
atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. The
output from these models is at least two steps
removed from providing the information needed to
make engineering decisions for adaptive actions and
planning.
Generally, to make use of climate model data a
“down scaling” process is needed to relate the climate
predictions made in coarse detail into climate data
useable at a local scale. Even then, raw climate data is still
an input to other processes, such as hydrologic modelling,
in order to estimate the potential impacts to areas of
direct interest. Possible examples included annual and
seasonal water availability, or the occurrence of extreme
flood events. Once a specific impact is quantified,
appropriate adaption actions can be identified, whether
engineering, policy or planning based.
However, there are numerous climate change models
producing output data from several emissions scenarios.
The challenge then becomes identifying the most
relevant scenarios, or considering the range of outputs.
Over time, climate change estimates will vary as models
evolve and emissions scenarios are deleted or added.
Analysis based on 6-year old modelling could fall outside
current estimates.
By considering two hydrologic studies based on climate
model estimates, these considerations will be illustrated.
33
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Friday, May 29, 2015
10:45 - 11:15 am
STREAM 1: SMALL WATER SYSTEMS
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Nutrient removal in cold climate lagoon systems
Presenter: Merle Kroeker, P.Eng.
Nelson Environmental Inc.
Nutrient enrichment or eutrophication of waterways
is one of the most serious water quality issues in North
America. Waste water treatment plants (WWTP) are
one of the main point sources contributing to excessive
nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) in lakes and rivers.
Historically the majority of wastewater treatment
plants, particularly ponds or lagoons, were not
designed to remove nutrients. The current trend in
North America is to place ammonia restrictions on
WWTP effluent, requiring an increasing number of
facilities (including lagoons) to have some element of
ammonia-N removal.
Over the past 15+ years Nelson Environmental has
developed the OPTAER lagoon based wastewater
treatment process. Traditionally the process has been
designed to remove BOD and TSS from municipal and
industrial wastewater. With the push towards nutrient
removal, Nelson Environmental has adapted the SAGR
(Submerged Attached Growth Reactor) process for
ammonia removal in cold climates.
Lagoon Phosphorus removal is accomplished by
chemical addition and filtration. While Phosphorus
removal is an established process, ongoing
development work continues to lower chemical dosing
requirements and improve removal efficiencies when
utilizing the process to upgrade lagoon systems.
This presentation will discuss the technologies that
are integral to the OPTAER lagoon based treatment
process, focusing on the SAGR ammonia and total
nitrogen removal system case studies.
34
STREAM 2: ENSURING WATER QUALITY & SUPPLY
Skaha room, Delta Grand
River for life
Presenter: Kerri Robinson, M.Sc., P.Eng.
Urban Systems
Additional Contributors: Kristel Untershultz, M.Sc., P.Eng.,
Urban Systems, Edmonton, Alberta
River for Life, a 30 year strategy initiated by the
City of Edmonton, was developed with the mission
to “[prevent] pollution by continuously reducing
discharges of contaminants to the environment
towards a goal of net zero impact from human
activity.” In an initiative unique to North America,
Edmonton seeks to exceed all existing regulatory
requirements and accomplish vast reductions in
pollutant loadings because they feel it is the best way
to serve the population in the long run.
Implementation plans were developed to guide
the River for Life strategy over the next 30 years.
Four foundational processes (Planning, Adaptive
Management, Partnerships and Funding) were outlined
to support implementation of discharge quality
enhancement projects. Building on the foundational
processes, the following implementation plans were
developed to provide specific direction for reducing
discharge pollutant loads to the North Saskatchewan
River: Residential discharge, City sites discharge,
Industrial-Commercial-Institutional discharge, Grey
infrastructure improvements and Green infrastructure
implementation.
Through intensive stakeholder consultation, an
Adaptive Management Plan, an Incentives Plan and
a Triple Bottom Line Process were formed to lay the
foundation for implementation of River for Life. The
Adaptive Management Plan outlines the iterative
process required to continually move River for Life
forward in a dynamic municipality. The Incentives Plan
consists of a review of incentives available to the City
to support the River for Life mission. The Triple Bottom
Line Process was developed and tested to evaluate and
select programs and projects that will best meet the
objectives of River for Life.
Friday, May 29, 2015
10:45 - 11:15 am
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY
MANAGEMENT
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Managing performance for small to medium sized water
utilities: a component and system based approach
Presenter: Husnain Haider, Ph.D.
University of British Columbia (Okanagan)
Small to medium sized water utilities (SMWU) in
Canada are facing serious challenges to meet broad
sustainability objectives, because of lack of technical,
human and financial constraints, and limited
involvement and knowledge about the benchmarking
process. In result, SMWU are unable to address the
performance gaps of various functional components
of water supply systems, including water resources,
personnel, operational, quality of service, water quality
and financial, and consequently rely on emergency
response. A performance management model is
developed for effective decision making. The model
consists of a hierarchical based top-down approach;
starting from overall sustainability performance
objectives of the functional components at the top,
followed by primary and secondary performance
measures of the sub-components, and indicators (basic
building blocks) receiving inputs from data/ decision
variables at the bottom. The issues related to data
scarcity are addressed by utilizing benchmarking data
from larger utilities, peer-reviewed literature, and
expert elicitation from local municipalities.
In-UPM is robust enough to deal with temporal and
spatial variations, i.e., it can assess the performance
of a water utility as a whole and/ or different water
supply systems operating within a utility for a given
assessment period. The Simulink in MATLAB is used for
fuzzy based modeling to deal with uncertainty issues.
The results of implementing the proposed model for
a case-study in the Okanagan Basin (British Columbia,
Canada) reveal that it can be efficiently used for
performance management of SMWU.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 7: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
Pump performance & efficiency testing: Bridging the
gap from speculation to knowledge
Presenter: Fabian Papa, M.A.Sc., M.B.A., P.Eng.
HydraTek & Associates
Additional Contributors: Djordje Radulj, M.A.Sc., P.Eng.,
HydraTek & Associates; Bryan W. Karney, Ph.D., P.Eng.,
University of Toronto
Pumps are central to the supply and distribution of
water and consume significant amounts of energy.
Increased awareness of the importance of energy
conservation coupled with the threat of increasing
electricity prices has driven the need to look at the
performance of pumps more closely. In particular, the
measurement of energy-based performance indicators
is being increasingly promoted and, together with it,
the field testing of pumps to determine their actual
operating performance characteristics and energy
efficiency.
This presentation will provide an overview of pump
mechanics as a prelude to providing the results of more
than 200 field tests, many of which were conducted as
part of a targeted awareness program supported by
the Ontario Power Authority Conservation Fund. The
results illustrate that there is ample opportunity to
reduce energy consumption and, accordingly, electricity
costs through measures as simple as modifying
operating protocols and, in some cases, through
economically viable refurbishments.
The presentation, in addition to elaborating on the
testing results, will discuss the two testing methods
available to utilities: (i) the conventional method; and (ii)
the thermodynamic method. A review of benchmarking
performance indicators will be reviewed and
compared, including a metric developed based on the
aforementioned testing program. As well, the testing
of pumps pre- and post-refurbishment will be discussed,
forming the basis for business cases supporting such
interventions. The testing results were also used
alongside an economic model to develop pump testing
frequency guidelines which will also be discussed.
35
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Friday, May 29, 2015
10:45 - 11:15 am
STREAM 9: OTHER
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Anerobic digester design using linear motion mixer
Presenter: Leslie Nemeth, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., FEC
AECOM Canada
Additional Contributors: Mike Brophy, Nanaimo WWTP
Plant Superintendent; Ben Loewen, Chilliwack WWTP
Plant Superintendent
New anaerobic digesters were constructed at the
Chilliwack and Nanaimo WWTPs. Unique features for
the digester design are roof mounted linear motion
mixers (LMMs), submerged roof design and hopper
bottom floor layout. The design for the digesters
maximizes use of the tank volume; reduces process
energy needs and enhances biogas production. The
LMM equipment along with sludge recirculation
provides good mixing characteristics for sludge
digestion at minimal energy usage and the LMMs
combined with the submerged roof design improves
overall efficiency in the production of biogas and
reduction of volatile solids. The design also includes
biogas collection pipework attached to a constant
pressure/variable volume membrane gasholder to allow
efficient and controlled usage of biogas and minimize
flaring to atmosphere.
The digesters presently operate as mesophilic digester
at 37C and the design features include operating the
digesters as thermophilic digesters at 55C as required in
the future.
The presentation will focus on the design aspects
using LMMs and the submerged roof concept plus
operational review after 2 years of service.
36
11:15 - 11:45 am
STREAM 1: SMALL WATER SYSTEMS
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Microbiological contaminant intrusion management in
small water distribution systems: a simplistic approach
for detection and protection with booster chlorination
Presenter: Nilufar Islam, Ph.D. Candidate
University of British Columbia Okanagan
Additional Contributors: Rehan Sadiq, Ph.D., P.Eng.,
Professor, School of Engineering, University of British
Columbia Okanagan; Manuel J. Rodriguez, Professor,
Laval University
Contaminant intrusion is possible in a distribution
network (DN) if there is an available source of pathogen,
a pathway- leakage, and a driving force- negative
pressure. It can be catastrophic as the Walkerton
tragedy in 2000, if secondary disinfection is not
properly managed. However, secondary disinfection
such as chlorination can create harmful disinfectant
by-products (DBPs) when free residual chlorine (FRC)
reacts with natural organic matter. The study represents
a methodology to identify potential intrusion points in
a DN, and to protect the system with proper booster
chlorination after considering trade-offs between
microbiological and DBP impacts and costs.
A point scoring method is proposed to identify
potential intrusion points inside a DN. A risk based
framework was developed in this respect consists of
information representing pollutant source: sanitary
mains; pollution pathway: water main and surrounding
soil conditions; consequence: population, and land use;
and operational parameter: water main pressure. The
methodology combines different sets of Geographical
Information System (GIS) data and then, intrusion
was modelled for E Coli O156: H7 using EPANET-MSX
programmer’s toolkit. Location and dosage for booster
chlorination were selected by optimization using
Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA).
Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) and
traditional chemical risk assessment frameworks were
adapted to estimate risk potentials. The methodology
was implemented on the City of Kelowna (British
Columbia, Canada) DN. The proposed methodology is
limited to small DNs and can be adapted with common
municipal inventory data.
STREAM 2: ENSURING WATER QUALITY & SUPPLY
Skaha room, Delta Grand
Using hydraulic modeling to identify alternative water
supply options during a planned supply main shutdown
– a case study with the City of Powell River, BC
Presenter: Werner de Schaetzen, P.Eng., Ph. D.
GeoAdvice Engineering Inc.
Additional Contributors: Andrea McCrea, E.I.T., GeoAdvice
Engineering Inc., Port Moody, BC; Jeremy Sagebiel, B.Sc.,
City of Powell River, Powell River, BC; Frank D’Angio,
AScT, City of Powell River, Powell River, BC
The City of Powell River, located on the Sunshine
Coast of British Columbia, draws its potable water
from Haslam Lake. Replacement of the existing supply
main from Haslam Lake is required in the near future,
which will isolate the main supply from the City
water distribution system. In an effort to determine
alternative supply options, GeoAdvice used the City’s
most recent calibrated water model to simulate several
supply options.
Several alternative supply options were identified,
centering on Powell Lake, which was formerly used by
the City to supply a small area of the City distribution
system. Using the City’s water model, GeoAdvice
identified the hydraulic challenges posed by each
alternative supply option. The infrastructure from
Powell Lake was not designed to supply the entire
City system; therefore, available flows were limited by
the capacities of pumps, pipes, and storage. One of
the recommendations made by GeoAdvice included
“reversing” the flow direction of one of the City’s
pump stations to back feed the main storage reservoir
from the new supply. Based on the available flows
and storage capacities of the Powell Lake pumping
and piping system, GeoAdvice determined the City
total demand and the available fire flows that the
alternative supply option could provide.
This presentation focuses on the methodology and
assumptions employed in determining an optimal
alternative supply option for the City of Powell
River during the Haslam Lake supply main planned
shutdown, as well as on how hydraulic models can be
effective operational tools to plan a supply shutdown.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY
MANAGEMENT
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
The sewage recycling system (SRS) - breaking new
ground in wastewater treatment - “Presenting a
sustainable, efficient and environmentally-friendly
approach to wastewater treatment”
Presenter: Van A. Ridout,,P. Eng.
Western Water Resources
Additional Contributors: Ali Roshanfekr, Ph.D., P. Eng.,
Western Water Resources (WWR) Inc., Calgary, Alberta
Wastewater treatment normally includes a combination
of physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove
contaminants. A new dimension to this is “Sewage
Mining”. The Applied CleanTech Sewage Recycling
System (SRS), recently introduced into Canada by BioForm
Sewage Mining from Calgary Alberta, mines and extracts
valuable resources from municipal sewage, recycling them
into a high-quality, pasteurized cellulose-based product
called RecylloseTM. It is a 100% renewable material,
a profitable new commodity created from an endless
untapped resource, which can be used as an additive in
a broad range of industries, helping to offset the rapid
depletion of natural cellulose resources.
The SRS technology represents a major breakthrough
toward solving an enormous environmental
challenge…the reduction of harmful sludge and its
associated high treatment and disposal costs.
The innovative Sewage Recycling System is a compact,
modular, “plug-and-play” recycling processor that
could be easily adapted to virtually any wastewater
treatment systems. It automatically and continuously
extracts suspended biosolids contained in the
wastewater stream before they become sludge. It then
transforms them into Recyllose™. This is accomplished
without restricting the flow to the wastewater
treatment plant (WWTP).
By preventing sludge production rather than treating
it, the unique SRS technology substantially reduces the
operating cost of the WWTP and increases the capacity
(throughput) of the WWTP while adding to the global
effort towards the reduction in greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions.
37
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Friday, May 29, 2015
11:15 - 11:45 am
STREAM 7: TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
NF-UF range membranes for drinking water treatment
Presenter: Joerg Winter, Dipl.-Ing.
The University of British Columbia
Additional Contributors: Pierre Bérubé, Ph.D., P.Eng., The
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
Membrane systems are an interesting alternative
for small and remote systems for drinking water
production. They offer high quality of treated water,
robustness, high degree of automation, the possibility
for remote control and are built as a modular
systems. Compared to current UF systems, NF-UF
range membranes offer a superior selectivity. They
essentially completely reject protozoa and bacteria
and remove viruses by greater than 4 log. In addition,
they are very effective at removing organic matter.
Hence, NF-UF range membranes can be implemented
to control color, taste, odour, disinfection by-product
formation potential and emerging synthetic organic
contaminants. NF-UF range membranes can achieve
all treatment requirements in one step. However,
currently available systems that are capable of
achieving contaminant removals as discussed above,
require extensive pre-treatment and exhibit drawbacks
regarding operation. This is mainly related to the
fact that current NF systems are built in spiral wound
configuration. The present study investigates fouling
behaviour and optimal operating conditions for
NF-UF range membranes operated in non-spiral wound
configurations. Fouling and concentration polarization
were quantified for different NOM components and
membranes of varies pore sizes. Results suggest that
concentration polarization due to NOM did not have
a substantial effect on system performance. This can
simplify system design and operation, since continuous
hydraulic fouling control is not necessarily required.
Further tests evaluate NOM rejection performance
and various approaches to hydraulically mitigate NOM
fouling in UF-NF range membranes.
38
STREAM 9: OTHER
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Stormwater treatment using ballasted flocculation, the
North American experience
Presenter: Chris Howorth, P.Eng.
Veolia
Additional Contributors: Christian Cabral, Daniel Lamarre
As we continue mitigating our impacts on the
environment, tackling uncontrolled discharges
of raw sewage during storm events becomes
increasingly important. Control measures broadly
divide into hydraulic retention approaches (e.g.
flow control devices, retention ponds, tunnels
etc.), and treatment approaches. Treatment ranges
from screening to remove trash, through physical/
chemical contaminant removal, to disinfection for
pathogen control. Stormwater’s sporadic, intense
nature makes contaminant removal particularly
challenging. Ballasted flocculation technology (such
as Veolia’s Actiflo™ process) are increasingly being
applied to overcome these challenges, including in
Western Canada. This paper presents the technology’s
principles of operation, design considerations and
performance. Full scale, North American installation
experience will be presented. A recent innovation,
combining physical/chemical treatment with high-
rate biological treatment for soluble BOD removal,
will also be presented. This paper summarizes how
stormwater is being treated to secondary effluent
quality in a compact, cost effective manner.
Friday, May 29, 2015
1:30 - 2:00 pm
STREAM 1: SMALL WATER SYSTEMS
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Organic carbon removal – DBP compliant drinking
water for all communities
Presenter: Madjid Mohseni, Ph. D.
University of British Columbia
Additional Contributors: Emily Doyle-Yamaguchi, B.Sc.
Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD); Chris
Howorth, P.Eng., Veolia, Vancouver, BC.
Dissolved and particulate organic carbon in drinking
water sources can cause two issues:
1. Where chlorine is used for disinfection,
disinfection byproducts (such as tri-halomethanes
and haloacetic acids) are formed as a result
of reactions between chlorine and organic
molecules. Some DBPs are suspected to be
carcinogenic; hence, are regulated under drinking
water quality requirements.
2. Organic materials can impart colour to water,
potentially even resembling strong tea where
concentrations are high. This can be unappealing
to consumers, resulting in complaints.
The financial and technical resources available to
large water suppliers give them access to relatively
well-established treatment processes for organic
carbon removal (e.g. coagulation-filtration). The cost
and complexity of these technologies however can
render them inaccessible for small and medium sized
suppliers. RES’EAU-WaterNET (a strategic small water
system network, funded by the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council and led by the University
of British Columbia) recently initiated a research project
to evaluate two innovative technologies with the
potential to overcome these challenges. The project is
taking place at Shawnigan Lake (on Vancouver Island),
and involves UBC, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal,
University of Victoria, the Cowichan Valley Regional
District and Veolia. It is evaluating two innovative
technologies (based on membrane filtration and ion
exchange processes) with the potential to help small
and medium sized communities overcome organic
carbon treatment challenges. This presentation will
outline the project, the technologies, preliminary
results of the research, and potential for application in
the study community.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 2: ENSURING WATER QUALITY & SUPPLY
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
Kamloops Sewage Treatment Centre
Presenter: Matthew Smith, P.Eng.
Urban Systems Ltd.
Additional Contributors: Chris Town, M.A.Sc., P.Eng.,
Urban Systems Ltd., Kamloops, BC
The City of Kamloops has just started up their new
plant after 16 years of planning and design. By
maximizing the use of their existing infrastructure
and challenging provincial regulations they have been
able to save an estimated $42.5 M over a 20 year life
cycle. The process of constructing the upgrades while
maintaining the existing process presented some
interesting challenges. This required prior planning, a
high degree of coordination between Owner, Engineer
and Contractor, advanced notification and regulatory
approvals. Overall the project cost was approximately
$40 M with the Building Canada fund, Green Municipal
Fund and BC Hydro contributing $15.5 M, which kept
the sewer utility rate increase to less than $35/year for
an average house in Kamloops.
Innovation aspects of the project include:
• Building two plants on the site (effluent to
irrigation and to the river)
• Incorporating biological phosphorus removal into
a lagoon system
• Combining clarifiers with lagoons
• Adding a 20,000 m² floating cover to an
anaerobic lagoon
• Recovering energy from the anaerobic lagoon to
heat/cool the Administration Building.
This paper will be of interest to owners, operators,
contractors and consultants and will cover:
• Specific construction/operation issues
• Specific unique design components
• Regulatory coordination/approvals
• Commissioning process including lessons learned,
• Preliminary operating results.
39
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Friday, May 29, 2015
1:30 - 2:00 pm
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY
MANAGEMENT
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Dealing with fugitive sewer odours resulting from
municipal combined sewer separation programs
Presenter: Yuko Suda, P.Eng.
Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd.
Many municipalities are aggressively pursuing
separation of their combined sewers into storm and
sanitary systems. One often overlooked problem
when separating the sewer systems is fugitive odour
release, and resulting odour complaints. Combined
sewers typically do not have significant odour issues
because the BOD of the sanitary component is diluted
by the storm component. As the combined system is
separated, the sanitary sewer portion of the separated
system will develop odour issues.
Odours are typically released as a result of local
pressurization of the air space in the sewer system.
Sanitary sewer systems have relatively few and easily
identified air release points for foul air (such as
manhole lids, building roof vents, and pump stations).
Conversely, a storm sewer system has many potential
release points for foul air. The consequence of this is
that odours generated in the sanitary sewer portion of
a partially separated system can travel into the storm
portion and release through its many atmospheric
connections, potentially resulting in more odour
complaints than a fully separated system would have.
Because many of these odour issues are interim,
targeted strategies may offer the most effective – and
cost-effective – solution over traditional, comprehensive
odour control and air management techniques.
Targeted strategies include a detailed identification of
odour sources, limited air extraction and treatment,
and isolation of combined sewer air spaces.
40
STREAM 5: BUILDING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR WATER
Skaha room, Delta Grand
What you need to know about human behaviour when
preparing service delivery strategies
Presenter: Anna Robak, P.Eng., CP.Eng., Ph.D. (econ),
M.Sc.E (infrastructure)
Opus DaytonKnight Consultants Ltd.
We are travelling at speeds we would not have thought
possible one hundred years ago, and communicating
in ways that were only science fiction thirty years
ago. Our assets are expected to last up to 100 years,
over which time we will experience technological,
environmental and institutional changes that we
cannot yet imagine. Given the possibility that the
nature of our services could drastically change within
our assets’ lives, it is only prudent that we consider that
we might use different technologies, have different
service delivery models, and charge differently for
our services. While it is difficult to imagine what
our technological alternatives might be, one thing
is certain: the success of these service delivery
alternatives will depend on how people react to them.
This paper develops a basic model that shows how
changes in three aspects of service delivery – service
provider, service delivery mechanism, and charging
mechanism – influence people’s behaviours and how
they value the service. This service change model is
based on findings from my research and the literature.
It shows that people’s behaviours could change
dramatically, for example, when they have a new
service provider.
These findings will be of interest to any service
provider that is considering new, or has recently
undergone changes to, their service delivery.
Understanding people’s likely reactions to changes in
service delivery will help utilities develop strategies for
informing consumers and managing expectations.
Friday, May 29, 2015
1:30 - 2:00 pm
STREAM 9: OTHER
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Harmonizing WSER and MWR: A status report
Presenter: Ian Cameron, Environment Canada and
Justin Sabourin, BC Ministry of Environment
The Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER)
under the federal Fisheries Act were published in the
Canada Gazette Part II on July 18, 2012 and include
baseline effluent quality standards and risk-based
compliance timelines, representing fulfillment of a
key federal commitment under the Canadian Council
of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Canada-wide
Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater
Effluent. As part of a further commitment under
the CCME Strategy for the establishment of bilateral
agreements between the federal government and
the provinces and Yukon for the WSER, Canada and
British Columbia are working toward an equivalency
agreement for the WSER in British Columbia. The
approach and process for the establishment of the
agreement will be discussed, as well as arrangements
for interim administration of the WSER, and continuing
collaboration between the two governments.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
2:00 - 2:30 pm
STREAM 1: SMALL WATER SYSTEMS
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Occurrence of viruses, other pathogens, and
organic wastewater indicators, in seven First Nation
communities in southern BC
Presenter: Marta Green, P.Geo.
Summit Environmental Consultants Inc.
Additional Contributors: Ted Molyneux, P.Eng., Aboriginal
Affairs and Northern Development Canada; Pierre
Berube, P.Eng., Professor, UBC Faculty of Applied Science
The BC region of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern
Development Canada requires that all community
water supply sources be disinfected at the source.
This includes all groundwater supply wells that supply
connections of five homes of more. Many first nation
communities are located in remote areas, with low
housing density. Moreover, well systems with chlorine
treatment cause iron and manganese to precipitate,
leading to a low aesthetic value of the water.
The specific objectives of this study were to (1)
develop and test a methodology to test for viruses in
groundwater at First Nations’ wells in BC using dead
end ultra-filtration techniques; (2) assess if surrogates
or other indicators can be used to assess presence of
viruses; and (3) determine if viruses, other pathogens,
and/or organic wastewater compounds are present
in a select number of First Nation communities in
Southern BC at one snap shot in time. Samples were
collected from confined and unconfined wells located
near surface water, near septic fields and sanitary lines,
and away from potential sources of pathogens. Viruses
were present in three of fifteen samples collected.
Comparison of the results showed no link between
presence or absence of organic wastewater indicators
and presence or absence of viruses when virus sampling
is conducted only once.
The study was successful in developing and testing
a methodology to test for viruses in groundwater at
First Nations’ wells in BC using dead end
ultra-filtration techniques. This methodology can be
applied to future groundwater supply projects where
communities wish to know their risk to water borne
pathogens including viruses.
41
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Friday, May 29, 2015
2:00 - 2:30 pm
STREAM 2: ENSURING WATER QUALITY & SUPPLY
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
The BC Water Use Reporting Centre (BCWURC)
Presenter: Natasha Neumann, Ph.D.
Private Consultant
Additional Contributors: Suzan Lapp, Ph.D., Urban
Systems, Kelowna, BC; Sid Kwakkel, M.Sc., EIT, Summit
Environmental Consultants, Vernon, BC; Nelson Jatel,
M.A., Okanagan Basin Water Board, Kelowna, BC;
James Littley, C.D., B.A., Okanagan Basin Water Board,
Kelowna, BC
Sustainable resource management and planning
requires ready access to good quality data. The BC
Water Use Reporting Centre (BCWURC) is a simple
on-line water management and reporting system that
standardises the collection, storage and reporting
of water use by large volume users. Once users
upload water use information, they can generate
standardised documents that meet provincial reporting
requirements, access previously entered data for
benchmarking and analysis, and compare use to other
utilities. Two new tools have recently been added:
one for agricultural users and another for integrating
locally-collected hydrometric data with the federal
database. Water utility and local government senior
water managers have described the BCWURC as
an easy-to use web-based software platform that
improves secure data management, data sharing,
collaborative research and mandatory annual reporting
of water use to the provincial government. Developed
and tested in the Okanagan, BCWURC is now being
implemented in the Nanaimo region, with the
intention for province-wide application. An overview
of the BCWURC interface will be presented, focusing
on the new tools.
42
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY
MANAGEMENT
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Transitioning to Master Municipal Construction
Documents 2014 design guidelines
Presenter: David Chan, P.Eng., M.Eng.
MMCD
MMCD has recently launched the 2014 Design
Guidelines. This presentation will highlight some of the
key changes from the last edition. Also included in this
edition is the updated sustainable design alternatives
for Roads, Storm, Sanitary and Streetlighting. This
presentation will be a great resource for municipalities
looking at adopting the MMCD Design Guidelines as
their own in-house design reference.
Friday, May 29, 2015
2:00 - 2:30 pm
STREAM 5: BUILDING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR WATER
Skaha room, Delta Grand
Public stakeholder communication can make or
break your project - case study: The Mara Lake Water
Treatment Plant
Presenter: Jean Lambert, MBA, B.Sc., PMP
MHPM Project Leaders
Additional Contributors: Michael Nordquist, M.Eng.,
P.Eng., PMP, LEED AP, MHPM, Vancouver, BC; Timothy
Phelan, P.Eng, P.E, OPUS DK, Kelowna, BC
As city managers, project managers, and Engineers,
we always believe that we have the support of our
peers, councilors, and constituents when planning and
working on a project. But what do you do when you
are faced with unexpected roadblocks and endless
debates about aspects you never imagined would be
questioned? What can be done to mitigate these risks?
The District of Sicamous is improving their existing
Mara Lake water supply infrastructure to comply with
current water quality regulations. This project was
initiated as a result of a 2012 flood event that saw
turbidity levels reach between 20 and 100 NTU, well
above the historical average. However, the project was
nearly derailed at the early stages of design. The public
became uneasy about perceived cost overruns. The
original project budget had been based on incomplete
information that led the public to start questioning
every aspect of the project.
Using the Mara Lake WTP as a case study, this
presentation will provide an overview of the importance
of stakeholder engagement and explore the application
of effective communication strategies. We will review
the project history, the initial expectations, what
actually happened, how the project team responded,
and how this situation could have been mitigated or
prevented. We will also provide thoughts on the roles
of the major players involved in a public project and on
how to successfully utilize your resources.
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
STREAM 9: OTHER
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Don’t move a mussel – Protecting BC waters from the
impacts of invasive species
Presenter: Lisa Scott
R.P.Bio. M.Sc.
Additional Contributors: Okanagan and Similkameen
Invasive Species Society (OASISS)
The Okanagan and other areas of BC are at extreme
risk for invasion of several aquatic species, most
notably Zebra and Quagga mussels. Their arrival would
be devastating to our drinking water systems, our
environment and our economy.
Invasive mussels have caused several billion dollars
of damage to waterways and water infrastructure in
the Great Lakes and across North America, including
municipal water supplies and agricultural irrigation
facilities. These European mussels rapidly colonize
hard surfaces and clog water intake structures, such
as pipes and screens, thereby impacting pumping
capabilities for power and domestic water treatment
plants. Invasion of these mussels into BC could result
in control and management costs to our urban water
infrastructure amounting to millions of dollars annually
and have long term, detrimental consequences for the
environment.
Recently the Federal Government has recognized the
challenge by empowering Canadian Border Services
Agency to deny mussel-infested boats entry into
Canada. However, the mussels are moving quicker than
either the Federal or Provincial Governments can act.
Consequently, regional groups and local governments
are spearheading prevention programs to educate
recreational boaters and other water users, and
monitor local waterways.
Learn more about the costs and challenges faced
by other utilities and how to prevent the spread of
invasive mussels into BC.
43
43RD BCWWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Friday, May 29, 2015
2:30 - 3:00 pm
STREAM 1: SMALL WATER SYSTEMS
Shuswap room, Delta Grand
Ion exchange: Predicting natural organic matter (NOM)
removal during drinking water treatment
Presenter: Heather Wray, Ph.D.
University of British Columbia
Additional Contributors: Roman Vortisch, M.A.Sc.,
Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany;
Pierre Bérubé, Ph.D., P.Eng., University of British
Columbia, Vancouver, BC
Drinking water treatment in small and/or isolated
communities requires the use of compact, simple and
affordable technologies. One of the main challenges
for small scale drinking water systems is natural
organic matter (NOM) in source water, which can
lead to issues associated with aesthetic quality of
the water and disinfection. Ion exchange resins are a
cost-effective treatment to remove NOM from surface
waters. Traditionally, column tests are conducted to
determine the capacity and operating conditions of
the resin; however, column tests are time-consuming
and complex. An alternative test to determine resin
capacity is the multiple loading test (MLT), conducted
at bench scale, which consists of successive batch
tests that are faster and less resource intensive
than conventional column tests. To date, MLTs are
not frequently conducted and there is no basis for
comparison of results to column tests. The current
research is comparing MLTs and column tests for two
source waters (DOC = 5 mg/L): Jericho Pond water
(Vancouver, BC) and a lab-created water prepared
with Suwannee River NOM. The resin used for study,
Purolite A860, is a strong base anionic exchange resin.
Experiments have determined that columns are able
to remove approximately 70% of NOM from surface
waters, with predicted breakthroughs (resin saturation)
ranging from 85 to 220 days. MLT experiments, in
comparison, predicted similar NOM removals (67%) and
breakthrough periods (118 days). Some resin columns
also formed biofilms, which resulted in increased NOM
removal; this is an interesting new area of research that
is continuing to be explored.
44
STREAM 2: ENSURING WATER QUALITY & SUPPLY
Cascade / Cassiar room, Delta Grand
Microcystins- Occurrence and laboratory analysis
Presenter: Rudy Pante, BS Chemistry
Plante H2O Consultant
In August 2014, the Collins Park Water Treatment
plant in Toledo, Ohio shut down for two days because
microcystin-LR, a cyanotoxin, was detected at elevated
levels in their treated water. The Ohio EPA ordered
temporary tap water ban which was lifted after three
days. Lake Erie is the source water of the treatment
plant and during that time there was a blue green
algae bloom. Microcystins are toxins produced by
cyanobacteria also known as blue-green algae.
When conditions are favorable for growth in surface
waters (warm, stable conditions are required), large
populations can occur. The cyanobacteria may release
toxins upon cell death or lysis. When released, these
toxins can persist for weeks to months. Microcystins
present a health risk to animals and humans.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) provisional
drinking water guideline is 1.0 ug/L for Microcystin-
LR. In Canada, the maximum acceptable concentration
(MAC) is 1.5 ug/L. Currently, there is no guideline for
microcystins in USA, however, cyanotoxins are included
in Contaminant Candidate List 2 (CCL2). There are two
analytical methods that are widely used to analyse
microcystins. These are Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent
Assay (ELISA) and Liquid Chromatography Mass
Spectrometer (LC-MS/MS). I will discuss the ELISA
method of analysis as it is more affordable to water
treatment plant laboratories and can be used to screen
microcystins in both raw and treated drinking water.
Friday, May 29, 2015
2:30 - 3:00 pm
STREAM 4: SUSTAINABLE UTILITY MANAGEMENT
Vaseaux / Kootenay room, Delta Grand
Overview of the City of Regina’s wastewater treatment
plant upgrade/expansion as a P3 project
Presenter: Chris Baisley, MBA, P.Eng.
Deloitte
In July 2014, The City of Regina reached financial close
on Canada’s first sizable wastewater public-private
partnership (P3) project. The project is an upgrade and
expansion of the City’s existing wastewater treatment
plant through a 30-year design-build-finance-operate-
maintain delivery model (DBFOM).
This presentation will outline the municipal decision-
making process for P3, the P3 deal structure, the
procurement process, and the successful result achieved.
STREAM 5: BUILDING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR WATER
Skaha room, Delta Grand
Lessons learned - Using the integrated design process
to carry-out a major planning study for the Lions
Gate secondary wastewater treatment plant project
definition report
Presenter: Richard Bitcon, M.Eng., P.Eng., MBA
AECOM
Additional Contributors: Paul Dufault, P.Eng., Metro
Vancouver; Joyce Chang, P.Eng., CH2M HILL
Metro Vancouver will upgrade its existing primary
treatment plant on the North Shore to secondary
treatment by the end of 2020 to meet the new federal
Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulation (WSER).
The project definition phase for the new Lions Gate
Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant (LGSWWTP)
was carried out using a formal Integrated Design
Process (IDP) over a period of almost two years. The
final solution (Indicative Design), including the new
wastewater treatment facility and supporting ancillary
infrastructure, such as influent and effluent conveyance
and deconstructing the existing primary plant, has an
estimated CAPEX of $700M representing one of the
largest wastewater infrastructure projects in Canada.
This presentation will provide an overview of the IDP
framework, the stakeholders involved, the structured
CONNECT RESPECT PROTECT
decision-making (SDM) process developed by the design
team to build and evaluate concepts and technologies
and lessons learned by the design team that may be
applied to future municipal infrastructure projects that
will be implemented using a formal IDP and/or similar
SDM framework. The discussion will include feedback
from the public and other external stakeholders and
internal stakeholders within Metro Vancouver.
STREAM 9: OTHER
Pennask / Skeena room, Delta Grand
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products as emerging
contaminants of concern in municipal wastewater
Presenter: Kevin Barnard, M.Sc.
Capital Regional District
It is estimated that approximately six million
Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs)
exist worldwide. PPCPs are being detected in municipal
wastewater, and becoming sources of concern among
policy makers and the public.
As a Regional Source Control Program inspector for
the Capital Regional District, I regulate industrial,
commercial, and institutional facilities to reduce
contaminant loading into the wastewater systems and
receiving environments. The Program also promotes
reduced contaminant loadings through residential
outreach and education. Part of the Regional Source
Control Program’s initiative is dedicated to conducting
research into emerging contaminants of concern.
Graduate and undergraduate sponsored studies have:
identified 125 PPCPs within the region’s wastewater;
compared PPCP influent to effluent concentrations and
loadings following preliminary treatment in the region;
and estimated partitioning and environmental risk of
PPCPs following secondary treatment in the region.
My own Masters research conducted a comparative
assessment of known partitioned PPCP loadings
against modeled/predicted loadings to determine the
effectiveness of estimation models for determining
PPCP partitioning in wastewater systems; and
conducted a comparative assessment of known PPCP
concentrations in the region’s marine and terrestrial
receiving environments against modeled/predicted
toxicity values for aquatic and terrestrial species to
determine priority PPCPs of concern.
45
CLOSING SESSION AND KEYNOTE | Okanagan Room, Delta Grand

Friday, May 29, 2015

3:15 – 5:00 pm

Mental toughness, teamwork and leadership stories of a death-defying ocean

adventurer
Presenter: Adam Kreek

Mental toughness. Teamwork. Leadership. Get ready to learn timeless change

management and leadership strategies that will re-boot teamwork, engage
performance and strengthen your personal resiliency. Adam is a Social
Entrepreneur who lives it. He runs a biodiesel company and organic food bar
company, but is best known as a world-class athlete and interactive storyteller.
Adam is an Olympic Gold medalist in eight-man rowing and a death-defying
ocean adventurer.

“You row an ocean by taking one stroke at a time. You build a business by
solving one problem at a time. Make forward progress one inch at a time. Inch
by inch. Repeat!” - Adam Kreek

Adam holds a degree in Geotechnical Engineering and Hydrology from Stanford

University. He lives in Victoria, BC, with his wife and two children. Want to see
Adam in action?

46
BC Water & Waste Association
620 - 1090 West Pender Street
Vancouver BC V6E 2N7
Phone: 604-433-4389 
Toll-free: 1-877-433-4389
www.bcwwa.org