The following two capital projects have been approved for funding through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF), delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada. Funding for these two initiatives amounts to $7,033,630.
Source: FCM
Township of St. Clair, ON
Courtright wastewater treatment plant final effluent reuse system
Water
GMF loan: $1,116,200
GMF grant: $167,430
The Township of St. Clair will upgrade its wastewater treatment plant by installing a final effluent reuse system and improving its existing odour treatment capacity. In addition to mitigating the plant's odours, the project will significantly reduce potable water consumption.
The township will expand its existing biofiltration system, which cleans foul air in the facility's inlet channel. The upgraded plant will reuse effluent for the biofilters and other operations, such as washing and scouring, which do not require potable water. This project aligns with the township's official plan, which established that infrastructure decisions must consider the protection of the natural environment, as well as identify and implement cost-saving opportunities.
Innovative aspect
- The initiative demonstrates the additional measures that a small municipality may take beyond regulatory standard in further reducing potable water consumption and treatment plant odours.
Environmental benefits
- An effluent reuse system will reduce or eliminate the need for added nutrients when the process water is returned to the water cycle.
- The installation of the final effluent reuse system will reduce the wastewater treatment plant's potable water consumption by 80 per cent annually.
Social benefit
- The township plans to engage the community by providing tours of the facility, which may help raise water conservation awareness among residents.
Township of Wellington North, ON
Arthur wastewater treatment plant upgrade
Water
GMF loan: $5,000,000
GMF grant: $750,000
The Township of Wellington North will upgrade its 30-year-old wastewater treatment plant in Arthur, ON, in order to accommodate the servicing requirements of projected population growth in the area and improve the quality of effluent that the plant discharges into the Conestogo River.
The township proposes to upgrade its mechanical treatment plant over two phases with an anticipated completion date by the end of 2025. The first phase of the initiative will include an upgrade to the sewage pumping station that will significantly reduce the incidence of overflow events. The addition of an equalization tank will then eliminate bypass events at the plant. Included in the design are energy-saving measures such as energy-efficient aeration blowers and the integration of an advanced instrumentation and control system at the plant.
A future second phase will further increase effluent quality with the installation of a new headworks building and converting the equalization tank to a secondary treatment unit. Additional upgrades to the effluent pumping system will further improve the energy efficiency of the system.
Innovative aspect:
- Strong project and risk management make this a highly replicable model for smaller but growing municipalities that require significant improvements in wastewater quality and reduction of overflows to the natural environment.
Environmental benefits
- The upgraded wastewater treatment plant is anticipated to meet the new discharge objectives which reduce carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand by 50 per cent, total suspended solids by 50 per cent, total phosphorus by 75 per cent and total ammonia nitrogen by 66 per cent.
- The new aeration blowers will, on average, use 60 per cent less energy, reducing CO2 emissions by 21 tonnes per year.
Economic benefits
- Energy-efficiency measures could save the municipality up to $27,000 a year in electricity costs under current operation conditions.
- The capacity expansion (Phase 1 and 2) of the plant will allow an additional 600 houses to connect to the sewage system, bringing additional revenues to the municipality.
Social benefit
- By increasing the servicing capacity of the treatment plant, the proposed upgrade will enable community and employment growth in the area.