Research Projects |
| The ORWC is involved
in numerous research projects with different government agencies
throughout Ontario. Click on one of our projects below for
more information on our current projects, or visit our Past
Projects page for a complete list of all research projects
conducted by ORWC in the past.
You can also visit our Research
Reports page for publications. |
| Alkaline
Stabilization and Screening of Septage in Ontario - 2005
Land application of untreated septage
(domestic wastewater from septic tanks, holding tanks, and
portable toilets) in Ontario is being phased-out by the Ontario
Government over a period of five years. This move was prompted
by concern over pathogens in untreated septage and their potential
to impact source waters. Additional concerns with septage
include odour, vector attraction and the presence of debris.
One method to reduce pathogens is through the alkaline stabilization
process. Debris can be removed through effective screening
of septage prior to land application. |
| Circuit
Rider Training Program Development Project - Ontario First
Nations Technical Services Corporation -
2006
Concern is mounting among First Nations communities and small
rural communities in Ontario, and in other provinces and territories
in Canada, because “the current system has created a
situation in this country where a community’s location
will be a large factor in determining the quality of water
being delivered to homes not only in terms of source water
quality, but also because of the skill levels and competencies
required of treatment plant operators serving the community
and town.” The ORWC has teamed together with the Ontario
First Nations Technical Services Corporation to develop training
material for water and wastewater treatment plant operators. |
Development
of Potential Technical Standards for Reinspection of Onsite
Sewage Systems and Data Collection Guidelines to Develop Risk
Models for Potential Reinspection Programs - 2006
In recent years, increasing attention has been paid
to onsite systems and their possible role in contributing to
ground and surface water contamination. This is particularly
true in Ontario since the events in Walkerton. Provincially,
there is currently no requirement for reinspection of onsite
systems beyond initial installation inspections. However, in
the past decade twenty-three municipalities have initiated their
own reinspection programs to ensure they are protecting public
health and the environment. Additionally, new legislation (Bill
43) has recently been introduced to facilitate the expansion
and financing of these programs at the municipal level. The
purpose of this study was to examine the existing reinspection
programs currently delivered across the province and to develop
potential standards for reinspection on onsite systems and to
develop data collection guidelines for potential risk models. |
Protection
of Groundwater Below Onsite Systems - Determination of Pathogen
Removal Efficiencies by Soil Absorption Systems - 2006.
Nearly 30% of Ontario’s homes are serviced by onsite wastewater
systems. These systems discharge partially treated sewage back
to the environment relying on the underlying soil for final
treatment, in particular the removal of biological contaminants
such as bacteria and viruses. In many regions onsite systems
are identified as one of the most likely sources of contaminants
to ground and surface water systems. Design standards for these
systems have remained relatively unchanged for nearly 30 years.
In particular, the vertical separation requirements –
largely in place to remove biological contaminants – are
the same as they were when regulations were first introduced
into the province some 30 years ago. The ability of the soil
to remove these contaminants has been largely untested under
field situations. This proposal is to investigate the effectiveness
of these soils systems to effectively remove biological contaminants
under a wide range of conditions currently allowed in Ontario
for soil systems. The outcome will be a better understanding
of the mechanisms of removal and the adequacy of the current
approaches. |
Reed
Bed Septage Dewatering Pilot Project – 2006-2008
Vertical reed bed filters and sand drying bed filters are simple
technologies which can be used to dewater septage. Reed Bed
Filters have a further advantage that they can stabilize the
solids into an odourless – pathogen free organic fertilizer
similar in quality to an organic compost. Sand Bed Filters have
the potential to stabilize septage solids to a quality similar
to a digested sewage biosolids that is suitable for land application.
Two pilot Reed Bed Filters and one pilot Sand Bed Filter are
being constructed and evaluated for a two year period at the
septage lagoon of Goulet Pumping in Green Valley, Ontario. Each
filter will receive between 1-2 loads of septage per week (12,000-24,000
L/week).
|
Rural
Wastewater Reuse in Morocco – 2005-2011
Wastewater infrastructure in rural and peri-urban areas of Morocco
are either poorly developed or non-existent. At the same time
there is growing water scarcity throughout much of Morocco.
The objectives of this project are to develop a series of applied
research and demonstration technologies relating to wastewater
treatment and reuse, to develop and deliver a series of training
seminars throughout rural Morocco and to update university training
curriculum in the field of wastewater management and reuse.
This project is a collaborative initiative between University
of Guelph (ORWC) and our partner institution in Morocco, l’Institut
Agro-Vétérinaire Hassan II. |
Evaluation
of the Laflèche Pilot Peat Filter/Constructed Wetland
System to Treat Landfill Leachate - 2002-2007
A pilot scale treatment system was established in 2002 at the
Laflèche Landfill in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The system
consists of a series of treatment steps: a stabilisation basin
(10,000 m3), a woodland peat trickling filter (5200 m2), a subsurface
flow constructed wetland planted in Phragmites sp. (2600 m2),
a surface flow constructed wetland planted in Typha sp. (3600
m2) and a polishing pond (3600 m2). The system operates from
May to December with leachate being recycled within the landfill
during the winter months. Treated effluent is either discharged
to a nearby drain or used to irrigate onsite poplar plantations.
Hydraulic loading rates have been increased 3 fold while organic
loading rates have doubled over the first 4 operating seasons.
A comprehensive monitoring program for system performance is
being conducted (organic matter, nutrients, salts, metals) with
the data used to determine kinetic pollutant removal rates.
|
Biofood
to Biofuel Research and Demonstration Farms –
2005-2006
This project is a capital project to construct two on-farm biogas
digesters to produce heat and electricity on two dairy farms
in Eastern Ontario. The economic and performance data from the
digesters will be available to researchers at the University
of Guelph for 10 years. This project is a companion project
to the ETAA project. |
Assessment
of the Production and Land Application of Anaerobically Digested
Manure from Medium Sized Dairy Farms –
2005-2008
This project evaluates the performance, environmental impact
and economics of three medium on-farm anaerobic digester systems.
Digester performance will be evaluated as a function of the
size of the system, biogas/energy production, climate and feedstock
utilized (dairy manure blended with high strength organic wastes).
A complete life cycle evaluation assesses nutrient, carbon and
pathogen fate from feedstock to field including: greenhouse
gas emissions (CH4, CO2, N2O), nutrient fate (plant/soil/water/air)
and pathogen attenuation from the digesters, manure storages
and finally land application on three soil types (sandy-loam,
clay and clay-loam soils).
|
Optimizing
Energy Production using Co-substrates in the Anaerobic Digestion
of Dairy Manure – 2006-2008
The addition of organic substrates to the farm digesters
will be evaluated for enhanced biogas production and reactor
stability. Lab scale experiments will be utilized to evaluate
and select appropriate co-substrates for farm scale digester
testing and to optimize manure and co-substrate mixtures (C:N),
temperature, pH and moisture content to enhance biogas production.
The use of co-substrates to enhance biogas production will be
verified in farm scale anaerobic digesters.
|
Use
of a Constructed Wetland to Polish Municipal Lagoon Effluent
– 2000-2007
A constructed wetland demonstration system has been built to
polish the municipal lagoon effluent from the Village of Alfred.
The treatment lagoons have an annual discharge in the spring
and have currently reached maximum capacity; inhibiting further
population growth or expansion of the local agri-food industries.
The demonstration wetland system is designed to treat 15% of
the village’s municipal wastewater, which represents a
wetland influent flow of 155 m3/day or 23,250 m3/year. A monitoring
program was put in place to evaluate the wetland as a cost effective
means to treat the municipal lagoon wastewater. The monitoring
program evaluates the wetland’s ability to polish the
municipal lagoon effluent to meet the Spring/Summer/Fall discharge
criteria set by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE)
for the receiving water body (Azatica Brook). The approval of
the Alfred wetland will allow the village to increase its capacity
for municipal wastewater treatment.
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