The Use of Solar Aquatic Biological Wastewater Treatment Systems in Sustainable Community Design
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University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies Legacy Theses 1999 The use of solar aquatic biological wastewater treatment systems in sustainable community design Ramjohn, Jamal Stephen Ramjohn, J. S. (1999). The use of solar aquatic biological wastewater treatment systems in sustainable community design (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/17108 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/25263 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca U&emCty of Calgary The Use of Solar Aquatic Biological Wastewater Treatment System in Sustainable Community Design Jamd Stephen Ramjohn A Master's Degree Project (MDP) Submitted to the Faculty of Environmental Design in partial tuWlment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Environmental Design (Planning) Calgary, Alberta September, 1999 NationaE Library Biblloth&ue nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Servicas services biMiographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ot!awaON K1AW Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Caneda Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence wn excIusive licence allowing the excIusive pennettant a la National Lirary of Canada to Bibliotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distrt'bute or sell reproduire, prEter, distn'buer on copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or eIectronic formats. la fome de microfichef~de reproduction sur papier ou sur format eIectronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriete dn copyright in this thesis. Neither t6e droit d'auteur qni protege cette these. thesis nor substantiaI extracts fkom it Ni Ia these ni des extraits substantids may be printed or otherwise de ceIIe-ci ne doivent &re imprimes reproduced without the author's on adrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. This MDP is dedicated to my mother rmd farher. rmd Junice whose continuous words of love and qpor~,patience, and understding over the course of this process kept me on tmck with the greater goal m clear sight. Acknowledgments I would like to thank thefollowing people for their support and wisdom during the MDP process. First and foremost my loved ones -you are my strength and reason for my drive andpctssion. A special thanks to my committee members - Tang Lee, you have been a constant source of inspiration and a motivatingJigure throughout my time in the faculty. Philip DacR, for never being afraid to show me the way things are and not letting me flout off in the clouds with whimrical ideas, Dr. McCauley, for your unparalleled wisdom and thought, and Dr. Grmt Ross for &g the d@me a very pieusant experience. Thanks to Mr. Bill. thefovours, the help, the adventure, and the patience wiN never be forgotten. I would also like to thank Beverly Srmdalack, Kim Blanchard, Sarah Duncan, Ji$Violi, and Bmck Ettderton who were instmental in my decision to come to the faculty. While I was here, 1have to thank Cameron. Adam and Mike formaking it that much more interesting. The Use of Solar Aquatic Bioiogicd Wastewater Treatment Systems in SustainabIe Community Design Prepared in partial fdiihnent ofthe requirements of the Master of Environmental Design degree (Planning) In the Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary Supemisor: Tang Lee Abstract Biological wastewater treatment using Solar Aquatics is a relatively new concept in the field of ecological engineering- It has roots to New England in the early 1980s when h.John Todd first developed the system under the name ''Living Machine". Using a host of aquatic and wooded plant species. fish and other macro-aquatic organisms. as well as bacteria in a series of aquatic ecosystems, the Living Machine is able to treat high strength domestic, commercial and industrid wastewater to tertiary level performance. Systems are now in use world-wide treating a variety of wastewater uses. This document presents a review of water use and conservation methods in Alberta to flustrate the potential need for improvements in conservation. Specifically, the city of Calgary is reviewed with respect to its water use and in terms of sustainabiIity of its development. These two aspects of the city are the basis for a simulation involving the use of a Solar Aquatic wastewater treatment system in a suburban CaIgary subdivision. The simulation aims to prove the effectiveness of utilising onsite biological wastewater treatment in tern of economic sense as well. as achieving advancements in sustainability. While this is neither a site planning exercise nor a presentation of sustainabIe subdivision design, the latter does provide the context within which a Solar Aquatic system would be placed. The study discusses the advantages of the biological system over conventionaI treatment methods from an economic stance, and regarding water reuse, byproduct generation, community benefits and in terms of global awareness (advancement in sustainability). From this comparison concIusions are drawn regarding the success of the simulation and recommendations for fir&er research concIude the docmnen~ The simuIation reveals that the use of onsite Solar Aquatic wastewater treatment within a CaIgary suburban subdivision is possible and does provide economic and qualitative benefits to the commety. Key words: BioIogicaI wastewater treatment, ecoIogicd engineering, water conse~yatlon, SOIK Aquatics, sustainable development, sustainabiIity. sustainable community design, conventiona1 wastewater treatment The Use dSokAqMtfc BiologicaI Wastewater Treatment Systems m Sustainable Community Design Table of Contents Dedication ....................m.m.......m................mmm..........mm..m.......m..............i Acknow iedgements ........................................................................... ii Table of Contents............................................................................... ii Figure List....*...................*............................*................*................ vi Table List.......................................................................m~...........m... vii 1.0 ~~Od~~t~~~o~~~.+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~. L 1.1 Background .......................................................................... I 1.2 Methodology ......................................................................... 2 I3Projections and Limitations....................................................... 4 1A Study Overview .................................................................... 6 2.0 Water Resource Management ........................................................... 2.1 Water Use in Alberta .............................................................. 2.2 Water Conservation - Practices and Abuse. ................................... 2.3 Water Reuse - Practice and Policy (case study review) ....................... 2.4 Wastewater Treatment........................~......~~.~~~.....~.....~~......~.... 2.4.1 Conventional Methods................................................ 2-42 Biological Treatment..~........................................~...... 2.4.2.1 Plants .......................................................... 2.42.2 BioaccumuIation & Eco-toxic010 gy ...................... 2.4.23 Constructed Treatment Wetlands......................... 2.5 BioIogicaI Wastewater Treatment - Solar Aquatics ........................... 2.6 Water PoIicy........................................................................ 2.6.1 RovinciaI and M~dpaiPolicies .................................. 2.6.2 Barriers to On-Site Wastewater Tteatment...................... 3.0 SmtainabIe Commmu~ese.... ......................e..~....m............m................ 57 3.1 SustainabiIity and Sustainable Development ................................. 57 3.1.1 C* ng Capadty..................................... .. .............. 59 3.2 Principles and Elements of Sustainabie Communities........................ 66 33 Ec01ogica.t Engineering .............................................................. 82 3.4 Future Considerations.............................................................. 84 Figore List Drainage Courses Through Alberta ........................................... Land Application Approaches to Wastewater Treatment.................. Bomybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant - Rwess Plan ................. Wastewater Movement from Grit Chamber to Primary Treatment........ Water Hyacinth and AIgae Apparatus Used by Tripathi et al ............. Representation of BioaccumuIation and Biomagnification ................. Bear River Solar Aquatic System Set-up (Living MachindSoIar Aquatic biological treatment process) ........................................ Calgary. Alberta .Hidden ValIey and Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment PImt ........~~......................................................... a Hidden Valley. Northwest. Calgary ....................................... b . Hidden Valley, Northwest, Calgary - Catchment area for SAS...... Hidden Valley - Study Site.................................................... Hidden Valley - Site of Solar Aquatic