VOLUME 16 / NUMBER 4 $3 PM# 40064924 OCTOBER 2009 NOTE FROM THE CHAIR Andrew Garnett MPWWA Chairperson Due to circumstances beyond his On Aug. 25 Fundy Royal MP Rob Moore and Minister of Justice and Consumer Affairs (Communications New Brunswick photo)Mike Murphy announced that both the federal and control, Chair provincial governments had committed $1,285,633 towards upgrading the drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in Hillsborough, New Brunswick. The project, valued at just under $4 million, will address Hillsborough’s longstanding need for reliable wastewater and potable water infrastructure through the construction of a new lagoon and two new pro - duction wells. In addition, a UV disinfection system will be added to the new wells to meet provincial guidelines. In the photo are from left: Hillsborough Village Administrator Shari Andrew Collins, Deputy Mayor Patrick Armstrong, Moore, and Murphy. Garnett was Work to restore Halifax Wastewater Treatment Facility on target unable to BY STAFF water will then be discharged through the plant’s equipment for the plant’s wet well had been deliv - outfall pipe a kilometre into the harbour. ered, and the sluice gate actuator had been assem - provide a Work to restore the Halifax Wastewater But when there is extreme rainfall run-off, to bled and installed. Treatment Facility (WWTF) was well un - column for Wderway and on target Sept. 21. protect the plant wastewater flows will be directed He noted that the long cables had been attached “It’s been a long process for residents and staff,” through the combined sewer overflows into the and the electrical junction boxes had been moved this issue of Halifax Water Communications James Campbell said. harbour. up to the street level out of the flood zone. He added by the end of September when the A number of mandatory projects needed to im - Campbell also pointed out that although the the Maritime screened dry-weather flows are diverted through plement the flow diversion plan have been com - ventilation and odour control systems had not the WWTF, the plant would be able to capture and pleted. Campbell said the five raw motor pumps been impacted by the flood, they were being tested Provinces remove floatables and eliminate odours—two damaged in the flood had been refurbished and Sept. 21-25 before being introduced. Water & major points of concern. The diluted (50:1) waste - will be used until their replacements arrive. All the Continued on page 9 INDEX: E Wastewater R Wind turbine commissioned ........... 2 E Leading-edge operator training ....... 3 H Report. Ns infrastructure funded .................. 5 L E Water upgrades ............................... 6 B Belledune wastewater project ......... 7 A L Governments invest in Bath ............ 9 S S Data collection money ................... 10 E Good reliable drinking water ......... 11 R Working together to upgrade skills .12 D D Water Management Guide ............. 12 A PAGE 2 NEWS Maritime Provinces Water & Wastewater Report OCTOBER 2009 Wind turbine at Kensington wastewater treatment plant commissioned BY EDITORIAL STAFF The turbine, funded in part by the Canada-PEI THE GUARDIAN Gas Tax Agreement, will generate environmentally sustainable electricity for the Kensington waste - [Kensington, PEI]—The official commissioning of Kensington’s new energy-efficient wind turbine water treatment plant. The turbine, constructed in for the local wastewater treatment plant took place late spring 2009, was the first municipally owned Monday (Sept. 21). turbine to be erected in the province and, according (Prince Edward Island) Federal Fisheries Minis - to Kensington officials, it is the first community in ter Gail Shea, the MP for Egmont, and PEI Com - Canada with a wind-powered wastewater utility. munities, Cultural Affairs and Labour Minister Funding of $265,000 was provided by the gas tax Carolyn Bertram joined Kensington Deputy Mayor agreement for the purchase of the wind turbine. Rodney Mann for the official commissioning. Total project costs amounted to $531,000, with Shea said the gas tax announcement shows how the balance funded by the Town of Kensington. the federal government is working together with its Mann said the wind turbine will provide the partners to get shovels in the ground, to plan for fu - community as a whole with a unique educational ture infrastructure needs and to deliver real results to the people of Prince Edward Island. opportunity to learn about the importance of al - Bertram said the new turbine at the Kensington ternative energy sources and energy conservation. waste treatment plant will help reduce the town’s “It is our hope and anticipation that this project environmental impact and its energy bills. will position Kensington as a leader in wider com - “The province is proud to support environmen - munity efforts to promote and support clean en - tally responsible power such as this.” ergy and energy independence,” he said. BRIEFS Harbour cleanup overrun Water dispute hearing The city of Saint John, New Brunswick is looking for $20 New Brunswick’s Energy and Utilities Board will hold a million—the cost overrun on its harbour cleanup project. The hearing on the water dispute in Penobsquis. total price has climbed to $99 million. A group of homeowners, who have been battling for a (Photo: Submitted/The Guardian) One of the city’s options is to change the facility’s design; water supply for years, requested the board’s assistance. Prince Edward Island Provincial Communities Minister Carolyn Bertram (left), Kensington Deputy Mayor Rodney Mann and that could include decreasing the size of the pumping sta - The outcome of the hearing could affect all municipal federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea, MP for Egmont, cut the ribbon to officially commission the Kensington wastewater treatment water services in New Brunswick. facilities wind turbine on Sept. 21. tions Cube automation1/8th page Atlantic purification APS Alpha chemcicals limited 1/8th page OCTOBER 2009 Maritime Provinces Water & Wastewater Report NEWS PAGE 3 Leading-edge operator training program filling the gaps BY STEPHEN PATRICK CLARE ome relationships are bound by blood while others are held together by love. Still others, Slike the one recently developed by the Mar - itime Provinces Water and Wastewater Association (MPWWA) and World Water and Wastewater So - lutions Ltd (WWWS), are bonded in water. Water and wastewater, that is. “We are very excited to be working with our peers here in Atlantic Canada,” said Doug Cooper, found - ing partner and current president of the Ontario- based WWWS. Cooper’s company has designed and developed leading-edge operator training programs for hun - dreds of municipalities across the country. This past June he met with representatives from the MPWWA in Moncton, New Brunswick hoping to set up shop in the Maritimes. Todd Richard While the two parties haven’t signed any sort of formalized partnership agreement just yet, Cooper The first in a series of tutorial sessions that started is confident it is only a matter of time. “It seems to in September in Halifax and Windsor, Nova Scotia, be a good fit for both of us.” included classes on lift stations, ponds and lagoons and water infiltration systems. Though excited by the opportunity, Cooper in - sists his firm is not interested in taking work away from smaller regional trainers.“I think that what we are really doing is filling in the gaps,” he explained. “The available technologies are advancing so rap - idly that it is sometimes difficult for everyone to keep up with all of the changes taking place in the industry.” Todd Richard agrees. The Chief Operator of the Water Facility in the Town of Windsor—and train - A hands-on class conducted by World Water and Wastewater Solutions Ltd in Ontario. The company has designed and developed ing coordinator for the MPWWA —sees the part - leading-edge operator training programs for hundreds of municipalities across the country. nership primarily as an added value to the organization’s existing training programs. develop in both New Brunswick and Prince Edward With roots in Nova Scotia on his mother’s side of “We are very pleased with the instruction that we Island. the family, Cooper would also like to see himself set have been getting from our current providers across “We might be up and running in those places as up full-time in the province at some point. “I the region,” he points out, “and we are looking for - soon as this winter,” Cooper noted. “Eventually I bought a little piece of land here a couple of years ward to growing those relationships.” would like to set up a regional base in a hub city like ago where I would like to retire someday. The If the new affiliation goes smoothly through the Truro or Moncton that could serve as a classroom scenery is spectacular, and the people are the friend - Doug Cooper fall sessions, then similar partnerships are likely to for all of the Maritime provinces.” liest in the world.” HOWIE R BIRD 1/5 page ad Publications Mail Reg # 7145 Mailed under Canada Post Publications Mail Return undeliverable addresses to: Transcontinental Specialty Publications/Holiday Media Agreement No. 40064924 1888 Brunswick Street, Suite 609, Halifax, N.S., B3J 3J8 General Manager: Jeff Nearing Sales Manager: Henry Flowers The Maritime Provinces Water & Wastewater Report is published quarterly by Transcontinental Media Maritime Provinces Water & Wastewater Report Editor: Heather Jones Inc. The opinions expressed in the Maritime Provinces Water & Wastewater Report are those of the 1888 Brunswick Street, Suite 609, Halifax, N.S., B3J 3J8 authors and do not represent the official views of Transcontinental Specialty Publications or its man - Designer: David Schaffner Phone: (902) 468-8027 Fax: (902) 468-1775 agement. The Maritime Provinces Water & Wastewater Report and its contributors can accept no legal Sales Executive: Naster Tracz, Scott Higgins www.transcontinental-media.com responsibility for loss through any error in information contained herein.