Name: Grant Dobson & Lyndsey Mask
Location: Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre Issue: The vision for the Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre is to encourage effective environmental stewardship through experiential and outdoor learning. Background: Lyndsey Mask is the Educational Coordinator, and Grant Dobson is on the Board of Directors for the Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre. The mission for the education centre is “to foster an ethic of environmental stewardship by providing the facilities for unique, experiential and outdoor learning opportunities to local school groups, community organizations and the public at large”. Shaw Woods makes available on their website a list of some of the goals they set for themselves as an outdoor education centre:
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Name: Bishop Water Technologies Inc.
Location: Eganville, Ont Issue: BioCord/Biofilm Technology - Innovative Water Remediation and Nutrient Reduction Background: Bishop Water Technologies is an independent consulting company that offers a range of services and engineering solutions to a global market. The company office is located in Eganville, Ontario but delivers services to projects taking place on both a national and international scale. Business involves the development of new water based technologies through research and pilot project experimentation as well as the delivery of turnkey engineering solutions to a wide range of municipal, commercial and private based customers. Bishop Water Technologies prides themselves on their commitment to developing simple and effective wastewater engineering solutions that are both cost effective and environmentally friendly. “Our unique suite of services delivers unique and innovative solutions for Environmental challenges facing the wastewater industry and coastal protection” (Bishop Water Technologies, 2013). Currently recognized for their innovative award winning Geotube® technology, Bishop Water Technologies Inc. have been developing the use BioCord Reactor technology for wastewater treatment and fresh water nutrient removal remediation. |
Name: Jaime Sebastien Location: Muskrat Lake, Cobden ON Issue: Water Quality of Muskrat Lake Background: Jaime is cottage owner on Muskrat Lake who is concerned about the degrading quality of water in Muskrat Lake. As a cottage owner and an avid angler, Jaime has been concerned about the phosphorus entering the lake from Snake River and other sources. Jaime has partnered with Algonquin College to assist students in investigating the sources of contamination and the quality of the water in the lake. Jaimie is also in the process of establishing a lake council comprised of Cobden township/Muskrat Lake residents to raise awareness and address concerns of the lake’s deteriorating quality of water. The lake has seen many beach closures due to algal blooms and Jaime is concerned that high phosphorus levels and depleting dissolved oxygen levels will affect the local fish population. Jaime also draws his drinking water for his cottage from the lake, as do other cottagers, and although the water is filtered, there is still a concern of contamination. Another concern is the proposal of new developments surrounding the lake. The addition of a new development will increase the strain on Cobden’s water treatment and waste treatment facilities which are currently running at or near capacity. This community-based, collaborative project will address these issues and help to provide Jaime and any lake council that may develop valuable information in regards to Muskrat Lake’s water quality. |
Name: Blaine McEwen, Superintendent of Utilities
Location: Pembroke Pollution Control Centre (Rankin St., Pembroke) Issue: 354, 604kg of dewatered sludge was sent to landfill at the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre last year. Blaine is hoping the Biosolids team can come up with a solution which allows the dewatered sludge to be used for land application when combined with compost, saving costs and landfill space at the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre. Background: Blaine McEwen has spent just under 32 years working in the wastewater industry. He is a level 4 wastewater treatment operator and a level 3 water treatment operator. He was a chief operator of the Pembroke Pollution Control Centre for 5 years, before being promoted to Superintendent of Utilities for the City of Pembroke, the supervisor of the Utilities department for the City of Pembroke. He held this position for two years before receiving another promotion to superintendent of utilities for the City of Pembroke. He is currently in his second year at this position. Pembroke’s pollution control centre was built in 1969 and is located on Rankin Street. In 2006, the plant was upgraded to a secondary treatment plant in 2006. As raw sewage enters the P.C.C., it is filtered through bar screens and then aerated before entering the primary clarifiers. It then then is sent to the sequencing batch reactors. In the primary clarifiers, and sequencing batch reactors, sludge settles at the bottom of tanks where it accumulates and is eventually sent to one of three digesters. In the digesters, the sludge is broken down by bacteria. It then gets transferred to one of two centrifuges where polymer is added and the sludge becomes dewatered. This dewatered sludge is then sent to landfill at the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre. |