THUNDER BAY – The city’s waste water treatment centre has generated some positive news today. The City of Thunder Bay’s Environment Division was awarded a 2010 Environmental Stewardship Award by the Lake Superior Binational Forum at the Northwestern Ontario Water and Wastewater Conference. The Environment Division has succeeded in eliminating chlorine and chlorination by-products in the final effluent treatment from the Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) on Atlantic Avenue.
“This award is recognition of the City of Thunder Bay’s commitment to making our community clean, green and beautiful,” said Acting Mayor Rebecca Johnson. “We are very pleased to be recognized for our investments into our infrastructure and the environment.”
Effluent is the water that is discharged at the end of the treatment process. The elimination of chlorine was accomplished by replacing it with an ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection system. The system consists of four banks of UV modules holding a total of 768 individual ultraviolet light lamps. The lamps replace the chemical disinfection process. With the new UV process in operation, approximately 20,000 kg of chlorine will no longer be discharged to the environment on an annual basis.
“This award recognizes extraordinary achievement of high standards of planning, design, and community involvement, quality of aesthetics, usability, accessibility and versatility,” said Kerri Marshall, Manager – Environment Division. “A lot of work by many people has gone into this and we are thrilled to have our work recognized in this way.”
The Bare Point Water Treatment Plant has been designed to send backwash water, which was used to clean the filtration membranes at that Plant directly back to the sewage treatment plant via the sewer system. The backwash water will no longer be discharged into Lake Superior until it is treated at the Atlantic Avenue WPCP.
Glen Dale, the Canadian Lake Superior Binational Forum Co-Chair presented the 2010 Environmental Stewardship Award to the City at the Northwestern Ontario Water and Wastewater Conference being held at the Valhalla Inn this week.