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Winnipeg reviews proposal to reduce phosphorus in sewage

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The City of Winnipeg is reviewing a proposal to vastly reduce one source of phosphorus that fuels algae growth in Lake Winnipeg.

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This summer, the Lake Winnipeg Foundation proposed a treatment that would dose sewage at Winnipeg’s North End sewage treatment plant with ferric chloride at an earlier point in the treatment process. The chemical is already used in local sewage treatment.

The foundation estimates this would cost about $5 million and reduce the amount of phosphorus in effluent leaving the plant by 70%.

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“It’s not that much money and it would have such a significant impact on the quality of our treatment that we’re providing for our sewage before it goes into the Red River. It would be foolish not to take advantage of this opportunity,” said Alexis Kanu, the foundation’s executive director.

Kanu said the modification could spark progress before an estimated $1.4-billion upgrade to the North End plant is completed. Kanu said that larger project remains needed to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from sewage effluent as well but notes there’s no guarantee on when it will be finished.

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“What we have heard is experts projecting that, optimistically, this could be completed in 10 years. Realistically, it’s probably more than that,” said Kanu. “What we’re proposing, and what I think Winnipeggers and Manitobans are generally asking for, is (to add) a more immediate solution.”

The North End Water Pollution Control Centre sewage treatment plant. Winnipeg Sun/Postmedia Network
The North End Water Pollution Control Centre sewage treatment plant. Winnipeg Sun/Postmedia Network

Kanu believes the interim chemical change could also be completed prior to Dec. 31, 2019, a provincial deadline to reduce the amount of phosphorus in Winnipeg sewage effluent that the city no longer expects to meet.

For years, the city has planned to reduce the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen leaving the plant, a point source of the nutrients known to fuel algae growth. Algae has plagued Lake Winnipeg for years, at times creating a thick, green film over the water, which can contain toxins that create health risks for animals and humans.

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Kanu said the plant’s effluent creates 5% of the phosphorus entering Lake Winnipeg each year, making it one of the easiest point sources of pollution to target.

“Every day, our waste treatment system treats 195 million litres of sewage and that gets put back into the rivers after treatment. If we’re not doing as well as we could with our treatment systems, it’s just a huge volume that we’re putting into our rivers under-treated,” said Kanu.

The foundation proposed its idea to the province and city this summer but said it hasn’t heard an official response yet.

The Winnipeg Sun requested an interview with a city water and waste official but was told no one was available throughout this week.

In an email, the city said it has focused on treating the effluent biologically, with minimal use of chemicals, but is reviewing the proposal.

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“The City of Winnipeg is aware of the Lake Winnipeg Foundation proposal to use ferric chloride in the interim treatment of phosphorus at the North End sewage treatment plant … The Lake Winnipeg Foundation proposal is under review,” wrote spokesperson Tamara Forlanski.

A provincial official said the city’s technical experts have noted some potential challenges with the proposal, noting the additional chemical process would create more sludge. And that could affect the city’s composting, land application and soil augmentation uses for biosolids (a treated byproduct of sewage), the province says.

The provincial official, who asked not to be named, said the city must submit a new proposed timeline for the broader North End sewage treatment plant upgrade, which would “include interim actions that they can take to reduce phosphorus while the comprehensive treatment plant upgrade is underway.”

Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital). Chris Procaylo/Winnipeg Sun/Postmedia
Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital). Chris Procaylo/Winnipeg Sun/Postmedia

Brian Mayes, who was recently re-elected in Winnipeg city council’s St. Vital ward and chaired council’s water and waste committee leading up to the election, said city staff are still assessing how effective the ferric chloride proposal would be.

No city report on that has been issued yet, so Mayes said he’s still waiting to hear whether the proposal is deemed feasible or “too good to be true.”

“It’s not that we’re unwilling to listen. We need feedback from our staff and provincial staff,” he said.

jpursaga@postmedia.com

Twitter: @pursagawpgsun

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