Future Albertan Community

Water Services

Nicholas ASHBOLT

(Ashbolt@UAlberta.ca)

Yang LIU (Civil & Environ Engineering)

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions

Translational Health Chair in Water

Future of Municipal Water Services, October 5th, 2016

Points to be addressed

• We all have a water service problem!

• Thinking within the Circular Economy

• One-Health and One-Water need

• Living more within our community limits

and prospering from it

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We all have a

water service

problem

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Upgrading aging

wastewater collection

systems and treatment

plants in Canada is

estimated to cost $82 billion

Separation of combine

sewer systems problematic

What to build for new

communities??

2016 Canadian Infrastructure report

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Potable water assets in Canada in fair, poor or very poor condition

Wastewater assets in fair, poor or very poor condition

Stormwater assets in fair, poor or very poor condition

Roads & sidewalks in fair, poor or very poor condition

in fair, poor or very poor condition

Assets in current need of attention

Assets in fair, poor or very poor condition

Roads & sidewalks in fair, poor or very poor condition

Replacement value of assets

Full replacement cost of wastewater

Replacement value of stormwater

Total replacement cost of

www.canadainfrastructure.ca/Canadian Soc Civil Eng (CSCE), Canadian Pub Works Assoc (CPWA), Canadian Construction Assoc (CCA), Fed Canadian Municipalities

http://dailycommercialnews.com/Infrastructure/News/2016/1/

Surface/Ground water

• Water services utilize ~3-7% of a nation’s electricity (yield 3% GHG) but

some 40-60% of a municipality’s energy bill!

+ 14% for hot water (household heating 29% & cooling 17%)*

• Canadian old water service infrastructure $172 billion to maintain**

• Sewer/septic system releases – major cause of eutrophication/disease

• Fire fighting system with potable water biggest infrastructure cost factor

Current urban water service system

Challenges

HouseholdWater treatment

Septic tank /leachfield

PathogensNutrientsDrugsToxins

*www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/**dailycommercialnews.com/Infrastructure/News/2016/1/5

Pumping and mixing

Sludge dewatering

COD degradation

Nitrification/denitrification

• Municipal wastewater treatment

and collection are energy intensive

(1-4% total national electricity load)• Energy used WWT 0.3–2.1 kW h/m3

• Aeration consumes 55-70%

• Total energy content of municipal

wastewater approx 23 W/capita in

COD; & 6 & 0.8 W/capita (N&P)

• Domestic wastewater contains

energy which represents 3-5 times

the energy required for

treatment

Energy Intensive Wastewater Treatment

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Circular Economy principles

• ‘Waste’ is food

• Diversity is strength

• Energy from renewable sources

• Systems thinking

– "using the resources available in cascading

systems, (...) the waste of one product becomes

the input to create a new cash flow”

– 2012 report for Ellen MacArthur Foundation by McKinsey &

Company, first described business opportunity transition to

a restorative, circular model

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_economy7

C, P, N, K

recovery

Bioenergy

recovery

CH4

CO2

Reduced

global

warming

Land

Reduced

transport cost Food

Stormwater

filtration

Greywater

treatment &

reuse

Recycle

and reuse

Bathing

quality

Lower P, N

Higher water

quality

Black

water

Grey

Water

Source Diverted Wastewater (Decentralized) Systems

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Indoor per capita gal/d (%) water use*

Water system issues: access & population

growth, climate change, & eco-service loss

*DeOreo et al. (2016) REU study, AWWA9

Blackwater

• Need adaptive approaches to aid decision-making in circular economy:

– Treating water so fit-for-purpose

~ 20% needed at drinking water

quality

– With full cost accounting for water

services driven by resource

recovery (thermal, electricity,

N&P, water…) for the built

environment system life-time

Surface/Groundwater

Different financial model & political will for:• Say 40% reduction in home energy & water vs 2010 home

Financially-driven water, energy & nutrient resource recovery

• Climate- & demographic-adaptive infrastructure Decentralized, adaptable so antifragile*

Alternative urban water elements for

the circular economy

Rain Water

Water supply

Household

Blackwater

Greywater/treatment (70% of household use)

Energy/heat recovery

Fertilizer

Water treatment

Electricity

Hot water

20%

>10%

*Nassim (2012) Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, Random House10

One-Health concept• The ‘‘One-Health’’ approach recognizes the

intimate linkage between human, animal, and

ecosystem health

• Promotes an international, interdisciplinary,

and cross-sectorial approach to disease

surveillance, monitoring, prevention, control,

and mitigation of emerging and re-emerging

diseases

– e.g. phosphorous control, antimicrobial resistance

11PHAC (2009) http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca

Cordell et al. (2009) Nutrient Recovery from Wastewater Streams, Vancouver, (Eds) D Mavinic, K Ashley and F Koch12

P shortfall

Phosphorous one-health issue

Historic and future sources of phosphorus fertilizers 1900-2100

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) example

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*Hoffman et al. (2015) Bull WHO 3, 66 **Ashbolt et al. (2013) Env Health Pers 121, 993-1001

• 3rd gen cephalosporin-

resistant E. coli & MRSA

estimated deaths 3.3 per

100,000 in EU in 2015

• Globally 700,000 AMR-deaths,

likely 10 million by 2050*

• Unclear fraction due to water exposure pathways**

One-health impacts across scale

Global

Regional

Community

Individual

Climate Change Mitigation

Hydrology

Pathogen Ecology

(viruses, bacteria

& protozoa)

Water Availability Water Quality

Engineered System

AdaptationBehaviour

Illness/deathWater

/Food

Temp

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Adapted from:Mellor et al. (2016) Sci Tot Environ 549, 82-90

Antimicrobial

resistance

*Winz et al. (2014) Urban Water J 11: 497-505

• Asymmetry of barriers

– Awareness informs

policy/management

• >90% influence in black

• 70-89% “ in blue

• 60-69% “ in green

Institutional feedback ‘culprit’

Persistent network feedback

Main barriers are not

technical nor $$$

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One-Water need

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Key local reasons

• Economic via energy recovery• Public Health & wellbeing

• Minimize boil water & waterway advisories

• Demonstrate leadership & provide for economic growth at community scale

Economic

HygieneEnviron

Social

Technical

Sustainable systems achieved by trade-

offs between key criteria with stakeholders

5 Primary Criteria

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Water Services Association of Australia (2008) Urban Water Sustainability Framework.

Resource recovery starts with a toilet

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Urine-diversion or std dual flush toilet

Vacuum toilet components

Air-water forced

toilet

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Dry toilet orPressure sewer Infiltration/ non-

potable reuse

Wetland orinside reuse

Black(yellow)water Rainwater Greywater

Biogas – recovery ofheat & energy

Low-flush/ composting/UD toilets

Food shredder

Example system (Lubeck, Germany

1990’s) with solar thermal hot water

Greywatertreatment

Blackwaterheat +energy

(CHP)Rainwater

use

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PropelAir toilet with 1) pressure sewer: 278 €/p∙y with energy recovery versus2) conventional gravity sewer 302 €/p∙y + home heating €

sale of fertilizer would further reduce costs, carbon credits bonus

Treated household water Electricity

Brownfield Housing estate

2010 municipal water services:HAMBURG WATER Cycle®, Jenfelder Au

Heat

20Kinstedt MSc, Tech Uni Hamburg

Iconic demonstrations at full-

scale are needed to assist in

promoting water management

within the Circular Economy

and Alberta’s Water-for-Life

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CentralizedComposting toilet/septic

Urine diversion/

septic

Energy recovery/ greywater

reuse

Energy recovery/

grey reuse, rainwater

use

Human Health 0.0017 0.015 0.0072 1.00 0.056

Eutrophication 0.045 1.00 0.34 0.061 0.061

Cost 0.38 0.81 1.00 1.00 0.52

Global Warming 0.20 0.22 0.22 1.00 0.92

Energy 0.55 0.90 0.83 1.00 0.93

Sustainable water services: Cape Cod

0.0 Worst Best 1.022

Xue et al. (2016) Water 8, (4), w8040154

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Blackwater energy-nutrient recovery

Sneek, the Netherlands 2015

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Mission: Enhance municipal sustainability through

innovative water & energy management

New Water Management Model

Advance One-Water model to create awareness, drive efficiencies & promote

sustainability

Facilitating Framework

Create awareness, drive efficiencies, promote sustainability

Stakeholders: Academia – Government – Industry – First Nations

Demonstrate & Implement

Water Centre & Demonstration Community (‘Iconic Project’)

Market-driven solutions in water, energy & nutrient recovery

Facilitate & support province-wide implementation

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Mission & Outcomes

Sturgeon County: Bellerose developers

Ken Pacholok, MSc, Peng & Jim Hole, BAg, CPH

• Developable Area: 454ac (184ha)*

• Reserve/Research Lands: 240 ac (97.5ha) *

• Approx. Area = RiverLot 56

• Contiguous with:• City St. Albert• UofA Research Station• Sturgeon River• Existing Rural Subdivisions

• Future CRGP Land Use:Priority Growth Area ‘B’ *

(same PGA-B shared by St. Albert & Edmonton)

* Information deemed accurate but not guaranteed; approx. 20ha at eastern flank currently designated as CCRA

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Location

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Site Layout

PSE Research & Development• Leverage world-class PSE expertise to source,

support, evaluate & refine innovations• From pilot, demonstration to implementation.

Conceptual Purposes only. Information deemed accurate but is not guaranteed, and is subject to change without notice.

Discovery Centre• Interactive educational facility• To engage, educate & inform students,

Public & Community Leaders on water & energy innovations & emerging issues.

Municipal Outreach & Training• Provide outreach, support & training for

province-wide municipal sustainability initiatives

Community S-U & Gathering• Flexible Community Use / Gathering Place• Outdoor Plaza

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Conceptual Modules

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Phase A – NSERC/City of Edmonton Pilot

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Phase B Demonstration

Key take home points• ‘Traditional’ urban water systems not possible

due to water scarcity & ecosystem impacts in

many regions and not economic in most places

for the longer-term (including Alberta)

– Need a systems & community view to identify alternatives

– Including electricity, heat, fertilizers + water fit-for-purpose

– Need careful oversight and scenario testing to reduce

unintended consequences from any change

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AI-EES-City of Calgary projects: for stormwater use

and wastewater reuse; pathogens & risk management

NSERC-City of Edmonton project: blackwater energy &

nutrient recovery; engineering & health risk evaluation

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