Pilot Program Conducted

The building above was constructed near the Ravensview facility to house technology from two different vendors during pilot-testing of secondary-treatment options (like that shown at right).

Two Systems Tested in Real-World Conditions

As part of the engineering design process for the upgrade project at the Ravensview Water Pollution Control Plant, pilot plant testing was conducted on a proposed secondary treatment process.

The pilot testing program featured two different supplier pilot plants set up on site in order for the suppliers to test their process using the City's wastewater. In this way, the suppliers gained valuable data allowing them to tailor their process to suit local conditions, and the plant operators got first-hand knowledge of the characteristics of each supplier's process. The piloting program required a temporary building to be constructed to house the pilot plants and associated equipment through the winter. The pilot plants used untreated wastewater, which was returned to the start of the existing plant, so all wastewater discharged to the river passed through the existing plant. This ensured that temporary problems with the pilot plants did not have an effect on the treatment plant's effluent quality.

The pilot plants became operational in mid-November, with comparative performance testing of the units starting in January. The tests are now complete and the pilot plants are being removed from the site.