Richelieu River - Evaluation of wastewater treatment systems: 2017-2020
Towards an improvement in wastewater treatment in the Richelieu River watershed?
After some time publication of the first report on the state of the situation of the sanitation works of the Richelieu River, the Consultation and Development Committee of the Richelieu River Basin (COVABAR) asked the Fondation Rivières to carry out a diagnostic follow-up on its territory. Do the latest data show an improvement or deterioration in the situation? With the improvement of our tools and data quality, are new issues observable? What concrete actions can COVABAR take to resolve sanitation issues?
Source: Gilles Croteau
Services
- Compilation and interpretation of new SOMAEU data
- Clear prioritization of issues and recommendations
- Questionnaires and targeted telephone interviews
Partners and collaborators
- Richelieu River Basin Consultation and Development Committee (COVABAR)
- 7 cities and municipalities operating sanitation works
Methodology
Wastewater management software, AuditEAU, greatly helped in the interpretation of the structure monitoring data. This software, which we created, allowed us to easily observe general and specific performance issues. Of the 39 distinct purification systems in this area (stations and overflow structures), 14 were identified as being of interest as part of an in-depth diagnosis.
For the purification systems of interest, we sent a questionnaire and an interview request in order to find out how the situations have evolved since the 2018 report. Half of the municipalities concerned participated in this process of collecting additional information. The diagnostic report was produced in order to identify the major problems and general problems in the sewer networks and treatment plants observed during the interpretation of the data on AuditEAU. Recommendations addressed to COVABAR were also produced to respond to this diagnosis.
Duration of the study
The evaluation of wastewater treatment systems took place from December 2020 to November 2021.
Findings
01.
Three sanitation systems encounter distinctive and major operational challenges.
02.
Toxic discharges are observed or strongly suspected for four wastewater treatment plants in the region.
03.
Seven sewer networks have particularly high discharge frequencies
high.
There were no notable changes in wastewater sanitation performance between the two studies. In fact, the capture of runoff water and the infiltration of parasitic water into the networks are two problems that affect, to varying degrees, almost all of the municipalities studied.
Implications of the report
This report made it possible to lay the foundations of an ambitious project with COVABAR called Clean Water Challenge. The goal of this project is to support the municipalities of the territory in carrying out the various interventions that we have identified as priorities, whether on the technical aspect or the search for financing from government authorities.
