Ivaco grey water causing problems at L’Orignal’s sewage treatment plant

L’ORIGNAL – Champlain Township is having problems with the “grey water” from Ivaco that it is accepting for treatment at the L’Orignal wastewater treatment plant, raising concerns that prompted Champlain Township Mayor Gary Barton to ask for an immediate meeting with Ivaco officials and transport hauler Don MacKinnon. Barton requested an immediate meeting at a March 30 township water and sewage meeting.

Concerns that industrial waste, along with solids such as mops, rags and other items, are making their way into the L’Orignal’s domestic waste treatment are inappropriate at worst and at the very least, are causing clogs and additional upkeep of equipment, has prompted the township to suggest that the extra trouble may not be worth the $30,000 in fees that the township is collecting to accept “grey water” from Ivaco.

Minutes from the township’s water and sewage committee’s March 30 meeting indicate that Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) personnel have seen solid material, including mops, rags and other items “clog up the machinery” at the plant, requiring pumping of this material at extra cost.

A basket to trap the solid materials could be installed but only at an extra cost of $10,000 to $15,000, said Joshua Eamon, engineer with the Thompson Rosemount Group.

Champlain Township Mayor Gary Barton reminded the committee that Ivaco had already been contacted about the solid materials found in what was supposed to be only “grey water”.

OCWA personnel have on several occasions smelled industrial waste from the sewage being hauled from Ivaco to the L’Orignal plant, according to the meeting minutes.

Before the L’Orignal plant’s completion, Ivaco’s “grey water” was transported several times per day for treatment at Vankleek Hill’s wastewater plant. Ivaco does not have its own septic treatment system, although it connected to the L’Orignal municipal water system when the village introduced its new system that brought Hawkesbury water to the village via a pipeline.

Thompson Rosemount Vice President Bill Knight said that the L’Orignal plant was designed to handle sewage and septic material from the village of L’Orignal and a limited amount of material from Champlain Township and that this did not include industrial sewage.

A redesign of the L’Orignal plant would be necessary before it could accept and treat industrial sewage, Knight told the committee.

According to Champlain Clerk-Treasurer Robert Lefebvre, township officials have since met with Ivaco plant manager Joe Olenick, who said that Ivaco would cooperate fully to eliminate the problem if it originates at Ivaco. If the sewage hauler unloads at the L’Orignal plant and irregularities are noticed, they are to be reported immediately so that they can be traced back to the source, which could be one of a dozen holding tanks for grey water at Ivaco.

In the meantime, the Township of East Hawkesbury has accepted Champlain Township’s conditions for treating 150 cubic metres of sludge from East Hawkesbury at the L’Orignal wastewater treatment facility, engineering firm Thompson Rosemount Group advised Champlain Township that it should sample every load brought to the Champlain facility. Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA)’s Jean-Pierre Gélinas told members of the township’s water and sewage committee that Ropec, the company that currently accepts sludge from the Township of East Hawkesbury, requires a three-month history of the sludge material in order to prevent any contamination from an unknown source. Gélinas said he had concerns about opening up L’Orignal’s certificate of approval.

Township holding contractor responsible
For flood in UV room at sewage treatment plant

Cleaning up a flood in the L’Orignal wastewater treatment plant’s ultraviolet room cost about $38,700 and Champlain Township is refusing to pay the bill, saying it is the responsibility of the general contractor of the new plant.

According to the minutes of the March 30 water and sewage committee meeting, a lack of progress on the file despite several letters from the township to the general contractor, it was recommended by the project manager that the township file a claim with its own insurance company and that the insurance company would initiate its own legal action to recover the clean-up costs from the flood incident. But this suggestion was thrown out in favour of deducting the clean-up costs from a $171,000 holdback on the plant construction project. The plant, which opened just last year, was built by contractor Nicolini Construction Company Limited.