{"id":935,"date":"2015-05-31T02:21:12","date_gmt":"2015-05-31T02:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ozone-services.com\/?p=935"},"modified":"2015-05-31T02:21:12","modified_gmt":"2015-05-31T02:21:12","slug":"montreal-waste-water-uses-ozone-for-disinfection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oxidationtech.com\/blog\/montreal-waste-water-uses-ozone-for-disinfection\/","title":{"rendered":"Montreal Waste Water uses ozone for Disinfection"},"content":{"rendered":"

The city of Montreal is using ozone for waste water disinfection. \u00a0This great article was put together to explain the use of ozone ozone. \u00a0This is great PR as many times the use of ozone is misunderstood by the public. \u00a0By educating the public there is buy-in for all parties. \u00a0This is important as we all pay tax dollars for these systems.<\/p>\n

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How ozonation works<\/h1>\n

Read full story HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

\"MONTREAL,<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n

Ozone consists of three oxygen atoms joined together into a single molecule of ozone. It is produced by the discharge of electricity in air. Ozone generators send an electric current through air or oxygen, which splits the molecules into separate oxygen atoms that combine with others to form ozone.<\/p>\n

It is then injected into water in special tanks, where it breaks down bacteria by destroying cell walls. It also destroys 75 per cent of viruses, as well as the majority of\u00a0pharmacological and cosmetic-based pathogens, considered important because Montreal is host to many of those industries.<\/p>\n

Once the\u00a0water has reached the end of the contact tanks, which in Montreal\u2019s case are pipelines running 30 metres underground for kilometres before they\u00a0spill into the St. Lawrence, disinfection is complete, and the ozone has converted back to oxygen.<\/p>\n

Widely used in Europe, ozonation\u00a0is much less popular in the United States because capital costs are high compared with\u00a0other technologies like UV or chlorine, although disinfection rates are much higher. Maintenance expenditures, mainly for electricity, are also comparatively high, but this is less of a concern in Quebec because of it\u2019s low cost hydro-electricity.<\/p>\n

Montreal\u2019s ozonation plant is expected to cost $9 million a year to run. Currently, Montreal\u2019s waste water filtration plant spends $12 million a year to cover electricity costs.<\/p>\n

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Is ozonation the right solution to clean Montreal’s waste\u00a0water?<\/h1>\n

Read full Story HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Workers<\/p>\n

In three years, Montreal plans to start operating\u00a0the largest ozonation waste-water filtration system in the world. If all works as planned, the $285-million plant will inject ozone gas into the water to destroy the vast majority of bacteria, viruses and the more recent addition of pharmacological-based toxins before they\u2019re flushed into the St. Lawrence River.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis technological advance will soon elevate Montreal to be among the world leaders in waste-water purification,\u201d Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said in late March as the city announced the launch of the $100-million first phase of the project. An environmental boon to the health of downstream residents, be they plant, animal or human.<\/p>\n

Except that being the first raises some troubling questions, especially when more than a quarter of a billion taxpayers\u2019 dollars are\u00a0at stake.<\/p>\n

Being first is \u201cfoolhardy\u201d in the opinion of McGill environmental engineering professor Ronald Gehr, who has specialized in waste-water treatment for over 25 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are these technologies not more widely used? Because they don\u2019t work,\u201d Gehr said. \u201cThey are not efficient for waster water. They are efficient for drinking water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Waste-water plants in the United States abandoned ozonation\u00a0because results were disappointing, Gehr said. Other municipalities typically use it as a secondary treatment process, after waste water has already been partly disinfected. Using it as a primary treatment method in Montreal, which has what is believed the third-largest waste treatment centre in the world, is unprecedented\u00a0and risky, Gehr argued.<\/p>\n

The fact only two companies bothered to bid on the $100-million portion of the contract that involves building the ozonation plant shows Montreal is going in a direction most companies find too risky, Gehr said. Degr\u00e9mont Limit\u00e9\u00a0was ultimately chosen because it was the only bid that conformed to specifications.\u00a0Gehr has been raising warning flags about the city\u2019s intentions since public consultations were held in 2008.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt at the time it was foolhardy to jump in and create the largest ozonation plant in the world for treating waste water whereas we just don\u2019t have the expertise \u2014 we should rather build a smaller one somewhere and test it out like a pilot plant.\u201d More consideration of ultraviolet radiation technology is warranted, and Gehr questioned whether the need justifies the expense.<\/p>\n

Estimates for the total cost are already 40 per cent higher than the $200-million price tag given in 2005. Gehr predicts final cost overruns will be \u201chuge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Montreal\u2019s plant used to be biggest in the world<\/h2>\n

Read full Story HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

At Montreal\u2019s Jean-R.-Marcotte waste-water plant on the eastern end of the island, everything is built on a scale designed for the gods. Four immense concrete wells plummet 17-storeys underground to collect water from the sewage receptor pipes running along the north and south sides of the island. Seventeen motors in the sub-basement, boasting 4,800 horsepower apiece, can each pump a backyard pool\u2019s worth of water skyward in half a second.<\/p>\n

The plant handles a volume of water that would fill Montreal\u2019s Olympic Stadium every day. It handles 45 per cent of all the waste water produced in Quebec. When it was constructed nearly 30 years ago, it was the biggest in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we built this plant, they said we were crazy,\u201d Richard Fontaine, the man responsible for treating Montreal\u2019s waste water, said during\u00a0a tour of the bowels of a plant that is spotless and odourless despite its vocation. \u201cNow they\u2019re building them even bigger. If we can work this, I\u2019m not worried about the new ozonation plant. I\u2019m used to big stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Montreal\u2019s plant collects the water that spews from toilets and storm drains, industrial plants and snow collection dumps, then filters out the solids, sands, and gravel, and treats it with chemicals to take out 70 per cent of the phosphorous, which\u00a0promotes algae growth that clogs rivers and lakes. Leftover sludge is collected as a form of earthy mud that Fontaine delights in handing to gloved guests. (\u201cI\u2019ve had ministers hold this stuff, \u201d he chuckles\u00a0\u201cEven prime ministers.\u201d ) The mud is incinerated.<\/p>\n

While this is a step up from dumping untreated sewage into the river, it still does little to remove the bacteria borne mainly of human excrement dumped liberally\u00a0into the St. Lawrence, as well as viruses and pharmacological pathogens emanating from medications dumped by patients, industries and users of illicit drugs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think the fish were expecting anti-depressants,\u201d Fontaine said. Nor anti-inflammatories, hormones and anti-convulsant medication to temper the affects of Parkinson\u2019s and epilepsy. Ozonation will remove 95 per cent of bacteria, most viruses and 75 per cent of pharmacological and cosmetic items, research studies show.<\/p>\n

The province has been spared major environmental and health repercussions because of the huge amount of water flowing down the St. Lawrence that dilutes the effluent\u00a0dumped into it, noted Viviane Yargeau, associate professor of chemical engineering at McGill University and specialist in waste-water treatment technologies. To this day, swimming is not recommended for several kilometres downstream of Montreal. Once the ozonation plant is installed, \u201cindirect contact\u201d with the water, meaning, for instance, water-skiers wearing wetsuits, will be possible within 300 metres of the city\u2019s outflow pipes, and swimming allowed a kilometre downstream, Fontaine said.<\/p>\n

A team of engineers, microbiologists, chemists and other experts mandated by the municipal and provincial governments have been researching the best solutions for over a decade, and decided on ozone in 2008. UV treatment for Montreal would be less efficient, almost equally costly and require the use of tens of thousands of glass tubes, which would have to be cleaned regularly, a prospect Fontaine said kept him awake many a\u00a0night. Montreal\u2019s plant has been testing ozonation for years, on a scale equivalent to that used by smaller municipalities, with excellent results. The only difference will be to increase the concentration of ozone used.<\/p>\n

Fontaine said the capital costs of installing ozonation, most of which will be\u00a0covered by provincial and federal grants, is not exorbitant when compared with\u00a0the overall worth of Montreal\u2019s plant, which Fontaine estimates at $3 billion, and the volume of water it treats. Cities like Toronto have at least seven waste-water treatment plants, whereas Montreal has just one to equip. There were only two bidders on the ozonation plant\u00a0because there are few firms worldwide with the expertise to work at this level, Fontaine maintains. Initial cost estimates were low because there was nothing to compare with worldwide, and the city lowballed their estimate to keep bidders from charging too much. Final estimates will hold up, Fontaine promises.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t really see why the size is a concern,\u201d Yargeau said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just been tested, but implemented in many places in Europe, and even many cities in the United States. If it\u2019s sufficient at a smaller scale, why shouldn\u2019t it be effective on a large scale? \u2026 It\u2019s great news.\u201d<\/p>\n

Montreal\u2019s plant will be able to meet tightening environmental standards for decades to come and adapt to the new chemical toxins, Fontaine said.<\/p>\n

While Fontaine said years of testing have gone into the decision, Gehr still feels the city is acting too hastily.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe die has been cast, and you and I will be paying for it over the next I-don\u2019t-know-how-many years,\u201d he said. \u201cI agree that ozone is more effective. But is it worth it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Fontaine said he\u2019s convinced it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe fight pollution, that is our mission,\u201d Fontaine said. \u201cI believe in that. If you\u2019re asking me is it worth it, this kind of investment, my answer is for sure. This project is the best environmental news \u2014 this is not a line, this is what I think \u2014 probably the best environmental news touching our waste-water treatment and our waterways in 30 years. \u2026 It\u2019s a good idea for my kids and your kids and their kids.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The city of Montreal is using ozone for waste water disinfection. \u00a0This great article was put together to explain the use of ozone ozone. \u00a0This […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[221],"tags":[270,271,272,35],"class_list":["post-935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ozone-news","tag-ozone-montreal","tag-ozone-use-in-wastewater","tag-ozone-water-disinfection","tag-ozone-water-treatment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oxidationtech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oxidationtech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oxidationtech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxidationtech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxidationtech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxidationtech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/935\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oxidationtech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxidationtech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oxidationtech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}