Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment

6 Operations

6.1 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COSTS

Sewer operation and maintenance costs are generally high in the Arctic. The most expensive municipal water and sewer service per capita is in Grise Fiord, Nunavut, at $2240 per person, of which $670 per person is the portion for sewer services (2002) (Ken Johnson, personal communication). This rate is approximately ten times greater than average costs in southern Canada. A number of factors contribute to high operation costs, including high fuel prices, infrastructure degradation and breakdown due to climate, economies of scale, local conditions, and so on.

Twenty-two communities in Nunavut have water and sewage services provided by truck. Rankin Inlet, Resolute Bay and Iqaluit provide the majority of their water delivery and sewer collection services by utilidor. Water and sewage services are required to be self-funding; municipalities cover operations and maintenance costs and reserve funds for purchase of water/sewer trucks. Revenues are derived from user fees, grants, contributions, and operating assistance from the Government of Nunavut (MTO, 2006). Appendix 3 lists water and sewage revenues and expenditures by community.

FIG. 7. Comparison of water and sewage delivery expenditures in 2005/2006 and the average from 2000/2001 to 2005/2006 by community² (adapted from MTO, 2006)

FIG. 8. Comparison of net water and sewage revenue³ in 2005/2006 and the average from 2000/2001 to 2005/2006 by community⁴ (adapted from MTO, 2006)

FIG. 9. Estimate of water delivered per person per day in Nunavut communities in 2005/2006⁴ (adapted from MTO, 2006)

FIG. 10. Estimate of total water delivered in Nunavut communities in 2005/2006⁵ (adapted from MTO, 2006)

FIG. 11. Economic rate per litre for water and sewage services in Nunavut communities in 2005/2006⁶ (MTO, 2006, p. 38)

6.2 DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES AND CHALLENGES

TABLE 7. Wastewater facility operation and maintenance plans, activities and challenges for select Nunavut communities^6
	Sewage treatment O&M manual in place	Sewage treatment O&M activities and challenges
Cambridge Bay	Required since 2002; submission not confirmed (not on NWB FTP site).	Waste visible on shore of lagoon in 2004.
Gjoa Haven	Required since 2003; submission not confirmed (not on NWB FTP site).	In 2006, a section of the lagoon wall had washed away and collapsed, with sewage leaking onto surrounding wetlands; some signage missing as well. In 2003, the lagoon was filled above the freeboard limit.
Kugaaruk	Required since 2007 or earlier; submission not confirmed (not on NWB FTP site).	In 2004, the lagoon developed leaks. Repairs were made, but breaching of the berms was not eliminated.
Kugluktuk	Submitted and approved by NWB in 2006.	Not specified.
Taloyoak	Unconfirmed (not on NWB FTP site).	In 2003, the sewage truck discharge station became dangerous due to erosion. Old honeybag^7 pit to be decommissioned in 2002, but unclear if plans were made or approved by the NWB for this.
Arctic Bay	Required since 2003; submission not confirmed (not on NWB FTP site).	In May 2003, there was an unauthorized effluent release and no spill report was filed. There was breaching of the lagoon berm/seepage in Aug. 2003. In Jan. 2004, there was an unauthorized release of effluent (spill at new lagoon). Repair work was carried out several times. In Aug. 2006, sewage was released untreated into environment. Runoff was diverted around lagoon and waste management area and retention dykes were constructed to reduce/slow floes off seepage from lagoon area down slope to the roadway and marine environment. Work was completed as an emergency measure to prevent loss of lagoon system.
Cape Dorset	Requested for new lagoon in 2006; unknown if submitted (not on NWB FTP site).	During the 2006 inspection, neither of the sewage lagoons were working properly. The new 3 cell lagoon was not in operation, and the old lagoon was being used again under direction of the Manager of Operations (use began in July 2006), although it was too small and does not provide sufficient holding time. During the 2007 inspection, a channel from the toe or bank of the first and second cells of the lagoon was allowing sewage to flow overland (roadway) down the bank and into Telik Inlet, at the access road to the third cell. The Hamlet took action to fix the cell wall the following morning; however, the same issues were observed during the 2006 inspection. Algae were still visible in the stream running down from the third cell of the lagoon into Telik inlet and algae were also visible along the shoreline and wall of Kingait mountain where the runoff enters the inlet.
Clyde River	Required since 2003; unknown if submitted (not on NWB FTP site).	There was insufficient freeboard during the 2001 inspection. During the 2006 inspection, the lagoon did not have sufficient freeboard and appeared to be ready for decanting; no signs of seepages from the toe of the lagoon but both standing and flowing water were visible in the wetlands area below the lagoon. Leachate seepages from the dump were visible with sufficient runoff from either side of the dump to carry contaminants out onto wetlands area and down to ocean.
Grise Fiord	Required since 2003; unknown if submitted (not on NWB FTP site).	Insufficient freeboard during 2001 inspection. During the 2006 inspection, freeboard was sufficient, and there was no visible seepage from the toe of the lagoon.
Hall Beach	Required since 2004; unknown if submitted (not on NWB FTP site).	During the 2006 inspection, only one of two cells contained effluent; the lagoon did not appear to have sufficient holding time for proper treatment. Effluent discharge quality was unacceptable.
Igloolik	Required since 2003; unknown if submitted (not on NWB FTP site).	During the 2001, a warning was issued for failing to maintain the sewage lagoon in such a manner as to prevent structural failure. The hamlet also failed to notify the NWB before the construction of an additional sewage cell between 2001 and 2003.
Kimmirut	Required since 2003; not submitted.	In 2002, discharge from the lagoon was washing away some of the cover material at the dump. In 2003, the hamlet was asked to relocate the sewage truck discharge station by 15 m as the location was on top of an old honeybag storage area, and erosion had uncovered a considerable portion of the old honeybags. In 2007, the hamlet was advised to relocate the sewage discharge point by 10 m to minimize the flow of sewage through the dump.
Pangnirtung	Required since 2003; not submitted. Sludge management plan required since 2002; not submitted.	In 2007 and prior, operational problems being experienced due to inadequately sized bio-reactors relative to the organic load, low oxygen levels in the bioreactors (shallow aeration tank), and a misunderstanding of the activated sludge treatment process. There were problems with the EQ feed and sludge pumps due to debris clogging (required high maintenance). Insufficient ventilation was creating odour and corrosion problems as well as difficulty with the instrumentation and controls due to lack of protection from high humidity. There was a lack of locally qualified technicians to maintain the 600 V electrical system. Upgrades to the plant and O&M processes currently being considered to address these issues. Also, there was a lack of signage for monitoring stations. Further, at the old sewage pump out station, no remedial efforts had taken place to restore the area, exposing built up sludge (unknown if decommissioning and restoration plans have been submitted to NWB).
Pond Inlet	OM plan required since 1990; unknown if submitted (not on NWB FTP site).	Seepage from the sewage lagoon as well as leachate from the waste metal area were both visible in 2006
Qikiqtarjuaq	Submitted with 2007 license application; revised plans to be submitted.	The lagoon had sufficient freeboard and was in proper working condition in 2006.
Resolute	Unknown (not on NWB FTP site).	During the 2007 inspection, the SAO and operators conveyed observations of an algal bloom both on and under the ice in the bay in front of the community at discharge point; during the inspection there was an obvious odour of sewage at the discharge pipe.
Sanikiluaq	Required since 2003; not submitted.	During the 2002 inspection, sewage trucks were discharging at an unauthorized location across from the sewage lagoon; there was litter in the water and high levels of ammonia in the effluent.