The District of Sechelt received a $169,000 Green Municipal Fund grant contribution from the federal government on Jan. 30 to continue its field testing for a project at its water resource centre.
The funding will be used to conduct a field test to evaluate a novel method for removing hormones, pharmaceuticals and other endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) from treated wastewater effluent prior to use as reclaimed water.
“I’m always so proud when I see communities in our riding taking a leadership role in innovation, particularly when we’re looking at how to reclaim vital resources, in this case, water, ensuring a high standard of stewardship and setting a strong example for others,” said member of Parliament John Weston. “On the Sunshine Coast, we value the partnership with FCM [Federation of Canadian Municipalities], not only on wastewater treatment, but also on other initiatives that will bring all orders of government together to benefit our community.”
The first part of the field test will make biochar, a specialized form of charcoal, from the wastewater biosolids. The charring process is expected to destroy any EDCs in the biosolids. The second part will use the resulting biochar to filter the reclaimed water, capturing and biodegrading the EDCs. The performance of the biochar will be compared to conventional filter media such as activated carbon.
If the field test is successful, Sechelt will work to scale up and implement the technology as part of a reclaimed water system and seek opportunities to commercialize the technology for use by other communities.
“The use of reclaimed water would reduce the demands on our community’s potable water supply and could provide water for local commercial endeavours,” said Sechelt Mayor Bruce Milne. “Once it is determined that this can be done in a safe and efficient manner, it will give us another opportunity to reclaim resources from what was once considered waste. Becoming a zero-waste community is one of the goals of our sustainability plan.”
