The Root, Beddis Road, Salt Spring

The Root, Beddis Road, Salt Spring

MSR came in to create an onsite wastewater treatment and disposal system for a new project. The Root facilities are at 189 Beddis Road on Salt Spring Island.

A commercial kitchen and living residence will provide an estimated Daily Design Flow of 2560 L/d. The proposed treatment system consisted of extended primary treatment and secondary treatment with a package aerobic treatment system. This was followed by a tertiary treatment within a sub-surface engineered wetland. Moisture tolerant plants will cover the wetland disposal system which contains peat.

189 Beddis Road is a 0.6 ha (1.5 acre) property located on Salt Spring Island. The property contains two primary buildings. One for food storage with a commercial kitchen for processing local produce. the other is a two-bedroom caretaker apartment.

Construction completed March 20, 2021.

The Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust is raising funds to build, The Root – Centre for Food Security, at 189 Beddis Road.

“The Root is a local food facility that will include a licensed teaching and processing kitchen, and temperature-controlled storage for local food, and the Seed Bank.

This means more local food will be available all year round. The certified Food Safe kitchen will be available to farmers and food processors as well as individuals and community organizations. Training programs such as chef certification, youth programs on agriculture, as well as food preparation and preservation education for the whole community will be provided at The Root.”

For more information on water treatment systems, visit our wastewater treatment page.

Fatburgs: know what to flush!

Fatburgs: know what to flush!

By now you’ve probably heard about fatburgs. Those gross looking blobs that have been plugging sewer and septic systems around the world.

Disinfectant wipes, paper towels, baby wipes, can all clog pipes and back up sewers. They don’t break down the way toilet paper is designed to break down. Even “flushable” wipes, aren’t that flushable.

Now that covid-19 is spreading across the world, people are using wipes to clean surfaces at work and at home. As the wipes and paper towels do not break down as quickly as toilet paper, they can get gather fat, grease, oil, hair and other things flushed that should not be flushed. These then stick together and cause big lumps, called fatburgs, that either restrict sewage flow or block it all together. These fatburgs started showing up a few years ago in sewers around the world, and today, with the uptake on using wipes, it may get worse.

Here is a link to a CNN story on the problems that are developing due to flushing things that should not be flushed. These problems also exist right here in BC. Here’s a link to a story on what happened recently in the Okanagan.

For more info on what you can flush, see our blogs on Don’t Strain Your Drain for septic systems and Own Your Throne, for sewer systems.  We also have a blog on the Dos and Don’ts of Septic Systems.

For more information on what you should and should not flush, see our blog on the Myth of Disposable Wipes.

Stay safe out there!

Small Water Purveyor Solutions

Small Water Purveyor Solutions

The Regional District of Nanaimo held their annual Water Purveyor Working Group (WPWG) workshop on Thursday January 30, 2020. MSR’s Todd Adamsson and Karl WIlliaume were on hand to give a presentation on leak detection/water theft and grant opportunities.

The WPWG aims to assist small water purveyors by providing networking and educational opportunities. As MSR Solutions specializes in small water systems, having Todd and Karl there was a good fit.

MSR Solutions currently supplies their clients with the following: source water assessment and protection, treatment and distribution design, construction coordination and oversight, and ongoing operations consultation. We also offer complimentary services for developments, including onsite sewage treatment, storm water management and civil design.

Todd Adamsson and Karl Williaume

MSR’s Todd Adamsson has a pragmatic approach to water system design by installing, operating and troubleshooting a wide variety of systems drawing from the full gamut of sources including rainwater, seawater, groundwater and surface water. In addition to new builds and upgrades, his MSR clients rely on his chemical engineering expertise to find practical solutions to maintain high water quality as source characteristics change, demand increases, and equipment ages.

Fellow presenter, was Karl Williaume, a professional engineer with a decade of experience designing water and wastewater infrastructure in western Canada. He takes pride in bringing a hands-on, innovative approach to the design process, providing value to clients with practical, optimized solutions. He enjoys a healthy mix of field work and office work, and regularly seeks input from contractors and operators to keep his designs grounded in the practical realities of system operation.

The MSR Solutions, solution

MSR Solutions and their staff are available to assist with your questions and concerns. We’d be happy to assist you with your small water purveyor solutions. MSR is also represented on the WEF Small Communities Committee, as well as the BCWWA, where Mike Seymour, owner of MSR, is President. See our Services page for more in depth information on what MSR can do for you.

Don’t Strain Your Drain

Don’t Strain Your Drain

This holiday season, spend you time with friends and family, not fixing your septic system or unclogging a drain.

Septic systems can overload during the festivities, and it’s important to stagger your use of water. Don’t run the dishwasher, washing machine, and have a shower all at once.

It’s also a good idea to think at the sink. Food waste goes in the kitchen waste bucket or in the garbage. When it comes to toilets . . . they aren’t trash cans. Don’t be tossing your unused leftovers in the toilet. And remember, if it’s not one of the 3Ps: pee, poo or paper (toilet paper that is), then don’t flush it!

We at MSR Solutions Inc., wish you are yours a happy and festive holiday season.

For more information on what shouldn’t go down your drains, see our blog on Septic Awareness.

Own Your Throne

Own Your Throne

Hamilton, Ontario has a great awareness campaign called “Own Your Throne” that comes complete with some interesting characters.

There’s Richard the Turd, Sir Peeter, and the Duchess of Swirl. They are all there to help educate people on the impact of flushing items that shouldn’t be flushed. (See our blog on the Myth of Flushable Wipes.)

It is worth repeating that the only things that should ever be flushed are the 3Ps: Pee, poop, and paper (proper toilet paper). The city has created three You Tube videos that bring a lighthearted bit of education to homeowners. They’ve even created characters for items you shouldn’t flush.

Watch as Sir Peeter and Richard the Turd battle cotton balls, tampon applicators and dental floss to protect the throne. Then the Duchess of Swirl saves the day by guarding against the so-called flushable baby wipes. In episode three, old man plunger tells the tale of how unflushables cost everyone money.

It’s a fun way to learn about what you can and should not flush down your toilet.

Have questions? Give us a call or send us an email, we’d be happy to help.

Millstream Industrial Park

Millstream Industrial Park

Multiple Projects

Millstream Industrial Park is a business and industrial complex located at the border of Langford and Millstream, BC on Millstream Road. MSR Solutions Inc. has been involved in various civil engineering projects in Millstream Industrial Park since 2014. The projects includes a wide range of topics.

MSR Solutions assisted with storm water management. MSR create flow structure design and construction admiration for Pond #1 as well as a flood analysis for Pond #2. Watermain expansion was one of the projects where we supplied design and construction administration.

The Millstream Industrial Park also need cross control locations at various locations on the site. MSR Solutions worked with the developer to achieve this. Storm water quality analysis and management was also needed on various locations throughout the site and included oil/water separators assessment as well as improvements

This is an ongoing project that MSR Solutions is proud to be a part of.

 


MSR has been our project engineer of choice since the early stages of the Millstream Industrial Park water line development. They helped ensure we were compliant with local bylaws and CRD Water standards in order to bring our private domestic water distribution system into our 70 acre industrial park. This private water system supplies domestic water to our clients. In addition, they’ve also engineered drainage and fire protection systems.
 
Working with MSR Solutions makes my job easier. They are readily available to discuss our current upgrades and needs. Everyone at MSR is friendly, professional and they give prompt service, which is very important in my industry. I highly recommend working with them.

Andy Wells – President – Millstream Industrial Park