Wastewater Treatment

Small Water Purveyor Solutions

by MSR Solutions | Jan 21, 2020 | news, Uncategorized, Wastewater Treatment, Water Treatment

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.

Septic Awareness Week

by MSR Solutions | Sep 13, 2019 | news, Wastewater Treatment

The WCOWMA Onsite Wastewater Management of BC (WCOWMA-BC) reminds all of you that September 16 to 20, 2019 is Septic Awareness Week.

Here is an outline at what to do and what not to do if you have a septic system.

Septic Dos

Have a ROWP maintenance provider confirm or develop a maintenance plan specific to your septic system that includes at minimum an annual assessment. This maintenance plan should include as constructed drawings.
Have your tank pumped out as recommended by your Maintenance Provider.
Have your effluent filter cleaned as needed, approximately every 6 months.
Remove sludge in spring rather than fall to avoid loading the tank with undigested solids during cold months.
Keep your septic tank cover accessible for inspections and pumping. Install risers if necessary and always keep the tank lid secure.
Package treatment plants are maintained according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Know the location of your septic tank or package treatment plant and soils treatment components.
Be aware there are required setbacks for the installation of underground sprinklers in the vicinity of septic systems.
Watch for any ground settlement that might direct water onto the soils treatment components.
Keep the area around the septic tank and dispersal area grassed to promote evaporation and avoid erosion.

Septic Don’ts

Do not enter or access a septic tank.
Do not use septic tank additives.
Do not disinfect, scrub and wash the tank.
Do not allow vehicles to drive over, or park on, any septic system components.
Do not use a septic field as pens or pastures for animals.
Do not plant any trees or shrubs on or near the bed or tanks; their roots can clog pipes.
Do not drain downspouts, sump pumps, etc. into the septic system.
Do not alter drainage features without consideration for impacts to the dispersal field.
Do not build over any septic or soils component or cover it with a hard surface such as asphalt, brick or patio stones.
Do not excessively water the lawn over the soils treatment component area.

There’s more great information on the WCOWMA -BC site for Septic Awareness Week.

If you live in the following regions, please be aware they also have public education programs available to homeowners with septic systems. See their websites or contact them directly for more information.

Capital Regional District Septic Savvy

Regional District of Nanaimo SepticSmart

Comox Valley Regional District Septic

Columbia Shuswap Regional District Septic Smart

For more information on onsite sewage disposal and wastewater treatment, see our services page. We also have a blog post on onsite sewage disposal.

Spirit Bay: Sunset Point

by MSR Solutions | Aug 16, 2019 | Civil Engineering, Land Development, Wastewater Treatment

Spirit Bay, located on the southwest tip of Vancouver Island, is bustling with activity. Civil works is now underway with a new extension of the subdivision called Sunset Point and MSR is there to assist with curbs and road slopes.

To date, MSR Solutions has overseen the installation of underground utilities to Sunset Point, including water, sewer, storm, hydro and telecommunications.

There are three complete underground works at Sunset Point with curb installation now underway on the edges of the roadway. MSR Solutions technicians and engineers regularly go out to the site to inspect curb forms and ensure the roads slope properly to control runoff. Once the curbs are complete the roads will be ready for paving.

MSR Solutions provides design assistance at Sunset Point for the creation of walkways and stairs in the designated park areas. MSR Solutions involvement also includes overseeing upgrades to Spirit Bay’s District Energy heating system to accommodate growth in the subdivision. We also provide oversight with the operation of the local wastewater treatment plant. Civil works for the next phase of the subdivision, called Ridgeline, should be underway in the fall of 2019.

We’ve been working with Spirit Bay for some time now and continue to enjoy a solid working relationship with them. For more information on Land Development and Wastewater Treatment, visit our Services page.

Contact us today with any questions you may have for your projects.

Malahat Forest Estates

by MSR Solutions | Apr 12, 2019 | news, Wastewater Treatment, Water Treatment

You’ll find Malahat Forest Estates on a picturesque mountain above the Malahat (HWY 1) on Vancouver Island. The first phase of the development is for 18 homes, three of which are acreages. In total, 84 new homes planned for the development. MSR Solutions was brought in to assist with wastewater treatment and water treatment.

Ownership and operation of the utilities will be by the Cowichan Valley Regional District. (CVRD). The utilities have been commissioned and accepted by CVRD Operations. CVRD Engineering sign off for the removal of a No Build covenant was conditional on commissioning of the water and sewer utilities.

MSR Solutions reviewed the original design for Malahat Forest Estates and updated the design to include and service the first 18 homes.

MSR submitted a Sewerage System Regulation filing for the treatment and disposal system.
Supply and delivery of the mechanical components of the Membrane BioReactor (MBR) system was coordinated by MSR Solutions.
Three effluent disposal fields were constructed.
MSR Solutions conducted field reviews during installation of the treatment plant and disposal fields.
MSR Solutions conducted system testing, sensor calibration, and final commissioning.

Water Treatment

The water system had been substantially completed in 2014.
MSR tested and commissioned the system, including disinfection of the treatment and distribution systems, calibrating sensors, and programming the monitoring system.

Wastewater treatment and water treatment are two of MSR Solutions specialties.

Donovan Strata Wastewater Treatment

by MSR Solutions | Mar 23, 2019 | Analysis and Consultation, news, Wastewater Treatment

Donovan Avenue is an 8-lot strata subdivision under construction within the city of Colwood, BC. Tycor Developments retained MSR Solutions to design services for an onsite wastewater treatment and disposal system servicing the strata.

We began the design process by conducting a site assessment, consisting of soils analysis and percolation testing. MSR then worked in conjunction with the client to maximize the scope of the development. We provided an accurate assessment of how much daily flow could be treated and disposed of on site. We then determined the number of serviceable housing units for this onsite wastewater system.

Optimizing Strata Potential

Optimizing development potential is an area in which MSR continues to excel. We do this to the benefit of our land development clients. MSR Solutions takes a pragmatic approach to assessing household flow rates. We base it on recent real-world data which factors in modern low-flow fixtures. Then, we apply cutting edge technologies in our designs. This ensures disposal of the properly treated wastewater in a manner that protects public safety and the environment. This innovative approach sets MSR Solutions apart from all the others. It makes us the firm of choice for land development clients. Especially those looking to maximize the potential of their projects in locations outside of established municipal sewer service areas.

Balancing Requirements with Functionality and Aesthetics

There were tight space constraints at the Donovan Avenue strata site. MSR Solutions provided a system layout which carefully balanced the technical requirements of the wastewater system with the functional and aesthetic considerations of the strata residents. The onsite wastewater treatment and disposal system is now installed and successfully commissioned. Construction on housing unit is now proceeding. The design includes provisions for future decommissioning as well as connection to the municipal sewer system.

Please visit our Services page for more information on what we provide our clients.

Aspengrove School Athletic Centre

by MSR Solutions | Mar 8, 2019 | Analysis and Consultation, news, Wastewater Treatment

Located in Lantzville (BC), Aspengrove School is a private K-12 school, including a pre-school daycare centre. The school is constructing an athletic centre and as the architectural drawing provided by the client show, it will be located within the school lot and will have toilets and showers.

MSR Solutions Inc. is working with the Aspengrove School to review the capacity of the school’s wastewater treatment and disposal systems and provide solutions to accommodate wastewater load from the proposed development. The proposed gym will have eight showers; however, showers are the main potential contributing factor to wastewater flow.

The existing on-site wastewater treatment system at the school was originally designed to accommodate a Daily Design Flow (DDF) of 5,660 Lpd (1,245 Impgd) in 2008 and was upgraded to accommodate a DDF of 22,700 Lpd (5,000 Impgd) in 2010. The existing treatment system will include: one NPS CA20; and six Ecoflo units (6-650B units with peat filtration).

The Sewerage System Regulation (SSR) govern regulations for the existing system. The SSR applies to onsite wastewater treatment systems, including those for houses, schools, small businesses, and similar small community systems.

Scope of Work

The below works are required to be conducted to provide sewer servicing for the Athletic Centre and to keep the DDF under 22,700 Lpd (5,000 Impgd):

Installation of low flow showers is a must
Installation of a timers system for the showers is strongly recommended
Installation of an equalization tank as a balancing storage
Installation of an effluent filter
Installation of a new lift station to provide timed dosing to the existing treatment system
Installation of a UV unit
Monitoring works for the existing fields

The proposed improvement was filed with Island Health (VIHA) under BC SSR. At time of writing the project was in the permitting process.

To see more of the services we offer, visit our Services page.

admin@msrsolutions.ca

250.479.5164