Development of subsurface wastewater treatment systems for municipal wastewater management in northern Canada

在北部社区建设和运营市政基础设施方面存在许多挑战，包括气候、偏远和能力。地下污水处理系统在北美几个司法管辖区被称为快速渗入盆地(RIBS)或土壤含水层处理(SATS)系统，对于小型、偏远、北方社区来说，可能是一种有效的废水管理替代方案。加拿大北部的几个社区已经在使用一种地下污水处理方式，但在北部环境中与这种做法相关的性能和环境风险尚未得到研究。该项目将为加拿大北部地下污水处理系统的选址和设计制定北方具体指导方针，达尔豪西大学与负责监管和实施西北地区市政污水处理系统的主要政府机构之间将建立强有力的合作伙伴关系。这项研究将涉及使用地下污水处理系统对北方社区的永久冻土动力学、地下水流动和污染物迁移进行详细的实地调查。这些信息将用于校准和验证能够模拟这些类型系统在包括气候变化在内的各种环境条件下的性能的新的数值模型。这一研究项目有可能产生新的废水管理解决方案，帮助保护加拿大北部和土著居民的健康以及他们生活的环境。

There are numerous challenges with respect to the construction and operation of municipal infrastructure innorthern communities, including climate, remoteness, and capacity. Subsurface wastewater treatment systems,termed Rapid Infiltration Basins (RIBs) or Soil Aquifer Treatment (SATs) systems in several North Americanjurisdictions, could be an effective wastewater management alternative for small, remote, northerncommunities. Several communities already use a form of subsurface wastewater treatment in the CanadianNorth, but the performance and environmental risks associated with the practice in northern environments havenot been studied. This project will generate northern specific guidelines for both siting and designingsubsurface wastewater treatment systems in the Canadian North, and involves a strong partnership betweenDalhousie University and the key government agencies responsible for both the regulation and implementationof municipal wastewater treatment systems in the Northwest Territories. The research will involve detailedfield investigations of permafrost dynamics, groundwater flow and contaminant transport in northerncommunities using subsurface wastewater treatment systems. This information will be used to calibrate andvalidate new numerical models capable of simulating the performance of these types of systems under a varietyof environmental conditions, including a changing climate. This research project has the potential to generatenew wastewater management solutions that will help protect the health of northern and indigenous Canadiansand the environments they live in.