TECHNICAL TOURS

All spots are now filled and registration is closed.

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Price: $89 (snack included)
CEUs: 0.30

Safety gear: Work boots or rain boots if wet outside, are recommended, no open toe or high heel shoes.

Dress for the weather as most of the tour will be outdoors. Clean safety vests will be provided.

Strong odor is produced by the facility, it is recommended to bring a change of clothes for after the tour as the smell may bond to clothing. (There is no changing area at the facility)

Pick-up/drop-off location: Depart from the Fairmont Chateau Whistler (4599 Chateau Boulevard, Whistler, BC)

Schedule:

12:00 - 12:15 pm	Pick up at Fairmont and transport to the site
12:15 - 2:15 pm	Tour Wastewater Treatment Plant in Cheakamus
2:15 - 2:30 pm	Transfer between facilities
2:30 - 4:00 pm	Tour Whistler Compost Facility in the Callaghan Valley
4:00 - 4:30 pm	Transport back to WCC & Fairmont

TOUR AND FACILITIES OVERVIEW

The Wastewater Treatment Plant in Cheakamus
The Wastewater Treatment Plant in Cheakamus is a biological treatment plant with UV disinfection. DES (District Energy System) utilizes effluent water temperature through Heat Exchangers to provide a heat source benefiting over 1,500 people. During the tour of the WWTP the group will review site safety procedures in front of the main control building. The tour begins at the influent wet wells and concludes at the UV disinfection. 

The Whistler Compost Facility in the Callaghan Valley
The Whistler Compost Facility in the Callaghan Valley composts biosolids from the wastewater treatment plants as well as wood waste. The tour begins with an introduction and overview of compost facility/ transfer station. Continues with the tour of facility buildings, equipment, and intricate processes, addressing concerns and complications in the composting process. 

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SQUAMISH WWTP (DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH'S MAMQUAM WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT)

TOUR DETAILS

Tour date: Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Tour timing: 8:30 am to 12:00 pm 
Tour of the facility: 2 hours
Transportation: 45 minutes bus transportation one way or 1 ½ hours return

All spots are now filled and registration is closed.

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Price: $59
Registration deadline: April 15, 2024 (or until all spots are filled)
CEUs: 0.20

Safety Gear: High visibility vests are required, and work boots are recommended. No open toe or high heel shoes (safety boots encouraged). 

Schedule:

There are two travel options available for this tour:

1.    Round-trip bus travel returning to Whistler, arranged by the BCWWA. Pick-up is at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler at 8:30am and arrival back to Whistler at approximately 12:00pm.

8:30-9:15 am	Pick up at Fairmont and transport to the site
9:15-11:15 am	Squamish WWTP
11:15am-12:00pm	Transport back to Fairmont

2.    Personal, independent travel, meeting at the front entrance of the Squamish WWTP (39907 Government Road, Squamish) at 9:15am.

Parking may be available in the main lot indicated in green on the map but could be restricted due to on-going construction and shifting schedule. Additional parking is up on the dike (indicated in orange on the map below), approximately 5-minute walking distance to the facility (main entrance).

CEUs: TBC

Safety Gear: High visibility vests are required, and work boots are recommended. No open toe or high heel shoes (safety boots encouraged). 

TOUR AND FACILITY OVERVIEW

The tour will include a walkthrough of Administration/ MCC/ Lab building and operations, covering Headworks/ screening and de-gritting, the biological treatment process, UV disinfection, and effluent pumping. Following that, there will be an overview of the solids handling process and DAF and centrifuge dewatering operations. Process flow diagram can be provided to participants.

The current process is a modified secondary treatment with unique features, including direct pumping to the influent galleries (no influent wet well), 3mm screens, and vortex grit separators. Secondary biological treatment takes place in one of two trains; either a standard suspended aeration basin followed by a secondary clarifier or a circular combined treatment unit (CTU). The facility includes a UV disinfection process and an effluent pumping facility. The solids handling stream includes a DAF tank, Thickened Waste Activated Sludge tank, and two Pieralisi Jumbo centrifuges. Undigested and dewatered biosolids are trucked to the RMOW biosolids compost facility in the Callaghan for further treatment. Currently undergoing a major upgrade, the facility will add an additional CTU and convert old secondary clarifiers into primary sedimentation tanks, increasing capacity and redundancy. This will effectively convert the process to a more standard secondary treatment plant.

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Questions? Contact Janette Blahova at jblahova@bcwwa.org.