Farm Water

On February 19th at 9:00pm, we all arrived at the Kensington Pitch & Putt with the surveying equipment. We started at the top of the stream and Harrison orientated us on how to use the surveying station. We discussed that the best way to measure the cross section of the stream was to approximate it as a trapezoid and perform the needed measurements. For these measurements we used a measuring tape and stakes to measure from point to point. We decided on 26 crucial points to measure these cross sections. These sections were places where the stream is most irregular and where pool drop structures would likely be placed. These structures will help the sediments to settle to the bottom of the stream by slowing the flow behind the structure.

The data collected to model the stream was formatted and we made excel files and a model of the stream in AutoCAD. We are in the process of submitting a detailed report of our findings to Dr. Atwater. Below are several pictures of the team on-site implementing the project.

This past week our team visited Kensington Pitch and Putt with Dr. Atwater and Sepideh Jankhah to gain an overview of the parameters of the site.  The site visit enlightened us on our tasks and the significance of what we are planning to do.

Task

Our task is to measure multiple cross-sections of the trench that the stream runs through, in order to determine the volume of water sections are able to contain.  This task may be challenging due to certain locations of the stream being deep and covered with black berry bushes.  Also, the stream is located near golf holes, which will be hazardous.  Therefore, extra time will be required in order to approach the project with the utmost caution.

Significance

The data will be analyzed to allow us to determine and suggest to the management staff where the optimal location of where semi-permeable barriers should be installed, creating a pool and riffle effect.  The purpose of the semi-permeable barriers is to decrease the high degree change in volumetric flow rate.  For the most part, the stream is very calm but changes drastically when it rains.  The semi-permeable barriers will dam up the water and delay the flow for an hour.  This is important due to the stream carrying the rain water from urban areas ultimately to a fish bearing body of water.

Materials

We are going to the site during reading break to take the necessary cross-sections of the stream.  In preparation, we have contacted Mr. Blair Patterson to help us procure the necessary surveying equipment.

The equipment list is as follows:

1 laser level & tripod

1 surveying rod

1 surveying tape (50m or 60m)

~20 metal spikes

2 mallets

2 rolls ribbon

4 measuring tapes

2 carpenter’s levels

2 2x4x10 (or x8)

2 square angles

6 hard hats and safety vests

Project Name:   Burnaby Stream Remediation Project
Client:                  Dr. Jim Atwater
Location:             Kensington Pitch and Putt, Burnaby B.C.

Google Maps

 Source: http://maps.google.ca/maps

Source: http://www.burnaby.ca/Things-To-Do/page173.aspx

Description:

This past week we started on the new CSL project that Dr. Nesbit assigned to us. We had a meeting with Dr. Atwater, our new client who explained the project to us.

The site is located in Burnaby at the Kensington Pitch and Putt. The project involves determining the volume and flow rate of an urban stream which runs along the perimeter of the golf course. The stream is a class B stream which means it has the potential to contain fish and be used for food production. The stream itself isn’t very wide; however rapid erosion has caused it to be very deep. The Golf course management seeks to use the stream as storage of natural materials.

This is not a contentious stream because there are no fish and there is no immediate risk to polluting the environment. Dr. Atwater, who is the Chair of the community group that oversees the stream, assures us that these issues won’t be a problem.

Our team will carry out this project by taking numerous cross-sections of the stream at multiple different locations. This process will allows us to determine the volume of the stream.

We will also complete a safety course that will deal with the hazards we might encounter at the site. We will acquire the necessary safety equipment that will allows us to perform our readings safely.

We have arranged a meeting at the golf course for this Monday February 13, where we will visit the site to scope out how many cross sections we will take and which equipment we will use.

After our meeting with Paula Parkinson, we had an idea of what is possible to test for in our time frame and with our available equipment.  The next step on the project agenda was to contact Eco-Tek.  It was decided that in order to present ourselves professionally, we should prepare a proposal of possible testing schedules and gain a better understanding of what the tests actually entailed.

Research On Testing

As a group of civil engineers with only a background in basic chemistry, a great deal of research was required.  Along with the research, correspondence was done with a group member’s friend who is currently studying Food Nutrition and Health.

We found the following so far:

The first step is to collect the wastewater samples from the Solar Aquatic System (SAS). Sterile containers with a cap/cover would need to be procured, in order not to contaminate the wastewater samples.

The BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) and Salinty tests require only inserting a probe into the wastewater sample to respectively measure the dissolved oxygen content and conductivity.  A standardized pH meter with solution of pH 4, 7, and 10 would be needed to test the pH levels of the wastewater.

The process of conducting the Fecal Coliform Count test is much more complex.  Before the fecal coliforms can be counted, they must first be grown.  The wastewater sample would need to be diluted in order to for the plates to be in a countable range of 25-250 or 30-300 colonies.   The two methods of using a spread plate or a pour plate were suggested.  Both methods require using a selective agar/gelatin media to ensure that the only bacteria being grown would be coliforms.  The spread plate method entails inoculating and spreading a sample of the wastewater onto a prepared agar (petri dish), and then an incubation period of 24 hours at 35 degrees.  Care would be needed throughout this process because the coliforms may grow into a blob, making it invalid for counting.  The pour plate method entails pouring molten agar into a plate where a sample of wastewater has been inoculated.  The dish is then swirled carefully and incubated aerobically at 35 degrees for 48 hours.  Care is needed when pouring the molten agar into the plate.  Both methods require a positive and negative control that respectively consists of a plate of pure culture of coliforms and one of just the diluent.

With this brief overview on how to execute the laboratory tests, we felt better prepared for the time when were to go back and meet with the Civil Environmental Lab.  Being prepared would optimize the training time spent under the mentoring of Sepideh Jankhah and Paula Parkinson.   We intended to ask them whether we would be able to use an autoclave to sterilize the containers and consult them on the topics of incubation time, temperature, and conditions for growing coliforms.

Meetings

On Monday, we presented to Dennis our preliminary schedule of collecting wastewater samples at different times of day and store them to be tested.  He informed us that due to the SAS using multiple filters, the time of day would not affect our results, while the actual day of the week mattered.  In order to get a bulk reading of the wastewater, it would be best to take the samples on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  This way, we would get a sampling of the water quality during the beginning, middle, and end of the week.

Finally, we were prepared to meet with Eco-Tek.  After phoning and leaving messages a couple of times, and emailing them, they finally replied informing us that it would not be possible for us to access the SAS.  For more information on the CIRS Building and the Solar Aquatic System, please visit: http://cirs.ubc.ca/building/building-manual/reclaimed-water

This project has hit a dead-end, and no further progress can be made.  However, there is a prospect of a new project involving stream remediation in cooperation with Dr. Jim Atwater and the Municipality of Burnaby.

Meeting With Andrew Rushmere – UBC Farm

Date: January 19, 2012

Our whole team drove to the UBC Farm to discuss the client’s expectations for the project.  Mr. Rushmere was very enthusiastic about the project and had a clear idea for what he expected from our group.  He explained that he wanted us to test for all nutrients and any particulate in the wastewater in the time we had to execute this task.  The reason for these tests is to determine if the wastewater is suitable for use at the UBC Farm.  This project is one of many small student-based projects that will help prepare for the new farm centre, which is to start construction by 2013. The regulations on reclaimed wastewater (after going through a filtration system) are very strict and Mr. Rushmere is trying to show that the regulations could be revised.  Currently the reclaimed water from the Solar Aquatic System is only being used to flush the toilets and water the plants in the CIRS Building, but is theoretically suitable for irrigation and possibly consumption.

Meeting With Paula Parkinson – Environmental Laboratories

Date: January 23, 2012

Our meeting with Ms Parkinson revealed that along with the tests for nutrients, we should be running fecal coliform counts, BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), chlorine analysis, and salinity and pH tests.  The complexity of these tests varies from performing an instantaneous BOD reading via a probe to growing fecal coliforms over a few days.  The nutrient samples will be collect over the next month and preserved to be analyzed at the lab in one session.  The wastewater will be ‘digested’ with acid and tested for the above contents/particulates.

Team Organization

Our team consists of six Civil Engineering students: Rayna Chen, Jad Haidar, Jonathan Ketchum, Ramon Mendoza, Harrison Read, and Matthew Wong.  Our mentor is Sepideh Janka, a PhD candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering. We will be working with Andrew Rushmere of UBC Farm. Below is a list of each member’s role:

Leader: Jad Haidar

Blogger: Rayna Chen

Secretary: Harrison Read

Document Collector: Ramon Mendoza

Client Liaison: Jonny Ketchum

Instructor / Mentor Liaison: Matthew Wong

From Left: Matthew Wong, Jonathan Ketchum, Harrison Read, Jad Haidar, Rayna Chen, Ramon Mendoza; On Top: Sepideh Jankhah

Purpose

The objective of the CIRS Blackwater Recycling Nutrient project is to test for nutrients in the wastewater running through the living filter. This wastewater runs through various filters including organics, sands, and UV rays to purify the water.  The water source contains both grey matter and black matter.  Water that comes from the sink is categorized as grey water, while black water contains toilet water.  The nutrients that will be specifically tested for are Ammonia/Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus. The purpose of this testing is so UBC Farms can determine if they can use this same system for agricultural means.  Along with testing for nutrients, the wastewater will be tested for Fecal coliform counts, salmonella, and pathenogenic nematodes. Furthermore, research will be done on agricultural regulations to determine acceptable metal cation content for fertilizers and compare these to the Vancouver code for irrigation.

Significance

The Metro Vancouver area uses a centralized water treatment system where rain runoff, grey water, and black water are combined and treated.  By the CIRS undertaking this type of  wastewater treatment, it decreases the workload of the centralized water treatment system.

UBC Farms intends to adapt the water treatment system of the CIRS for use in an agricultural setting.  Currently, the farm uses potable water that is stripped of nutrients.  By treating the wastewater, UBC Farms will be able to recycle the water and the nutrients within it. These techniques are part of the UBC Farms research to provide a more sustainable environment for the surrounding population.

You can chronicle your CSL team’s weekly accomplishments as you move toward the successful completion of your project.