Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP), Pickering, ON, Canada - Wastewater Treatment Facilities on Waymarking.com

The Duffin Creek Water Pollution Control Plant services both York and Durham Region to provide Environmental Sustainability by treating waste water from both municipalities

It as a complex engineering system of tanks, pipes, specialized equipment and facilities covering the equivalent of 400 football fields.

It is a massive operation with a vital job. Serving York and
Durham Regions, the Plant treats wastewater from homes,
businesses and industry.

Once treated, the clear water is returned to Lake Ontario

What is the capacity of the facility?: 630,000,000 litres of wastewater daily Describe the biological treatment technology used.: The plant holes ISO 14001 certification and is classified as a Class 4 conventional activated sludge treatment plant. 1. Influent works - The wastewater (raw sewage) enters one of the two influent pumping stations where 16 pumps direct the wastewater to the preliminary treatment stage. Wastewater flows by gravity through the remaining stages of treatment. 2. Preliminary treatment - Removes large solid materials from the wastewater using mechanical bar screens and grit tanks. Large materials or screenings are removed from the influent by 12 bar screens that are both mechanically and manually cleaned. Eight grit tanks slow the flow of influent to allow solids to settle out. Heavy suspended material such as sand and gravel settle to the bottom of the tank, where they are collected and dewatered through grit clarifiers. 3. Primary treatment (clarifiers) Any remaining solids from the preliminary phase settle by gravity in 14 large settling tanks. A slow-moving travelling bridge mechanism scrapes the bottom and pushes the settled sludge into hoppers before it is pumped into either anaerobic digester tanks or to sludge-blending tanks. Lighter particles such as fat, oil and grease float to the surface as scum, where they are collected and directed to digester tanks. Primary treatment removesapproximately 60 per cent of suspended solids and 30 per cent of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in the wastewater. 4. Secondary Clarification - Small organic material and nutrients are removed by pumping air into wastewater to promote the growth of bacteria. The process involves 14 aeration tanks, each containing anoxic and aerobic zones. Each tank is rich with microorganisms that break down and consume organic material. Each aeration tank contains an anoxic zone where no air has been added; this allows for denitrification to occur. The tank containing the aerobic zone is where air is diffused into the water and facilitates nitrification and the final breakdown of organic material. Following aeration, broken down organic matter and microorganisms are directed to 22 secondary clarifiers where final settling of sludge occurs. The settled material is called activated sludge. The majority of the activated sludge is pumped back to the head of the aeration process to be reused and is referred to as return activated sludge. The remaining portion is referred to as waste activated sludge and is pumped to the primary clarifiers where it will thicken with raw sludge before it is pumped to anaerobic digesters or sludge blending tanks. 5. Disinfection - To kill pathogenic microorganisms in the final effluent, chlorine in the form of liquid sodium hypochlorite, is added. Due to the toxicity of chlorine, sodium bisulphite is added to neutralize chlorine before it enters Lake Ontario. Too much chlorine in the effluent is toxic to aquatic life so its use is carefully monitored. 6. Discharge- The final step delivers clear treated water safely back into Lake Ontario through an outfall pipe, 3 metres in diameter and 1.1 kilometre long. The pipe runs 30 metres below the surface and is equipped with 63 diffuser ports. This allows for an even distribution of water into the lake with minimal disruption to the natural environment. As the Plant processes increased wastewater flows, diffuser upgrades have kept pace. In early 2022, outfall diffuser upgrades were successfully installed. 7. Solids treatment - Biosolids or sludge is a product of the wastewater treatment process. Sludge produced at the Plant is dewatered and burned in the Plant’s incinerators as fuel, producing steam that’s used to offset energy consumption and the Plant’s heating requirements. How are biosolids (sludge) managed?: Onsite system of tanks, pipes and specialized equipment covering 400 footbsall fields is treated and clear water is returned to Lake Ontario. What technology is used for disinfection prior to dicharge of treated water?: Aeration and Clorination Who is the owner/operator fo the facility?: Regional Municipality of Durham and York Regions How is the facility governed?: Owner is the Province of Ontario, managed by the two Regional Municipalites it services What is the website of the WWTP?: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
Please post at least 2 original photographs of the site. We would much rather see photos of the plant itself as opposed to the front office, but we also understand that security and site layout may limit your opportunities.

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