Delta, B.C’s Metro Vancouver Regional District’s Annacis Island Wastewater Treatment Plant (MV AIWWTP) stands as the second largest secondary facility of its kind in all of Canada, treating 175 billion litres of wastewater and catering to roughly 1.3 million people residing in the Fraser Sewage Area (FSA).
But the plant’s pumping facility was facing a problem - three 1,200-Horsepower influent pumps and four 684-horsepower trickling filter pumps, that filter out most bacteria in the water before it’s further purified, were aging and becoming more and more at risk for failure.
If filter failure was to occur during a time of high water flow, it could mean exposing the Fraser River to raw wastewater - which would be tragic not only for the ecosystem, but for Metro Vancouver which could face substantial legal penalties and fines.
Needless to say, an upgrade was in order.
The Fraser River and its surrounding islands must be protected at all costs - and with the aging system continuing to pose a risk, it was time to give the facility a much-needed upgrade. However, this entire project needed to be achieved without taking the plant offline.
A new and improved (albeit complex) pumping system was to be installed to not only perform at maximum efficiency, but to also mitigate the ever-growing cost of energy. This required T&T Power Group to secure a bid and design a comprehensive project plan, taking into consideration the environmental, operational, and financial obstacles.
With that said, T&T Power Group faced three critical challenges during the design of this system upgrade:
1. Limited space capacity:
The limited footprint at hand was a significant challenge in and of itself, and eliminated the possibility of a smooth installation of traditional equipment. The respective enclosures afforded very restricted space, yet needed to contain all essential equipment while providing adequate environmental protection to its components. To overcome these space limitations, a busbar system in conjunction with T&T Power’s VACON CFDs for load sharing was utilized instead of traditional cabling - providing an exceptional fit into this tight space, in addition to meeting the fundamental CSA standards.
2. Time limitations with procurement of materials:
The Metro Vancouver pumping facility upgrades required materials that would need to be sourced by T&T Power Group within a narrow timeline. Failure to secure delivery of these items on time would mean delaying the upgrade until the following year, greatly increasing the risk of a pump failure. This was to be accomplished through meticulous planning, and ensuring our partners in B.C. had the groundwork ready for a seamless project execution.
3. Time limitations with installation:
The system update needed to take place in the summer - at a time when the lack of precipitation guaranteed low water levels. Failure to complete installation of the new equipment within this very specific window would heighten the risk of environmental damage considerably. The client was to not only secure a swift and timely project delivery that kept environmental impact to a minimum, but would also need to track and record effluent quality the project as per Canada’s Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations, created to protect fish and their habitats while also ensuring healthy fish consumption by humans.
Three strong organizations teamed up to make the virtually impossible, possible.
Working with their respected technology partner Rittal EPLAN, the T&T Power Group installation team was able to secure a bid and provide a complete and detailed plan to MetroVan consisting of 3D drawings, statements of materials, as well as ratings and manuals. The meticulous detail of the project plan presented played a role in assuring the public of a low environmental risk, while speaking to the company’s proficiency.
Following the successful bid, T&T Power turned to their reliable manufacturing partner E.B. Horsman & Son to provide the necessary materials and integrated logistics in a punctual manner.
“There were challenges dealing with the MV AIWWTP. From the start of the bidding processes, our ability to use technology to model out and relay to MetroVan what the build was going to look like gave them confidence we would fit into their footprint without significant environmental impact,” said Dwayne Donaldson, Senior Designer and Project Manager at T&T Power Group.
“The customer wanted data sheets and a lot of upfront information on the project. Going from a preliminary bill of materials to get the project and product moving was very quick and easy. It was a great example of three organizations – T&T Power, E.B. Horsman & Son and Rittal – all working together from EPLAN to procurement to management.
And we all came out with a win.”
T&T Power Group are incredibly proud to say that through excellent communication, planning and implementation, the project exceeded both performance and time expectations. The success of this critical wastewater treatment upgrade was truly a testament to the importance of innovation and attention to detail.