Westside Regional Treatment Plant News
Volume 1, Issue 1 Newsletter Date
Odour Control at the Plant
Our staff, supported by the
Stakeholder Committee (with
representatives from West
Kelowna, Peachland and
Westbank First Nation) are
continuing to follow up on
recommendations from the
2013 Odour Assessment
Report.
Our goal is to cost-effectively
reduce potential odour im-
pact from the plant.
Many of the recommenda-
tions are being implemented
this year. Among them:
A detailed assessment of
the current plant biofilter
was done during April.
This work included a
smoke test – in which con-
centrated smoke is intro-
duced into the plant venti-
lation pipe distribution
system under the biofilter
media to determine the
condition of the biofilter.
Biofilter 101—the Basics
Biofiltration is a very ef-
fective technology that’s
used to reduce odours.
A majority of operating
biofilters at plants across
the continent are open
bed biofilters, like the one
in use at our plant. Odou-
rous gases are collected
 Before summer the biofilter
media will be replaced, foul
air ducting/piping below
the media will be modified
and steps will be taken to
eliminate any leakage of
four air.
 We will also install equip-
ment to assist in monitor-
ing the performance of the
biofilter.
 We’ll continue this year
with ongoing odour moni-
toring in the neighbour-
hoods around the treat-
ment plant. The areas that
will be focused on include
Canyon Ridge, the Pointe
and locations along Whit-
worth Road. Sampling and
analysis for this work will
be carried out through a
program involving gradu-
ate students of the Univer-
sity of British Columbia—
Okanagan campus.
throughout the treatment
plant through an isolated
ventilation system and
using blowers are uniformly
distributed through the
biofilter media by way of a
lateral perforated pipe sys-
tem that’s embedded in
gravel. The biofilter media
is a mixture of compost,
Inside this issue:
Odour Control Focus 1
What’s a Biofilter? 1
Interesting Facts 1 wastewater
2014 Projects Update 2 
Irrigation Pilot 2 and 643 institutional units in
Managing Biosolids 2
The open bed biofilter
system used at
Wastewater Treatment
Plant is similar to that
used at a majority of facil-
ities as an effective odour
reduction method.
wood chips, soil and other
material that receives the
odourous gases.
Micro-organisms in this po-
rous media, which is kept
wet with irrigation, biologi-
cally act with the odourous
gases to ’scrub’ them out of
the gases before releasing
into the open air.
I Didn’t Know
That…
 The average daily flow into
the plant during 2013 was
10,125 cubic meters of
Wastewater from 10,735
residential, 869 commercial
West Kelowna flowed into
the plant during 2013
 Approximately 2,957 resi-
dential, 347 commercial and
163 institutional units within
the Westbank First Nation
reserves are connected to
the sewage collection sys-
tem that ends at the plant
 In Peachland during 2013
1,356 residences, 162 com-
mercial businesses and 163
institutional units sent
wastewater to the plant for
treatment.
 The Operational Certificate
from the Ministry of Environ-
ment authorizes the dis-
charge of reclaimed
wastewater via a deep lake
outfall into Okanagan Lake
approximately 475 meters
from shore at a depth of
between 46 and 68 meters
 The Maximum Daily Effluent
Discharge Rate authorized
by the Ministry for 2014 is
36,000 cubic meters of treat-
ed wastewater.
Source: 2013 Annual Report—
view it at:
w w w . r e g i o n a l d i s t r i c t . c om /
wastewater

Treatment Plant News
Regional District of Central Okanagan
1450 KLO Road
Kelowna, BC
Phone: 250-763-4918
Fax: 250-763-0606
E-mail: engineer@cord.bc.ca
WE’RE ON THE WEB
WWW.REGIONALDISTRICT.COM/
WASTEWATER
Treated Effluent Pilot Project
The Regional District has
received a grant from the
Okanagan Basin Water Board
for a pilot project with a
neighbour of the Westside
Regional Wastewater Treat-
ment Plant.
The $18,000 grant helps fund
a project to assess and test
the feasibility of using treat-
ed effluent from the plant as
a source of irrigation water
for the Bylands Nursery prop-
erty right next door.
The ultimate goal would be to
eliminate the need for By-
lands to pump water from
Okanagan Lake to irrigate its
property on Gellatly Road.
The three stage project
Biosolids Management— Disposal
of Post-treatment materials
While our facility discharges treat-
ed effluent, there’s more than wa-
ter in the material that initially
enters the plant.
The treatment process removes
these solids from the water. This
stabilized sewage sludge is called
biosolids, a wet soil-like material.
Approximately 90% of pathogens
are removed from the sludge dur-
ing the treatment process. As
much of the water as possible is
removed, leaving the biosolids,
containing mostly water, sand,
nutrients and organic matter
(humus), which contains nutrients
that plants need to grow along
with microorganisms and trace
elements.
As a result, biosolids are excellent
for land use fertilizer application.
Such use is subject to Provincial
regulations which include setbacks
from water bodies and water
courses. Treated biosolid applica-
tion has been widely used for more
 Landscape Project
would be a great partnership
between local government and * A consultant is being hired to complete a
business and has the potential
to reduce water consumption
and treatment costs, as well
as innovatively using treated
effluent in a responsible man-
ner.
The first phase would see a
consultant researching wheth-
er treated effluent from the
plant can be beneficially used
on plants in the nursery.
Then over the summer, the
second phase would see treat-
ed effluent used to irrigate a
test section in the nursery.
Finally, if successful, the plant
 Air balancing of all HVAC systems to
could provide water to the
improve odorous air containment
nursery for irrigation.
* The systems have been adjusted to pro-
than four decades across North Amercia
and Europe in agricultural and other land
uses.
Treated biosolids from our plant have
been used in the past to reclaim and re-
generate vegetation in gravel pits and has
most recently been hauled by specially
equipped trucks to a ranch near Clinton in
the Cariboo, as part of a land application.
As a result of the annual winter-spring
Provincial load restrictions which will likely
remain in effect through mid to late May,
during this time there may be more fre-
quent movement of biosolids trailers from
the plant. In order to accommodate the
plant’s current production of biosolids,
trailers will be removed and replaced
twice daily, while the load restrictions are
in effect.
The Regional District is seeking a more
cost-effective solution for ongoing man-
agement of biosolids byproduct. It’s an-
ticipated that before this summer, a Re-
quest for Proposals will be issued, seeking
responses from interested and qualified
parties.
2014 Plans
final landscape design around the
Wastewater Treatment Plant. Once we
have the design, planting will be done
during the remainder of this year and
into next. The project includes a new
entrance sign and landscaping that’s low
maintenance, cost effective and fits in
with the surrounding natural landscape.
Our goal for this landscaping project is to
provide a more natural visual buffer.
vide negative pressure inside some main
process areas such as the sludge han-
dling building minimizing odourous air
escaping the system.