Ontario wastewater plant gains Envision rating

The Grand Bend Area Wastewater Treatment Facility on the shores of Lake Huron in Ontario has received Platinum certification under the Envision sustainable infrastructure rating system from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI; Washington, DC), making it the first wastewater treatment plant in North America and the first facility in Canada to receive that rating. The Envision rating system for infrastructure is modeled on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for buildings and was jointly developed by ISI and the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. For the Grand Bend project, the communities of Lambton Shores and South Huron in Ontario hired design firm Stantec (Edmonton, Alberta) to apply the Envision framework in converting one of four existing lagoons at the plant into an extended aeration mechanical treatment facility and wetland nature reserve. Sustainability features include the constructed wetland, a flexible design that allows the facility to respond to changing sewage flows, and reduced construction and operational costs through improved efficiencies.