Development of a portable direct filtration water treatment plant in northern Manitoba

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering
• Main Authors: Markowsky, John W., Woytowich, David L., Goulter, Ian C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1990
• Subjects: General Environmental Science; Civil and Structural Engineering; Nelson River
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/l90-085; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/l90-085

The Limestone Generating Project was reactivated in 1985. Part of the development of the project was to review and implement, if feasible, potable water treatment facilities for the construction community of Sundance. The source water, from the Nelson River, is of reasonably good quality. The turbidity, however, ranges from 4 to 70 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), averaging 15.2 NTU. Following preliminary and pilot plant studies, a high rate, deep bed direct filtration system was proposed and constructed to reduce turbidity to acceptable levels. A key feature of the plant is its portability. Owing to the innovative design, the three filters can be easily transferred for use at future construction sites on the Nelson River. This paper reviews and discusses the design, construction, operation, and costs of the plant. Key words: construction, design, direct filtration, high rate, Nelson River, operation, portability, turbidity.