Sewer Treatment at Shuswap Lake Estates
Shuswap Lake Estates has a modern sub-surface aerated lagoon wastewater treatment facility. It consists of 3 lagoons all supplied with
pressurized air; Lagoon 1 is a smaller pre-treatment lagoon designed to breakup the solids, and Lagoons 2 & 3 are larger lagoons which
are further baffled for increased compartmentalization and efficiency and finally a fourth man made large storage pond. The lagoons are
supplied with oxygen to enhance the breakdown of the effluent. The air is forced through fine bubble diffusers to increase the contact
with microorganisms and create turbulence which aids in keeping the media homogeneous and speeds the overall decomposition
process. The pressurized air aerates the lagoons at all depths. This eliminates the anaerobic conditions which are typically found in
underground septic systems and reduces the associated odours. They are less dependent upon climate and weather to provide oxygen to
the system. Aerated lagoons are ideal wastewater treatment systems where limited land area is available and produce virtually no odour.
The treated wastewater is stored in a large man made pond where the nutrient rich water supports natural vegetation and wildlife
flourishes. From the storage pond we have the option to treat with chlorine and pump the excess water for use on the golf course if
needed; but in practice most effluent is eliminated by evaporation.
The main microorganisms that take part in the decomposition of waste in the wastewater treatment lagoons are a large variety of
bacteria, algae, more complex microorganisms (such as protozoa and rotifers) and higher plants and even some small organisms
classified as animals. This system is natural and simple and can be expressed as:
Organic material + O2 + nutrients CO2 + H2O + new cells + nutrients + energy.
The light green colour shown in the accompanying photo by the label, Lagoon 3, is duckweed and is reported to be very beneficial in the
treatment of sewage.
It is important not to flush non-biodegradables items such as wipes, tampons, diapers, rubber items etc. as these interfere with the
biological processes, prevent proper mixing and can hamper flow from compartments.
The Shuswap Lake Estates treatment system is run under license from the Ministry of Health and testing is done regularly to ensure we
fall within the guidelines set out according to our license. We regularly submit samples to certified laboratories to test for BOD & TSS.
1
Glossary
Aerobic. An aerobic system or process, is one in which oxygen is present. If oxygen is not present, the system or process is anaerobic, or
septic.
BOD. "BOD" stands for Biochemical Oxygen Demand and is one of the most commonly used measures of the strength of the sewage. It
is a measure of the amount of oxygen which will be consumed by bacteria in oxidizing (stabilizing) the sewage.
TSS. "TSS" stands for Total Suspended Solids. As the name suggests, it is a measure of the solids content of the sewage after treatment.
2