The use of peatlands as the main form of wastewater treatment in a northern climate was studied for the James Bay Energy Society. The Fontanges campsite (70° 17′ 30″ W; 54° 34′ 00″ N) was chosen as the study site. In less than 1.5 km from the point of discharge BOD5, COD, total hardness, inorganic carbon, orthophosphates, total phosphorus, ammonia and total nitrogen were reduced by at least 90 percent. The peatland treatment system studied is divided into four components, each having a specific function. The first part combines the action of microorganisms and adsorption on peat, thus reducing the organic content while increasing the inorganic constituents. The second part uses peat to adsorb the inorganic elements already present in the wastewater and those produced in the first part of the system. The third component acts as an aerator, increasing the dissolved oxygen and decreasing the BOD5 levels of the water. The fourth part removes most of the remaining nutrients, thus acting like a tertiary treatment. Overall, peatlands seemed to be effective in treating domestic settled wastewater in a cold climate.
In a water treatment plant, filtered water usually has a pH lower than 6. The recommended lower limit for drinking water is 6.5. In most cases the pH is adjusted to a value slightly higher than the equilibrium pH to stabilize the water with regard to CaCO3. The Legrand–Poirier model permits the calculations of the calcocarbonic equilibrium conditions. This model is more powerful than the Langelier equation but requires long and arduous computations. Therefore, a research group at École Polytechnique de Montréal has developed a microcomputer program to compute and plot the Legrand–Poirier diagrams. This program will be put to use in the water treatment plants of the City of Laval (Québec, Canada). Key words: water treatment, drinking water, stabilization, calcocarbonic equilibrium.
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