Our Environmental Commitment

The Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission supports the value of Environmental Stewardship.  We demonstrate this value throughout the operation by:

• meeting or exceeding regulatory and environmental standards,
• instituting operational practices that result in an environmentally sustainable facility.

Did You Know? 

• The ACRWC operates the fourth largest treatment facility in Alberta, serving over 200,000 residents in the 13 communities of the Capital Region.
• Our pipeline network for transporting watewater to our plant is longer that the distance from Edmonton to Red Deer
• Each household in the region generates about 350 litres of wastewater per person per day to be treated at our plant.  In 2009 we treated over 27 million litres of wastewater.
• The Biogas (methane) generated from the digestion of organic matter to heat our plant could heat approximately 500 homes a year.
• The settled solids from the wastewater treatment process (Biosolids) are put to beneficial use by being composted into a soil supplement.
• We disinfect our effluent to protect the downstream communities who use the river for their drinking water.
• The discharge from our wastewater treatment plant impacts the North Saskatchewan River basin and the aquatic ecosystem all the way to Lake Winnipeg and Hudson Bay.

You Can Help:

• Conserve water in your home by using low-flow fixtures and fix any leaks.  This reduces the amount of water that needs to be treated.
• Don't pour fats, oils and grease down the drain - dispose in the garbage.  These substances clog pipes leading to costly repairs.
• Take unused medications to the pharmacy for disposal rather than flushing them down the toilet.  Pharmaceuticals are not treated and end up in the environment.
• Use phosphate-free cleaning materials to reduce phosphorous levels in the river.  Phosphorous is a nutrient that promotes algea growth, negatively affecting the aquatic environment.
• Take household hazardous waste - motor oil, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, paint and chemicals - to a recycle facility or community round-up event instead of pouring it down the drain.  Toxic substances are not treated and end up in the environment.
• Compost organic materials like vegetable peelings instead of using a garburator.  Ground up organic material costs more to treat and must be disposed of at the wastewater treatment plant.