Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Septic systems are used primarily for single or multi-family residences to provide treatment of household wastewater. They are most commonly used in rural and remote area. In Canada, currently 25% of households are using septic system as a means of wastewater treatment. In most septic system installations, natural aggregate (stone) is used to distribute the wastewater to the surrounding soil and support biological growth. Studies conducted in the US have shown that tire derived aggregate (TDA), with similar geometry to natural aggregate and high stability, is an excellent candidate for replacement of natural aggregate in septic fields. In addition, research has shown that TDA is a superior supporting material for bacterial growth over limestone aggregate which is normally used in Manitoba in septic fields. The objective of this proposal is to evaluate TDA as a replacement for nature aggregate in the Canadian context. The project's test site will be located in Ashern. A new leachate field will be evacuated and fourleaching trenches will be constructed. Two trenches will be tested with TDA and the other two trenches will be tested with natural aggregate. A series of experiments will be conducted to study 1) Hydraulic performance of TDA; 2) chemical constituents and concentration that are leaching from TDA. The result obtained from this study will be used by Manitoba Conservation as a reference for approving the use of TDA as aggregate in the septic fields in Manitoba. If TDA is approved as an alternative aggregate for septic fields' application, it will open a huge market for OTR Recycling Corp as well as the tire recycling industry. The average usage of aggregate for a single house is approximately 70 m?. This equivalent to about 100 tires of TDA at 2"". The results from this research will be essential in order for the environmental regulatory bodies cross Canada to make a knowledgeable decisions.