A $1.1m upgrade to Mainstream Canada’s Pacific National Processing facility has improved ocean water quality for residents of Tofino and for the West Coast of Vancouver Island, according to the company. Mainstream Canada completed an upgrade of the waste water treatment system in its processing plant. The system has been in operation since this spring.
The plant produces 200m3 of waste water per day. The waste water contains solids, blood and other compounds common to both farmed and wild salmon processing facilities. Until early 2011, the waste water flowed through the District of Tofino sewage system and was discharged to the marine environment with minimal treatment. Mainstream Canada had been actively looking for ways to further reduce this waste.
They built a pressurized ozone system that treats the processing water before it is passed on to the District of Tofino’s system. The waste water system uses a series of processes to separate solids from liquid. Those solids are shipped away and recycled into compost. The remaining liquid is sent through the ozone system for disinfection. Once the ozone treatment is completed, the effluent passes through ultraviolet light to destroy any remaining ozone before the effluent is sent to the district.
The system makes insures the waste water coming out of our plant is clean and free of any materials which could have a negative impact on the ocean environment.