It's an idea that, if successful, could mean fewer smells, less grease, and lower maintenance costs for the City of Regina.
Toront-based Waste Not Limited made a pitch at Monday's City Council meeting, suggesting their "In-Pipe Technology" could prove beneficial for Regina. The system would see boxes filled with a certain breed of microscopic bacteria introduced into the sewer system. The bugs would leech out into the pipes, overwhelming other bacteria to take over the ecosystem. The company's Shayne Robinson says they break down sulfur gas, grease, and other sewer sludge.
"We're happy to get rid of (sulfur), it's that rotten egg smell, it's the source of stink. It also converts into H2SO4, sulfuric acid, so we're kind of happy to get rid of that too. Some of the other losers are grease, which has a habit of settling in the collection system." Robinson says instead of using the manpower and resources to blast out grease blockages, which account for approximately 75% of the citys blocked sewer lines, there would be a constant maintenance being done by the bugs.
He believes the technology would be able to function in our cold climate and insists the bugs are safe, even if they "get loose."
"If they spill on the ground they'll die," he explains. "If they spill into a waterway they'll equalize with other -- you can get it in your eye. This stuff is gram-positive, deemed intrinsically safe. I wouldn't, but you could drink it and you'd get the runs. That's about as bad as it gets."
Council was intrigued by the concept and has asked the city administration to look at the possibility of a pilot project to test the system.
