Sanitary Sewer Services are provided in the Growth Centers of Falmouth and Three Mile Plains, and in the community of Hantsport.
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The Falmouth sewer treatment plant is located near the Avon River Causeway, and serves approximately 600 households.
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The sewer system in Three Mile Plains serves approximately 900 households, with pumping stations which move the sewage to a treatment plant located in Windsor.
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The wastewater from approximately 600 households in Hantsport is treated at a plant located, owned and operated by the Municipality of the County of Kings, with an agreement in place for cost-sharing between the municipalities.
Facility Highlight:
Falmouth Sewage Treatment Plant
The Falmouth Sewage Treatment Plant, built in 1975 and upgraded between 2009 and 2010, services most of the community of Falmouth. This is an Extended Aeration Plant, in which organic solids are removed biologically with the use of aerobic bacteria.
The process begins when water and its contents is flushed, rinsed down the drain, or drained from appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers. The wastewater is transported through the Municipal sewage system where it collects inside of lift stations (also referred to as pump stations) where it is pumped further down the line until it reaches the treatment facility. In Falmouth, there are a series of 9 lift stations strategically placed to transport wastewater.
Once sewage arrives to the treatment facility, it goes through a screening process to separate large solids and inorganic material, which is ground up with an auger and collected separately for disposal at the landfill. Everything else flows into the aeration basin to begin its biological processing.
In the aeration basin, air is introduced to wastewater in a process called oxidization. This provides the proper environment for aerobic bacteria to develop, which feed on and break down organic materials. The by-products are new bacterial cells, carbon dioxide, and water. As they grow, individual organisms will stick together (flocculate) to form heavier clumps. The duration of time wastewater circulates in the aeration basin is dependent upon many factors such as flow rate, weather, and the state of the effluent coming in (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen content, nutrients, toxicity). In standard conditions it will take 18 to 24 hours.
From the aeration basin, wastewater travels to the clarifier (also referred to as the settling tank) where the flocculated mass of organisms (biomass) settles out and thickens. At this point the settled biomass can be separated and returned back to the aeration basin as needed to maintain the right concentration of bacteria.
Where they are continually growing, reproducing, and oxidizing organic material, it can sometimes lead to excessive buildup of biomass in the system. When this occurs, some of the settled sludge will be directed from the clarifier to a sludge handling system (called the digester) for temporary detention.
The clear liquid that is separated in the clarifier is directed to the Ultra Violet (UV) chamber where any remaining bacteria is sterilized before being discharged into receiving waters.
The remaining sludge is pumped into large geotextile bags that allow liquid to exit the bag. When the bag is full, its contents will be brought to the landfill. Click here to watch the geotextile bags in action!
If you would like to learn more, contact our Facility Operator at 902-798-8391 Ext 130, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.