WC144 SeptOct 2025 - Magazine - Page 33
Convincing the skeptics
Wastewater energy transfer remains rare
in North America, and initial skepticism
about the process is common. “When
you ask a municipality with a wastewater
system about a WET system, most of the
time the first answer you’re going to get is
‘no’,” says Ronson. Wastewater systems are
critical infrastructure—highly sensitive,
and not easily disrupted, which makes the
idea of tapping into them seem risky.
But with time, education, and a clear
explanation of the environmental and
social upside, attitudes often shift. “Once
they realize the environmental and social
benefits, it swings around to being a good
thing,” says Ronson. That was the case
with York Region, who was at first resistant to the idea, understandably concerned
with the integrity of their critical infrastructure. After working through concerns
and a steep learning curve—especially
around sewer systems—MDE and the
region moved forward. While no major
technical issues arose, the design grew
more complex due to the need to maintain uninterrupted flow in a 40-year-old
sewer line that couldn’t be diverted.
Securing the right funding was a key
turning point in getting the wastewater energy transfer
project off the ground. “The Low Carbon Economy
Fund did exactly what it was mandated to do for us,”
says Ronson. “It advanced a project.” Though the idea
had been on his radar for years, it wasn’t economically
viable until support from programs like the LCEF made
it possible.
Enbridge also contributed grant funding to the project, and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) played
an early role, offering preferential loan rates even before
the project was formally approved. “We were able to
secure some sort of balance sheet funding… not just for
this project but for a lot of the things we’re doing,” says
Ronson. While CIB support isn’t grant-based, the access
to low-interest financing has helped MDE move forward
on a broader slate of low-carbon initiatives.
The project’s roots trace back nearly two decades.
When Ronson first joined Markham District Energy
in 2007, he noticed an easement on the site plans near
their office and saw it as a nuisance. “I didn’t even
know what it was,” he recalled. “It was like, this is
kind of in our way.” Eventually, he discovered it was a
major sewer line owned by York Region; one he would
later come to see as a hidden asset. “Here it is, many
years later… It’s 100 feet away from our plant. I struck
gold.” While implementing low-carbon infrastructure
is rarely the cheapest option, Ronson said, the right
mix of funding, partnerships, and proximity made this
project possible.
Markham residents and businesses should start seeing
the environmental and cost-saving benefits once the
project is complete. Customer engagement around the
project has been relatively light so far, but is expected
to pick up the closer they get to operations beginning.
Ronson notes while some residents may have seen press
coverage or early updates, many aren’t aware of the
changes behind the scenes. “If we’re doing our job right,
the customers don’t even think about us,” says Ronson.
However, MDE still plans to provide updates once the
system is running. In the meantime, existing customers
are already benefiting from the reduced greenhouse gas
intensity without needing to take action themselves.
Looking Ahead
There is the potential for replication of the WET project
in other communities. While WET systems are still
uncommon in North America, the technology itself
isn’t new. “It’s really just the application and finding the
right site and economic conditions to make it happen,”
explains Ronson. Markham’s experience could serve as a
roadmap for others. “We’ll likely become a well known
story with the hopes that people can reach out to us and
ask: ‘How’d it go? What did you learn?’” With a transparent, public approach, MDE hopes to encourage other
municipalities to consider similar projects, sharing their
insights and lessons learned.
“A lesson learned for us would be to not underestimate the engineering requirements and associated cost
to tie into existing infrastructure,” says Ronson. While
it wasn’t an insurmountable challenge, it proved more
complex than expected. He notes projects like this need
a certain scale to make economic sense, though smaller
installations could become feasible if the costs are spread
across more customers and longer operating hours.
The Markham WET project highlights how critical
partnerships are to making innovative infrastructure
projects a reality. “York Region has been great to work
with on this,” says Richard Laszlo, a long-time consultant to MDE. He notes that wastewater system owners
often need time to understand and gain confidence in
the technology, and building that trust is essential. The
collaborative approach paid off, and the project is now
on track to be fully operational by the end of 2026.
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