Greater Moncton Wastewater Commission – Oil in the sewer system

Primary Clarifier - oil spill

On August 17, 2021, TransAqua’s wastewater treatment process was negatively impacted from oil and chemicals within the sewer system. Some bacteria used in the bioreactor were killed off while others slowed down their activity significantly. The oil and chemicals consumed much of the oxygen in the bioreactor. Staff took immediate measures to increase the level of oxygen to preserve as much bacteria as possible. This effort requires the use of additional blowers that use a high amount of electricity increasing the cost of treating wastewater. The oil is captured and disposed of at a designated disposal site at a very high cost. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident and happens every 2 to 3 months. 

TransAqua continues to provide public education regarding the Sewer Do’s and Don’ts through radio advertising and social media. TransAqua will continue to work with the communities and by-law enforcement staff to determine the sources of such harmful pollution and stop this from happening in our communities.