H. M. Bailey
Water Pollution Control Plant
Details

Col. H. M. Bailey  (Harold) The H. M. Bailey Water Pollution Control Plant has been dedicated in honour of Harold Bailey, City Engineer 1937-40, 1944-56 for meritorious service in public water and sewage works, and founding member of the Western Canada Water & Wastewater Association.

In 1986 a study was commissioned to assess all components of the existing sewage treatment facility. From this assessment the City of Yorkton proceeded with a plant expansion from 1989-1991. In 1991 the H. M. Bailey Water Pollution Control Plant was officially opened at a final cost of $12 Million (within 0.5 % of the budgeted value).

The H. M. Bailey Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) is a secondary sewage treatment plant located East of Highway No. 9 approximately 1km North of the City of Yorkton. The WPCP treats a mixture of sanitary and industrial wastewater, and provides a level of treatment to meet Saskatchewan Environment wastewater quality guidelines. The treatment processes used at the WPCP include: screening, sewage pumping, grit removal, primary clarification, aeration, final clarification, and sludge digestion. A computer system enables staff to monitor plant operations and processes. Alarms linked to the computer provide 24 hour alerting to plant personnel of problems that may develop. A number of the seven buildings at the WPCP are connected with underground tunnels. These tunnels house equipment and utility lines which in turn make it easier to do repairs. One building houses boilers which heat the facility with the methane produced from sludge digestion.

Learn more about the process

The main goal of any sewage treatment plant is to remove solid matter from the wastewater, purify the existing water, and reduce the oxygen demand on the receiving waters, in this case, Yorkton Creek. The danger of untreated wastewater is not only a health concern, but also a concern due to the high oxygen demand it places on the environment. As solid matter in wastewater breaks down it uses large amounts of oxygen dissolved in the water. In an environment such as a lake or stream this large oxygen demand destroys the natural balance, and aquatic life suffers. The entire process is monitored, and testing is done on a regular basis.

In brief, the entire treatment process can be described as the transformation of wastewater into treated effluent, energy, and an agricultural supplement, resulting in the protection of public health and water quality. The City of Yorkton H. M. Bailey Water Pollution Control Plant mimics mother nature, except that it reduces the natural process by the amount of time it takes to process the sewage, and by the amount of space required to do it.

Sewer Infrastructure 

First the wastewater is collected by the sewer pipe. The City of Yorkton has a separated sewer system. A separated sewer system has both sanitary and storm sewer pipes.  The city maintains a total of 187km consisting of 134km of sanitary and 53km of storm sewer pipe. The sanitary sewer comprises of 32% PVC, 22% concrete/reinforced concrete, and 46% vetrified clay tile.

Review the Plant Design Data

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