A recent study by University of Waterloo researchers highlights the environmental benefits of a $450 million wastewater treatment upgrade in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario. By analyzing more than a decade of data, scientists discovered that aquatic ecosystems in the Grand River downstream from the Kitchener and Waterloo facilities have grown increasingly similar to the healthier upstream environments. These infrastructure improvements, which introduced fully nitrifying activated sludge systems, successfully slashed the amount of ammonia discharged back into the waterway.
To measure the river's recovery, the research team focused on benthic macroinvertebrates — tiny, pollution-sensitive animals that live on the riverbed and
