Date: 23 May 2025
Location: Côte-Nord and Saguenay, Québec, Canada
Product: Commercial, community, municipal, Mobile
Client: Hydro-Québec
Date of installation: from 2012 to 2024 (4 phases)
Flow: 85,000 L/day (about 400 workers)
Application: Temporary Mobile Work Camp for Construction Workers
As part of its high-voltage line construction work, Hydro-Québec needed to deploy a mobile, robust, and efficient wastewater treatment plant for temporary worker camps in remote regions.
These installations had to be easily relocatable while maintaining consistently high treatment performance. The main challenge was to design a transportable solution capable of handling high flow rates in northern environments with complex logistical constraints.
Type of Facility
Temporary worker camps for personnel involved in the construction of electrical lines.
Approximately 400 people per site, with an average flow of 215 L/person/day.
| Phase | Location | Completed Works | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Rivière-au-Tonnerre | Initial installation | Fall 2012 |
| Phase 2 | Camp Belmont | Move + addition of a phosphorous removal system | August 2014 |
| Phase 3 | Poste Micoua | Move + Reinstallation + upgrade | End of 2019 |
| Phase 4 | Poste Micoua | Addition of a new phosphorous removal system | Mid-2024 |
Design Data
Total Flow: 85 m³/day
Population Served: Approximately 400 people
Average Consumption: 215 L/person/day
Installed Treatment Train — AZIMUTH and KODIAK Technologies
The project is based on AZIMUTH technology, a modular system combining a septic tank (FS) and a biological reactor (Rx), both made of fiberglass:
4 above-ground fiberglass septic tanks
4 above-ground fiberglass biological reactors
Each tank is equipped with molded supports allowing direct ground installation without excavation—a simple, easily relocatable, and redeployable solution.
2 x 40-ft HC containers configured as clarifiers for phosphorus treatment
1 x 40-ft container serving as a mechanical chamber
This fully above-ground solution is designed for simplified transport, rapid commissioning, and flexible dismantling—ideal for temporary, scalable, or space-constrained projects.
Technologies Used: AZIMUTH + KODIAK
The system combines the strengths of two complementary technologies for a solution perfectly adapted to the context:
AZIMUTH: used for advanced secondary treatment
KODIAK: deployed for phosphorus removal (dephosphatation)
This modular, fully above-ground configuration offers a high degree of customization, allowing flexible integration according to site constraints and project needs.
Technical Challenges
Design a relocatable plant capable of treating 85,000 L/day
Ensure simplified logistics for frequent relocations
Deliver consistent performance even in remote northern environments
Integrate a modular phosphorus removal system (containers)
Results and Client Benefits
The Micoua–Saguenay project perfectly demonstrates Bionest’s ability to deliver a mobile, customized, high-performance treatment train for a high-flow temporary context. By integrating AZIMUTH (primary and advanced secondary treatment) and KODIAK (phosphorus treatment), the solution allowed Hydro-Québec to meet environmental standards in a natural setting while adapting to the realities of a remote construction site.
Fully above-ground and designed for redeployment from site to site, this solution provides long-term cost savings. The system stands out for its operational simplicity, robustness, and rapid installation—essential criteria for field teams in challenging logistical contexts.
AZIMUTH: offers surface discharge of treated water, compact design, and low-maintenance operation. Its non-biodegradable media ensures exceptional durability.
KODIAK: mobile and modular, perfectly complements the system with a turnkey configuration and robust design. Like AZIMUTH, it is customizable and easy to operate, making it ideal for temporary or industrial projects.
The Micoua–Saguenay project demonstrates the flexibility and efficiency of a fully above-ground treatment train, designed to meet high-flow, temporary, and mobile needs.
By integrating AZIMUTH and KODIAK technologies, the system combines primary treatment, advanced secondary treatment, and phosphorus removal within a single, customized infrastructure.
This solution highlights the high degree of customization possible while remaining simple to operate and maintain, even in complex logistical contexts such as Hydro-Québec construction sites.
The project proves that performance, mobility, and simplicity can be achieved without compromising treatment quality.
