Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith was among those at Camp Kawartha in Douro-Dummer on Tuesday (September 10) to find out how the non-profit educational organization used a $150,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant to help make the camp’s wastewater management system more environmentally friendly.
Along with funding from other donors including the Williams Wilson Sherpot Foundation, Camp Kawartha used the 2022 grant to install the Waterloo Biofilter system, a patented Canadian technology developed at the University of Waterloo’s Centre for Groundwater Research by Dr. Craig Jowett.
The septic system uses a polyurethane foam trickling filter medium which removes nutrients from wastewater — especially phosphorus and nitrogen — to ensure clean water is being released back into the environment.
Since 1993, the Waterloo Biofilter has been proven in thousands of installations across North America, with the company promising that the foam filter medium lasts indefinitely.
“This innovative system will not only enhance the way we treat our wastewater but also serve as a model for cottagers and homeowners, demonstrating how responsible waste management can protect the health of our lakes,” said Camp Kawartha executive director Jacob Rodenburg in a media release.
After an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, attendees were given tours of how the new system works and its potential application in cottages, homes, and businesses.
“Camp Kawartha has played a crucial role in promoting environmental education for years,” said MPP Smith. “The grant received from the provincial government through the Ontario Trillium Foundation highlights their dedication to ecosystem health and well-being.”
Camp Kawartha is an accredited not-for-profit organization that offers a range of year-round camping and outdoor and environmental programming.
Along with its summer camp and outdoor education centre on the shores of Clear Lake in Douro-Dummer, which features the new zero-carbon Camp Kawartha Health Centre, the organization operates the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre next to Trent University in Peterborough, which uses innovative green architecture to showcases alternative energy and sustainable building techniques in action.
