Kincardine's wastewater lagoon aeration trial has reached the one-week mark with dissolved oxygen levels still well below the municipality's target.
The municipality says the system had been operating with both blowers for seven full days as of Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
During that time, dissolved oxygen levels in the aeration cell increased from about 0.20 milligrams per litre to approximately 0.30 milligrams per litre.
The municipality is aiming for a minimum of 1.5 milligrams per litre, with levels of 2.0 or higher preferred.
"To date, dissolved oxygen (DO) levels have not shown significant improvement," the municipality said in its latest project update.
The results come as Kincardine tests whether additional aeration can improve wastewater treatment conditions and help address odour problems that have affected nearby residents.
The trial began September 8 after the aeration system had been shut down for about three months.
Strong odours were reported during start-up, including along Bruce Avenue and in the Stonehaven subdivision, although the municipality said those conditions improved within about 24 hours.
A sodium nitrate application was also used to help control odours, and municipal monitoring has not identified any ongoing air-quality concerns.
Staff had previously said more noticeable changes in dissolved oxygen and lagoon conditions were expected between days seven and 14 of the trial.
Attention is now also turning to laboratory testing.
Samples were collected Tuesday, with another round scheduled for Thursday, to measure how effectively the lagoon is reducing biochemical oxygen demand, or BOD.
The municipality says the aeration system and pond are expected to produce about a 50 per cent reduction in BOD between raw sewage entering the pond and wastewater discharged to the two larger ponds farther back on the property.
Cooler nighttime temperatures and eventually cooler water entering the lagoon are also expected to help dissolved oxygen levels increase.
The trial is expected to last between 14 and 21 days.
Kincardine says staff will use dissolved oxygen levels, treatment performance and odour conditions to determine whether the additional aeration is working.
"If the desired improvements are not achieved, the system may be shut down," the municipality says, with staff then consulting technical experts and the equipment supplier about next steps.
The trial is part of Kincardine's multi-year lagoon sludge removal project, which is intended to restore treatment capacity after years of sludge accumulation.
Another phase of sludge removal is scheduled to begin October 5 and run for roughly nine weeks.
Whether the aeration blowers continue operating during that work will depend on the results of the current trial.
