16 Mar New waste water treatment technology produces ‘drinkable’ output
At Stewart & Cavalier Ltd we’re very excited to offer the New Zealand market a long awaited new technology for waste water treatment.
Late last year, Ross Burrell, our Sales Engineer and I were invited to Kandos, in the Mid-Western Regional Council area of NSW, Australia to see a Mena Water pilot plant treatment package.
We met with Senior Plant Operator, Vincent Ridley. He is conducting plant trials to complete a case study on the Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) treatment process for the local council. We were fortunate to spend the good part of the day with someone who clearly has a passion and vast amounts of experience with waste water treatment plants (WWTPs). It takes a special breed to work with effluent!
Within only a few days of operation, testing produced very encouraging results. A significant reduction of phosphate and ammonia was apparent immediately, when compared with the outflow of a conventional trickling filter process that Kandos WWTP currently uses. The same process is used in the majority of cities and towns throughout New Zealand. Initial tests also showed similar reductions in nitrate, surprising given there is no denitrification consideration engineered into the trial plant (this would normally be a part of a full MBR treatment package).
If you didn’t know it originated as wastewater, you could be excused for thinking you could drink the sample on the right. That is the out flow water quality from an MBR system. By comparison the out flow quality from a conventional plant (on the left) is somewhat less enticing. Because of the proximity of the out flow to the inflow, cross contamination is feasible but in fact the clear sample outflow from the MBR membrane system is microbiologically safe to drink.
Additionally, many plants use ultraviolet light to further disinfect the outflow. Not so easy to shine light through the sample on the left compared to the sample on the right. Conventional plants produce outflow with much lower effluent UV transmissivity.
The pilot plant is mounted on a trailer for easy transport and to make it fully self-contained. A larger plant would be fully automated, and have the option of subterranean process tanks, further reducing the occupation of above ground space.
The Mena Water systems are modular by design, making the installation of pre-engineered packages encapsulated in ISO shipping containers simple and cost effective. Remote, fully automated, self-contained systems are very much a reality and can cater for small settlements to cities with large populations.
With an expanding population, NZ real estate already is and will become more and more precious. Traditionally, large land areas go hand in hand with conventional waste water.
treatment plants. Not anymore, we even have a client who is considering a completely underground installation.
Wherever there is a population base, a waste stream needs to be considered and treated. Conventional facilities emit an unpleasant odour, it goes with the territory. With an MBR system, continual aeration is part of the process, one of the first things you will notice from an MBR plant is the distinct lack of smell. Additionally, where systems are required to be completely odour free, because the process is contained , odour control packages can be easily engineered into the system. You could literally live next to one of these plants and never smell it.
It is really exciting to appreciate that 10 of these…
Could treat the average daily flow for one of these…
Conventional waste water treatment facilities at Kandos, NSW, Australia.
Many of the treatment plants in both New Zealand, and Australia are significant in age, built to meet the demands of the local environment at the time of construction. Things have changed significantly with a massive growth in population so unsurprisingly effluent discharge quality is now a huge concern. Conventional plants are struggling to meet the ever increasing demands of our society. Stewart & Cavalier looks forward to being part of the solution as official engineering partner for Mena Water in NZ, providing clear water solutions.
To find out more visit the Mena Water New Zealand website or contact our Sales Engineer, Ross Burrell on +64 27 533 4966.
On the lighter side…
Out of our home territory, we were of course subject to the odd sheep joke, but you expect that. We were less prepared for the soaring temperatures and unrelenting flies. Thankfully didn’t need to discover what’s inside these snake packs either.
