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Category Archives: Remote Camp

Maca Atlas Iron Mining Project – Waste Water Treatment System

waste water treatment system waste water treatment system waste water treatment plant waste water treatment system waste water treatment system

Atlas Iron awarded Maca a contract to carry out open pit mining services at the Corunna Downs iron project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Client: Maca

Location: Pilbara region of Western Australia

Technology implemented: Ecofarmer 50 series wastewater treatment plant

Industry: Mining

 

BACKGROUND

Corunna Downs, which is 100 per cent owned by Atlas Iron, is 33 kilometres south of Marble Bar and close to the iron ore miner’s Mt Webber project. The mine is expected to annually produce four million tonnes of iron ore initially. The life of the mine is expected to be between five and six years, with potential for future expansion as the current ore reserve considers only the above-water table resource.

Remote Water Treatment Services have designed in their custom Ecofarmer fabricated engineered reactor a waste water treatment system to cater for mining administration areas, ideal for low flow scenarios.

THE RWTS SOLUTION

Ecofarmer 50

waste water treatment system

The design known as the Ecofarmer 50 SBR caters for flows as low as 2,000 l – 10,000 l per day, an extremely versatile waste water treatment plant for the demand and environment.

The waste water treatment system takes it’s design and methodology from big brother the Ecofarmer 250, with the main process pump and motors located in the plant room, no moving parts are internal of the reactor allowing for ease of servicing.

The Ecofarmer design offers a treatment process with carbon and alkalinity supplementation dosed through our grundfos dosing platform controlled through the human–machine interface (HMI) ensuring optimal nutrient balancing through low demand periods. The system program looks for the level within the balance chamber automatically adjusting the cyclic nature of the process to achieve the desired aeration/mixing cycles. Further to this we have offered in our base offering a uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and Ewon remote modem for remote access into the programmable logic controller (PLC) and Human–Machine Interface (HMI), we can update software remotely and assist site based operators with handling issues that may arise without a call out fee.

Result

A waste water treatment system that caters for mining administration areas and met all council regulations and had a positive impact on the surrounding environment.

RWTS structurally engineered containerised plug and play Ecofarmer system was installed with in 5 days of mobilisation. The system is backed by RWTS remote dial in logging platform to allow our staff to maintain and record plant parameters from our Brisbane based office assisting our clients site operations.

NEED AN INNOVATIVE SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT FAIL?

If you are wanting a system that works all day every day with the ability of remote monitoring, please call one of our friendly engineering team today to discuss your treatment options.

Request A Quote
Black Diamond Project Group – Wastewater Treatment Plant

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The Black Diamond project saw the need for waste water and water treatment to maintain vital village services. RWTS provided a turn key wastewater treatment plant solution to cater for the projects vital needs and requirements.

This landmark project that will capture valuable water in the lower Fitzroy River for use across the region. Providing not only water security, but also growing the agriculture industry and allowing the buy and sell of quality water.

 

Client: Acciona and Black Diamond Group

Location:Fitzroy River, Central Queensland

Technology implemented: Twin train Ecofarmer 250 series wastewater treatment plant

Industry: Agricultural

 

BACKGROUND

Black Diamond Project Group were contracted to construct a workers accommodation village to accommodate 250 workers through the construction phase of the project saw the need for waste water and water treatment to maintain vital village services.

Remote Water Treatment Services were successfully awarded a design and construct project to action a suitable wastewater treatment plant to cater for the Fitzroy River village waste water requirements.

THE RWTS SOLUTION

Ecofarmer 250

RWTS provided a twin train Ecofarmer 250 series wastewater treatment system to cater for the village waste water requirements. We also completed the design and implemented the irrigation field evenly dispersing the treated water over 50 000 m2 through supported wastewater distribution networks.

In addition RWTS provided the potable water treatment system to cater for the village demands, raw water is to be harvested from the lower Fitzroy region and delivered to the raw water storage tanks. As water is required for consumption through the camp the treatment process commences operation passing water through the array of water treatment specialty filtration modules and stored in treated water storage tanks. Water in the treated water storage tanks is continuously recirculated and monitored for Chlorine, Ph, conductivity and turbidity. RWTS also sized and installed the main village reticulation pumps ensuring potable water delivery to the village on demand.

The solution simple, from harvesting raw water to making treated water conforming to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) to then gathering and treating the waste water and dispersing on to land.

As part of RWTS service offering we provided a turn key solution for all our clients project water treatment needs.

Result

Potable water treatment and water reticulation met.

Waste water treatment and dispersal of final effluent met.

RWTS structurally engineered containerised plug and play Ecofarmer system was installed with in 5 days of mobilisation. The system is backed by RWTS remote dial in logging platform to allow our staff to maintain and record plant parameters from our Brisbane based office assisting our clients site operations.

NEED AN INNOVATIVE SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT FAIL?

If you are wanting a system that works all day every day with the ability of remote monitoring, please call one of our friendly engineering team today to discuss your treatment options.

Request A Quote
Heavy Vehicle Wash Bay for Origin Energy

The RWTS heavy vehicle wash bay solution fuses traditional separation, with high end wastewater treatment facility with filtration componentry all supported within the Australian water sector.

 

Client: Origin Energy & Sodexo

Location: Reedy Creek lay down facility

Technology implemented: Heavy Vehicle Wash Bay

Industry: Energy

 

BACKGROUND

Remote Water Treatment Services were successfully awarded a design and construct project to action a suitable wash bay treatment facility that would see the wastewater treated for reuse purposes.

The RWTS system was no ‘off the shelf’ solution, that most other water treatment company’s retail to the market.

Over the past decade we have continually seen so many vehicle wash bay systems underperform in their duty to treat water to an acceptable reuse standard  leaving unsatisfactory and odorous water to wash and rinse whilst more importantly neglecting the impact on human contact.

THE RWTS SOLUTION

HEAVY VEHICLE WASH BAY

The RWTS treatment process included an oversized hydraulic advanced beach pit and sump design separating the initial heavier solids portion – water was then transferred to the designated raw water tanks where pumps continually recirculated and aerated the fluid to prevent stagnant water minimising ordure and keeping particles in suspense  – batched through a Dissolved Air Flotation Process (DAF) with the correct chemistry applied –  treated water was then pumped through a dual set of glass packed media filtration units and then onto treated water storage – treated water was continually recirculated and monitored for turbidity, ph, conductivity and free available chlorine levels. Once the fluid was corrected and in specification it was then released to the hose reels and automated system to begin its cycle.

Although these sound like relatively simple filtration methods, the systems flexibility in design saw an impressive automation and control platform setting it apart from all other systems on the market today.

The heavy vehicle wash bay was programmed and controlled through our sophisticated Allen Bradley software platform with high end analytical instruments used as reference all programmed and calibrated by the RWTS electrical division.

All design work through to factory acceptance testing was completed in house at our RWTS Brisbane facility and completed by our team of professionals.

RESULT

The result saw a bankable wastewater treatment solution offering clean water to the process upon every wash every time.

NEED AN INNOVATIVE SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT FAIL?

If you are wanting a system that works all day every day with the ability of remote monitoring, please call one of our friendly engineering team today to discuss your treatment options.

Request A Quote
Wastewater Treatment Plant and Reverse Osmosis System: Westgold Resources

A wastewater treatment plant and brackish water reverse osmosis system for Westgold Resource’s 200-man remote camp in Western Australia.

 

Client: Westgold Resources

Industry: Mining

Systems: EcoFarmer Wastewater Treatment Plant and Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis System

 

BACKGROUND

Westgold Resources, a top 10 Australian gold producer, recently began operations on their fourth Western Australian project – Cue Gold Operations. In order to manage the wastewater of their 200-man remote accommodation village at the Big Bell Underground Mine, Westgold approached RWTS to design and manufacture a wastewater treatment system. This same site also required a water treatment system to transform he local raw (bore) water into high quality drinking water as deemed by the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

 

THE RWTS SOLUTION

EcoFarmer 250 Wastewater Treatment System

Westgold EcoFarmer 250

This project was an ideal candidate for the EcoFarmer 250 Wastewater Treatment Plant which utilises a Sequential Batch Reaction (SBR) process. Although this is a standard process throughout the water treatment industry, RWTS emphasised the functionality of the plant from the initial design stages. Through the seamless collaboration between our in-house engineering and electrical divisions, smart automation was integrated for enhanced productivity with less operator intervention.

How does the automation work?

The plant continually revises code as it observes the plant’s flow. When limited flow is achieved throughout the day, a standby code automatically seizes control of the plant and in peak periods the extended code will drive the plant.

In addition, Westgold Resources will reap the benefits of the EcoFarmer, that come as standard in this turnkey range, including:

 

  • Robust steel construction to withstand harsh, remote environmental conditions
  • Seamless transportability, attributed to the ISO shipping container design
  • Premium Allen Bradley HMI (interface) and PLC control system
  • Biological treatment process pre-approved by state regulatory bodies

 

Guaranteed & Certified Design

The design was accepted with process and structural certification by REPQ.

All stringent Western Australian department of health requirements where achieved, including a 20-year design life on the plant.

The structural steel shell was manufactured sandblasted, primed and painted with an International shipping coating internally. As part of our manufacturing process, spark testing was completed across the vessel to proactively identifying any potential issues with weld and coating. This ensured the integrity of the internal and external coating surface.

Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis System

Westgold Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment System

RWTS designed and manufactured a reverse osmosis potable water treatment system to meet the potable water requirements of the Westgold Big Bell remote workers’ village.

 

Built to Last

As the industry specialist in packaged water treatment systems, we decided to containerise the RO system. This allowed for ease of transportation and protection of the system from harsh rural environmental conditions.

For optimal insulation, the internal plant room was lined with 75 mm foam-filled panelling on the walls and ceiling, and air-conditioning system was integrated to ensure ideal operating temperature through the hotter and cooler months.

 

User-Centred Design and Automation for Streamlined Operation

The treated water recirculation monitoring and dosing control platform was our internal proprietary offering. This specialist feature is able to measure chlorine pH and conductivity, utilising the new range of Burkert flow fit cubes with gateway Ethernet, and display these levels in real-time on the PLC HMI plant platform.

Our internal programming and instrumentation division designed and custom-built the HMI to be single interface of all plant monitoring, streamlining plant observation and operation. This thoughtful feature allows Westgold to reduce operating costs and rapidly identify and respond to any potential issues.

As with all RWTS chemical injection systems, this Westgold system was fitted with Burkert Viton solenoids and Mazzi Venturi systems. Again, these offer fully programmable control through the HMI system, enabling the operator to take control at any time. A

The RWTS Brackish water reverse osmosis design also features flux targeting through flow metering with secondary pressure monitoring. This allows the RO system to maintain flux across the filter elements in permeate and concentrate streams through modulating v-notch ball valves. This is common on large scale membrane projects, however, in the price-driven remote camp market, it is often overlooked, and flows are set with manual tuning valves. This unfortunately is detrimental to the life of the membrane, resulting in more frequent membrane replacements and increasing the long-term operating costs of the plant.

 

Smart Technology for Flexible Monitoring & Control

RWTS uses the latest Allen Bradley HMI and PLC platform for full control of all our plants. These systems have a wireless router allowing for full remote dial-in access through site wifi. This is a must in the ever-changing water and wastewater servicing industry. It allows the plant performance and parameters to be viewed anywhere, anytime. Imagine the ease of troubleshooting over the phone with your site-based operator as you monitor the plant’s performance in real-time. That’s the RWTS difference.

EcoFarmer Sewage Treatment System: Wallumbilla Remote Camp

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RWTS supplied two EcoFarmer 100 sewage treatment system to the Santos’ Wallumbilla remote camp.

These WWTPs were acquired from RWTS’s rental fleet. For more information on the systems we offer for lease, click here.

RWTS installed and commissioned a potable water system and wastewater treatment system to the site.

Treated effluent from the EcoFarmer was re-purposed for use by local farmers to irrigate grass areas for livestock.

Santos Cooper Basin Remote Camp | Wastewater Treatment

Slide Slide Slide EcoFarmer Santos Cooper Basin Internal

RWTS were awarded the contract by client Santos cooper basin projects to deliver an engineered wastewater treatment system catering for their remote camps waste water needs out at Tarbat operations, Queensland.

Client: Santos

Location: Tarbat Queensland.

Technology implemented: EcoFarmer 50

Industry: Mining

BACKGROUND

Due to the ever flocculating camp numbers (as low as 15 to 50 ep), the process of  converting the BOD and Nitrogen loadings placed on the plant was a challenge.

THE RWTS SOLUTION

The RWTS process team overcame the issue by utilising a biological additive yielding 900mg/ kilo of mass dosed through our dosing system set up. The results allow for a constant and stable mixed liquor within the aeration chambers vital to the growth of essential bacteria.

The wastewater treatment system was completed within the confines of an international shipping container, making for seamless road transportation. Built from the ground up and structurally certified, the wastewater treatment system was the perfect fit for the environment. The hand rails and ladder system were compliant to code, thus allowing for safe height access. Furthermore, the turnkey design minimised the commissioning process so allowed the camp to continue business-as-usual operations while the plant was installed for remote camp tenants by 6 pm.

RESULTS

The treated effluent was then dispersed on the lease via sprinkler system and compliant to the overarching Environmentally Relevant Activity (ERA) as set out by the Queensland Department of Health.

Chemical Dosing System & Plant Monitoring: Bungaroo FIFO Camp

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Accommodation villages for workers in remote locations rely on a secure water source as their drinking water supply. In many instances, where water is transported in and stored, additional chemistry is required to maintain effective chlorine residual.

The RWTS water treatment plant has provided a turnkey means of disinfecting the water supply in the Bungaroo FIFO camp to allow for safe consumption. For added convenience, a state-of-the-art monitoring system has been integrated to allow for full remote telemetry communication with the plant operator. This provides the plant operator with the ability to consistently check on the status of the plant and tank level from the convenience of their office.

The RWTS containerised water treatment solution caters to the needs of small rigger camps through to large stay-over camps. Our systems include the highest quality analysers and pumping equipment to deliver effective pH correction and chlorine dosing.

Wastewater Storage vs. Onsite Wastewater Treatment For Mining

Are you curious as to whether it’s worth investing in onsite wastewater treatment for your project or simply storing wastewater before pumping offsite? We’ve been asked this question time and time again, so we’ve weighed up the pros and cons of each management method to help you decide.

Water management plays an integral role in the seamless day-to-day operations of any remote site, particularly an accommodation camp within the mining sector.

Water is an essential resource when it comes to:

 

  • cooking,
  • cleaning,
  • operating amenities such as showers, taps and toilets,
  • vehicle wash bays,
  • and most importantly, providing safe drinking water.

It’s no mystery then, that wastewater is an inevitable by-product of the extensive water usage on remote sites. In the early stages of planning any accommodation village, the pressing question of how this wastewater will be dealt with arises.

There are two primary options on the table:

1. Integrating an onsite sewage treatment plant

2. Storing wastewater for offsite treatment

There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to choosing which option is best suited to your site, but we’ve discussed a few key factors to consider. The table below very generally captures the best option based on these factors.

 

Water Storage vs. Water Treatment Matrix

1. TIME

How long is your site realistically going to be in operation?

Short-term

A short-term site with a lifespan of just 1-8 months will likely see greater benefit in water storage.

Why?

 

  • Reduced capital investment – Any water treatment plant will likely not in operation for long enough to offset the greater investment of such a system.
  • Rapid deployment – Water storage options such as tanks or the WaterBox, offer the advantage of rapid deployment. These are pre-packaged products that can be transported to site on short notice.
  • Environmental approval takes time – A tailored wastewater treatment system requires environmental approval from the state’s environmental regulatory body in order to discharge effluent onsite. This is often a time-intensive process and, depending on the terrain of your site, may not be feasible for your site or project timeline.

Long-term

If your site will be in operation for longer than 8-12 months, looking to an onsite wastewater treatment plant will likely be worth your while.

Why?

 

  • Pump-out fees will be too expensive – Although a more costly investment upfront, by integrating a wastewater treatment system you will be forgoing the costly pump-out fees of transporting your wastewater to an approved discharge location. This may be justified on a short-term project, but over time this will chew through the budget significantly.
  • Treated wastewater can be reused – Depending on your site, the treated wastewater can be used for local irrigation, reducing the demand on potable water.

 

2. Environmental Regulation

Environmental bodies have rigid regulations when it comes to discharging treated wastewater to the land. This can make the process of having a wastewater treatment plant approved a difficult endeavour, and even impossible when the terrain is not permissive of irrigation (e.g. close proximity to a bore, watercourse, wetland or spring).

Should your plans not comply with regulation, wastewater storage may be your only option.

REFERENCE / FURTHER INFORMATION:

 

3. MOBILITY

Mobile

Is your camp likely to be relocating on a regular basis? If so, a wastewater storage solution will be the better option. The WaterBox has been optimised for such circumstances and can be relocated with a 12-tonne forklift or crane. It’s shipping container design also lends it to easy compatibility with any truck/train transport.

Fixed

Wastewater treatment systems tend to be far more difficult to relocate, and commission and decommission. Taking all other factors into consideration, these are far better suited to camps that will be in a fixed location for a prolonged period.

If you are looking for a turnkey wastewater treatment system that can move with your camp, discover the EcoFarmer.

 

4. CAMP SIZE

Similar to the factor of time, the size of your remote camp will impact the volume of wastewater produced.

Small

For a small camp consisting of up to 100 people, less wastewater will generally be produced and therefore, wastewater storage may be more feasible.

Large

For a larger camp accommodating over 100 people, the volume of wastewater produced would likely be in excess of what mere storage could handle. This increased load would lend itself to a wastewater treatment solution being integrated.

 

5. COST

At this point, you’ll understand that many factors will impact the cost of a wastewater management system, but generally:

 

  • for a short-term or mobile project, wastewater storage will be more cost-effective.
  • for a long-term, fixed project, onsite wastewater treatment will be more cost-effective.

Below we’ve outlined the primary costs (other than the cost of the system itself) associated with each option:

Wastewater Storage

 

  • Wastewater pump out – Only licensed liquid waste transport operators can legally transfer wastewater to an external facility. Due to the environmental, public health and workplace safety risks of transporting such high volumes of sewage, the cost of liquid waste removal services can be extremely high.

Wastewater Treatment System 

 

  • System maintenance – A wastewater treatment plant will require regular maintenance to ensure the ongoing efficiency of the system. Neglected plants with built up residue will eventually break down and require expensive repairs or replacement. We recommend a cleaning-in-place (CIP) system to ensure the long-term health of your plant.
  • Chemicals and consumables – In order to treat the wastewater, chemical dosing is generally required. Therefore, there is an ongoing cost of ensuring there is sufficient inventory to keep the system in operation.

 

We’re here to support you

The experienced team at RWTS is always available to guide and support you in developing the best wastewater management system for your project. For a truly tailored approach, get in touch with us today. We’ll handle the complexities of system design, leaving you with a streamlined, user-centred solution.

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