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Category Archives: Wastewater Treatment

Engineered waste water treatment plant for the OZ minerals project

RWTS were successfully awarded the head contract to design and construct a suitable engineered waste water treatment plant for the OZ minerals project in Carapateena South Australia.

 

Client: OZ Minerals

Location: Carapateena South Australia

Technology implemented: EcoFarmer 250

Industry: Mining

 

BACKGROUND

The OZ minerals camp design life was for 20 years with a 450 peak manning accommodation and mine services administration facility attached. OZ Minerals required a waste water treatment plant solution to facilitate the accomodation water service needs. The Remote Water Treatment solutions experts designed the arrangement of a containerised Ecofarmer 250 platform. The modular sequence was required to be constructed to accomodate the wastewater for the project over the construction phase into permanent accommodation.

THE RWTS SOLUTION

ECOFARMER 250

To achieve the project scope a centralised johnson wire screened raw sewage drew from the camp. Then screened fluid was transferred to the combined balance holding tank and the sequencing of the SBR trains allowed fluid to enter the biological treatment phase. Treated water chlorinated was dispersed on to the designated land application area. RWTS executed the project within the intended time line and meet all government approvals and certification. South Australia health requirements and submissions strictly state that all tankage must be structurally engineered and process certified. RWTS had the steel fabricated shells engineered and process reviewed certified by third party. RPEQ process engineering team, used sophisticated modelling software to achieve a suitable final effluent stream.

 

RESULTS

All equipment and hardware used on the project was of high standard and supported in the Australian markets giving RWTS clients the peace of mind that the equipment is built and deigned to the highest of standards.

Looking for a waste water treatment plant solution, call us today for assistance.

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Engineered water treatment system for the township of Linville: SEQWater

RWTS were subcontracted by SEQWater to design and manufacture a engineered water treatment system for the township of Linville. 

 

Client: Practical Engineering and SEQwater

Location: Linville municipal water treatment plant

Technology implemented: Engineered water treatment system for the township of Linville

Industry: Infrastructure

 

BACKGROUND

Due to the 2013 floods and changes in raw water from the Bores supplying the original Linville Water Treatment System, the Linville township potable quality of water could not be guaranteed. As a consequence of the environmental changes that were affecting the Linville township water quality the original water treatment system needed to be decommissioned. In the past seven years as an interim solution the potable water from Kilcoy Potable Water Treatment Plant was trucked in and pumped into the town reservoir which serviced the town requirements. This was not going to be sustainable in the long run and thus RWTS was engaged to provide a water treatment solution to meet the township long term needs and requirements.

CHALLENGES

Due to the non release site, a minimal waste water was being generated; which resulted in common back washable filter types not being a viable option.

THE RWTS SOLUTION

FILTRATION | ULTRAVIOLET DISINFECTION SYSTEM

RWTS partnered with Practical Engineering – a specialist project team who were given the opportunity to construct a purpose designed and engineered water treatment facility and compound. The Water treatment process required by SEQwater had strict specifications and needed to meet a specific virus and protozoa log reduction through various forms of treatment application and disinfection packages.

RWTS proposed a validated absolute replaceable cartridge filtration process with no backwashing requirement, validated Ultraviolet Disinfection System treatment and residual chlorine disinfection equipment. SEQwater process engineers agreed to the proposed process offered and the design was signed off as a viable solution for the township of Linville. RWTS was engaged and responsible for the turn key water treatment process, procurement, engineering, installation, commissioning and operator training hand over package to client.

Work commenced in late 2019 and was successfully completed in April 2020 after extensive performance testing was completed over a period of 6 weeks.

RESULTS

The Linville township was successfully supplied by RWTS with treated potable water via a custom designed turn-key potable water treatment system. The  water treatment system RWTS implemented provided a high quality potable water source conforming to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines standards and strict guidelines outlined by the utility provider SEQwater.

Ultrafiltration System: Veolia Energy and University of the Sunshine Coast

RWTS were subcontracted by Veolia Energy to design and manufacture a ultrafiltration system (UF) for the University of the Sunshine Coast.

 

Client: Veolia Energy; University of the Sunshine Coast (USC)

Industry: Infrastructure – School and Universities

Systems: Ultrafiltration

 

BACKGROUND

The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) is a leading tertiary education provider, catering to over 11,000 students on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. USC prides themselves on their commitment of sustainability; with an active program to better manage waste, water and recycling. In an effort to minimise the use of potable water from the local council, USC engaged Veolia Energy to implement a ultrafiltration system (UF). RWTS were subcontracted to design and manufacture the water waste management system.

The water reclamation system treated water from the on-site holding dam to a potable standard. Furthermore the water was able to be used for cooling tower makeup (through evaporation) as part of the university’s air-conditioning system.

CHALLENGES

Due to site space limitations, RWTS was required to design the plant to operate effectively within a small footprint.

THE RWTS SOLUTION

Industrial Ultrafiltration System

USC Water Reclamation System - Ultrafiltration

RWTS developed an ultrafiltration system (UF), with pre-filtration to purify the raw lake water. This removed all suspended solids and microbes to ensure high quality treated water.

The design flux of the UF system, RWTS needed to design the system to be capable of treating up to 10 kL of net permeate production. Advanced UF modelling software allowed RWTS to develop the basis of the water reclamation design, that was signed off by Veolia Energy engineers.

Due to the challenges with width restrictions within the plant room, tall, hollow-fibre ultrafiltration membranes were chosen for the design. This minimised the system’s lateral footprint through stand height membranes. The membranes were procured from our oversea supplier through many years of R&D.

The waste generated from the ultrafiltration (UF) system through chemical cleans and enhanced backwashes was captured into a waste holding tank. It then underwent a staged correction process with validation prior to the release to the council sewer network. This process was approved by the contractor and local plumbing council, meeting the strict trade waste guideline release limits.

The operating system took the form of an Allen Bradley PLC with HMI screen. Functional description (FD) was written and programmed by our in-house electrical division for approval by Veolia Water. The water reclamation system build saw RWTS use quality analytical and pumping components from trusted suppliers, including as Grundfos, Burkert and IFM.

The project was completed and handed over to client Veolia Water in June 2019. Both the University of the Sunshine Coast and RWTS were pleased with the delivered outcome and the system is currently being managed by Veolia Energy site operators.

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.

Wastewater Treatment System: Balter Brewery

Balter Brewery approached RWTS with the need for an upgraded trade wastewater treatment system to handle their steadily increasing daily load.

The Issue | An overrun wastewater treatment system

The wastewater treatment system procured originally was designed adequately for the daily load of 3000 litres and was sufficient for the brewery’s early beginnings. However, due to Balter’s growing popularity, production has both increased and improved. This lead to daily site hydraulic loads of the wastewater treatment solution exceeding its designed capacity.

As such, the system design was essentially overrun, creating operational and reliability issues. This resulted in a system that could not perform correctly and meet the hydraulic demands the site was experiencing. In addition, we saw the potential to add significant value and functionality to the brewery’s waste treatment system design.

The RWTS Solution

We proposed, designed and developed an enhanced system to not only ensure reliable operation, but to allow the comfortable treatment of 20,000 litres per day (that’s a lot of beer!).

By integrating advanced wastewater treatment technology, the new design allows for remote monitoring of the entire system operation, minimising the need for operator intervention and unnecessary maintenance. In short – more insight, less work. The HMI will provide a flow log and pH log each time the system discharges to trade waste on a daily basis. Data from the system can be stored for a minimum 30-day log and potentially up to 60 days.

If your brewery is looking for a wastewater treatment solution that provides detailed insight in real time but requires minimal operator intervention, we would love to discuss a tailored solution with you.

EcoFarmer Sewage Treatment System: Wallumbilla Remote Camp

Slide Slide Slide

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.

Wastewater Biological Treatment and Ultrafiltration System

RWTS custom-built a wastewater treatment back-end biological polishing unit designed within an ultrafiltration system. The system treated Class C effluent to that of a true Class A final release standard. 

The system was complete with front end glass media filtration, before water was filtered through the ultrafiltration membrane elements.

The membranes of choice for the wastewater biological treatment were the RWTS UF-PVDF-1060 hollow fibre filter housings with an effective filtration area of 78 m2. The membranes were configured to an outside-inside, with air sparge backwashing, forward flush, top and bottom backflush, and an independent enhanced backflush EBF cycle also coded within the PLC. The PVDF fibre allows for greater tensile strength when filters are exhausted and feed pressures rise, due to uncontrolled front end treatment. The ability to rejuvenate the fibre element is second to none; with an aggressive alkali and acid cleaning process the filters will bounce back yielding their intended designed flux. Other membranes constructed of improved PVC and simple PVC cannot withstand such harsh environments and are susceptible to fibre breakage, resulting in cross contamination of raw and treated water streams.

The system was constructed on a purpose-built, 316 stainless steel frame. All pumps utilised for filtration, backwash and chemical injection were Grundfos pumps to ensure durability and reliability.  The feed pumps being controlled by VSD which allowed for variable flow treatment through the day. Process control pneumatic valves used in this system were air torque actuators with separate limit switches and Ritork cast wafer valves were integrated. Burkert instruments were chosen by the client. Additionally, control automation was completed through an Allen Bradly 800 Series PLC and Panel view plus 7 – 9 inch HMI screen with a Ewon modem for remote telemetry access.

The membranes have been installed with individual isolation valves on all 3 streams allowing for the disconnection and replacement of the individual membranes units without isolating the system. Clear tubing has additionally been added to allow the operator to view the turbid backwash reject water exiting the system.

All in all, RWTS has encompassed the very best in equipment supply and design to deliver a high-performance, durable system which will see many years of trouble-free filtering.

The equipment was installed and successfully commissioned onsite by the RWTS electrical and programming division.

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.

EcoFarmer Waste Water Treatment Plant: Miles Airport

Slide Slide Slide EcoFarmer

RWTS was tasked with implementing a waste water treatment plant for the Miles Airport in Queensland. 

This project involved the design and construction of a waste water treatment plant as well as its installation and commissioning. The design integrated a wastewater disposal system to the surrounding gardens to re-purpose treated effluent.

Based on the unique requirements of the airport, RWTS chose employ an EcoFarmer 50 – Class B.

Wastewater Treatment Plant and Servicing: Kimberley College

Slide Kimberley College 1 Slide Kimberley College 2 Slide Kimberley College 3

A customised treatment process for a growing school community in Carbrook, Queensland. 

RWTS were engaged by Kimberley College to rectify their waste water treatment facility. A key consideration for the development plan was the expansion of the school from 600 to 1,200 students.

Due environmental sensitivities, RWTS worked in conjunction with environmental engineers to develop a sustainable solution. All submissions were passed and approved by the local governing authority and the Department of Environmental Resources Management.

Due to the nature of the waste stream, RWTS process engineers needed to combat the higher than anticipated Nitrogen/ Ammonia loading that would be placed on the plant. This was done through various treatment processes, resulting in a Class B final effluent waste stream before further treatment by a customised ultrafiltration plant yielding Class A water fit for site release. The ultra-filtered water with a turbidity of less than 1 NTU is used as irrigation for the site through various methods as to not make contact with the students.  A 100 m3 panel tank forms part of the irrigation design accommodating for days’ worth of final storage capacity as to not irrigate through rain events an automated rain gauge sensor diverts the treated waste stream from the day irrigation storage tank to the holding tank for further irrigation when weather permitting. The system was then placed through an extensive commissioning phase with daily sampling and weekly nutrient and biological testing completed by the Redland City Laboratory and accepted and signed off on by all relevant governing personnel.

RWTS 3 years on still maintain the service contract for the school and assist in making sure the water is within release limits.

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