Trienekens Extends Leacheate Wastewater Treatment Plant for Higher Capacity and Increased Efficiency
17/01/2011
Kuching , Thursday, 17/01/2011.
Leachate wastewater treatment is a multi-stage process to refurbish wastewater before it reenters water resources, is applied to land, or reused. It is a process to improve and purify waste water by removing most or all contaminants, making it healthy for release into the environment.
While basic wastewater treatment facilities work to reduce polluting organic and suspended solids, such technology is not static – ongoing development occurs resulting in necessitating needs to confiscate dissolved matter and toxic substances through more advanced treatment processes.
Residual substances removed must be managed before being reused or safely disposed of using biological, chemical and physical treatment techniques. In the early 1970s, the Malaysian government took concrete steps of ecological protection by introducing an enabling legislation called the Environmental Quality Act (EQA) under the administration of the Department of Environment (DoE). These standards mainly emphasized on the removal of suspended and floating materials, treatment of biodegradable organics and elimination of heavy metals. However, in the turn of the century, aesthetic and environmental concerns were taken into consideration, and DoE heightened the standards.
In December 2009, a revision of the EQA stipulated that the removal of nutrients such as ammonia nitrogen would soon take effect in prevailing wastewater treatment processes. In stepping up to the challenge of meeting these new regulations, Trienekens (Sarawak) Sdn. Bhd. recently upgraded its leacheate wastewater treatment plant in order to accommodate higher process capacities at increased efficiency. A component of Trienekens’ Kuching Integrated Waste Management Park (KIWMP), the leachate wastewater treatment plant is now capable of treating 600m3 of leachate wastewater per day, an equivalent of 25m3/hour compared to only 14.6m3/hour before the extension.
The extended plant now involves additional chemical processes which are designed to bring about the same form of change through chemical reactions where primary and secondary treatment removes the majority of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and suspended solids found in wastewater. More treatment tanks have also been added in order to further remove organic and solids or nutrients and toxic materials.
These processes are called physiochemical treatment whereby coagulation and flocculation processes takes place in which they are used to separate the suspended solids portion from wastewater. The suspended particles vary considerably in source, composition charge, particle size, shape and density.
Correct application of coagulation and flocculation processes and selection of the coagulants depend upon understanding the interaction between these factors. Both processes occur in successive steps intended to overcome the forces stabilizing the suspended particles, allowing particle collision and growth of flocs. The flocs are then removed by sedimentation, thereby reducing the content of suspended solids as well as embedded pollutants. The clarified water is finally passed through filters filled with layers of sand and gravel, removing final traces of flocs and metals. A final polishing step then assures absorption of remaining soluble organics using activated carbon.
Wastewater treatment processes requires vigilant management to ensure the protection of the water body that receives the discharge. Though treatment rendering final effluent quality suitable for safe discharge presents a variety of challenges, Trienekens has espoused its treatments with practical, effective and cost efficient solutions in all areas of treatment stages; improving reliability of processes while meeting environmental regulatory requirements. Trained, certified and experienced treatment plant Operators measure and monitor incoming wastewater, treatment process stages and final effluents. Ultimately, the goal of wastewater treatment is to manage wastewater effectively, economically and ecologically.
In many parts of the world, health problems and diseases have often been caused by discharging untreated or inadequately treated leachate wastewater. Properly treating wastewater assures that acceptable overall water quality is maintained; where organic matter, solids, nutrients, disease causing organisms or other pollutants from leachate wastewater is ultimately reduced or removed. Water pollution has a serious impact on all living creatures and can negatively affect the use of water for drinking, household needs, recreation, fishing, transportation and commerce. Though nature does have a remarkable ability to heal itself, there is a limit to what it can do and as such, Trienekens’ holistic approach to waste water treatment prevents waste water from being disposed off in manners that could prove dangerous to human health and to the environment.
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For more information, contact:
Julan Yu Abit,
Department Manager of Public Relations,
Trienekens (Sarawak) Sdn. Bhd.
(082) 610700 or email: julan.abit@trienekens.com.my
www.trienekens.com.my
