The existing leachate treatment plant was failing to meet the consent levels and the County Council were tankering on a daily basis. The council were looking for a robust treatment solution that would meet the consent requirements of National Resources Wales and reduce the level of tankering.
Jems Environmental was the project manager and installation contractor, responsible for the build/installation of a new leachate treatment facility at the Landfill site.
Consent To Discharge Limitations
- BOD: 20 mg/l
- TSS: 30 mg/l
- NH4-N: 4 mg/l
- Fe: 0.75 mg/l
Jems Environmental installed the new treatment plant to include a pre-aeration & settlement phase, followed by a moving bed bio reactor (MBBR) system with additional submerged aerated filter (SAF) and fine mesh rotary screen. The majority of the old plant was demolished. The holding lagoons are now being used for balancing of leachate volumes at the new plant.
Conclusion
The system has proved successful on two counts: firstly, operating costs have reduced by 95% as tankering is now significantly reduced; secondly the effluent quality is well within the consent limits at <1mg/l BOD, 8mg/l SS, 0.074mg/l NH4N and 0.496 mg/l Fe.
This resulted in a direct cash saving for the council of over 250k per annum.