Wastewater Treatment Solutions for Stringent Discharge Quality Requirements

Cradled between the Cardwell Range and the top end of the Hinchinbrook Channel in tropical north Queensland is the Port Hinchinbrook Resort and Marina complex.

Due to the environmental sensitivity of the Hinchinbrook Channel area, a rigorous environmental management regime was imposed on this development by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).

The wastewater treatment plant installed by EPCO Australia for the complex included biological and tertiary treatment and was designed around an extended aeration activated sludge process. The plant must meet the stringent discharge quality requirements of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), namely <5mg/L nitrogen, <1mg/l phosphorous and <10 coli forming units, on an 80th percentile basis. The  treatment system includes an activated balance tank with fine screening, aeration/anoxic tank, settling, chlorination, sand filtration, waste sludge digestion, drying beds, and 1.5ML wet weather storage.

Economical staging of a 1000 ep plant from a starting load of less than 100 ep was resolved with the tankage built to suit the ultimate capacity based on microsand enhancement of settling and fine bubble diffused air. The initial installation sized for 500 ep uses coarse bubble aeration and supplementary feeding to give a BOD load equivalent to at least 100 ep.

Reclaimed water from the plant is initially being used for irrigation, with consideration being given to other uses such as toilet flushing.

For further information or to arrange for us to visit your site, please call us on +61 7 3279 3276