Aquatec's odour team (formerly All Pumps Sales & Service project division) were engaged in a design & construct partnership with Waternish to deliver a comprehensive gas phase odour removal solution for SA Water's Port Adelaide Re-Lift Pump Station (PARPS) in 2018.
The Port Adelaide Re-Lift Pump Station (PARPS), constructed in 2004, services over 30,000 homes and businesses in the western suburbs of Adelaide. The facility receives approximately 22.5 million litres of wastewater every day, removing solids from the sewage and then transferring it to the larger Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The chemical scrubber that was originally installed at the site to combat odour issues were rendered ineffective when the local area of West Lakes began to transition from industrial to residential, and changes in household water usage altered the composition of the wastewater.
Regular complaints started to come in from nearby residents about the sewage smells from the plant, as a result of the natural by-product hydrogen sulfide (H2S) that emits the characteristic odour of rotten eggs. Constant media scrutiny of the utility amplified the issue, and made this a politically sensitive project.
SA Water approached their contractor Waternish Engineering to come up with an effective odour treatment solution for PARPS as a top priority. Air flow was 8500 m3/hr and the average H2S level was 300 ppm (parts per million) with a peak of 750 ppm. In addition to this, a number of reduced sulphur compounds and volatile organic compounds were present.
Waternish partnered with Aquatec to design and construct a three-stage “Synergy” treatment system, replacing the existing Chemical Scrubber. The Synergy systems are engineered to handle the most difficult air stream applications and provide consistent total odour removal. The multi-stage system easily handles peak variations and shock loads, and combines the following technology:
- Stage 1: Bio-Trickling Filter to treat 99.5% of the hydrogen sulphide present in the foul air
- Stage 2: Three Biofilters to treat other complex contaminants and provide total odour removal.
- Stage 3: Activated Carbon Filter as a final polishing stage
- A 16.5 metre high vent stack to release the treated, clean air
The value of the project was several million dollars, with Aquatec guaranteeing the performance of the system to the specific treatment levels of 99.5% removal of H2S, and <250 Odour Units (OU). The biological equipment is Australian-made with the addition of engineered filter media from BIOREM in Canada, and provides a long-term, permanent solution with the capability to minimise odour well into the future. SA Water are confident in the ongoing success of the system, with biofiltration technology from Aquatec already in use on the Bolivar Trunk Sewer in Parafield Gardens.
“This upgrade not only provides current residents with a long-term odour management solution, it’s an infrastructure investment that will support and sustain future population and economic growth for western Adelaide.”
- Mark Gobbie, General Manager Asset Operations and Delivery at SA Water
