Category Archives: KEE NuDisc Technology

KEE Process exports another Wastewater Treatment Plant

KEE Process Exports

This month, KEE Process exports another Wastewater Treatment Plant. This one pictured below has  been exported  for installation in the Grand Cayman Islands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KEE Process are known worldwide as a reputable supplier of Wastewater Treatment  Plants and our products are exported across the globe. Over the 60 years since the company was founded, we have also forged strong and lasting relationships with Global Agents operating in:

  • FRANCE
  • FINLAND
  • SWEDEN
  • SPAIN
  • NORWAY
  • CANADA
  • USA
  • LATIN AMERICA
  • CHINA
  • EAST ASIA
  • EAST, WEST AND NORTH AFRICA

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our Global Agents and customers around the world for their support  and confidence in us as a supplier.

For more information on KEE exports and Global Agents, please visit our KEE Process website or contact our Head Office on 01296 634500.

Specialists in Domestic & Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Northern Ireland: Another Wastewater Treatment Process Plant successfully designed, manufactured and installed.

Newtown Crommellin – 45m3 PST + F13 RBC.

We have been supplying units for RWIP on this Northern Ireland project since 2008, and we are delighted to be part of another successful installation.

Within the KEE Group, KEE Process Limited design, manufacture and install all forms of Wastewater Treatment Technology and Processing Equipment. KEE Services Limited offer process operation, maintenance and breakdown services for all types and manufacturer makes of Wastewater Treatment equipment.

Please contact us on 01296 634 500 for more information on creating a project programme to suit your requirements.

 

KEE’s Commitment to Environmentally Sustainable Procurement and Fair Trade

One of KEE’s core company values focuses around Environmental Sustainability. As a business, we recognise our obligations to consider the environmental impact the materials we source and the products we produce have on the environment and, we aim to reduce the impacts & ensure environmental sustainability.

Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade. It’s about supporting the development of thriving communities so that they have more control over their futures and protecting the environment in which they live and work.

KEE Process Ltd & KEE Services Ltd aim to ensure that we will play our part in reducing risks:

  • Use fewer resources and less energy through continuous improvement and the use of innovative solutions.
  • Procure all timber and timber products from legal and sustainable sources, and procure with a preference other construction materials from recognised responsible sourcing schemes.
  • Specify and procure materials and products that strike a responsible balance between social, economic and environmental factors and generate benefits to society and the economy.
  • Use resource-efficient products and give due consideration to end-of-life uses.
  • Influence, specify and source increasing amounts of materials which can be reused, and consider future deconstruction and recovery of resources to embrace the circular economy to leave a sustainable legacy across the built environment.
  • Where possible, provide opportunities for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) increase the use of social enterprises, support local employment, diversity and training and work collaboratively with the voluntary sector, especially those near to our offices and operations.
  • Ensure that fair contract prices and terms are applied and respected, and that ethical, human rights and labour standards are met, in line with the United Nations Global Compact principles.
  • Source goods, works and services that embody our environmental policy, health & safety policy and support the delivery of our Sustainable Development Strategy.

We believe our commitment to these values is one of a number of ways in which KEE, everyone within the company, and all our customers can demonstrate social, environmental and economic responsibility. Our business like all others changes and evolves over time, but our core values remain the same.

For more information, please call 01296 634500 or visit our website.

 

 

 

 

Over the years, KEE Process Limited has produced and delivered numerous Wastewater Treatment Plant projects in Northern Ireland and Ireland, using local M & E contractors.

In the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland many of KEE’s projects have been using local M & E contractors who offer total supply and installation packages to clients, with fully comprehensive after sales support. Some of these projects include plant built for the following sites:

1.   Large Hotel, Co. Wicklow.

The hotel already had a wastewater treatment plant but they decided to build a new 40-bedroom lodge on site and therefore needed a plant to treat all the existing flows plus the flow from the planned expansion. The main requirements of the client were:

The final effluent required Total Nitrogen and Phosphorus reduction and needed to consistently comply with the onerous discharge license of BOD < 20 mg/l, SS < 30 mg/l, COD < 80 mg/l, NH4-N < 20 mg/l, NO3-N (Nitrate Nitrogen) < 5 mg/l, Phosphate as PO4 < 12 mg/l, FOG (fat, oil and grease) < 20 mg/l and Detergent (MSAS) < 1 mg/l.

The plant was to have low operational and maintenance costs.

The plant supplier was to be able to provide complete service to include planned preventative and emergency maintenance, process and operation maintenance and effluent sampling.

The KEE’s proposal included supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of a 60m3 primary settlement tank, Module DC16 Rotating Biological Contactor and ST6 hopper bottom GRP final settlement tank. All this equipment was factory built and delivered to site ready for installation on concrete slabs.

This plant was installed and commissioned in 2003. It has operated extremely well mechanically and has delivered excellent process performance since start-up. The total electricity costs for the plant is less than EUR1,000 per annum.

2.   Golf Club, Co. Cork

This was a design and build turnkey contract and KEE who were process partners in the project. The discharge license was direct to the watercourse and specified a BOD < 20 mg/l, SS < 30 mg/l, NH4-N < 20 mg/l & Phosphate as P < 2 mg/l.

KEE supplied their compact single piece NuDisc® Model 1200.

3.   Golf Club, Co. Dublin

During the refurbishment of the clubhouse, on-site sewage treatment plant and disposal systems were required. The discharge license specified a BOD < 20 mg/l, SS < 30 mg/l & NH4-N < 10 mg/l, NO3-N (Nitrate Nitrogen) < 15 mg/l, Phosphate as PO4 < 5 mg/l and FOG (fat, oil and grease) < 10 mg/l.

KEE Process Ltd designed the process and supplied and installed a single-piece compact packaged plant NuDisc® F13N with inbuilt de-nitrification stage and phosphate removal stage.

This contract also included the design and installation of an inlet pumping station and a sub-surface percolation area.

4.   County Council, Ireland

This was an installation for a municipal treatment works for a Southern Ireland County Council for 1000 PE. The flow to the works are combined with surface water and municipal wastewater with a discharge license for BOD < 20 mg/l and SS < 30 mg/l.

KEE supplied their packaged modular treatment system and the contractor led the contract for installation and commissioning.

For more information on our Wastewater Treatment Technologies, please phone on 01296 634500 or visit our KEE Process Website.Specialists in Domestic & Industrial Wastewater Treatment

 

Private Residential Golfing Community in New York State Selects KEE Process Managed Flow® Wastewater Treatment Process

Bristol Harbour is a private residential golfing community in the Western Finger Lakes of New York State, USA.

Having experienced ongoing problems with their existing wastewater treatment plant, the community approached KEE Process Limited’s North American partner, Waste Water Solutions International Inc., for help.

After suffering regular mechanical failures, deviations in effluent performance and high operating costs, the community recognised the need to upgrade their aeration plant. The new system would also need to cope with the planned expansion of the development and meet the State Law’s stringent treatment requirements.

The KEE Process Managed Flow® Process was selected because of its ability to continually produce high quality effluent and its low operator costs and maintenance. The system was also ideal for the site’s limited space and environmentally sensitive location.

To provide flexibility two streams were installed. The technology chosen included:

  • A balancing tank
  • KEE Process Managed Flow Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC) – Model DN-19-S
  • KEE Process Final Settlement Tank (Model ST9) with automatic pump assisted sludge return system and gravity sand filter with backwash capability.

This technology was designed and specified to provide for the current and future expansion of the community.

The KEE Process Managed Flow RBC Model DN-19-S and a KEE Process Final Settlement Tank Model ST9 with automatic pump assisted sludge return system and gravity sand filter with backwash capability installed at the Bristol Harbour private residential golfing community in the Western Finger Lakes of New York State, USA.

The KEE Process Managed Flow RBC Model DN-19-S and a KEE Process Final Settlement Tank Model ST9 with automatic pump assisted sludge return system and gravity sand filter with backwash capability installed at the Bristol Harbour private residential golfing community in the Western Finger Lakes of New York State, USA.

For more information on our Wastewater Treatment Technologies, please phone on 01296 634500 or visit our KEE Process Website.

Dŵr Cymru commission KEE Group to refurbish and replace a non performing RBC in small Welsh Village

A very old unreliable non performing RBC unit is refurbished by KEE

KEE were commissioned to design, build, supply and carry out all civil work, to refurbish and update a very old unit which was unreliable and not performing in a very small Welsh Village.

Within the brief, KEE had to strip all the internals and fit a new unit into the existing steel tank on site, as there was no room for digging a bigger excavation.

Before - Existing unit in need of refurbishment

Before – Existing non performing unit in need of complete refurbishment.

After: New refurbished RBC unit by KEE.

After: New refurbished RBC unit designed, manufactured, supplied and installed by KEE.

For more information on KEE Refurbishment and Updates or details on any other KEE wastewater treatment equipment and systems, please refer to our website at keegroup.com or call us on 01296 634500.

 

 

Industrial Wastewater Disposal and Treatment Options – Back to Basics – A Practical Approach from KEE Process Limited

What are the Options

Brewing, winery, soft drinks manufacture, food preparation production and packaging (baking, ready convenience meals, abattoir, meat, poultry and vegetable), dairy (milk processing, cream, cheese and yoghurt production), commercial laundries, pharmaceutical, petrochemical and many other industries are large users of water. This results in large quantities of heavily polluted wastewater for disposal.

UK Water companies and the public bodies responsible for collection, drainage and treatment of wastewater have strict controls on the quantity and the quality of industrial and trade wastewater being discharged into public sewers. Legislation supports them in this. Direct discharge to a watercourse is even stricter and is normally monitored by the National Environmental Agencies and the Environment Agency in the UK. Penalties for transgression can include prosecution, fines, financial loss and can, in some cases, prohibit operations.

Industrial wastewater discharge disposal options

Industrial wastewater discharge disposal options

Audits

It is always advisable to carry out an evaluation of the processes involved in the core business of an organisation to identify sources of wastewater. An audit would help reduce waste/wastewater and disposal costs, quantify flow rates, solids and organic loads and characterise the wastewater to provide the necessary data for analysing the available disposal options and optimise the design of any on-site treatment plant.

It is useful to be subjective when carrying out an audit to ensure that good housekeeping practices are identified to reduce unnecessary waste which would add to the costs of disposing wastewater generated on site. Process audits should be aimed at identifying the waste, excess use of water and energy. Simple actions, such as installations of energy-saving devices or taps and hose controls and careful disposal of solid waste, can produce both financial and environmental benefits. It would also help to reduce the size of an on-site treatment plant if one was planned and this would result in capital cost savings.

An audit would lead to evaluation of volumetric and organic mass loads for design purposes and would aid in characterising the nature of the waste, to optimise the design for on-site treatment plants.

Public Sewer or Watercourse

Public sewers are convenient for disposal if nearby. Quantity, strength and characteristics of the wastewater need to be considered and consented by Authorities or the Water Company in the UK. If approval is granted and the wastewater meets the criteria set, then sewer disposal would be an obvious choice, but this comes at a cost. High COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and suspended solids would lead to high costs in discharging to sewer and reducing these parameters could make significant savings. Partial or full onsite treatment would bring about cost savings to sewer discharge but needs justifying through quantification.

Hygiene versus Convenience

With the food processing, beverage and dairy industry, hygiene is of paramount importance. On-site wastewater treatment may be perceived by management as presenting problems although the risks are small. It is vital that the Operatives normally involved in the process part of the industry, do not need to visit the wastewater treatment plant and the risks to main operation therefore are contained and the operation of the wastewater plant becomes one of non-core features. This can be achieved by having the treatment plant operation undertaken by the maintenance department of the industry or independent operators such as KEE Process Limited who would provide a turnkey solution for designing, supplying, installing and operating a plant for a Client.

Treatment Options: Physical, Biochemical or Combination of Both

Where the decision to treat on-site has been made, the appropriate choice of plant has to be determined. Whether partial treatment or full treatment is installed is usually a matter of economics. A capital outlay is necessary and this must have an acceptable payback period. The treatment options available are Physical, Physical/Chemical, Biological or a combination of all or any of these.

On-site treatment could involve simple physical treatment to remove materials such as gross solids, FOG (Fat, Oil & Grease) and can include pH correction. The equipment may include manual or mechanical screens, grease separators or the newly introduced DISPERSED AIR FLOATATION which is simple, economical and extremely efficient and effective. A component of COD associated with these materials would also be removed by the physical treatment. With DISPERSED AIR FLOATATION up to 30% BOD, 50% COD, 60% TSS and over 90% FOG can be removed physically without the use of chemicals. Better performance can be achieved by using coagulant, flocculants and ploy-electrolytes. In most cases, partial treatment using DISPERSED AIR FLOATATION would achieve the reduction in pollution loads necessary to substantially reduce the cost of discharge of effluent to public sewer. The ownership costs (capital expenditure, servicing, maintenance and operation costs) associated with DISPERSED AIR FLOATATION are usually low. The benefits of cost savings in effluent disposal are high and the capital/operating cost of proving on-site partial treatment can be justified against the ownership costs. Given these benefits it may be sufficient not to invest in further onsite treatment for the effluent to be discharged into public sewer.

However, it may still be necessary or even desirable for the wastewater to be treated further for direct discharge to a watercourse or re-used for non-process operations within the industry. In such a case, full on-site treatment would often justify the capital and operations cost. Cost analysis must also take into account the valuable space required for location of the treatment plant on the core business site.

For disposal to watercourse, consent from the Environmental Regulating Authorities (the Environment Agency in the UK) will be necessary.

    

KEE Microfloat Unit                                                  Interior working of the Microfloat System

The full treatment options could include anaerobic fixed film technology. This is particularly suitable for high strength wastewater requiring initial partial treatment prior to sewer disposal or further aerobic treatment to produce effluent suitable for direct discharge to a watercourse. The aerobic process could include:

  • Suspended Growth Activated Sludge Process options through Extended Aeration, Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) or Oxidation Ditch.
  • Fixed Film Process through Rotating Biological Contactors (RBC), Submerged Aerated Filter (SAF).

Choosing the Treatment Option

The most suitable process selection would depend on many factors such as:

  • Initial Mechanical/Electrical Capital Cost.
  • Installation Cost.
  • Operating Cost including on-site attendance/labour costs, energy costs, consumables and plant operation complexities. Disposal costs of physically separated pollutants e.g. FOG, TSS and sludge in case of full Biological treatment plant.
  • Servicing, Spares & Maintenance Cost.
  • Space and Land requirements for location of the on-site treatment plant.

All the above factors should be taken into account and a discounted cash flow calculated on a 10, 15 or a 20-year replacement cycle. This should be weighed against the cost of disposal to sewer or partial treatment followed by disposal to sewer. When evaluating the disposal costs to public sewer, it is necessary to liaise with the authorities or provider of the central wastewater treatment plant, to establish initial capital cost contribution expected and the potential annual costs associated with sewer discharge over the next 10,15 or 20 years. Armed with all this financial data, the overall cost of various disposal options should be evaluated and the financial disposal option chosen justified on a payback period or the net discounted cash flow, or the simple approach of evaluating the cost of disposing a unit volume (say 1 m3) of effluent.

With so many factors to consider, such as type of treatment, if any, the process selection for partial or full on-site treatment and cost analysis to justify the most appropriate option for disposal of the effluent, it may be beneficial to use the services of a professional. An experienced independent consultant with a wide knowledge of industrial wastewater treatment processes would be the obvious choice. Some Companies do offer a wide spectrum of process options and have the necessary experience to offer turnkey solutions using the most optimised process. Such companies may have a bias towards their own technology and process if they have a limited range of process options to offer. All this should be balanced against their ability to provide project management, process design, site civil work, mechanical/electrical erection, commissioning and more importantly on-site operation with process warranties.

The KEE Group Companies, KEE Process Limited and KEE Services Limited can offer such an option. Their technologies include physio-chemical processes (Dispersed Air Floatation, simple gravity solids and grease separators), Anaerobic Reactors (for high strength wastewaters), Fixed Film (RBC and SAF) Reactors and Suspended Growth Reactors (Activated Sludge Processes such as Extended Aeration, SBR, Oxidation Ditch, Extended Aeration followed by Ultra fine Filtration), and on-site operation of the treatment plant. KEE also have a team of experienced process engineers and project engineers capable of delivering the necessary turnkey solution to suit most customers. KEE Services offer on-site plant operation with out-of-hours emergency backup through a 24hrs manned Call Centre.

RBC Modular System

Photographs showing SAF, RBC, & SBR plants below:

 

KEE EnviroSAF

Cut-away view of the KEE EnviroSAF

Oxidation Ditch with Nitrification, Denitrification

Oxidation Ditch with Nitrification, Denitrification and Aerobic Sludge Digestion.

Large RBCs for biological treatment.

Large RBCs for biological treatment.

Compact, single piece NuDisc® RBC Wastewater Treatment System.

Compact, single piece NuDisc® RBC Wastewater Treatment System.

KEE SBR Plant

The decanter and access manway of a fruit juice wastewater treatment SBR Plant.

KEE Submerged Aerated Filter Plant

Vegetable processing wastewater screening prior to being treated in a multi-stage Submerged Aerated Filter Plant.

KEE SBR Plant

Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) plant at a Brewery.

KEE Multi-stage Submerged Aerated Filter Plant.

Multi-stage Submerged Aerated Filter Plant. Preliminary treatment includes screening.

 

For more information on KEE’s latest NuDisc® RBC, please visit our website or call KEE Process on: 01296 634500

 

KEE collaborate with Northern Ireland Water on a £5m investment to construct one of the largest RBC sites in Europe.

KEE’s expertise in design, manufacture, installation, servicing maintenance and operation of equipment for all types of wastewater treatment plants is backed by over 60 years of experience and over 350,000 installations worldwide.

Background

KEE have been working with Northern Ireland Water (NIW) for over 15 years, providing treatment plants for many of their water infrastructure projects. The most recent collaboration involved KEE Group working on a new £5 million wastewater system for 5,800 people at Keady, Co Armagh. The new Keady Wastewater Treatment Works was to deliver improvements in process efficiency, discharge quality and increase the capacity of the plant to encompass the neighbouring population in Armagh.

KEE technical experts worked closely with NIW consultants throughout the term of the project, providing the following:

  • Support and guidance in selecting the correct treatment process and technology
  • Detailed 3D plant designs and specifications
  • Manufacture and supply of wastewater treatment equipment
  • On-site training for NIW Services Staff, to ensure optimum plant process performance and extended life
  • On-going site maintenance and back up support

The Challenge

The new plant was to meet the following requirements:

  • To be constructed within the existing site of the old plant
  • Achieve current and future NI Environment Agency discharge standards and EU regulations.
  • Provide additional capacity to meet the future needs of the growing local population
10 KEE RBCs

10 KEE RBCs at the new Keady Wastewater Treatment Works

The Solution

The consistent performance of KEE’s RBC technology installed in Derrylin back in 2010 gave Northern Ireland Water the confidence to proceed with the Keady project.

The new plant was installed in the Autumn of 2012 and consisted of a Tertiary Slow Gravity Sand filter and 10 RBCs (Rotating Biological Contactors).

Each RBC was housed in a precast concrete chamber with GRP top covers to protect the equipment from the weather and enable easy access for maintenance. The upgrade in technology achieved NIW’s current and future consent and capacity requirements and delivered the following additional benefits:

New RBC Plant Performance at Keady

Final effluent             Target               Actual

BOD                           <5.00mg/l          4.96mg/l
SS                              <10.00mg/l        10.00mg/l
NH4-N                        <1.50mg/l          0.23mg/l

95% ile compliance basis.

 

Keady WwT Works, Large Diameter RBCs under construction.

Design Features

  • Robust and consistent performance during Winter and Summer periods, ensuring discharge consents are met all year round.
  • Substantial underground installation to minimise the visual and  environmental impact on the landscape.
  • Thermostatic temperature control system inside each RBC unit to mitigate sub zero ambient temperatures.
  • Innovative KEE ‘flow control’ mechanism fitted to each RBC to enhance process stability.

Cost Savings

  • 30 years design life, 20 years warranty on structural components.
  • £812,520 energy saving and associated carbon footprint over 20 years.
  • £947,200 OPEX saving due to reduced operational, maintenance, labour, spares and sludge disposal costs over 20 years.
  • 30% saving in CAPEX costs when compared to an equivalent sized ASP (MBR) system.

Keady Wastewater Treatment Works is just one example of the many projects being undertaken by NI Water and KEE to improve infrastructure in Northern Ireland. These projects represent part of a £490 million investment by NIW in wastewater services throughout the North over the past three years.

For more information on KEE’s latest NuDisc® RBC, please visit our website or call KEE Process on: 01296 634500

KEE design upgrade solution for Anglian Water using NuDisc® Technology

“ I had not personally worked with KEE before and I was impressed with their ingenuity and their unwavering commitment to deliver the upgrade at Brinkley on time and to a high standard. It is refreshing to work with a company that do not have a ‘fit and forget mentality’ and have a genuine passion for the service they give their customers. If ever I need some expert advice or another Waste Treatment Plant, I will not hesitate to contact KEE. ”  Gavin Pipe Anglian Water.

Background

KEE have been working with Anglian Water for over 30 years and were commissioned to design and install the original B16 Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC) at their Brinkley site back in 1983. Following mechanical failures well past the 30 year manufactured design life of the plant, Anglian Water knew 3 years on, that the site was in need of re-furbishing. Therefore they installed a temporary SAF Treatment Plant to be set up on site to treat the waste whilst they sourced and installed a replacement RBC.

Unfortunately the temporary SAF Plant kept ‘tripping out’ and proved unable to treat the effluent to the correct consent levels so Anglian Water had no option but to have the effluent removed from site manually using tankers.

The Challenge

At this point Gavin Pipe, Project Engineer for Anglian Water at Brinkley contacted KEE to arrange a site survey and quote for a new RBC replacement. Upon arriving on site, KEE noticed that Magnasol was being used to neutralise ammonia from the B16 discharge in order to achieve the required environmental consent levels. It was therefore clear that the old plant was not achieving today’s environmental standards without chemical intervention.



Anglian Water , Brinkley

The Solution

KEE recommended upgrading the old RBC with KEE’s latest NuDisc® Design Technology.  The proposed refurbishment included the following benefits:

  • NuDisc® technology delivering substrate and flow balancing
  • 20 years extended life of the plant for a third of the cost of a new plant
  • Elimination of chemical dosing resulting in a cost saving of £3,800 p.a
  • Reduction in the need for de-sludging and tankering from site, therefore minimising tankering costs, heavy traffic and noise through the residential estate
  • 3 day refurbishment installation program, providing huge savings in project management, human resource, and re-build costs when compared to a new installation
  • Chemical free solution, protecting the environment


Anglian Water, Brinkly

Anglian Water agreed to KEE’s proposal and the new RBC was installed on the 26th of September. The installation took the scheduled 3 days to complete and the Brinkley site is now back in full working order, benefiting from the very latest solutions in mechanical engineering and process technology.

For more information on KEE’s latest compact, self contained NuDisc® RBC, please call KEE Process on: 01296 634500 or visit the KEE Group website.