Tag Archives: Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC)

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.

KEE uses ‘Fixed Film’ technology to meet Northern Ireland Waters’ discharge standards at Derrylin.

“I have experience in other process technologies which can easily facilitate these standards but at an ever increasing cost. I essentially needed something which had been tried, tested and trusted and I was more than satisfied to engage KEE Process to meet these demands”  
Michael McAlary, Northern Ireland Water.

Background

In 2006, Northern Ireland Water (NIW) commenced a project to invest in a new Wastewater Treatment Plant at Derrylin.

Their NIW Project Managers and Process Engineers were tasked with finding a suitable process to achieve the discharge standard set down by the NIEA. Having previously worked with KEE Process as their ‘Framework’ partner for Western & Southern Division RBC Framework, the Project Team selected KEE to assist.

The Challenge

KEE Process was commissioned to design a wastewater treatment system to meet the following criteria:

  • To consistently achieve the consented final effluent standard with a consent of less than 5mg/l BOD and Suspended Solids on a 95 percentile basis.
  • To incorporate the process capability to treat future forecasted waste flows and loads predicted for 2010.
  • To ensure that the treatment capacity could be expanded further (by almost 50%) to manage the forecasted 2035 increase in flows and loads, whilst still maintaining performance objectives.

The Solution

Fixed Film technology offered the best solution in the form of five Rotating Biological Contactors (RBCs) to meet their design criteria. The RBCs not only delivered the consistent performance they were looking for but also offered the lowest lifetime costs and carbon footprint when compared to all other wastewater treatment options available.

Together with the NIW Project Manager, Technical Advisers and Consultants, KEE Process designed a plant which featured ‘modular phased construction’ to minimise on-site workload and concrete tank construction. The new plant was built and commissioned during 2009 and has since then consistently achieved consent standards and delivered considerable savings in capital costs, operational labour costs and energy.

Final Effluent Consent vs New System Performance


Final effluent                                    Target                                                     Actual


BOD                                                     <5.00mg/l                                               2.00mg/l
SS                                                         <10.00mg/l                                             5.00mg/l
NH4-N                                                  <3.00mg/l                                                0.01mg/l


95% ile compliance basis.


Plant Equipment

  • Two 6m diameter, prefabricated hopper-bottomed GRP Primary Settlement Tanks were installed, with fully automated sludge and scum draw-off facility.
  • Five prefabricated RBCs, housed in GRP tanks with hinged sectional insulated covers.
  • Three 6m diameter prefabricated, hopper-bottomed GRP final settlement tanks, with fully automated sludge and scum draw off facility.
  • Final discharge was fed into slow gravity sand filters for polishing up the effluent to reduce suspended solids.

Design Features

  • A ‘flow splitting’ mechanism was installed to give Process Engineers the ability to channel the wastewater flow through the treatment process in different ways to achieve (a) optimal plant performance and (b) provide the flexibility to construct or expand the plant in phases as and when required.
  • Each RBC consisted of four treatment stages, designed to remove all soluble BOD and Ammoniacal Nitrogen to provide the final effluent BOD on a 95 percentile basis.
  • An internal ‘recycle system’ was incorporated to optimise the biological stage, the settling character of the fine solids and control of nitrogen from the plant.

Simple Maintenance and Low Lifetime Cost

  • A 30 year RBC design warranty and 20 year warranty on all structural components minimised the lifetime costs of the new plant.
  • The self-regulating biological stage of the RBCs required very little operational input and maintenance.
  • Simple RBC mechanical maintenance schedule consisting of a 6 monthly lubrication change for bearings and biennial lubrication.
  • Energy consumption of the RBCs was reduced and installed with a rating of only 1.5kW per RBC, resulting in a demand power consumption of 0.8kW on a continuous basis.
  • The RBC Drives were manufactured for a 50 year average lifespan, reducing lifetime costs even further.

Lifetime Cost Savings

NIW reviewed other wastewater treatment works and completed a case study and cost analysis based on a 7.000PE plant. Compared to other process technologies designed for a 30 year life-time, the RBC system provided:

  • £317,185  cost saving in power.
  • £272,420 cost saving in maintenance, operational labour, sludge disposal, and replacement parts.
  • Total OPEX life-time saving of £589,605 over 20 years.

“In today’s economic climate Northern Ireland Water are looking at ways of reducing life-time plant costs whilst meeting ever tighter environment consent standards as agreed and published by the local Environment Agency (NIEA). I needed a simple, easy to maintain process in order to meet these requirements.

The RBC offers a very robust process, achieving good consistent discharge standards, requiring minimum operational and maintenance input and very importantly, low power consumption. This has given me the confidence to accept the RBC process for Derrylin where consistent and tight effluent quality was stipulated by the NIEA”.
Michael McAlary, Wastewater Services Manager, Northern Ireland Water.

For more information about the Wastewater Treatment Process Technology and the Sewage Plant Maintenance Services the KEE Group offer, please call our team on
01296 634500 or visit our
KEE Group website.

KEE Parts and Service, Maintenance and Operation

KEE Services Limited Online Shop for WwT Plant spares

KEE Services Ltd – offers maintenance, breakdown services and plant operation for all types of treatment plant and pumping equipment, from all manufacturers. KEE technicians are trained in long-term servicing and look after 8,000 installations in the UK. KEE also operate ‘out-of-hours’ 24 hour call centre.

KEE Wastewater Treatment Systems can be configured for BOD removal and/or nitrification and/or de-nitrification and can include a built-in or modular physical-biological tertiary filter. UV disinfection can also be included into the packaged plant to enable non-portable water re-use.

KEE Process Logo  KEE Services Logo

KEE PROCESS LIMITED and KEE SERVICES LIMITED

KEE is a globally recognised brand operating within in the industrial, commercial and domestic wastewater treatment industries. KEE’s specialist knowledge and expertise is derived from over 60 years’ experience in the design, development, manufacture, install, commissioning, operation, refurbishment, repair and maintenance of wastewater treatment systems and equipment, including:

  • Fixed Film Reactors: Rotating Biological Contactors (RBCs), Packaged RBC Systems, Moving Bed Biological Reactors (MBBR) and Submerged Aerated Filters (SAF).
  • Suspended Growth Reactors: Extended Aeration, Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), Oxidation Ditch, IFAS process technologies and Anaerobic Biological Reactor (ABR) for high strength industrial waste.
  • ‘Turn Key’ Solutions: Technical Design, Project Appraisal & Management, Process Engineering, Plant Installation & Operation, Equipment Refurbishment & Upgrades and Plant Rental. KEE also provide approved spares and ancillary products such as Final Clarifiers and Settlement Tanks.

KEE Services Ltd specialise in maintenance & repair services for all makes and types of wastewater treatment systems & pumping stations. Our nationwide team of directly employed, regional engineers and technicians are KEE trained, DBS checked and British Water Certified.

KEE Bio-Guard, the biological solution against Fat, Oil and Grease (FOG).

The Biological Solution against Fat, Oil and Grease.

To maintaining a clear water flow from Fat, Oil and Grease KEE Bio-Guard ensures:

  • Prevention of unpleasant odours
  • Elimination of expensive call-outs
  • Free running drains
  • Conformity with effluent discharge regulations
  • An environmentally friendly response to pollution
  • Peace of mind.

KEE Bio-Guard is a long-lasting solution which needs little further maintenance. Completely biodegradable, and is safe to use in the kitchen environment

KEE Bio-Guard is the biological alternative to prevent blocked drains, offensive smells and maintenance of grease traps.

 

KEE Wastewater Treatment Systems can be configured for BOD removal and/or nitrification and/or de-nitrification and can include a built-in or modular physical-biological tertiary filter. UV disinfection can also be included into the packaged plant to enable non-portable water re-use.

KEE Process Logo  KEE Services Logo

KEE PROCESS LIMITED and KEE SERVICES LIMITED

KEE is a globally recognised brand operating within in the industrial, commercial and domestic wastewater treatment industries. KEE’s specialist knowledge and expertise is derived from over 60 years’ experience in the design, development, manufacture, install, commissioning, operation, refurbishment, repair and maintenance of wastewater treatment systems and equipment, including:

  • Fixed Film Reactors: Rotating Biological Contactors (RBCs), Packaged RBC Systems, Moving Bed Biological Reactors (MBBR) and Submerged Aerated Filters (SAF).
  • Suspended Growth Reactors: Extended Aeration, Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), Oxidation Ditch, IFAS process technologies and Anaerobic Biological Reactor (ABR) for high strength industrial waste.
  • ‘Turn Key’ Solutions: Technical Design, Project Appraisal & Management, Process Engineering, Plant Installation & Operation, Equipment Refurbishment & Upgrades and Plant Rental. KEE also provide approved spares and ancillary products such as Final Clarifiers and Settlement Tanks.

KEE Services Ltd specialise in maintenance & repair services for all makes and types of wastewater treatment systems & pumping stations. Our nationwide team of directly employed, regional engineers and technicians are KEE trained, DBS checked and British Water Certified.

KEE Primary and Final Settlement Tanks

Primary and Final Settlement Tanks

GRP Hopper Bottom Settlement Tanks – KEE produce a wide range of Structural or Semi-structural Hopper Bottom GRP Settlement Tanks for small wastewater treatment plants.

KEE Wastewater Treatment Systems can be configured for BOD removal and/or nitrification and/or de-nitrification and can include a built-in or modular physical-biological tertiary filter. UV disinfection can also be included into the packaged plant to enable non-portable water re-use.

KEE Process Logo  KEE Services Logo

KEE PROCESS LIMITED and KEE SERVICES LIMITED

KEE is a globally recognised brand operating within in the industrial, commercial and domestic wastewater treatment industries. KEE’s specialist knowledge and expertise is derived from over 60 years’ experience in the design, development, manufacture, install, commissioning, operation, refurbishment, repair and maintenance of wastewater treatment systems and equipment, including:

  • Fixed Film Reactors: Rotating Biological Contactors (RBCs), Packaged RBC Systems, Moving Bed Biological Reactors (MBBR) and Submerged Aerated Filters (SAF).
  • Suspended Growth Reactors: Extended Aeration, Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), Oxidation Ditch, IFAS process technologies and Anaerobic Biological Reactor (ABR) for high strength industrial waste.
  • ‘Turn Key’ Solutions: Technical Design, Project Appraisal & Management, Process Engineering, Plant Installation & Operation, Equipment Refurbishment & Upgrades and Plant Rental. KEE also provide approved spares and ancillary products such as Final Clarifiers and Settlement Tanks.

KEE Services Ltd specialise in maintenance & repair services for all makes and types of wastewater treatment systems & pumping stations. Our nationwide team of directly employed, regional engineers and technicians are KEE trained, DBS checked and British Water Certified.

KEE Dispersed Air Flotation Systems (DAF)

Dispersed Air Flotation Systems

KEE Microfloat® Dispersed Air Floatation Technology – for pre-treatment of industrial and food processing wastewater to reduce FOG, BOD, COD & SS. The KEE Microfloat® system produces extremely fine bubbles (10µm to 50µm air bubbles without the use of a high-pressure pump, pressure vessel and venturi) into the water to float the light fractions.

KEE Wastewater Treatment Systems can be configured for BOD removal and/or nitrification and/or de-nitrification and can include a built-in or modular physical-biological tertiary filter. UV disinfection can also be included into the packaged plant to enable non-portable water re-use.

KEE Process Logo  KEE Services Logo

KEE PROCESS LIMITED and KEE SERVICES LIMITED

KEE is a globally recognised brand operating within in the industrial, commercial and domestic wastewater treatment industries. KEE’s specialist knowledge and expertise is derived from over 60 years’ experience in the design, development, manufacture, install, commissioning, operation, refurbishment, repair and maintenance of wastewater treatment systems and equipment, including:

  • Fixed Film Reactors: Rotating Biological Contactors (RBCs), Packaged RBC Systems, Moving Bed Biological Reactors (MBBR) and Submerged Aerated Filters (SAF).
  • Suspended Growth Reactors: Extended Aeration, Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), Oxidation Ditch, IFAS process technologies and Anaerobic Biological Reactor (ABR) for high strength industrial waste.
  • ‘Turn Key’ Solutions: Technical Design, Project Appraisal & Management, Process Engineering, Plant Installation & Operation, Equipment Refurbishment & Upgrades and Plant Rental. KEE also provide approved spares and ancillary products such as Final Clarifiers and Settlement Tanks.

KEE Services Ltd specialise in maintenance & repair services for all makes and types of wastewater treatment systems & pumping stations. Our nationwide team of directly employed, regional engineers and technicians are KEE trained, DBS checked and British Water Certified.

KEE Surface Mounted Fine Bubble Aeration Systems

Surface Mounted Fine-Bubble-Aeration Systems

KEE Triton Aerator/Mixer – The KEE Triton is an energy efficient, dual mode mixer/aerator processor that is capable of nitrification and de-nitrification in one unit. With two propellers and a regenerative blower, the Triton is able to operate either as an anoxic mixer or an aerator/mixer for basins up to 10m deep. The Triton can introduce vital mixing, supplemental aeration or aeration system upgrade to revitalise existing activated sludge treatment plants configured as extended aeration system in circular or rectangular tanks or oxidation ditch configuration to improve plant performance or increase capacity or save energy.  Aeration system upgrade does not require plant decommissioning.

KEE Wastewater Treatment Systems can be configured for BOD removal and/or nitrification and/or de-nitrification and can include a built-in or modular physical-biological tertiary filter. UV disinfection can also be included into the packaged plant to enable non-portable water re-use.

KEE Process Logo  KEE Services Logo

KEE PROCESS LIMITED and KEE SERVICES LIMITED

KEE is a globally recognised brand operating within in the industrial, commercial and domestic wastewater treatment industries. KEE’s specialist knowledge and expertise is derived from over 60 years’ experience in the design, development, manufacture, install, commissioning, operation, refurbishment, repair and maintenance of wastewater treatment systems and equipment, including:

  • Fixed Film Reactors: Rotating Biological Contactors (RBCs), Packaged RBC Systems, Moving Bed Biological Reactors (MBBR) and Submerged Aerated Filters (SAF).
  • Suspended Growth Reactors: Extended Aeration, Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), Oxidation Ditch, IFAS process technologies and Anaerobic Biological Reactor (ABR) for high strength industrial waste.
  • ‘Turn Key’ Solutions: Technical Design, Project Appraisal & Management, Process Engineering, Plant Installation & Operation, Equipment Refurbishment & Upgrades and Plant Rental. KEE also provide approved spares and ancillary products such as Final Clarifiers and Settlement Tanks.

KEE Services Ltd specialise in maintenance & repair services for all makes and types of wastewater treatment systems & pumping stations. Our nationwide team of directly employed, regional engineers and technicians are KEE trained, DBS checked and British Water Certified.

KEE Activated Sludge Systems

Activated Sludge Systems

Extended Aeration (EA) and Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) – KEE Process EA and SBR systems can be packaged or customised to suit domestic and industrial wastewater. The customised plants are modular construction enabling phased construction and extensions as flows and loads increase. Plants can be readily adapted for nutrients removal (nitrogen or phosphorus).

KEE Wastewater Treatment Systems can be configured for BOD removal and/or nitrification and/or de-nitrification and can include a built-in or modular physical-biological tertiary filter. UV disinfection can also be included into the packaged plant to enable non-portable water re-use.

KEE Process Logo  KEE Services Logo

KEE PROCESS LIMITED and KEE SERVICES LIMITED

KEE is a globally recognised brand operating within in the industrial, commercial and domestic wastewater treatment industries. KEE’s specialist knowledge and expertise is derived from over 60 years’ experience in the design, development, manufacture, install, commissioning, operation, refurbishment, repair and maintenance of wastewater treatment systems and equipment, including:

  • Fixed Film Reactors: Rotating Biological Contactors (RBCs), Packaged RBC Systems, Moving Bed Biological Reactors (MBBR) and Submerged Aerated Filters (SAF).
  • Suspended Growth Reactors: Extended Aeration, Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), Oxidation Ditch, IFAS process technologies and Anaerobic Biological Reactor (ABR) for high strength industrial waste.
  • ‘Turn Key’ Solutions: Technical Design, Project Appraisal & Management, Process Engineering, Plant Installation & Operation, Equipment Refurbishment & Upgrades and Plant Rental. KEE also provide approved spares and ancillary products such as Final Clarifiers and Settlement Tanks.

KEE Services Ltd specialise in maintenance & repair services for all makes and types of wastewater treatment systems & pumping stations. Our nationwide team of directly employed, regional engineers and technicians are KEE trained, DBS checked and British Water Certified.

KEE Attached Growth Airlift Reactor (AGAR®) Technology

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) Treatment Plants
and
Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) Treatment

Moving Bed Biological Reactor (MBBR) / Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) – For new installation, upgrade of existing plants to increase capacity or performance or for temporary plants to relieve plants for remedial works. All plant configurations include patented AGAR® technology with unique double roll aeration pattern for media mixing and media retaining screen cleansing.

KEE Wastewater Treatment Systems can be configured for BOD removal and/or nitrification and/or de-nitrification and can include a built-in or modular physical-biological tertiary filter. UV disinfection can also be included into the packaged plant to enable non-portable water re-use.

KEE Process Logo  KEE Services Logo

KEE PROCESS LIMITED and KEE SERVICES LIMITED – are BSI Certified Companies (IMS, QMS, OHS & EMS) offering domestic and industrial wastewater treatment solutions using RBC, SAF, MBBR, IFAS, Activated Sludge Process Options (Extended Aeration, SBR, Oxidation Ditch) and enhanced Customer Support by providing on-site service, maintenance and lifetime operation of the KEE Treatment Systems and/or those supplied by others. Their expertise in design, manufacture, servicing, maintenance and operation of equipment for all types of wastewater treatment plants is backed by over 60 years’ experience and over 350,000 installations worldwide.