Advantage Amtreat at Worksop

Specialist international air, water and effluent treatment solutions specialist ACWA (UK) has won a key contract to install its highly-successful Amtreat high-rate ammonia removal process as part of Severn Trent Water’s new Worksop wastewater treatment works sludge digestion system.

The liquor treatment solution for the Worksop Manton wastewater treatment plant is integral to a major improvement scheme being undertaken by main contractor, Mott MacDonald Bentley. This is being undertaken as part of Severn Trent Water’s strategy of improving sludge treatment and reducing tanker movements, and will lead to treatment of 75% imported sludge and 25% indigenous sludge.

As part of the scheme, Severn Trent required a package plant to treat the liquors from sludge thickening and centrate from the dewatered digested sludge to enable them to be returned to the head of the existing works. There was also a stipulation that the existing works discharge consent must continue to be met.

The liquor treatment plant equipment is due to begin installation in July, and commissioning and startup of the plant is provisionally scheduled for early 2014. ACWA’s Amtreat solution was chosen on the basis of capital and whole life costs, and the ability to meet stringent capacity and process requirements.

The contract includes manufacturing and installation of the liquor treatment plant, as well as process, instrumentation, mechanical and electrical and control systems, cabling and connections.

The Amtreat reactor is a dedicated process that can reduce ammonia and total nitrogen levels within feed effluent to such low levels that it is possible to discharge the cleaned water directly to a watercourse, or to the head of a wastewater treatment process.

Amtreat has a significantly smaller footprint than the equivalent conventional activated sludge plant that would be required to achieve the same level of treatment. This means the solution can easily be retrofitted within an existing works unit, saving on space and construction costs.

The process is also easy to operate and control, as it uses familiar industry-standard equipment and instrumentation. Ammoniacal nitrogen removal rates are in typically in excess of 96%.

ACWA’s Executive Proposals Director Gary Harris said “We are extremely pleased that Amtreat has been accepted as the best solution for the Worksop improvement scheme. Amtreat is being increasingly adopted by water utilities seeking a highly-effective, green solution that will help them meet their wider sustainability goals.”