Murrumba Downs Wastewater Treatment Plant - OCF Capacity Assessment

Unitywater faced high operational costs after decommissioning the wet chemical scrubbers at the Murrumba Downs Wastewater Treatment Plant’s odor control facility (OCF). The increased load on the activated carbon portion of the OCF resulted in annual carbon replacement costs of approximately AUD$150,000. Unitywater needed a solution that would provide effective odor management with reduced operational costs for existing assets and to determine future odor control needs. They reached out to us to help.

We conducted a thorough audit of the current odor control system and explored potential improvement options. A crucial part in our capacity assessment involved the use of portable equipment to accurately measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the foul air stream. Following our assessment, we determined ways to reduce the design loads of the concentration of incoming VOCs, reuse existing assets, shorten contact time in the biological trickling filter, and cut overall expenditures.

The final optioneering report led to a well-received concept business case, enabling Unitywater to make informed decisions to reduce odor nuisance for surrounding communities and lower their operating expenses.