Project Details
| Size | 3,000 PE |
| Location | Central America |
| Completed | 2024 |
Project Delivery
| Features | Modular complete solution |
| Plug & Play | |
| Training for easy commissioning by the customer | |
| Fast delivery for rapid deployment of the camp | |
| Treatment Modules | Screw screen |
| Aerated buffers | |
| ClearFox® FBBR | |
| ClearFox® Clarifier |
Project Results
| Before | After | |
| COD | 1,400 mg/l | <90 mg/l |
| BOD | 750 mg/l | <25 mg/l |
Discussion
Situation
A Central American country has been in a deep humanitarian and political crisis for years, characterised by corruption and instability. Several countries have set up military camps in the region to support the local population and restore order. A Ministry of Defence was planning to set up a new camp for 3,000 soldiers and needed a fast, reliable and mobile solution for wastewater treatment. The protection of the environment and the health of the soldiers were the primary concerns.
Problem
A former military camp in the region had not been treating wastewater properly, leading to severe groundwater contamination and a cholera outbreak. To avoid these failures, the mobile wastewater treatment plant had to fulfil strict specifications: The chemical oxygen demand (COD) had to be reduced to below 90 mg/l and the biological oxygen demand after five days (BOD5) to below 25 mg/l.
The difficult accessibility of the crisis area and the limited transport routes required a solution that was easy to transport. In addition, the installation and commissioning of the system had to be carried out by the customer, as civilians had no access to the military camp.
Solution
PPU Umwelttechnik GmbH supplied a mobile containerised wastewater treatment plant based on fixed-bed technology. The plant consisted of ten standardised 20-foot containers that could be transported worldwide by lorry or ship.
The wastewater first flows through a screw screen, which removes coarse impurities. It then flows into four aerated buffer tanks, which intercept the inflow peaks. The aeration ensures that no sludge settles and at the same time an initial biological degradation process takes place.
The actual wastewater treatment takes place in the fixed-bed reactors. Microorganisms that colonise the fixed-bed material reliably break down the pollutants by adding oxygen. If the biofilm becomes too thick, spent microorganisms sink to the bottom as secondary sludge.
In the next step, the wastewater flows into a lamella clarifier, which separates the sludge from the clear water by sedimentation. The resulting sludge, which has a dry matter content of 2 to 5 %, is dewatered using a sludge screw press. This increases the dry matter to 30 to 40 %, which reduces the volume of the sludge and enables less frequent removal.
The customer installed all components of the mobile wastewater treatment plant on site and commissioned the plant after receiving comprehensive training in Bayreuth. Thanks to this flexible and efficient solution, the Ministry of Defence was able to quickly ensure environmentally friendly wastewater treatment at the military camp and thus protect the health of the soldiers.
