Outcomes
The plant was designed, constructed and successfully commissioned within two years, achieving operating targets three weeks after commissioning.
The project team was able to deliver on time and on budget, while also providing significant added value through a number of innovative improvements to the original scope:
- The plant features a heat exchanger to dissipate surplus heat in the anaerobic sludge digester rather than a flare stack. This unique approach means that there are no naked flames, a major cause of community concern in the Adelaide Hills.
- Rather than using an essential services board as specified, all critical equipment is powered by the backup supply with a load shedding/selection arrangement. This innovative approach allows for far greater flexibility and control.
Bird in Hand is the first SA Water regional WWTP to:
- achieve 1 log removal virus (LRV) credit for activated sludge process and 1 LRV for UV disinfection
- use 10 micron disc filtration and be approved by PIRSA as disc filtration being equivalent to 25 days of lagoon detention
- utilise a gravity drainage deck thickener rather than the more conventional dissolved air flotation thickener (DAFT)
- have a mesophilic (heated) anaerobic digester.
The plant achieves 100% biosolid reuse via composting.
The completed Bird in Hand wastewater treatment plant is highly energy efficient, allows for 100% reuse of biosolids and has been greeted with great enthusiasm by the local community.