Barwon Water Biosolids Management Geelong, Victoria, Australia

The project involves the design, construction and operation of a fully enclosed thermal drying facility for the treatment of biosolids; a by-product of the treatment waste water and sewage.

The facility treats the biosolids to the highest possible T1 treatment grade. The Plenary solution also involves the beneficial use of these treated biosolids – suitable for farm fertiliser or fossil fuel replacement.

This was one of the first projects to be delivered under the Partnerships Victoria framework for a local water authority, Barwon Water.

Extensive consultation processes resulted in community criteria being written into the contract with Plenary Environment. The outcome was the selection of a thermal drying facility that:

is fully-enclosed with zero odour beyond Barwon Water's fence;
is no taller than the existing buildings at the Black Rock water reclamation plant;
produces the highest treatment grade of biosolids possible;
has no visible air emissions; and
includes substantial investment in landscaping and aesthetics.

The facility replaces the practice of transporting biosolids 80 km by truck to another facility for drying, and so, has reduced the number of heavy trucks on local roads by 1000 truck movements each year.

Project Facts

Plenary Group is the project sponsor, equity investor and financial arranger for the project.

Location: Connewarre, Victoria
Client: Barwon Region Water Corporation
Value (NPV): A$76m
Design and Construction Contractor: Water Infrastructure Group
Operations and Maintenance Contractor: Water Infrastructure Group
Beneficial Use Provider: Australian Biolife
Financial Close: 30 August 2007
Completion Date: 2012
Contract Term: 20 years (Operating Term)

Design Features

Using a proven drying technology, the facility provides the means to safely receive, store and treat Barwon Water's biosolids in a manner that is sympathetic to the local environment and the surrounding community.

Enclosed within an architecturally designed building, with a colour scheme that is reflective of the local coastal palette, the facility treats biosolids to control all odour.

The project uses recycled water to cool the vapour generated during the drying process. This water is treated and returned to Barwon Water's Black Rock Water Reclamation Plant.

The facility has been designed and constructed with sufficient capacity to cater to Barwon Water's needs for the next 20 years and to deal with the full range of expected operating conditions. This particular facility places Barwon Water at the forefront of responsible biosolids management in Australia.

Innovations

This is one of the first projects in the water sector to be delivered as a PPP project under the Partnerships Victoria framework. It required Plenary to search internationally for the most reliable and environmentally sustainable technical solution for the treatment of some 54,000 tonnes of biosolids each year. To ensure the technology was suitable, a pilot plant was imported to test operate under local conditions.

Plenary selected an innovative thermal drying facility that produces the highest treatment grade possible, and provides for 100% recycling of biosolids, as either a nutrient rich farm fertilizer, or as a fossil fuel replacement.

Local Impacts

Economic

Through the construction period, the project has significantly contributed to local employment, through direct construction labour, subcontractors and local fabrication and engineering. For example, the four input material storage silos, each capable of holding 250m³ of biosolids, were fabricated by a local Geelong engineering business.

During the operating phase, the staffing, maintenance and beneficial use will be undertaken by staff living locally, providing further support to the community.

Environmental

The facility contributes to Barwon Water's long-term goal of a "no waste" sewerage system – where 100% of recycled water and 100% of biosolids are committed to sustainable use. The Barwon Water Biosolids Management Project provides an environmentally sustainable and long-term management scheme for these biosolids produced by all of the region's water reclamation plants.

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