WATER & WASTE TREATMENT FEATURE PLANNING AHEAD FOR ALL EVENTUALITIES


Rich Matthews, managing director at Siltbuster Process Solutions, discusses the vital role contingency planning plays in wastewater treatment, and explores some of the key areas that need to be addressed before implementing a strategy


W


ith current climate challenges placing greater pressure on capital


investment it is essential that contingency planning continues to be a vital tool in ensuring that production and environmental compliance is not adversely affected. Contingency planning for wastewater


can often be overlooked in the production chain, but it is crucial to the overall cycle and environmental credentials for the business operation. In fact, since the 2014 Guidelines whereby a standardised approach means sentences for a pollution event are determined, there has been an appropriate focus on contingency planning. The level and breadth of fines that have been applied are now based not only on the significance of the incident but also the size of the company and the degree of corporate culpability. This reinforces the message of understanding the full extent of risk to the business in environmental terms, as well as production. For effective contingency planning, it is


essential to identify the weak spots in the end to end process; this is particularly relevant to the wastewater treatment plant. Following identification; evaluation then takes place on the criticality and the impact of the failure or exceedance and therefore mitigation strategies can be focused. However, the types of events that can lead to failure or exceedance also have to be recognised. The ‘What if’ scenario, and what is the business impact if action isn’t taken. The introduction of a new product line or


a sharp increase in production - typical scenarios for seasonal businesses – can affect effluent characteristics and put compliance at risk. This is because, although these are typically planned events, the planning often doesn’t include considering the impact on effluent and its consequences. With proper planning, contingency measures could be implemented. These could include using additional, temporary treatment equipment which boosts capacity when needed. This is particularly relevant where the


economy impacts food and beverage demands where product lines can see significant changes and therefore can


place stress on existing wastewater infrastructure. Part of contingency planning also needs


to look at proposed company growth plans. This means sales and production functions recognising the close interplay between what they do. Looking at contingency planning in this instance is seeking to expand an asset base that is often lower down the capex priorities. This often means that effluent treatment plants are stressed and therefore the ability to flex these assets becomes more critical through more bolt-on type solutions to ensure minimal impact on existing operations. There are many other unplanned


events that can have a similar impact, such as spillages, out of specification product dumps and new hygiene regimes. All will impact on effluent characteristics and as such need to be part of a contingency plan. It’s not just what comes down the pipe


that can cause havoc. If a company has an on-site treatment facility to manage, problems can arise there too. So, it is worth taking a critical look at all aspects of the treatment facility’s management. Identifying those which have potential to cause harm (or a breach of compliance), considering the potential severity of the harm and its likelihood – and then agreeing measures. Here are just some of the many aspects


which may need to be considered: ･ Sludge Disposal – most treatment


plants generate a by-product; how secure is the disposal route? What happens if it becomes unavailable, either temporarily or long term – what alternatives have you


got and what is the cost impact? ･ Chemical Supply – what are the re-


order levels and which are the most critical ones? How often have you come close to running out and what would


happen if you did? ･ Loss of power and/or control – this is


not just confined to standby power generation. What if you had a catastrophic panel failure? How would the plant operate? Who is familiar with your PLC program - where are the backups? Could temporary starters be rigged up if needed? Who can support you with this? Can part of your effluent volume be tankered away


/ PROCESS&CONTROL


Modular effluent treatment solutions will enhance efficiency in the management of waste streams


if needs be – to where? Who could do it –


how much would it cost? ･ Pumping capacity – this could be lost


due to loss of power or through mechanical failure. What happens if you lose that inlet pumping station or the recirculation feed to that critical high rate filter? How could you rig up a temporary diesel pump set? Where would flexible hoses be connected, what size pumps would be needed? Get your pump hire company involved so you’ll know what to


ask for should a problem arise. ･ Critical Spares – the lead times that


might apply for replacement of critical items could be a problem – so they need to be prioritised accordingly. Make sure spares inventories, if kept, are maintained and that items are re-ordered when used. One way to implement your resilience


plan is to seek a more agile investment approach, such as the use of modular temporary solutions, which can be easily deployed for seasonal loads, capital maintenance, and flexibility. To get better treatment agility,


companies are using solutions that have been manufactured off-site, reducing the capital cost of systems, and minimising disruption on-site. Additionally, by aligning operational flexibility in modular effluent treatment plant solutions, you will have an agile solution to managing the business’ risk on compliance and enhancing efficiency in the management of the waste streams Siltbuster’s teams has experience of


working in developing these strategies; with access to onsite laboratory to assist for solution development and process optimisation. More importantly, the access to an extensive range of rental equipment allows for pilot trials to be conducted to resolve compliance, but also to support expansion plans in a responsive manner.


Siltbuster Process Solutions www.siltbusterprocesssolutions.com


PROCESS & CONTROL | JULY/AUGUST 2020 37


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