Solution:
Atwood and his team immediately noticed the small footprint of the Q-Press. The new screw press took up less than half the space that the old belt press had occupied. This was striking for the operations team but not as striking as the fraction of time they needed to spend managing the screw press. While the belt press needed constant attention, the screw press required nothing past being turned on and off.
It seemed to Atwood that he had gotten an additional team member because one of his operators was freed from the duty of tending the belt press.
There was another notable difference with the new technology: No odor. “This is as odorless as this type of process could possibly be. Unlike with the belt press, I wouldn’t be afraid to stick my nose down and sniff the water or the biosolids going through our screw press,” says Atwood of his odor-free operation.
The screw press more effectively separates the water from the biosolids – practically creating a dry solid end-product. The resulting water is cleaner than the water that comes into the headworks and produces no gaseous odor as it is fed back into the channel as the water does in the belt press process. This was critical for Atwood in fulfilling his goal of improving the plant’s impact on the community.
The premiere piece of equipment in the plant
Q-PRESS® performs so efficiently that is has become the star of the show for Atwood’s team. According to Atwood, “The screw press also demands less from our transportation resources. There is less bio solid to take to haul away. Since we store our bi solids for 2 years prior to using them for land application as fertilizer, the screw press also helps us reduce our costs to store our biosolids.”
The cost savings alone could earn it notoriety. After all, the savings impact man hours, transportation, storages and resources.
- It saves Atwood’s team time because it requires no operational management.
- It saves in trucking costs, spreading costs and storage costs because the biosolids are dryer and easier to handle.
Prior to the Q-PRESS®, Atwood’s trucks ran two times a day. After implementing Q-PRESS® this schedule was reduced to two times per week. - It helps Cardston conserve water and electricity by requiring less of each to operate.
The automation bonus
The automation built into the Q-PRESS® gives Atwood’s team freedom. They are able to control shutdown and startup by just logging in. So issues that would have previously brought them into the plant from home during the night can be stopped remotely and addressed by the morning shift without impact to performance, maintenance or daily flow.
Obvious benefits keep aging plant competitive
Cardston WWTP has realized the powerful benefits of the Q-PRESS®. Although Cardston WWTP is older (30 years of operation) than some of the treatment plants of neighboring cities, it maintains its competitiveness – even in sensitive areas such as compliance. Cardston WWTP’s chemical compliance test results have improved since installing the Q-PRESS®. Their compliance was never jeopardized with previous technology, but, as Atwood notes, it is always good to have a wider margin in that area.
HUBER Screw Press Q-PRESS® is a solution that performs liquid/solid separation that:
- Requires less space
- Operates quietly
- Is really odorless
- Conserves water and power
- Is simple to maintain, operate
Industry insight enables HUBER to gear its solutions to the demands and concerns of the wastewater treatment plant environment. For example, consider corrosion and simplicity. Corrosion is a big concern within an environment that is wrought with it. HUBER manufactures everything from stainless steel so that corrosion is never a factor. Performance in a WWTP plummets when any component isn’t simple for users to manage. HUBER designs simplicity into every aspect of its solutions.
Becoming a good community citizen
Of utmost importance to Atwood of implementing HUBER’s Q-PRESS® is how it has helped the plant become a better citizen of the Cardston community. While the conservation benefits in both water and energy have caught the attention of the neighbors, the most shocking change has been in the absence of odor surrounding the plant and its fertilizer. No longer do residents complain about foul smells emitted from the plant nor do they hold their noses when a plant truck makes a fertilizer delivery to a local farmer.
Four performance factors help Cardston WWTP become a better citizen:
- Water usage has dropped from 150 cubic meters a day to 100 cubic meters a week.
- Electricity demands are much less than with the previous belt press system.
- Fewer truck routes to deliver biosolids reduce fuel consumption.
- Cleaner processing eliminates odors that are offensive to neighbors
Durability, reliability and support
Q-PRESS® is rock solid. Its stainless steel design keeps the screw press in mint condition. Its performance gives Atwood and his team total confidence that the Q-PRESS® will just work. They can depend on it.
HUBER’s customer support is also rock solid. The Cardston team can depend on immediate responses at the rare points that they actually need answers or help. HUBER’s support experts are available with assistance. When deeper expertise is required, HUBER connects the best resources with the customer.
HUBER’s experience with municipalities and with wastewater processes is extensive as is its knowledge of the technologies it provides. This industry-technology insight allows HUBER to work with organizations to ensure that systems are geared to perfectly match up to immediate tactical challenges and long-term strategic goals.