Introduction

A Bioreactor has been installed by Microbac at an MOD transit training camp in the UK for Army personnel. Occupation of the site varies widely, with as little as twelve persons, for short periods of time, and up to two thousand personnel at maximum occupancy.

Treatment

Beacause of the variable site occupancy, the client requested a system which required little day to day operational input from site personnel coupled with low maintenance requirements. Due to the environmentally sensitive location of the treatment unit, a further attraction of the Microbac Bioreactor system was the low civils requirement and hence the minimal site disturbance and preparation. The Bioreactor unit was delivered to site prefabricated and was positioned onto an appropriately sized concrete base. Connection of the pipework was quickly completed and the unit was receiving wastewater only a few hours after being delivered to the site.

Results

The wastewater to the treatment plant includes food, sewage, wastewaters from shower blocks, kitchen wastewater and surface water. High levels of grease and fats, generated by catering activities during periods of peak loading are readily degraded in the Bioreactor unit, unlike many alternative treatment systems where greases and fats can organically overload the system and reduce plant efficiency.

In the event of discontinued use of the site as a training base, the Bioreactor can be easily relocated to another site to meet increased demand on either a temporary or a permanent basis.