Saudi wastewater plant upgrade to increase capacity, produce reuse-quality effluent with MBBR system

HOUSTON, TEXAS, Jan. 2, 2013 -- Headworks, a designer and manufacturer of advanced wastewater treatment processes for municipal and industrial facilities, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract to design a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) system to upgrade an activated sludge plant for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Water and Electricity. Located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, it is expected that the upgraded plant will be fully commissioned by mid-year 2013.

Under the terms of the agreement, Headworks will execute the process design and supply the core components of the MBBR system, including: media, aeration grids and media retention screens. Headworks will also employ its proprietary media, ActiveCell® 920, offering 680 m2/m3 of protected surface area. The MBBR system will achieve BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) reduction and nitrification -- producing effluent suitable for reuse and irrigation applications.

Commenting on the contract win, Gerald Seidl, Senior Vice President of Headworks, said: "We are pleased to be awarded this contract, and to have the opportunity to work with the Ministry of Water and Electricity to showcase our expertise. With the overwhelming demands in the MENA region for clean water, there are several applications that can benefit from our process knowledge. We look forward to successfully delivering this project and working on other opportunities with the Ministry."

Once fully commissioned, the capacity of the plant will increase by 40 percent and produce effluent quality that is suitable for reuse -- all within the existing infrastructure. The design consists of four trains, each treating 7,000 m3/day and, as a result, the upgraded plant will treat 28,000 m3/day compared with 20,000 m3/day of effluent it currently treats.

"This project highlights one of the key strengths associated with MBBR technology. We are increasing the plant's capacity and improving the effluent quality -- all within the existing footprint," explained Afnan Din, Vice President and Process Manger of the Gulf Region for Headworks. "After the plant is commissioned mid-year, this installation will be a showcase for maximizing the use of existing assets for utilities and end users in the region."

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