The CST Wastewater Solutions-installed modular Smith and Loveless fixed activated sludge treatment system is set to help the environment in terms of water recycling and conservation.

The A-grading performance means the water can be recycled then used for processes around site.

Installation at the mine –not named due to commercial confidentiality reasons – follows successful installations around the world at remote locations where water quality is an issue.

CST Wastewater Solutions managing director Mike Bambridge said the biggest challenge for the project was the remote location, however, the FAST system was the perfect solution because it could be built into standard shipping containers.

“The plant arrives on site essentially as a complete system requiring only a concrete pad and some relatively minor mechanical and electrical works,” he said.

“And Class A effluent is achieved by the addition of a filter and UV sterilisation after the FAST system.”

One FAST system will be used for the plant workshop, while the second for the village, camp and accommodation block.

Bambridge said the system allowed the miner to reuse the effluent water for dust suppression and lubrication water, which helped with its environmental footprint.

“The modular format of the FAST System also allows an easy bolt on for any expansion in workforce,” he said.

“So for any future major increase of staff numbers, it is a simple matter of adding another FAST 20-foot module.

Bambridge said the FAST system had been proven over time as being a robust and simple system to operate, and its reliability was guaranteed, as its stable process withstood hydraulic shocks.

Additionally, bacteria are not washed out into the environment, and the system is simple to operate, requiring no daily operator maintenance.

The FAST system is made up of tankage packed with completely submerged media. That media creates a high surface area-to-volume ratio. This, combined with internal settling zones that maintain constant bacterial growth during low-flow and peak usage periods, results in stable operation on a daily basis.