Lanarkshire

Increased extraction and reduced operating costs with Zickert.

The first installation of Nordic Water’s innovative Zickert technology in Scotland is increasing primary sludge extraction and lowering operating costs at a Lanarkshire waste water treatment plant.

The challenge
Scottish Water Solutions is carrying out a major upgrade at the Hamilton WWTW, south of Glasgow. The plant treats waste water from around 75,000 local inhabitants.

The aim of the new installation is to increase primary sludge extraction and to reduce operating costs.

The solution
Following a thorough procurement process, the plant operators opted for Zickert surface and bottom sludge scraping equipment, which was supplied and installed by Nordic Water’s UK distributor, Hydro.

The work included removing the four primary sludge setting tanks used to filter waste water and discharge the effluent for secondary and tertiary treatment.

The result
The Zickert technology provides more effective and energy-efficient sludge removal within the existing tank structure.

“We required a lightweight, energy-efficient alternative to the existing equipment which could fit within the existing tanks,” said Construction Manager Paul Sharp.

“The tanks are around 40 years old, so we did not want to overstress them with heavy bridges,” he added. “Whole life costs are also important and we needed better sludge extraction and cleaner effluent than a renovation would provide. After a rigorous procurement process, it was clear that Zickert was the best choice for us.”

The Zickert equipment is capable of treating up to 2,220,000 litres of water per day with 1.5- 3% thickened sludge. The high extraction rate enables more effective final polishing for a higher-quality final product.

Technical data

• Lanarkshire waste water treatment plant

• Contract awarded by Scottish Water Solutions

• Supplied by Hydro, UK

Installation:

• 75,000 inhabitants

• Four tanks fitted with new Zickert equipment

• Capacity: 2,220,000 litres with 1.5-3% thickened sludge per day

The Zickert sludge scraper has a low profile and is specially designed for continuous sludge transportation. It also yields higher volumes of sludge than conventional systems.

Zickert is lightweight, energy-efficient and helps to reduce whole life costs. Its small footprint makes it suitable for installations where space is limited.