Errol Wastewater Treatment Plant

"Saving Energy and Reducing Pollution"

How can a wastewater treatment plant reduce environmental impacts and use less energy?

MWH helped the Errol Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP) in Scotland to accomplish these goals. In fact, this Scottish facility is Europe's first aerated facultative sewerage treatment plant — and is among the world's most environmentally sensitive treatment operations.

Environmentally Sensitive

The Errol WTP is a LAS Aerofac®-based system, which produces no sludge. This means the system not only saves energy. It also reduces transportation and pollution impacts.

Treating sludge burns a lot of energy, and results in solid wastes. These wastes are becoming difficult to handle. The only disposal options are landspreading, landfills and incineration. Each of these choices is associated with greater environmental problems and transportation needs, usually over local roads.

This innovative system works differently, and reflects MWH's sustainable development approach.

Raw sewage enters the plant. The sludge is self-digested into treatment cells. The effluent that's discharged into the Tay estuary is of a very high standard. Nothing else is required for the process and no other byproducts are removed.

The Errol facility is designed for a population equivalent of 2000. It requires between 15-50 percent less energy to operate than a similar-sized mechanical treatment system.

The wind-powered system puts less pressure on non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuel. The result is less pollution and greenhouse gases, two major causes of problems such as global warming and acid rain.