Mt Buller operates a state of the art wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). This plant treats wastewater to EPA approved standards using primary, secondary and tertiary treatment processes. This involves the following steps:
Mechanical screening – this step removes any large solid, foreign objects.
Biological treatment – this is one of the most important steps in the whole process. Wastewater enters a large tank where it is subjected to treatment by micro-organisms, which break down the organic material in the wastewater. To allow the micro-organisms to operate most effectively many parameters must be carefully monitored and controlled. These include temperature, oxygen content and pH. Temperature and pH are carefully maintained to allow optimum biological activity. pH is controlled by the addition of soda ash. By alternating between periods of aeration and no aeration, it is possible to improve the rate of denitrification by facultative micro-organisms. Denitrification is a process that removes nitrogen from the effluent. In the absence of free oxygen, micro-organisms begin to break down compounds of nitrogen (mostly nitrates and nitrites) to obtain oxygen for their life processes.
Chemical dosing to reduce phosphorous levels – the chemical alum is added to reduce the concentration of phosphorous. Alum is a flocculating agent that causes phosphorous to precipitate out of solution.
UV sterilization – is the final step in the wastewater treatment process. Effluent passes through chambers irradiated with UV light, killing harmful pathogenic micro-organisms present.
