Wastewater Services.
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Wastewater at Chemelot
The facilities for the purification of wastewater at the Chemelot site are enormous. It has a capacity equivalent to 1 million households, and is spread over an area of 800 hectares. There are 290 kilometers of sewerage, buffer basins, pre-treatment units and, most well-known, the IAZI wastewater treatment plant.
The sewer collects wastewater from plants, offices and restaurants, as well as rainwater and cooling water. All this wastewater is purified in the IAZI before it is discharged into the Ur, and then flows into the river Meuse.
Circle infra partners manages all infrastructure and operates the wastewater treatment plant.
The Integrated Wastewater Treatment Plant
Circle infra partners operates the integrated wastewater treatment plant on the Chemelot site, also known as “IAZI”. The IAZI is a biological treatment plant for the wastewater of more than 60 different plants at Chemelot. The installation breaks down substances in the wastewater by means of biomass (bacteria) in a complex biological process. Subsequently, the purified water (“the effluent”) from the IAZI is discharged into the Ur, a river connected to the Meuse.
Best Available Technology
For more than 40 years, we have been working on clean water and good water quality for people and the environment. The IAZI is of vital importance for the License to Operate of the companies and plants at Chemelot. The wastewater can contain a wide range of pollutants. Some contaminants are present in micrograms per liter or even lower concentrations. Therefore, efforts to comply with the permit requirements are constantly being increased. And the ecological effects on the Natura 2000 site Grensmaas are also closely monitored.
The operations of the sewer network and the IAZI are continuously monitored with in-line analysis instruments and a bio-monitor. This guarantees both the quality and the quantity of effluent. In the event of incidents, calamities or extreme weather conditions, the wastewater is temporary stored in basins. This is to prevent possible disruptions to the IAZI’s operations.
The biological treatment at the IAZI has a state-of-the-art removal efficiency and is classified as Best Available Technology.
Water permit
A water permit has been granted for the purification and discharge of waste water into the Meuse. Circle infra partners is the owner of the overarching water permit for the IAZI and all site users at Chemelot. And is therefore responsible for complying with and operating within the limits of the permit. That is why Circle infra partners not only has to manage its own wastewater treatment installations, but it also has a role towards the individual plants at the location.
Managing the water permit means managing an essential part of the License to Operate for Chemelot. To this end, Circle infra partners employs, in addition to an experienced operational team, as well licensing experts, chemists and chemical technologists. They are specialized in wastewater treatment and the laws and regulations of the water permit.
In addition, there are strategic partnerships and memberships in specialized communities, to stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies.