Water Reclamation At South Caboolture, Queensland, Australia

The 10 ML/d South Caboolture Water Reclamation Plant was designed to reduce riverine pollution and to provide water to industry and community consumers for non-potable uses. Whilst the plant will provide water for non-potable uses it has been designed to meet drinking water standards. The unique physical-chemical/biological treatment process incorporates biological denitrification, preozonation, coagulation/flocculation, dissolved air flotation/sand filtration, ozonation and biological activated carbon treatment. The Caboolture process, with its unique integrated physical-chemical/biological treatment ensures continuous sustainable production with low operational and chemical cost. Some demineralization (denitrification) is achieved biologically and expensive activated carbon life is prolonged almost indefinitely also by biological means, encouraged by prior ozonolysis of retractable compounds. Water can be supplied well below the cost of water from conventional sources. Minor operational problems have been overcome and the experience will be valuable for further implementation of this approach to water reclamation. Once again, the value of a combination of ozonation and activated carbon has proved its value in this World's first production application. This paper compares the Caboolture plant with some other well-known water reclamation plants in the US and southern Africa.