IONA Wastewater Treatment Plant Biosolids Handling Facility

The Iona Biosolids Dewatering Project was delivered as a Design Build project for Metro Vancouver at the operational Iona WWTP.

The project included the design and construction of high-solids centrifuges to dewater biosolids generated by the mesophilic anaerobic digestion process. The Facility also included digested sludge storage tanks, cake storage management and pumping, truck loading, centrate storage and pumping and odour control systems. Additionally, the project required the need for ground improvements which was selected as stone columns to assist in providing the necessary seismic and earthquake protection.

The truck loading facility is a large structural steel facility with upper centrifuges, along with large hoppers to allow for the loading of super-B biosolids hauling vehicles.

NAC was the Design Builder for the project and was ultimately responsible for management of the 3 design consultants along with providing all the contract administration including scheduling, estimating, procurement, environmental management, safety management, commissioning and overall Project Management.

The new facility tied into the existing treatment process with 2 new digested sludge stand¬pipes at the existing digesters 1, 2, 3 and 4 and 2 new digested sludge pumps to pump the digested sludge to the new facility. The digested sludge is then stored in 2 new digested sludge storage tanks for transfer to 3 new dewatering centrifuges for treatment. Once the sludge has been dewatered, the solids are transferred to 2 new biosolids hoppers with conveyor systems to load trucks and haul to landfill and the centrate is returned to the existing plant for treatment.

The project included a new odour control system to treat the foul air which consists of 2 new dual-stage biofiltration units.