A state-of-the-art treatment plant is now operational at the City of Darwin’s Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility in an Australian-first approach to reducing the threat of PFAS.
Leachate is a liquid in landfill when water passes through waste material. It commonly contains heavy metals, ammonia and PFAS, which could cause harm to human health and the environment.
Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said the City of Darwin’s treatment plant sets a new Australian standard for dealing with leachate. That includes PFAS that ultimately finds its way into the waste stream.
“The City of Darwin is leading the country with this technology. At the same time, we are making excellent progress towards addressing legacy environmental issues at Shoal Bay,” Mr Vatskalis said.
“Leachate and PFAS are problems that all Australian waste management facilities are currently facing. We now have a solution that protects our environment and meets the requirements of the NT Environment Protection Authority.”
Mr Vatskalis said the City of Darwin awarded Brisbane-based Water and Carbon Group a $13.2 million contract in 2019 to design, construct and operate a leachate treatment plant to suit Darwin’s extreme environment.
“The Water and Carbon Group’s process was attractive because it uses only naturally sourced substances. Their solution does not contribute to the build-up of chemicals in the environment,” Mr Vatskalis said.
PFAS treatment at the cutting-edge in Australia
Water and Carbon Group CEO Jim Hunter said the company was pleased to successfully deliver one of Australia’s first PFAS solutions for landfill leachate.
“Our technology includes creating Australia’s first system to remove PFAS from leachate, the Low-Energy Evaporative Fractionation (LEEF) system,” Mr Hunter said.
“Our unique LEEF system is designed to extract up to 99 per cent of PFAS contaminants from leachate. It uses minimal energy and no chemicals or consumables.
“Integrating the system with a wetland buffer to treat ammonia and finally vetiver grass to remove any trace contaminants means no pollutants enter the environment.
“The City of Darwin is a leader in tackling PFAS in landfill leachate. Our new technology shows contaminated water from landfill sites can be treated.”
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