THE BRUSSELS-NORTH WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AQUIRIS FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT. transparency through water technology

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1 THE BRUSSELS-NORTH WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AQUIRIS FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT transparency through water technology

2 Let singing water sing. Let running water run. Let living water live. Let it bubble, let it rise. Let sleeping water sleep, Don t let dying water die! Marina Ashraf transparency through water technology

3 AQUIRIS respects the environment and protects local residents health. Moreover, the company encourages human, technological and economic development on a local level AQUIRIS, a subsidiary of the international group VEOLIA, was founded following a call for tender issued by the Brussels-Capital Region for the design, construction and operation of a wastewater treatment plant in Brussels-North for a period of twenty years. This plant treats the wastewater produced by 1.4 million inhabitants. Operations started in March Thanks to the expertise provided by VEOLIA Water and its commitment to the plant, AQUIRIS has diligently fulfilled the mission entrusted to it: on the one hand, AQUIRIS respects the environment and protects the local residents health; on the other, the company encourages human, technological and economic development on a local level. Marie is wondering whether the water treated by the plant is suitable for her fish to swim in. Its partnership with VEOLIA Water, the world s leading waterworks company, gives AQUIRIS international appeal. Its state of the art structures have made the Brussels-North wastewater treatment plant a reference for the industry. VEOLIA Water is the world s leading water treatment company. The group has become a reference in the sector, offering technical solutions and matching services to solve water supply and treatment problems. VEOLIA Water tackles all the environmental concerns of the local inhabitants and industries. Thanks to this comprehensive know-how and its presence in over 70 countries, VEOLIA Water can offer its clients comprehensive assistance in their development. During a guided tour, Bernard, who works at the plant, explains to Marie that the wastewater undergoes several treatments before it is discharged back into the Senne River.

4 TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AQUIRIS has drawn on its multidisciplinary know-how to develop a plant with high-tech, innovative installations and solutions. AQUIRIS offers custom, local and permanent solutions adapted to suit the particular features of the Brussels-North region. As an affiliate of Veolia, AQUIRIS can benefit from Veolia s expertise and operational support. The Brussels-North wastewater treatment plant consists of an architectural site unique in size, design concept and installations. Respect for the environment is a key issue for AQUIRIS in all its operations, from wastewater treatment processes to services Marie is surprised to hear that, thanks to AQUIRIS, 275 million litres of wastewater are treated every day. SOCIAL COMMITMENT AQUIRIS acts as a motor for human and economic development and has decided to make a thorough investment in Belgium. The company currently employs almost 100 people directly or indirectly including staff, subcontractors and all Belgian stakeholders. Since its creation, AQUIRIS has opened its site to the public by providing detailed monthly reports on the quality of the treated wastewater to the Brussels Institute for Environmental Management (IBGE-BIM) and the Brussels Company for Water Management (SBGE-BMWB). ENVIRONMENT AQUIRIS offers important solutions for the environmental challenges facing our society. Respect for the environment is a key issue in all operations in the plant, from wastewater treatment processes to services. Day in and day out, AQUIRIS, an expert in the treatment of wastewater, contributes to restoring and maintaining the ecosystem of the Senne.

5 PROVEN TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE Thanks to its affiliation with VEOLIA Water, AQUIRIS can count on extensive experience and expertise, from competent teams to innovative techniques. The plant is known and respected around the world for: Its sludge treatment line. The plant treats sludge through wet air oxidation, which eliminates the need for traditional incineration techniques and considerably reduces the environmental impact of the process. The amount of wastewater that can be treated. The plant has the capacity to treat the wastewater produced by 1.4 million inhabitants. In 2009 the plant treated 100 million m³ of water. The unique design concept of the plant. As the site has an industrial character, a contemporary architectural design was chosen for the plant. The compact plant is completely covered and enclosed. The unique strategic location of Brussels, which allows many international delegations to combine a visit to the plant with meetings with representatives of the European institutions. AQUIRIS CAN COUNT ON UNIQUE EXPERTISE AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES Quadrant 1 Quadrant 3 Quadrant 2 Quadrant 4

6 SPECIALISTS IN WATER TREATMENT Wastewater is collected via the sewage system, consisting of pipes, drains and collectors, which transport the wastewater to the treatment plant. Inside the plant, the wastewater is separated into two categories: purified water which is discharged back into its natural habitat and sludge, which is treated on the site. Marie is reassured: the quality of the treated water is perfect for her fish. Site plan The Brussels-North wastewater treatment plant was built along the Willebroek canal, near the Buda Bridge. The Senne River, which flows under the city of Brussels, resurfaces at the site entrance and flows through the entire length of the site. The treatment plant consists of four large areas, each with a specific role in the water treatment process: the first two (quadrants 1 and 2) are situated on the left bank of the Senne, while the other two (quadrants 3 and 4) are located on the right bank, an area which also includes natural reserve land. Quadrant 1: - Pre-treatment - Wet weather treatment Quadrant 2: - Biological treatment Quadrant 3: - Sludge treatment Quadrant 4: - Woluwe/Haren pumping station - Biogas storage - Natural reserve land

7 WATER TREATMENT: A COMPLEX TASK The collected wastewater undergoes a number of successive treatments before being discharged back into the Senne. The large waste is treated first, followed by the grit and oils, the suspended particulates and finally the organic pollution. Here is an overview of the water treatment process in the plant: 1. Pre-treatment The pre-treatment phase consists of screening (phase 1), followed by grit removal and oil removal. The water flows through grids or sieves where all waste larger than 10 millimetres is collected. The collected waste is transported to a filtering facility for storage. The next phase (grit removal) consists of eliminating grit from the wastewater. Grit deposits itself at the bottom of a tank designed for this purpose and is then collected with a skimmer. It is subsequently used for various purposes, e.g. as construction material. Parallel to this process, microscopic air bubbles are injected into the water to make the oils rise to the surface, where they are collected and directed towards the sludge treatment equipment. This is the oil removal phase. 2. Biological treatment In the biological treatment phase the organic matter which has dissolved in the water is broken down by bacteria which consume the polluting substances and form clusters. The water is then directed into another tank, the clarifier (photo 2). The particles form clusters, which are denser and consequently also heavier. This is what we call sludge, which sinks to the bottom of the clarifier tank. This biological treatment process can treat up to 8.2 m³ of water per second. Once the water has been treated, it is discharged back into the Senne, where it continues its natural course into the sea, without compromising the natural balance. The sludge is collected from the bottom of the tank with a skimmer. Part of the sludge is re-used in the biological treatment process and the rest is sent to the sludge treatment facility. 3. Wet weather treatment This facility is powered by wet weather treatment (photo 3) and allows the plant to absorb up to twice the amount of water flow produced in dry weather or with limited rainfall. The water directed here from the grit and oil removal facilities at more than 8.2 m³ per second still contains particles. In this phase, chemicals are injected into the water, causing the polluting substances to form clusters which sink to the bottom of the tank and form sludge, which in turn is pumped directly to the sludge treatment unit. Upon exiting the facility, the treated water is mixed with water from the biological treatment facility and subsequently discharged into the Senne. 4. Sludge treatment and recycling The sludge separated during the waste water treatment process is treated in this unit (photo 4). The process employed drastically reduces the sludge volume. Only the mineral end residue remains, the so-called technosand. The volume of the sludge extracted from the wastewater is reduced by more than 99% through the complete removal of the organic matter it contains. This also means a much smaller quantity of sludge needs to be transported out of the plant by lorry.

8 The treatment of wastewater is an essential part of maintaining the quality of waterways. Before starting construction of its plant, AQUIRIS needed to decontaminate the polluted soil at the site in order to regenerate the local ecosystem of the Senne and to redevelop the area. ENVIRONMENT The aim of the plant is to discharge water of compatible quality into the Senne in order to give the sub products of the treated sludge a new lease of life and not to impact local residents with any unpleasant odours. Consequently, AQUIRIS has adopted a zero tolerance policy concerning the design of its plant and in the treatment of the various elements, i.e., water, sludge and air and any impact this may have on the environment. WATER TREATMENT AND RE-USE The plant uses a biological treatment process for the efficient elimination of nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon-containing pollution. For the internal operations at its plant, AQUIRIS only uses water treated on the site. This makes sure that the plant is entirely self-sufficient for its water consumption. AQUIRIS guarantees efficient sludge treatment and recycling, thus better protecting the environment and giving waste a new lease of life DRASTIC REDUCTION OF SLUDGE VOLUME The sludge produced during the water treatment process is treated at the plant. Thanks to the wet air oxidation process, the sludge volume is reduced by more than 99% through the elimination of water and organic matter. This process renders traditional incineration techniques unnecessary and considerably lowers the environmental impact. In the treatment of the 275 million litres of wastewater which enter the plant daily, 60 tonnes of dry solids are produced, which are reduced to 15 tonnes of technosand upon exiting the plant. This substance is ready for use in various industries (e.g. for the production of bricks). Marie is confident and frees her fish into the Senne. AIR PURIFICATION As the wastewater treatment plant is located in an urban environment, the foul air produced in the various processes is treated so as not to cause any nuisance to the local residents. The installations are entirely covered and deodorised, either chemically or biologically. AQUIRIS is committed to improving air quality and preventing any impact to local residents that may result from any odours emitted from the plant. GENERATION OF ENERGY When in use, the plant generates 18% of its requirements in electricity. It generates 32 MWh a day and consumes 182 MWh a day. Part of the energy is produced through a turbine, which recuperates the energy released by the water at the end of the treatment process, and the rest is obtained through recovery of biogas produced in the sludge digestion phase. This biogas is burnt in a co-generation installation which generates 25 MWh of electricity a day and 25 MWh of heat a day. The volume of biogas produced, 6.65 million m³, could heat about 12,500 households in Brussels every year.

9 SOCIAL COMMITMENT Jobs In order to build a complex, high-tech structure, AQUIRIS has relied on Belgian companies, which were responsible for 70% of the construction. Some 450 engineers and workers took part in the design and construction of the plant. AQUIRIS has employed numerous job seekers, many of whom were trained on-site. AQUIRIS has a permanent maintenance team and currently employs 50 people, mostly local employees. Every day AQUIRIS and its team put their know-how and services at the disposal of Brussels residents Analysis and monitoring of the water quality All water treatment processes are designed to guarantee balanced ecosystems in the Senne River. The plant is equipped with a laboratory that permanently monitors the quality of the treated water at each step. AQUIRIS draws up very strict monthly reports on the quality of the treated water. These reports are systematically transferred to the Brussels Institute for Environmental Management (IBGE-BIM) and the Brussels Company for Water Management (SBGE-BMWB). Educational mission AQUIRIS wishes to promote full transparency and is therefore entirely open to the public, who can participate in a guided tour of the plant to discover the challenges posed by water and the water treatment process. Thanks to a clear and simple explanation of the process, visitors can gain an insight into all technical operations and follow the path taken by the water. The installations are also regularly visited by international delegations from all over the world. VEOLIA Water supports AQUIRIS and goes even beyond the terms initially agreed upon. This is a long-term collaboration, a project synonymous with trust and efficiency.

10 THE LARGEST WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN BELGIUM In its Belgian plant situated in Brussels, AQUIRIS uses highly innovative technology which was developed locally and is applied globally. Thanks to the resources and structures made available by VEOLIA Water, AQUIRIS offers a qualitative technical competency model for the treatment of wastewater. The AQUIRIS site is strategically located in the heart of Europe and fully complies with the conditions established in the European Union directives. 1,900 tonnes of grit are removed from wastewater every year Brussels The wastewater generated by the thousands of inhabitants in Brussels could severely damage the habitat of the Senne. Thanks to this wastewater treatment plant, on average 275 million litres of wastewater from the Brussels-Capital Region and the Flemish Woluwe basin are treated every day. Some three quarters of the wastewater from the Brussels-Capital Region are treated at the Brussels-North wastewater treatment plant. The local inhabitants and users can certainly count on this treatment facility, which purifies the locally collected wastewater and subsequently discharges it back into its natural environment. The goal is to pump back into the Senne water that is of satisfactory quality for the environment. The Brussels-North wastewater treatment plant treats the wastewater produced by 1.4 million inhabitants 1,200 tonnes of oils are removed 1,800 tonnes from wastewater of solid waste are eliminated every year and treated every year 275 million litres of wastewater enter the facility every day vzw Atomium - SABAM Belgium 2010

11 transparency through water technology Belgium s largest wastewater treatment plant Vilvoordselaan 450, 1130 Brussels T (0) F + 32 (0) mail: contact@aquiris.be