Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant, Dublin

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    Wastewater

    The existing Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) for Dublin city, originally constructed in 1906, was significantly upgraded in 2005, to provide Secondary Treatment for a nominal design capacity of 1.64MPE. In 2010 the Lower Liffey Estuary was designated a ‘sensitive area’ under the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD), which was of major significance to the Works, as it requires the reduction in the level of nutrients from the treated effluent before discharge to the Lower Liffey Estuary. 

    The Ringsend WwTP is currently operating at levels in excess of its intended design capacity, with wastewater of up to 1.98m population equivalent requiring treatment. In order to treat the current wastewater load to the required standard and to allow for future growth in population and industry, the plant must be upgraded. The need for this upgrade project was highlighted in the Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study (2005) and associated Strategic Environmental Assessment (2008). Irish Water has assessed and reaffirmed the need for the Ringsend upgrade project.

    J B Barry and Partners, TJ O’Connor & Associates (TJOC) and Royal Haskoning DHV (RHDHV), collectively known as the 3JV, were appointed in 2014 by Irish Water.  The scope of works includes civil, structural, process, M&E and PA design of the upgraded WWTP, a full EIAR for all Plant Upgrade Works and the Regional Biosolids Sludge Facility.

    3JV Works comprise delivery of DBO and DB contracts currently at various stages of design, procurement, construction supervision, commissioning and handover to the Employer. The project is being progressed in stages to ensure the plant continues to treat wastewater from homes, schools, and businesses to its current levels. At the end of the delivery phase the project will have the capacity to treat the wastewater to the required Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive standards for a population equivalent of 2.4 million, thus enabling future housing and commercial development.

    The Regional Biosolids Facility (RBSF) was part of the 2018 planning application for the above project. The purpose of this facility is to provide storage for treated biosolids from Ringsend WWTP prior to seasonally permitted land-spreading. It will also store biosolids from other treatment plants in the Greater Dublin region. Deliverables included site selection process and public consultation, preliminary design, EIAR and planning application, specimen design, specification, prequalification assessment, and assistance with the procurement process for the Regional Biosolids Facility.

    Key features of this project:

    • Construction of a standalone secondary treatment WWTP on a 0.8 ha area of the existing site and with a treatment capacity of 400,000 PE
    • Retrofitting aerobic granular sludge treatment equipment/technology (Nereda©) within eight of the existing 24 SBR Reactors, and Hybrid Nereda© technology in the remaining 16 of the existing 24 SBR Reactors, which, combined with the 400,000 PE expansion, results in an ultimate average treatment capacity for the facility of, approximately, 2.4 million PE
    • The above facilities incorporate nutrient reduction technologies to enable the expanded and upgraded plant to meet the level of treatment required by the UWWTD including nutrient removal facilities (TN 10mg/l and TP 1mg/l)
    • Provision of upgraded sludge treatment facilities to cater for the increased sludge load arising from the plant upgrade and expansion and to remove phosphorous from the sludge recycle stream
    • Phosphorous Fixation & Recovery Facility (including an Odour Control Unit)
    • Delivery of a WwTW with robust and resilient process technologies capable of coping with the significant load variability of the agglomeration and with sustained periods of high influent loading
    Client: Ervia/Irish Water
    Location: Dublin City
    Value: > €500 Million
       

    We are completing this project in a joint venture with T. J. O'Connor & Associates and Royal HaskoningDHV.