ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TECHNOLOGY AND PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP FOR ORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT WORKHOP 8 th – 9 th June 2015 PENANG HILL ORGANIC WASTE PENANG HILL ORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT
PENANG HILL Penang Hill is mainly a hilly granitic mass. The hill system is higher towards the northern part with its highest point at Western Hill, at an elevation of 833 m (2,723 ft) above sea level. Other than Western Hill, there are a number of peaks in the region, such as Bukit Laksamana ( Malay for Admiral Hill), Tiger Hill, Flagstaff Hill and Government Hill. Flagstaff Hill is 735 m (2,450 ft) above sea level. A number of small rivers and streams originate from the region. Sungai Pinang ( Malay for Penang River) is the largest of the rivers, and it starts from a number of tributaries in the area. A large portion of the hill are forest reserves and several water catchments fall within the Penang Hill ridge
Penang Hill • important historical settlement and tourist mecca for Penang. • rich history and carefully preserved natural environment are iconic. • 200 to 300 residents. • hosts approximately 1.2 million visitors each year. • between 2,000 and 5,000 visitors each day on average with peak loadings of up to 10,000 visitors per day. • Public amenities are provided which are used by the majority of visitors.
Organic Waste Management ( before implementing TOMP) The food court (commonly called the Astaka) has a • common dish-washing facility and automated commercial dishwasher. The grey water is disposed directly to the existing septic tank facilities. • Food waste is disposed in plastic bags and transported down the Hill by MBPP • Sewage from some residential accommodation and day visit amenities are discharged to common septic tank installations on the site. Three such septic tank facilities currently exist at three different locations with a combined maximum capacity of approximately 23,000 litres. • All facilities dispose by gravity to septic tanks and thence to existing in-ground infiltration.
Managing Organic Waste • With the high influx of visitors, managing of waste, particularly organic waste became a priority. • Existing septic tanks system , which was built in the 1940s, was overwhelmed by the increasing number of visitors. The capacity was reduced due to sludge built up, leaking septic tanks and blockages resulting in bad odor as well as discharge of raw sewage directly to the ground • The existing septic tanks had to be manually discharged which was a very tedious and hazardous job and the sludge had to be buried in the nearest possible location. This was due to the inaccessibility of sewage tankers to do desludging • Increasing amount of food waste from the restaurants and food court (Astaka) also required a more efficient and environment friendly way of disposal
Old septic tank (Astaka station)
Estimated Average and Maximum Daily Wastewater Flows - Penang Hill Source Estimated Average Daily Estimated Maximum Daily Flow (Litres) Flow (Litres) Day Visitors 13,900 27,900 Residents 600 600 500 500 Food Court and Eateries (Grey Water) 15,000 29,000 Total Estimated Daily Flow
WHAT ARE SEPTIC TANKS? A septic tank is a key component of the septic system , a small-scale sewage treatment system common in areas that lack connection to main sewage pipes provided by local governments or private corporations
Wastewater enters the first chamber of the tank, allowing solids to settle and scum to float. The settled solids are anaerobically digested, reducing the volume of solids. The liquid component flows through the dividing wall into the second chamber, where further settlement takes place. The excess liquid, now in a relatively clear condition, then drains from the outlet into the ground or river, depending upon locality ACCESS COVERS INLET T inlet OUTLET SCUM SEDIMENTATION ZONE sludge
COMMON ISSUES WITH SEPTIC TANKS • Excessive dumping of cooking oils and grease can cause the inlet drains to block. Oils and grease are often difficult to degrade and can cause odor problems and difficulties with the periodic emptying. • Flushing non-biodegradable waste items down the toilet such as cigarette butts, cotton buds/swabs or menstrual hygiene products(e.g. sanitary napkins or tampons) can cause a septic tank to clog and fill rapidly. • Using the toilet for disposal of food waste can cause a rapid overload of the system with solids and contribute to failure. [4] • Certain chemicals may damage the components or the bacteria operating in a septic tank, especially pesticides, herbicides, materials with high concentrations of bleach or caustic soda (lye) or any other inorganic materials such as paints or solvents.
Total Organics Management Program • Food wastes and raw sewage require a different set of biological processes to effectively deal with them. This will not be found in a conventional septic tank system. • It is important to minimise the input to any septic system of raw food residues particularly fats, oil and grease (FOG) and also chemicals (from cleaning agents). Any inputs of this type should preferably be treated before being introduced to the system. • Green wastes generated on a site like Penang Hill present both a challenge and an advantage for the site. When properly converted, green waste residues provide an exceptional media which can be used for extended filtration, odour control and rapid digestion of other organic matter. • VRM has developed a process known as Groundswell Static Fermentation which allows for the conversion of green waste and other organic material into a humus rich fine particulate HumiSoil™. This media is a very effective odour and organic residue manager and can be created and replenished in-situ.
MANAGING FOOD WASTE Food waste converted by Bio-Regen Unit to a liquid product capable of use on site. This process include: • Collection of waste generated at each hawker stall and food preparation facility on the site in sealed containers; • Processing of all such residues in a Bio-Regen food conversion unit; • Extended fermentation of the resulting liquid material in tanks stored on site; and • Intermittent transfer of fermented material to assist in the breakdown of sewerage • Fermentation acts as a way to incubate some types of organisms so that there are more of them to eat other things....in this case we grow up organisms which eat cellulose and other substances very useful when dealing with sewerage …thus the CONCEPT OF USING WASTE TO TREAT WASTE
• Accepts most type of food waste including oily food • Leaves no leachate • Leaves No odor • Instant conversion • Continuous process means no stacking up of food waste • Process takes in CO2 • Clean save & convenient and NO ODOR Tanks Large enough to allow at least 28 days fermentation
Bio Regen
GREY WATER MANAGEMENT A Grease trap which pre-process dishwashing residues on the site has been put in place. The Grease Trap is automatically inoculated with microbial products capable of reducing the load of fats, oils and grease and organic residues on the sewerage system. As the beneficial microbes are constantly replaced any negative impact of detergents is counteracted. And in addition organisms which are trained to attack the fats and other constituents of the detergent are included.
A typical Grease trap
Adding Microbes into Water By constantly feeding beneficial microbes into the water system which cleans the toilets, it continuously works to contain foul bacteria, viruses and parasites and thus keeps the toilet bowls and urinals clean and free from foul odor. The microbes will continue working all the way to the septic tank
MANAGING ORGANIC WASTE AT IT SOURCE
SEPTIC TANK Innoculant tank TANK 1: INNOCULATED WITH MICROBES TANK NO 2: CIRCULATION EXISTING CONCRETE TANK TO BIO FILTER BED
VRM SEPTIC TANK • Generally a septic system is dominated by anaerobic activity but that does not mean that all aerobic activity ceases. We have included heterotrophic organisms which are able to operate in both aerated and non aerated situations and to produce a symbiotic reaction which is continuous (i.e. both aerobic and anaerobic activity is maintained. .... and our middle tank supports the aerobic activity a little as well. • There will be little or no net methane output from the system. • There may be some methane present in the airspace in the tanks, but we find that the re-capture of methane outstrips the pressure to release it ... this is a critical function of bacterial photosynthesis
VRM BIO FILTER BED The Bio Filter bed is made up of HUMISOIL which is TM produced through fermentation of Green waste using the VRM Groundswell TM process The HUMISOIL acts as a very nice home for a range of organisms which use elements such as sulphates, nitrates, ammonia as food sources
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