Sustainable Solutions: Enhancing Leachate Treatment at AVR Kommunal AöR

AVR Kommunal AöR is dedicated to sustainability and environmental protection, utilizing advanced technologies for waste recycling and energy generation. The treatment plant collects leachate through a dewatering system at the landfill base and channels it to the facility for purification. Continuous monitoring is crucial, as fluctuations in contaminant levels can affect treatment efficacy.

To optimize this process, the plant employs modern measurement technologies from Badger Meter, including spectrometers and probes for real-time monitoring of water quality parameters. These instruments allow for the automatic diversion of leachate when contaminant levels exceed established thresholds, ensuring efficient treatment without unnecessary resource use.

By effectively managing leachate treatment through innovative technologies, AVR Kommunal AöR sets a benchmark for sustainable waste management practices, contributing to the protection of natural water resources and promoting a healthier ecosystem.

Environmental Impact of High-Concentration Releases

The release of untreated or inadequately treated leachate can have serious consequences for the environment. A high concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus can lead to excessive growth of algae, which impairs the oxygen supply in surface waters and can lead to the death of aquatic life. An increased sodium content, on the other hand, can lead to a reduction in water infiltration and soil damage. Pollutant levels of heavy metals and organic micropollutants can also have long-term, catastrophic effects on the environment. Alongside being toxic to human life, they can have devastating implications for flora and fauna.

In the case of the AVR plant at Sinsheim, the leachate requires pre-treatment before it is channeled to the wastewater treatment plant because the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) limit value is often exceeded, particularly in phases with low precipitation.

"For AVR Kommunal AöR, environmental protection is an issue that we attach great importance to. Our leachate has a fluctuating COD concentration. Sometimes it is above the limit value for treatment and sometimes below. We have been looking for a solution in which the COD is measured continuously and in real-time. This enables us to only feed the system with a partial flow when the limit value is exceeded and not have to treat all of the water," says Christoph Blumenthal, Project Manager at AVR.

Modern Measurement Technologies

To prevent such effects on the environment, AVR collects the leachate and discharges it into the new leachate treatment plant not far from the landfill. Two measuring stations are installed in the plant, each equipped with the latest technology from Badger Meter: The spectro::lyser, pH::lyser, condu::lyser and the con::cube with the moni::tool software.

"We decided in favor of Badger Meter products as part of a tender," explains Blumenthal. "We provided an analysis in advance and were assured that the product could be used for this application. The instruments really impressed us technically."

These instruments make a significant contribution to monitoring and assessing water quality. The first measuring station uses its probes to assess the quality of the water. If the water quality is insufficient, the system automatically diverts the leachate to the internal water treatment plant. Within the treatment plant, the water passes through various purification stages to reduce the concentration of pollutants. After treatment, the water is sent to the second measuring station, where it is tested again for quality.

In order to fully monitor the water quality, the measuring station from Badger Meter was ideally matched to the parameters to be monitored and the special requirements of the system.

The spectro::lyser V3 has been specially developed for use in both highly corrosive industrial and wastewater applications and uses UV-Vis spectroscopy over the entire range from 190 to 720 nm. This enables the monitoring of a wide range of water quality parameters without the use of reagents, such as COD, BOD, TOC, DOC, UV254, but also turbidity, AFS, color and temperature.

The condu::lyser is used to determine the conductivity of the leachate as a function of salt content and temperature. The probe automatically compensates for the temperature to ensure accurate conductivity measurements.

The pH::lyser is also used to continuously monitor the pH value. This uses a combined ion-selective electrode with an integrated, extremely stable reference electrode to measure the concentration of dissolved hydrogen ions (H+), which determines the pH value. Thanks to automatic temperature compensation, it achieves an accuracy of ± 0.1 pH.

The moni::tool, a powerful software platform specially developed for managing and monitoring water quality parameters, is also used to complete the application and monitor the parameters. It enables real-time control and administration of data from the spectro::lyser, pH::lyser and condu::lyser. Its user-friendly touch interface is reminiscent of a smartphone and promotes intuitive use for all users.

With robust data visualizations, including 3D optical spectra, the moni::tool provides optimal readability and analysis of data for improved data analysis to detect trends, configurable alarms when limits are exceeded and automatic report generation. Thanks to its versatile compatibility, it was also possible to create an interface with the AVR intranet so that the recorded data can be viewed not only on-site but also remotely. The software also simplifies the sensor calibration process and implements user-configurable firewall protection measures to provide system security.

Improved Efficiency and Sustainability

In the landfill outlet, the leachate passes the first measuring station, which is installed in a bypass pipe. An automatically controlled electric flap is located downstream of the measurement. Based on the measurement result, the valve switches and directs the leachate either into the treatment plant or into a storage tank, from which it is pumped directly to the wastewater treatment plant. This means that no analog water samples need to be taken. The measurements are taken automatically every 60 seconds according to the factory setting.

The probes are pre-calibrated at the factory and are immediately ready for use. In addition, the measurements can be adjusted locally by the customer using an integrated calibration function in order to optimize the accuracy of the measurements every 30 seconds.

As the individual sensors are designed for use in harsh industrial environments, they are equipped with technology for minimal maintenance. Using compressed air, the probes clean themselves automatically every five minutes to maintain their measurement accuracy. This enables precise and continuous monitoring of the water quality while safeguarding the probes’ long-term stability. This not only simplifies plant operations, reduces operating costs and increases sustainability, but also significantly improves the efficiency of the treatment process.

Final Thoughts

By combining scientific research and practical application, AVR Kommunal AöR is setting new standards in waste management and making an important contribution to protecting our natural resources. The model of the leachate treatment plant shows how sustainable wastewater treatment can be realized in waste management through the use of modern technologies and well-thought-out processes. It serves as an example of how innovative approaches can contribute to solving environmental problems.