Assessment of Scale Formation in Discharge Pipe at Effluent Treatment Plant

WatStech has worked with one of the world’s leading research based pharmaceutical companies employing 100,000 people in 117 countries to address a major calcium carbonate scaling problem.

To denature micro-organisms and any penicillin type products in a manufacturing site effluent stream, pH is purposely increased by adding sodium hydroxide. This has led to a severe problem of scaling in the pipelines at one of the effluent treatment plants.

WatStech surveyed the effluent treatment plant, designed trials and constructed a testing rig to observe the affect of variables and the addition of ferric sulphate on the formation of scale under laboratory conditions. Flow rate and ferric addition were found to be important aspects for affecting scale development.