Kirk completes upgrade for Anglian Water

Kirk Environmental has completed the upgrade at the existing sludge treatment works in Colchester, Essex, as part of a series of special anaerobic digestion projects for Anglian Water.

In 2010 Anglian Water treated the wastewater from an equivalent residential population of 6 million. This resulted in the plant at Colchester needing an upgrade to improve their capacity: a grand total of nine glass-fused-to-steel tanks were designed, manufactured and constructed by our in-house team, all complete with GFS and GRP roofs.

The project also included one 1,580m³ Biodome double membrane gas holder and access steelwork with a 12m high staircase leading to a 22m long walkway providing access to the roofs of four HPH tanks.

The sewerage treatment works is now capable of handling the high level of sludge piped directly to the site and also sludge brought in from other facilities in the area. Thanks to the anaerobic digestion process now in place the plant will be able to make use of the biogas produced during the sludge treatment process.

The Biodome gas holder will hold and treat the biogas until its ready to be transferred in the combined heat and power engines where it will be converted into renewable energy and released to the national grid. The natural environment in the east of England is particularly sensitive with the inland and coastal water sustaining a huge variety of natural habitats and species and with over 750 sites of special scientific interest, majority being rivers and wetlands. The work at the plant will help to protect and improve the waters, providing a diverse and important regional amenity.