The wetland treatment system designed by Syrinx Environmental at the Burnie Waste Management Centre.

The wetland treatment system designed by Syrinx Environmental at the Burnie Waste Management Centre.

Southern Waste Solutions has announced plans to build a wetland leachate treatment system in line with environmental world’s best practice standards at their Copping Regional Landfill Facility.

The system, to be designed and implemented by Syrinx Environmental, will utilise natural wetland vegetation processes to assist in treating wastewater from the Copping B-Cell without the need for external energy or chemicals.

A similar wetland treatment system designed by Syrinx Environmental has been implemented in Burnie with great success, winning the 2017 Australasian Land and Groundwater Association Sustainable Remediation Project Recognition Award, and making the finals of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Sustainability Award in the 2017 Tasmanian Community Achievement Awards.

The planning application is currently with Sorell Council who will refer it to the EPA after completing preliminary checks. Following EPA assessment, the application will return to Sorell Council and be advertised for public comment.

An open community information session, featuring a presentation from Syrinx Environmental Director and CEO Dr Kathy Meney will be held when the application is open for public comment.

Southern Waste Solutions CEO Christine Bell said wetland leachate treatment systems are ecologically sensitive and easily incorporated into the wider local ecosystem, contributing to their environmental best practice reputation.

“Not only is the process clean and green, but the passive nature of wetland leachate treatment also means that after the initial set up, only minimal upkeep is required and the system will sit more naturally within the environment than traditional systems,” Ms Bell said.

The proposal includes a series of interconnected, small, lined ponds to be planted with a range of vegetation designed to extract contaminants from water that has passed through the landfill.

The proposed system will be preceded by a fully closed-circuit pilot scale system with no off-site discharge.

Once proved to be effective, the pilot system will be expanded to a full-scale operation, where after contaminants have been removed, treated wastewater will be tested against standards agreed with the EPA and, subject to satisfactory test results on every occasion, be reintegrated into the surrounding ecosystem.

Once operational, the system will have capacity to treat approximately six megalitres of leachate per annum.