Recreation area at Loch Ness, Scotland

In Scotland, near the famous Loch Ness Lake, a recreation area was created that will be home to visitors from all over the world from 2022. On 17.5 hectares, the operator built 23 individual houses, embedded in the idyll of nature. Far away from civilisation, holidaymakers can leave their everyday lives behind. 

The rumour of Nessi living in the Scottish lake has been circulating for almost 90 years. A photo from 1933 and thousands of eyewitnesses are said to prove the existence of the peaceful monster in the recreation area. It is precisely for this reason that tourists seek out the north of Scotland time and again. But the legend is not the only reason for the numerous visitors. The landscape offers numerous lakes and mountain ranges as well as a large flora and fauna. The recreation factor is one of the main reasons for the numerous holidaymakers. 

If all houses are fully occupied, the recreation area is home to 52 guests. The park operator wants a reliable, municipal wastewater treatment plant that cleans all the hygienic wastewater from the guests. These include a COD of 800 mg/l and a BOD of 400 mg/l. 

The challenge of this project was that the municipal wastewater treatment plant must be located close to the recreation area but must not spoil the landscape. Since the individual houses are very far apart, a safe lead to the sewage treatment plant is particularly important. In addition, the municipal wastewater treatment plant must be able to cope with fluctuating wastewater volumes, as the recreation area will not always be fully booked. The protection of nature is particularly important to the customer. Therefore, the municipal wastewater treatment plant must also treat the wastewater biologically. 

The optimal solution for the customer was a containerised wastewater treatment plant in which all modules are installed in a space-saving way. For the fluctuating wastewater loads, the ClearFox® team decided on a buffer tank with sludge storage. Primary sludge settles in this tank, which the customer has to remove about three times a year. The wastewater then flows into a fixed-bed reactor where biological treatment takes place. The fixed-bed material consists of net tubes that are connected to each other. Small areas spread out in the tubes where microorganisms settle. These break down almost all organic substances in the wastewater.

An aeration system supplies the microorganisms with oxygen, which supports biological purification. This produces secondary sludge and a clear water zone. Despite the small tank, which holds about 3.5 m³, the biology has an area of over 450 m² to grow. This process makes the municipal wastewater treatment plant highly efficient. To separate the clear water from the secondary sludge, the treatment plant uses a clarifier. This collects the sludge in the lower section and discharges the clear water at the top. 

Since the entire municipal wastewater treatment plant is installed in a 20-foot HC sea container, the plant operates almost noiselessly and without odour. This particularly suits the customer, why he opted for a ClearFox® containerised wastewater treatment plant.