BUCCA Water Production – Treatment Plant and Storage

A new water supply system for Camp Bucca is planned and formulized to cater for the existing and future domestic water needs. Water source is saline ground water which will be drawn-off the new ground water wells, 12 in number, and located at the periphery of the compound. The furthest away wells are at circa 1400 m distance from the new Water Treatment Plant (WTP) site.

Ground water drawn-off is highly saline water with 23 000 mg/l TDS content. Other raw water quality parameters are not critical and are all below the WHO’s limits. Therefore, a desalination plant with Reverse Osmosis (RO) process, forming a package treatment together with ultra filtration and antiscalant dosing as pre-treatment, and pH correction and disinfection as post-treatment, is designed to be installed by AREEBEL.

Package RO plant is commissioned to the reputable US based AEROMIX and the output efficiency of the plant, that is the permeate/raw water supply ratio is specified as 65 percent. Thus the pre-treatment and RO facilities are designed to handle 2 115 400 gpd (ca. 334 m3/h) raw water. Post-treatment units are sized to cope with the permeate flow, that is 217 m3/h output.

Disposal of waste brine (reject) (117 m3/h) and the wastewater of the CIP flushings are also designed to be discharged safely to the off-site disposal facilities. Periodical CIP cycle (once every 4-6 weeks) is ment to temporarily disrupt the 50 percent of the RO package.

Water treatment works on site, also includes the 2 Raw Water Tanks each with 120000 gal (ca 454 m3) gross volume, Raw Water Supply Pumps to boost the water to the RO pre-treatment facilities, Treated Water Pumps to lift the permeate to the 5 Potable Water Tanks each with 500000 gal (ca 1893 m3) effective volume and the filling pump at the water tankers loading dock. Potable Water Tanks with a 3 mgal overall capacity are sized to cope with a 3-day water need of the Compound when combined with the existing 2.5 mgal clear water tanks. Ease of construction and erection, size of the available site area, succeptibility to and rises involved in the probable man-made hazards have been the governing factors for the selection and sizing of these type of tanks.

An interconnected storm drainage system to serve the dual purpose of storm surface flow drainage and the disposal of the process overflows and draindown (scour) wastes are arranged as roadside swales, underroad syphon crossings and RC outfall structures, all ending with the main drainage ditch located along the Northern boundary of the WTP site.

Power supply and distribution system for both the wells and the plant facilities including the generators, electro-mechanical equipment feeders, control pannels and distribution boards, building and area lighting etc. are also designed to form a complete and self sustaining system. A simple and easily managable supervisory control system, by transmission of the selected sensed functions to the Main Control and Supervision Room at the Admin Building, is formulized.

All equipment scheduled to be installed are selected from the reputable manufacturers with reliable and robust features, apt to cope with the required performance points and ranges. It is prudent to note that, firm supply commitments must include the functional and component materials guarantees in-line with the requirements of the product handled that is the highly saline, to some degree abrasive water or brine boosted to the exceptionally high heads, at instants, to 60-65 bar pressures.