Marshall Projects wins national and international innovation awards
Marshall Projects wins national and international innovation awards
Marshall Projects has won the “Excellence in Project Innovation” prize at the coveted 2021 IPWEA NZ Asset Management Excellence Awards, and then on the international stage at the 2022 IPWEA Australasia Excellence Awards, for its work on the Paihia WWTP upgrade.
The Paihia WWTP serves Paihia, Opua, Waitangi and Haruru with the discharge feeding into the culturally sensitive Waitangi wetlands, home to the Northland Mudfish. The Far North District Council wanted to improve that habitat by upgrading the plant to meet a 2 mg/L ammonia consent.
To meet the tight standards, the Council selected Marshall Projects’ innovative Bio-Shell® bioreactor technology to provide an in-pond treatment system within the existing assets. Marshall Projects installed more than 550 Bio-Shell® bioreactors, resulting in the Paihia WWTP being the first nitrifying plant in NZ and the largest of its kind using Bio-Shell® bioreactors in the world. Results have proven a reduction in ammonia concentrations from typically 50 mg/L to less than 2 mg/L. Total nitrogen has been reduced by 40% along with significant additional benefits to BOD, TSS and E. coli concentrations. Marshall Projects is now investigating the transferability of these improvements to other projects.
Andrew Springer, Wastewater Specialist with WSP and William Down, Project Manager with Far North District Council, wrote in their report on the WWTP that by adopting Marshall Projects’ innovative approach on a space restricted site, “… Far North District Council has achieved all required performance outputs at an affordable cost to the community in a tight capital programme. A capital saving of over $18m against a conventional solution was realised.”
Tom Marshall, Managing Director of Marshall Projects said “To win both the national and international innovation award, Marshall Projects has demonstrated it is a leader in innovation by delivering a world class project. The WWTP at Paihia is a perfect example of the effectiveness of our exclusive technology and the strong relationships we build with our clients. Not only did we achieve our targets on ammonia concentrations but we also reduced total nitrogen, BOD and E. coli levels, which is a fantastic result for the Council and the environment. I am incredibly proud of our team and the project we have delivered in partnership with Far North District Council.”