Alpheus has a number of long term contracts to operate and manage plants treating leachate from landfill sites and sites undergoing ground remediation.Background: Until the mid 1990s, Pride Park was an area of contaminated, derelict land east of Derby City Centre. It had been used for industrial and domestic landfill, a gas and coke works and gravel extraction. The ground had been heavily contaminated with a cocktail of substances.
The conditions of the site and levels of contamination were hindering re-development of the land. To help re-development of the area the leachate running off the landfill would be treated before entering the River Derwent.
The conditions of the site and levels of contamination were hindering re-development of the land. To help re-development of the area the leachate running off the landfill would be treated before entering the River Derwent.Development: A 10m deep, 3km long cut off wall encircling the site. 18 abstraction boreholes linked to a ring main to pump up to 33 l/s of contaminated groundwater from within the cut-off wall plus 18 pairs of monitoring boreholes to check groundwater levels in and outside the cut-off wall to ensure the level differential is maintained at 0.2m. A wastewater treatment plant to treat the contaminated groundwater prior to discharge to the River Derwent.
Contract: Alpheus secured the contract to operate and maintain the treatment plant for a 15 year period from late 1997. The contract includes day to day running of plant, managing utilities, sampling and analysis, maintenance of on-line monitors, dipping of monitoring boreholes and grounds maintenance. More recently, the agreement has been extended to include maintenance of the abstraction borehole pumps.
Partners: Derby City Council, Ove Arup and Partners, Purac-Morrison consortium, Alpheus.
Achievements: Operation of plant within tight consent and significant utility cost savings since contract commencement (from 14.4p/m³ influent to 5.6p/m³, a saving of some £34,500 per year).