Cartagena to get waste water overhaul

Cartagena, Colombia, is to get a waste water overhaul as Siemens Industry Automation Division starts work to equip the Reficar refinery with an integrated water treatment solution.

The new instalment is part of a combined system for treating both process and waste water, with the company's technologies being used to make river water suitable for use as boiled feed water, as well as purifying wastewater before discharge.

The costly modernisation is expected to take until 2013, and will cost in the region of $30 million (£19 million). There will be a multi component solution for treating the process water, which includes contact basins and a J-Press filter press. Siemens are also providing plants for desalinating the boiler feed water and treating waste lye.

A multi-stage system is being employed to purify wastewater, with American Petroleum Institute separators and Dissolved Gas Flotation systems separating oil from the water. An Omniflo sequencing batch reactor will also be installed, adss well as a Hydro-Clear sand filter and centrifuges.

Posted by Claire Manning