Muchea Truck Stop
True Water completes wastewater system for largest truck stop in WA
PROJECT DETAILS
Location:
Muchea, Western Australia
Product
10kL Kubota HC-Z STPs
Capability
Consult, design, and construct STP
True Water recently worked with Perkins Builders to create a wastewater treatment system for the new BP Truck Stop located in Muchea, WA. The job needed a system to meet the particular needs of the project. Perkins Builders required a high-quality, durable wastewater system that requires minimal day-to-day maintenance. True Water designed, manufactured and installed a system specific to the project needs that blends seamlessly into modern development. Muchea Service Station is currently the largest truck stop and fuel centre in WA, servicing the new Northlink WA road.
The multipurpose fuel site provides refuelling for cars, commercial vehicles, 4WDs, and long-haul trucks. With extensive onsite parking, dining options, a picnic area, and showers/laundry facilities, the site is a drawcard for passing travellers. The development has an Indigenous artwork that was a result of the development team wanting to acknowledge the past, present, and emerging traditional landowners and commemorate the cultural significance of the site. Perkins Builders engaged UDLA and community stakeholders to facilitate an Aboriginal-led design process for an interpretive artwork reflecting the cultural significance of the Muchea area to Yuat Nyoongar people and all people of the Nyoongar nation.
The modular systems are designed to be freighted to site and installed with minimal onsite manufacturing required.
The small footprint of the wastewater treatment system designed for the Muchea Truck Stop in WA meant the system could be installed amongst the infrastructure already completed onsite
The lightweight, fibre reinforced plastic modules are prefabricated by Kubota for easy freight and efficient installation
The Kubota STP, pumpwells, holding tanks and effluent disposal area are installed with precision and attention to detail
The sewage pumpwell delivers the influent to the Kubota STP for treatment
The effluent pumpwell holds the tertiary treated wastewater and regulated the dispersal to the engineered disposal area
The compact, modular STPs are installed adjacent to the service area as the lack of offensive odour emissions means there is no loss of amenity
The blowers enclosed in a powder coated, watertight box is the only wastewater treatment infrastructure visible above ground once the install is complete
Construction underway on the engineered effluent disposal system.
The compact engineered effluent disposal system was designed to fit within a small space running parallel to the Muchea Service Centre
The turf is rolled out over the effluent disposal area which is now only visible as a grassy mound.
The wastewater treatment system installation is finished to a high level with care to ensure simple site maintenance and easy access for servicing
Assessing the service station’s needs
Perkins Builders contracted True Water to create a sustainable wastewater system for the truck stop they were constructing in WA. The design and delivery needed to cater to the client needs, site constraints, construction timelines and requirements of the regulator. The development is expected to generate an average wastewater loading of 8000 – 11,000 liters per day.
Understanding the predicted volume and quality of the wastewater flow is an important factor when delivering a new system. Service stations generate wastewater with a high sewage strength due to a greater ratio of toilets to sinks and showers. High levels of grease and oils from food outlets, along the with the potential use of harsh chemicals are important things to keep in mind when designing a solution. This ensures the system will continue to treat the wastewater efficiently and with little need for intervention.
Furthermore, another important consideration is how the system looks and whether it impacts the visitors to the site. Located close to the car park where people drive in, it was important the wastewater system was not noticeable. Their are two ways that the True Water system satisfies this requirement. Firstly, the Kubota treatment systems are completed self contained units that can be installed below ground. Once installed, only the gas tight lids used as access points for inspection and servicing are visible. Secondly, the effluent management area is designed to disperse water below ground under the cover of a turfed surface. This makes it disappear into the landscape and be virtually invisible to the public. Visitors to the service station would not even realise they are passing the onsite sewage treatment plant.
Introducing new wastewater treatment technology to WA
Social and environmental security is a high priority for the government regulators who monitor onsite wastewater treatment. The BP Muchea Truck Stop is located in Western Australia. A full assessment and sign-off from WA Health was needed. They are the standard regulator for this type of project in WA. Being a new development, True Water provided a document suite to receive approval for the installation of the wastewater system.
Our consultancy team developed a Site and Soil Assessment, Effluent Management Report, and detailed Wastewater Treatment System design to support the application. As the regulator hadn’t dealt with this system type before, in-depth information about the function and maintenance was required. Once these conditions were met, the regulator was happy to sign off on the project.
Although True Water is based on the east coast, the modular Kubota treatment plants make delivery across Australia easy. Even to remote locations. In addition, much of the supporting infrastructure is premanufactured in our NSW workshop and delivered to sight ready to install. This means that installation of a new wastewater management system can be quick and precise, with little disruption to the builders schedule.
True Water provides a unique solution for the WA Truck Stop
For this project, True Water designed a system that utilises the advanced Kubota treatment technology to address the high strength influent and fluctuating hydraulic loads. The construction of an engineered effluent disposal system addressed the limited space available for the discharge area. True Water’s team drew on years of experience dealing with sensitive environments and restricted sites to design the disposal system. Furthermore, this allows True Water to deliver fit for purpose design solutions to meet the needs of every client.
True Water selected a 20kL Kubota Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) as the best system to provide tertiary treatment. Kubota systems are designed and manufactured in the highly competitive Japanese market. Due to the strict quality control and ongoing Research and Development, the Kubota systems offer industry leading technology. The compact and reliable system is the best solution for this project. It easily fulfills the aesthetic, environmental impact, treatment volume and quality needs of the client.
True Water have delivered a total onsite wastewater treatment system with a footprint of less than 1000m. This accommodates both the Kubota treatment plant and the effluent dispersal area. Usually, the area required to treat wastewater generated by this site would be between five and ten thousand square metres. This significant reduction in area is a new concept for the regulator and had to be clearly explained and justified. Of course, the reduction in area required meant cost savings for the client, a significant decrease in installation time and a less obtrusive system.
Final update on the project
The wastewater management system for the largest truck stop in WA is operating smoothly and producing treated effluent to a higher quality than required by the WA Health approval.
As part of a nationwide agreement with BP, True Water manages the onsite wastewater infrastructure through remote monitoring and scheduled quarterly servicing. The system is simple to manage for both staff on site and our technicians. This is due to the inclusion of the CONNECTmi pump controller and the TELEmi telemetry monitoring systems. These systems provide real time monitoring to ensure reactive maintenance is kept to a minimum.
Contact True Water to discuss your asset management requirements.