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AQIS Quarantine Washbay and Water Treatment

AQIS, Quarantine, washbay, enviro concepts

Our client, who is contracted by a major Australian freight company had a requirement for an Australian Quarantine Inspection Services (AQIS) approved washbay. There were 3 primary requirements that this client gave us:

  1. AQIS has a minimum requirement for containment of the effluent and therefore the wash bays had to meet AQIS standards.The client wanted the ability to wash and decontaminate empty shipping containers on 12 sides as per AQIS requirements before they could be shipped throughout Australia to their final destination.
  2. The client wanted a water treatment and recycling plant with their customised washbay.
  3. The client was leasing the facility and they wanted a wash bay that they could expand on or mobilise to a larger facility at the end of their lease contract.

Solution

Enviro Concept provided a portable, above ground washbay system, fitted with a recycling plant that met AQIS strict standards (http://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity)

Project Highlights

  1. Our physical washbays met all the AQIS specifications.
  2. We created a washbay that allowed the client to wash their shipping containers, inside and out, on all 12 sides, safely and efficiently.
  3. The discharge water from the containers is considered contaminated and cannot be discharged into the sewer. AQIS requires the discharge water to be filtered or treated to a specific level. The Enviro Concept EL100 Washwater Recycling System removed suspended solids down to less than 3 microns, hydrocarbons to less than 10 ppm and removed bacteria or bugs that could have existed in overseas containers. It made the water ready for reuse.
  4. By providing the client with an above the ground, portable recycling system, we were able to provide an added advantage and cost savings with the recycling of water.

AQIS/DAF Background Information

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) is part of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and manages quarantine at our borders to minimise the risk of exotic pests and diseases entering the country. AQIS also provides import and export inspection, certification and biosecurity initiatives to ensure the protection of Australian Flora and Fauna as well as the safety of our citizens. AQIS requires all items entering Australia to be washed and met with minimum requirement for containment of the effluent. Enviro Concepts provides water treatment systems that comply to the strict AQIS criteria.

There are several industries that require AQIS compliant wash down water treatment systems for their import and export of goods. They include:

  • Sensitive freight transfer applications
  • Agricultural equipment
  • Spare part dealers
  • Transport and freight logistics
  • Wrecking yards
  • Imported goods distributors

In this case study, we are exploring a solution for a freight company contractor where we have not only provided a solution for water treatment as per AQIS standards but also a recycling system whereby the water does not need to be discharged and is reused. This provides tremendous cost savings and environmental benefits to the client along with compliance with AQIS.

EL 100Washwater Recycling System

The Enviro Concept’s EL 100 Washwater Recycling System is a high capacity, low maintenance water recycling plant engineered to treat and recycle most wash bay and industrial wash effluent. They are designed to remove suspended solids, oil & grease, BOD, COD, and metals from most wash bay and industrial wash effluents, to produce high quality water suitable for reuse.

Some of the features of Enviro Concepts EL 100 are:

  • Effluent collection and solids settling tanks
  • pH correction system
  • Disinfection system
  • High capacity oil-water separator and hydro carbon removal
  • Deep bed media filtration
  • Recycle water feed pump

The Enviro Concepts EL 100 was retrofitted on the above ground, portable wash bay system, giving our client the flexibility to move the entire system to a different location as per the project requirement.

AQIS, quarantine, container wash, enviroconcepts

Project Details

Our client called us for a cost effective, environmentally friendly, AQIS compliant system that would be portable, strong, long lasting and custom fit for their requirement to wash all 12 sides of their freight containers, inside out. The Enviro Concepts team offers technical advice on AQIS regulations and provides quarantine risk analysis. After going through all the client specifications, we offered our clients a portable wash bay solution retrofitted with our Enviro Concept EL100 Washwater Recycling System that met all AQIS standards.

ROI

  • The Enviro Concept AQIS approved recycling system allowed the client to save operating costs and potential downtime during waste removal.
  • Our portable washbay also allowed them to move to their new location and be fully operational quickly, with limited downtime and future re-location or expansion costs.
  • The solution allowed our clients to meet or exceed all of the AQIS requirements but also at the same time meet the contractual agreements and timelines as a freight contractor.