Environment

Wastewater treatment plant

The project involved the design of a wastewater treatment plant for the town of Akureyri as well as an environmental impact assessment of the project and various advice on licensing and assessment of the recipient of the wastewater.

About this Project

Client
Norðurorka Ltd. utility company

Timespan
2015 - ongoing

Location
Akureyri

Contact

The project's objective

EFLA was asked to design a wastewater treatment plant that focused on the customer's need for operational simplicity, flexibility for future change and low energy consumption. 

The treatment plant will be one of Iceland's largest treatment plants, but is somewhat different from previous installations. In the future, further treatment and recycle organic waste are scheduled to be installed.

Environmental issues

The main environmental aspects of the project are the effects of wastewater on the recipient, solid waste from the operation and potential odour pollution. The design of the treatment plant considers new focus on not disposing organic waste in landfills, and that in the future, organic waste will be recycled and be a usable product.

The project was subject to environmental impact assessment according to Icelandic law.

EFLA's role

  • Design in cooperation with the customer
  • Full design of the entire structure and equipment
  • Environmental impact assessment of the project ? due to its size, the treatment plant is subject to assessment
  • Assessment of the recipient of the wastewater and licensing process of the operation of the treatment plant and construction

"The collaboration with EFLA has been extremely successful. Their engineers have worked efficiently and looked for simple solutions that work. The simplicity, functionality and low operating costs are important to us when looking at the operation in the long run. The wastewater treatment plant will bring a lot of benefits to the environment and is the final piece of a 25-year process for the treatment of wastewater in the town of Akureyri."

Helgi Jóhannesson
CEO of Norðurorka Ltd.

The project's long term benefits

The wastewater treatment plant ensures that litter no longer goes into the ocean and also that the coastline is no longer contaminated by wastewater pollution. The recipient will be monitored and if it shows signs of eutrophication, further treatment will take place.