Craig Mostyn Group needed to control blue-green algae and improve wastewater pond performance at its Talloman protein-rendering facility in Fremantle, Western Australia. Hydro Innovations supplied a bank-mounted EchoStorm wastewater pond aerator that reduced the measured algae count by 97% while providing safer, easier access for operators.
Project results at a glance
- Algae count before installation: 217,000 cells/mL
- Algae count after treatment: 6,630 cells/mL
- Measured reduction: 97%
- Monitoring period: March to May 2022
- Equipment: 100 mm EchoStorm system powered by a 15 kW Gorman-Rupp self-priming pump
Craig Mostyn Group is one of Australia’s leading diversified food and agribusiness companies. Established in 1923, it is Western Australia’s largest vertically integrated pork, lamb and beef business and also operates seafood facilities. When its Talloman division experienced problems in a wastewater treatment pond, plant manager Carlos Mendes sought an effective aeration solution.
The wastewater pond algae problem
The Gorman-Rupp EchoStorm venturi aerator was recommended, and Mr Mendes contacted Hydro Innovations, the Australian Gorman-Rupp distributor. The project aimed to reduce BOD, COD and NH3 while addressing troublesome blue-green algae.
Adding dissolved oxygen supports aerobic bacteria that break down organic compounds in wastewater. This helps prevent the pond from becoming septic and odorous and converts organic material into less harmful compounds.
The EchoStorm venturi aerator solution
Based on the pond size, inflow rate and water analysis, Hydro Innovations recommended a 100 mm EchoStorm system. It comprised a Gorman-Rupp U4B60S-B self-priming centrifugal pump with a 15 kW motor powering a Gorman-Rupp V4A EchoStorm venturi aerator.
The EchoStorm is a static venturi aeration device installed on the discharge side of a Gorman-Rupp self-priming centrifugal pump. It introduces dissolved oxygen into the liquid being pumped. With no moving parts in the aerator, the system is highly reliable and requires only routine pump maintenance. Its simple design also makes it easy to install, operate and maintain.
The self-priming effluent pump uses a multi-vane impeller and straight-in suction design to help keep power consumption low. It can pass solids up to 20.6 mm and operate on suction lifts up to 6.1 metres.
The pump draws water from the lagoon and sends it under pressure through the EchoStorm. The aerator draws in atmospheric air, mixes it with the water and returns the oxygenated flow to the lagoon. This process also conditions the flow by breaking organic matter into smaller particles, supporting enhanced organics reduction.
The conditioning effect can rupture buoyancy vacuoles within blue-green algae, causing it to sink and lose access to the sunlight required for growth. The process also strips carbon dioxide from the water.
Safer, bank-mounted aeration
Mr Mendes and the Talloman evaluation team valued having the equipment mounted on the pond bank rather than floating in the middle. This provided easier access for monitoring and maintenance and offered important operator-safety advantages.
Because the technology was relatively new to Australian wastewater treatment, Mr Mendes assessed it cautiously. Hydro Innovations supported the system with the pump’s standard five-year warranty and a money-back guarantee if it failed to deliver the promised results. Craig Mostyn Group proceeded with the installation.
Results: a 97% reduction in algae
The Talloman team installed the system to specification and tracked total algae taxa from day one. When the unit was installed in March 2022, the count measured 217,000 cells/mL. By the final reading in May, it had fallen to 6,630 cells/mL—a reduction of 97%.
The team was also pleased with the system’s accessibility for routine monitoring and maintenance.
EchoStorm aerator sizing and applications
EchoStorm aerators are available in sizes from 50 mm to 150 mm, and multiple units can be combined for larger requirements. Where higher oxygen levels are needed, larger, more efficient pumps can supply two or more EchoStorm venturi aerators. Multiple units improve mixing and help eliminate dead spots that competing technologies can leave behind.
EchoStorm units can draw water from different levels and areas of a water source and discharge it wherever treatment is required. This gives asset owners more options for mixing and creating treatment zones.
Venturi aerators can treat food-processing wastewater, municipal wastewater and mine water, and can also be used for lake destratification.
Discuss your wastewater pond aeration requirements
Need to reduce algae, odour or low dissolved oxygen in a wastewater pond? Ask Hydro Innovations to size an EchoStorm aeration system for your site. Email info@hydroinnovations.com.au or contact our technical team.