Background

• The prevailing national regulation of 100 mg/L BOD has now been reduced to 20 mg/L in Sabah, Sarawak and certain sensitive areas in the Peninsula.

• A joint survey by MPOB-DOE on POME tertiary treatment/polishing plant was carried out as a follow-up action to a series of dialogues and meetings regarding the stringent standard of POME discharge which involved several bodies including MPOA, MPOB, EMPA, DOE and EPD Sabah.

 

Objectives

• To study the ability of POME treatment plants to comply with BOD3 20 mg/l discharge limit (mill with tertiary treatment and mill with ponding system)

• To gather information related to the performance, compliance and issues of non-compliance with 20 mg/L BOD3 of tertiary/polishing plants currently in operation

• To report the outcomes of the survey to relevant authorities for further action

 

Survey

• Phase 1 : The survey was conducted by MPOB to  study the performance of tertiary/polishing                          plants by reviewing mill records and through site visits. 18 mills were involved in this                         survey.

• Phase 2 : Joint-sampling by MPOB and DOE at 14 mills (3 mills in Sabah and 11 mills in Sarawak)                      that were listed by DOE as consistently complying with BOD3 20 ppm (ponding and                       tertiary system).

• Phase 3 : Based on phase 1 and 2, six (6) mills (2 in Sabah, 4 in Sarawak) having tertiary systems                   which complied with BOD less than 20 mg/L were selected for further study:-

                   

                        > To study the consistency of the treatment plant throughout low and peak crop season:

                        > To further observe the tertiary plant configuration and operation:

                        > To investigate factors (technology and operation) toward achieving BOD 20 mg/L discharge    

                           limit.

 

• Phase 4 : Conducted on April – December 2012, to focus on 4 mills that are equipped with most                        potential technology that was capable to achieve BOD 20 mg/l consistently over a long                       period.

 

Findings

• From phase 4 survey, we identified 2 technologies that able to achieve BOD 20 ppm at more than 70% compliance rate

• While, those technologies are able to achieve BOD 50 ppm at 100% compliance rate

• The 2 technologies are:

  • Extended Aeration + Sand Filtration

  • Extended Aeration + Stone Filtration

• The other 2 technologies were found to be able to achieve BOD 50 ppm and below at more than 80% compliance rate, while compliance to BOD 20 ppm were less than 60%

• The 2 technologies are:      

  • Bioflow Activated Sludge + Clarifier

  • Extended Aeration + Membrane Ultrafiltration