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[...]Staßfurt and Spaichingen, Germany HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID – an innovative product with more and more success in Germany In 2017, HUBER was successful with its innovative HUBER CarbonWin ® system for carbon removal, winning projects in two federal states of Germany. We are now working busily on implementing the two projects in Saxony-Anhalt and Baden-Württemberg. Project Staßfurt – first HUBER CarbonWin ® system installation in Germany Staßfurt is a town in the Salzlandkreis district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. On 31 st January 1851, the town became the cradle of the worldwide potash mining industry. It was the seat of the Royal Prussian Salt Mine, the first potash mine in the world. When the first potash mine shafts were driven, Staßfurt experienced an enormous economic upswing due to the mining industry itself but also due to the chemical industry settling there. The sewage treatment plant Staßfurt is designed for 40,00 PE. As more and more industries have settled there, the inlet COD load has steadily increased and is now equivalent to approx. 46,000 PE. The nitrogen concentration, however, would suggest a plant size of 27,000 PE. Given these basic conditions, an economically attractive solution had to be found to eliminate the very large amounts of carbon generated on site. The overall concept would have to include the change of the process management from aerobic to anaerobic sludge stabilisation and digestion. To achieve this, it is necessary to build a primary clarification stage. With its reduced space requirements and economic efficiency, the HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID represents the better alternative to a conventional primary clarifier. The HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID is applied for fine screening the wastewater and designed for a partial flow treatment of 100 l/s. As the total flow to the sewage treatment plant is 256 l/s under stormwater conditions, 156 l/s are discharged in this case. Due to the very high COD removal rate of the HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID, the biological sewage treatment stage on site (see fig. 1) can soon be shut down. This will save considerable amounts of aeration energy. Moreover, the primary sludge generated from fine screening with the HUBER screen will be converted into energy-rich biogas in the digester and this biogas converted into electrical energy in a block heat and power plant. The principle of the treatment process on STP Staßfurt The HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID is installed downstream of the grit trap instead of a primary settling tank and integrated into the existing system. The maximum flow to the screen is controlled by a flow meter and control valve. Special focus has been placed on the fact that the HUBER screen is a gravity flow system. HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID screens are installed horizontally in the channel. The water flows through the screen from inside to outside. The maximum filter surface can be utilised due to the horizontal position of the screen drum and at the same time a very high maximum possible upstream level. As the water level upstream of the machine increases, a filter carpet is developing on the filter mesh. Due to the filter carpet leading to a deep bed filtration effect, all particles are retained that are much smaller than the nominal aperture size of the mesh. When the water level upstream of the drum screen reaches the maximum permissible water level, the screen basket is cleaned. The fine screenings (primary sludge) are removed from the screen surface and accumulate in the internal trough from where they are conveyed by gravity to the downstream continuous thickener. The statically thickened sludge from the continuous thickener is pumped into the digester or optionally further thickened in a HUBER Disc Thickener S-Disc unit. Also the surplus sludge generated is thickened in the HUBER Disc Thickener S-Disc prior to being pumped into the digester. Project Spaichingen Situated on the river Prim at the foot of the Dreifaltigkeitsberg hills, Spaichingen is the third largest market town in the district of Tuttlingen. The river Prim is a tributary of the upper reaches of the river Neckar in Baden-Württemberg and flows along the steep escarpment of the Albtrauf hills. The mountains Dreifaltigkeitsberg and Heuberg belong to the Danube Hills Nature Park. Designed or a capacity of 17,000 PE, the sewage treatment works Spaichingen clarifies the municipal and industrial wastewater of the municipalities Spaichingen and Balgheim. The sewage treatment plant is already operated as an anaerobic sludge stabilisation process with digestion. The maximum stormwater flow that can be handled by the plant is 175 l/s. After completion of this stage of extension it will have a capacity for 225 l/s. The sewage treatment plant is equipped with an Imhoff tank that is used as a primary clarifier. The Imhoff tank has reached its design capacity limit, this means that it fulfills its task under dry weather conditions and will do so in the future, but will be overloaded under stormwater conditions. Due to the planned plant extension by another 50 l/s a solution had to be found to improve the situation. Various options were discussed. The first approach under discussion was to integrate a two-line primary clarifier and shut down the Imhoff tank. There would have been enough space on site for this solution but they actually did not want to give up the Imhoff tank that still worked well with dry weather conditions and were therefore looking for an alternative. Mechanical carbon removal with a HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID as fine screening system was then found to be the all in all more economical solution. With the use of the Drum Screen LIQUID (with a throughput of 100 l/s in normal operation) it is possible to reduce the load on the Imhoff tank during peak hours and establish a controlled plant operation. Despite the capacity extension, the Imhoff tank can still be operated at its optimal operating point and, depending on its capacity utilisation, the HUBER Drum Screen can additionally be switched on as required to meet the requested separation results. A specific feature of this project is that the HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID will be installed into an old aeration tank that is not needed anymore. There will additionally be a building in the tank to ensure optimal working conditions. The throughput is regulated by a flow meter with control valve installed downstream of the grit trap via gravity lines to the HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID. The principle of the treatment process on STP Spaichingen The wastewater flows through the HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID in tank from inside to outside (see fig. 3). The wastewater is fed via a gravity line downstream of the grit trap. As the water level upstream of the machine increases, a filter carpet is developing on the filter mesh. The fine screenings (primary sludge) are removed from the screen surface and accumulate in the internal trough from where they are conveyed to a downstream HUBER Wash Press WAP® liquid. With this dewatering system, a freely adjustable, defined DR content of the primary sludge can be achieved. An eccentric screw pump with buffer tank delivers the mechanically thickened primary sludge to the existing digester. The generated surplus sludge is thickened together with the primary sludge of the Imhoff tank or optionally further treated in a static thickener prior to being passed on to the digester. The projects Staßfurt and Spaichingen are in the construction phase and will go into service in summer 2018. Both sewage treatment plants are taking another step forward together with HUBER towards becoming a sewage treatment plant of the future.[...]

[...]Linz-Asten, Austria Replacement of coarse screens, refurbishment of screenings treatment system, new screenings removal and transport station On the largest sewage treatment plant in Upper Austria with a design size of 950,000 PE, the coarse screens were replaced and the screenings treatment system was refurbished. Furthermore, a screenings removal and transport station was built. The entire municipal area of the regional capital Linz and 39 neighbouring municipalities with a total catchment area of 900 km² are drained via the regional sewage treatment plant Asten. In addition, the biodegradable wastewaters from big industry companies are processed, such as wastewater from the coke smelting works Linz of Voestalpine Stahl GmbH and DSM Chemie. The industrial wastewater amounts to approx. 30% of the total flow. The maximum flow from the catchment area, which is drained primarily through a combined system, is 8.8 m³/s while the maximum dry weather flow is 2.7 m³/s. The location of the sewage treatment plant is characterized by the Danube barrage Abwinden-Asten. The pondage of the dam power station extends up to the city area of Linz. The location of the sewage treatment plant in the city’s eastern neighbour municipality Asten at the dam power station has therefore been selected to ensure the Linz sewers can drain by gravity on their way to the STP. The wastewater flow is lifted into the sewage treatment plant and there treated mechanically and biologically. The treated flow is passed to the tailwater of the power plant. The four old parallel-flow rake screens on site with 80 mm bar spacing were installed long ago, around the year 1979, when STP Asten went into service in the form it is now. The fine screens were replaced in 2000 by revolving chain screens with 10 mm bar spacing. HUBER supplied the associated conveyors and screenings treatment systems for the new fine screens and the wash press for the coarse screens. As the regional sewage treatment plant Linz is a training site for sewage works operators and also frequently visited as a destination of excursions, and of course for technical reasons as well, it was necessary to replace the coarse screens by a state-of-the-art solution and reduce the odour nuisance inside the screening chamber. The old parallel-flow screens with 80 mm bar spacing were dismounted and HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax® units with 35 mm bar spacing installed instead. The new screens have a smaller bar spacing and higher separation efficiency so that larger amounts of screenings are generated but the revolving chain screens can cope with this as their surface is cleaned very quickly. Double screw conveyors with 600 / 500 mm diameter were installed at right angles to the four new coarse screens and the four fine screens, which are all arranged side by side. The screw conveyors transport the screenings into HUBER Wash Press WAP® units size 2x8. Each of the wash presses has a capacity of 16 m³/h raw material throughput. The two double wash presses dewater the screenings and push them through four pipes installed at a steep angle, up to above the screenings loading point for removal and transport. At the end of these four pipes the screenings plugs are broken up to avoid undefined big agglomerations. At four points, the broken up screenings fall into a screw which distributes them into one of two covered roll-off containers (which one depends on the direction of screw rotation). Each of the containers has a gable-roof shaped cover. Under the “ridge” of the cover, a screw conveyor with open bottom distributes the material longitudinally in the container. When the container is full, the distribution screw reverses its conveying direction and starts to fill the other container. The refurbishing project was planned by the engineering office Dr. Lengyel ZT-GmbH in Vienna. We would like to say “thank you” to the BDL engineers and the plant managers of STP Asten for the excellent collaboration right from the beginning up to commissioning – we always enjoyed the congenial and constructive working atmosphere very much![...]

[...]Morgantown, West Virginia, USA USA keep relying on HUBER when it comes to screening wastewater upstream of membrane plants The HUBER fine screens for the protection of downstream membrane plants have a long tradition in the USA. Due to continued further development we have been able to offer our customers tailored solutions for membrane screening and implement machines for a variety of different applications. Our screens were also selected recently for the project Morgantown where they will protect Evoqua's Memcor hollow fibre membranes. Morgantown is a city and county seat of the Monongalia County in the north of the US state West Virginia. The town was founded in 1810 and is situated on the Monongahela River, near the border to Pennsylvania. Due to the rapidly developing infrastructure and associated additional loads arriving on the sewage treatment plant Morgantown, the wastewater treatment on site had to be adapted to cope with increased flows and to meet also the EPA standards. Three years passed from the first contact until order placement. Finally, HUBER USA managed to receive the order for the complete mechanical pretreatment equipment including the membrane screens. Commissioning of the machines is scheduled for mid of 2018: HUBER STEP SCREEN® SSV, the well-proven inlet screen HUBER Wash Press WAP® units for screenings treatment HUBER Coanda Grit Washer RoSF4 for grit classification and separation of organic matter from grit HUBER Perforated Plate Screen ROTAMAT® STAR liquid for membrane screening HUBER Micro Strainer ROTAMAT® Ro9 to treat the fine screenings from the membrane screen Reliable protection of the membrane plants with HUBER Perforated Plate Screen ROTAMAT® STAR liquid We had to meet several specific customer requirements with our machines to be installed for the protection of the hollow fibre membranes: Reliable separation of disturbing material Space-saving installation downstream of the primary settling tank Easy removal and transport of the separated fine screenings Downstream treatment of the fine screenings Three HUBER Perforated Plate ROTAMAT® STAR liquid screens were finally selected, two for parallel operation and one as standby unit. The throughput capacity per unit is 608 l/s. The fine screenings from each machine flow through gravity lines into a central pipeline through which they are flushed to a pump sump. From this pump sump, the water-solids mix is pumped to two HUBER Micro Strainer ROTAMAT® Ro9 units. The micro strainers are installed approx. 6 m above the fine screen. Due to its unique and special design the HUBER Perforated Plate ROTAMAT® STAR liquid screen can be installed at a small inclination angle. This, in addition to the 30% larger screening surface of the screen basket provided by the innovative STAR design, makes it possible to achieve very high throughputs. Moreover, the separated screenings can be passed on to further treatment as a water-solids mix without the need for an additional discharge screw. A great advantage of this solution is that the screenings do not have to be treated in the machine but can be treated centrally even at a distant location. Extra screw conveyors that would need a lot of space are therefore not necessary. This concept has already been implemented in many installations around the world and this project will be the first of this kind in the USA. It is a very interesting and economical system for projects where space-saving solutions combined with high throughputs and maximum freedom of planning are required for the treatment of screenings.[...]

[...]Development of innovative sewage treatment technology as a component for energy self-sufficient treatment plants For the process changeover from aerobic to anaerobic sludge stabilisation fine screening systems represent a highly interesting alternative when it comes to reducing the solids loads in the biological treatment stage. Fine screening achieves better removal rates than a conventional primary settling tank but on a much smaller footprint and with significantly lower investment costs. Changeover from aerobic to anaerobic sludge stabilisation reduces aeration costs by at least 20-25%. The reduction is achieved through removal of the carbon upstream of the biological treatment stage of the wastewater treatment plant, e.g. by building a preliminary settling tank or installing a HUBER fine screening system. Due to continuously increasing energy costs, changing from an aerobic to an anaerobic process frequently makes sense for sewage treatment plants for economic reasons. The research project E-Klär (BMBF FKZ 02WER1319F) examines among other issues the "Increased gas yield through solids input". In cooperation with the research institution ISA (university of Aachen) and the water authority Ruhrverband processes for the removal of pollution loads in wastewater flows are tested on an industrial scale and analysed on a scientific level. HUBER supplies the mechanical equipment that is required to carry out the tests. The central element of the research project are the 68 municipal sewage treatment plants operated by the Ruhrverband. These are plants of all sizes and cover a wide spectrum of different processes for sewage treatment. On many of them, whether bigger or smaller, block heat and power stations are installed to provide for the energetic use of the biogas that is generated by the anaerobic sludge stabilisation process. On most of these sewage treatment plants the electric and thermal energy is mainly used directly on site. The project with a duration of three years started at the beginning of 2015. Here is a summary of the test results: Results of carbon removal with a HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID Reduction achieved for filterable solids with a plant size of 28,500 PE Reduction achieved for total COD with a plant size of 28,500 PE Reduction achieved for filterable solids with a plant size of 17,000 PE Reduction achieved for total COD with a plant size of 17,000 PE The results of the tests carried out on two sewage treatment plants are presented in the following. The design size of the sewage treatment plants is 17,000 PE and 28,500 PE. On both plants, the HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID was operated for approximately five weeks, with different throughputs of up to 35 l/s. Both plants have installed a 6 mm preliminary screen and a conventional grit trap. The wastewater was taken from the channel downstream of the grit trap and pumped to the HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID. Figure 6 shows the HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID in compact design with (optional) downstream mechanical screenings thickening which is performed by a HUBER Wash Press WAP® liquid installed in a tank. Samples marked "2-h" are two-hour random samples (composite samples) taken during the day, while samples marked "10 h" are ten-hour composite samples taken during the night. Additionally, time-proportional 24-hour daily mixed samples were taken and analysed. The figure on the right show that an average total COD reduction of 51-57% and AFS reduction of 71-72% could be achieved on both sewage treatment plants with the use of a HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID. These results were achieved without adding polymer. The separation capacity of conventional primary settlement tanks with material residence times of 0.5 to 1 h is 25% COD reduction and 50% AFS reduction according to ATV A 131. Sewage treatment plant 1 with 28,500 PE had a rate of external water of approximately 75%. This background explains the significantly reduced concentrations of AFS and COD in the inflow. Despite of the high rate of external water, more than 90% of all measurements showed a COD elimination of more than 50%. The low AFS concentrations could also be reduced by on average 72%. On sewage treatment plant 2 with 17,000 PE, the inlet concentrations of > 600 mg/l COD are high compared to plant 1. The reduction achieved on this plant was 71% on average for AFS and 51% for COD. These excellent outcomes result from the special functional principle of the HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID. The screen is equipped with a fine 0.1-0.3 mm stainless steel mesh. Due to these small apertures the screen retains even finer particles which could not be removed by primary sedimentation. Through screening alone, the HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID achieves results comparable to a conventional primary settlement tank. Due to the additional effect of deep bed filtration, however, the fine screen is able to remove much more COD and AFS from the wastewater flow than a conventional primary settlement tank. Deep bed filtration is enabled by the filter carpet that is formed inside the drum by the separated solidst. Contrary to a primary settlement tank, it is possible to specifically influence AFS and COD removal efficiency of the drum screen by changing the mesh aperture of the screen. Depending on the specific length of the HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID, flow rates of up to 200 l/s per machine are possible. This allows for space-saving solutions when it comes to reducing the strain on overloaded sewage treatment plants or increasing the capacity of the plants. Such a system is also suitable to be used if run-down aeration tanks need to be refurbished as one of several aeration tanks can be shut down during its refurbishment without any loss of capacity on the sewage treatment plant. The installation of a HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID needs only about one tenth of the space of a primary settlement tank and is therefore perfect to be used as a replacement for the primary clarifier especially on sewage treatment plants where the available space is too limited to install a conventional primary settling tank (figure on the right). Process description of the HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID for carbon removal To achieve the aim of mechanically reducing the loads in the bio-system and replace a primary settling tank, a HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID was used in place of a primary settling tank when changing from an aerobic treatment process to anaerobic treatment with sludge digestion. The HUBER Drum Screen LIQUID is a new development that has been designed on the basis of the operation principle of the traditional HUBER Rotary Drum Screen ROTAMAT® units. The innovation uses external screenings treatment and allows for flexibility in location selection for the screenings predewatering system. The screenings can simply be flushed into the screenings press through a pipeline, against the direction of the wastewater flow from the drum screen. Furthermore, a trough with connected pipeline is installed inside the screen drum that provides an extremely flexible and easy solution for screenings transport to the HUBER Screenings Wash Press WAP® liquid. The maximum filter surface can be utilised due to the horizontal position of the screen drum and at the same time a very high maximum possible upstream level. Very high throughputs with excellent separation results can thus be achieved. Options of Screenings Thickening In the HUBER Screenings Wash Press WAP® liquid, which has especially been developed for the treatment of fine screenings, the generated screenings are predewatered to DS contents of up to 10% without the use of any polymers. The dewatering degree can directly be influenced as the HUBER Screenings Wash Press WAP® liquid is equipped with exchangeable perforated plates. The screenings separated by the fine screen are flushed into the wash press through a gravity pipeline. A part of the liquid phase can drain off through the very fine perforated plate inside the wash press. In practice, a DS content of approx. 3-4% has turned out to be reasonable for the digester. The thickened screenings from the WAP® liquid can directly be delivered into the digester by means of an eccentric screw pump. As applicable, the sludge can alternatively be treated in a continuous thickener, or the primary and secondary sludge are thickened together. Owing to our extensive experience of the past years and the reliable operation principle of the Drum Screen LIQUID, it was possible once more to successfully develop an innovation for the future – another major step towards an energy self-sufficient sewage treatment plant.[...]

[...]Machines and plants for wastewater treatment are usually installed as permanent installations in structures and buildings due to process engineering necessities. This usually requires extensive preliminary investigations, studies, concepts, planning, authorisations, tenders and construction phases involving and coordinating a wide range of different trades. This is usually a lengthy, costly and capital-intensive process. Systems that are not permanently installed but temporarily rented are the alternative. Their short-term availability is also particularly advantageous, which is why rental systems can also be selected for short-term breakdowns, construction work or to bridge a gap. With fixed monthly payments, this model offers many industries an interesting option to the large amount of capital tied up in permanent installations. Such rental systems have been and continue to be in demand, particularly from the industrial sector, but also from municipal plant operators, and we are already supplying them with machines from the HUBER pilot plant and used machine stock. Due to the steady increase in enquiries, HUBER is now starting the targeted expansion of the business for rental plants, including the necessary services. The following plant types are currently available (each fully equipped in containerised and skid-mounted design, with control system and necessary accessories): HUBER Dissolved Air Flotation HDF plants up to 80 m³/h throughput, for pre- and secondary treatment of municipal wastewater (reduction of filterable solids, grease and COD) HUBER Screw Press Q-PRESS ® units for dewatering industrial and municipal sludge and residues Ultra-fine screens with up to 80 µm separation efficiency In the medium term, the existing machinery will be expanded to include further technologies and plants, each in mobile design. Get in touch with us, either via your known contact person or by e-mail to rent@huber.de ![...]

[...]Powell River, BC, Canada Proven products from the Safe Access Solutions (SAS) business unit for Canada: HUBER is supplying a total of 6 Pressure-Tight Doors TT7 for the new wastewater treatment plant in Powell River in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The region around the Canadian metropolis of Vancouver, located in the southwest part of the country on the border to the United States, has become a “hotspot” for HUBER products such as stainless steel pressure-tight and access doors. HUBER had received the order in June 2021 from the responsible contractor Graham Construction. The project was secured after early collaboration with the responsible engineer and the Canadian company BowRio Water Technologies. The contractor reported that there were no problems with the product, neither leaks nor problems with the stainless steel workmanship or dimensions. The doors were easy to install – overall, HUBER stainless steel doors are a “great product”. HUBER has been fortunate enough to work with Graham Construction on many other projects as well, and we look forward to continue that partnership. Six HUBER Pressure-Tight Doors TT7 as new access points The scope of supply includes 6 HUBER Pressure-tight Doors TT7 measuring 800 millimeters x 1800 millimeters made of pressure-resistant 316 stainless steel. In the future, the doors will serve as access points to the plant’s bioreactors and aerobic digesters. The proximity to the sea and the harsh wastewater conditions made it necessary for the doors to be made entirely of 316 stainless steel. They must also withstand seven meters of pressure and have a central wheel latch that can be operated from both sides. Compliance with state environmental regulations The City of Powell River on the Sunshine Coast in Canada’s far southwest had already begun planning a new wastewater treatment plant in 2011. The plant would have to comply with (federal) environmental regulations, for which the city received funding from the Canadian government and the state of British Columbia in 2019. $76 million project The new Powell River wastewater treatment plant is a major project in which the city is investing $76 million. This new plant will combine all wastewater from the existing Westview, Townsite and Wildwood plants; the three plants will be decommissioned once the new Powell River plant is in operation. Further projects in planning The relationships that HUBER and its U.S. subsidiary HUBER Technology Inc. have built with engineering firms there have helped the HUBER brand become even more associated with stainless steel Access and Pressure-tight Doors in British Columbia. HUBER has many more projects in the pipeline and will continue to provide proven and innovative solutions in the future. The representative BowRio Water Technologies who helped secure this project is no longer in business. HUBER’s new representative in the western region of Canada is Ramtech.[...]

[...]The HUBER ROTAMAT ® family is the foundation on which HUBER SE started its development in wastewater technology. On this basis, the company has been able to grow and develop continuously. With over 30 different machine types in mechanical pre-treatment alone, HUBER SE has developed into a globally operating company. Nevertheless, the ROTAMAT ® machines remain an important cornerstone of HUBER SE and now demonstrate that this system is still outstanding, especially in large projects with screen basket diameters of over 2 metres. The efficiency and reliability of the ROTAMAT ® technology is even evident in demanding applications and the technology continues to prove its worth in wastewater treatment. HUBER Rotary Drum Fine Screen ROTAMAT ® Ro2 impresses in Austria and Colombia With a dry weather inflow of 103,600 m 3 per day, the Salzburg-Siggerwiesen municipal wastewater treatment plant is the largest in the province of Salzburg. The plant has been in operation since 1986 and in 2023 they installed the fourth generation of intake screens. After detailed considerations, the management of the wastewater treatment plant finally decided in favour of two HUBER Rotary Drum Fine Screen ROTAMAT ® Ro2 units with a screen basket diameter of 2.6 m and a bar spacing of 3 mm. In spring 2023, the perforated plate screens from 2009 were removed and replaced by the new screens. These fit exactly into the two existing channels and have now been convincing for over a year with low maintenance and high separation performance. Especially the use of the air knife in combination with a permanently installed high-pressure cleaning system offers several advantages. The air knife cleans the screen basket of the Ro2 with a certain air pressure and thus saves the use of the spray nozzle bar installed as standard. Only the high-pressure cleaning system uses water at a pressure of 120 bar every three operating hours to intensively clean the screen basket. The use of these two components therefore saves both water and the maintenance time and costs for manual cleaning. The HUBER Rotary Drum Fine Screen ROTAMAT ® Ro2 is also used in the Barranquilla wastewater treatment plant in Colombia. HUBER sold the first Ro2 unit with a diameter of 2.6 m and a bar spacing of 2 mm back in 2017. It treats a wastewater flow of 934 l/s and convinced the customer. This is demonstrated above all by the fact that this year the extension of the plant was also awarded to HUBER SE after the competition was not convincing. Two more Ro2s of the same size will therefore be delivered next year and will thus continue to ensure wastewater treatment there. Not only the HUBER Rotary Drum Fine Screen ROTAMAT ® Ro2 units are convincing. The ROTAMAT ® STAR and ROTAMAT ® RPPS screens show how flexible the ROTAMAT ® concept is and how it can be utilised in other fields of application. Pre-screening of wastewater upstream of membrane systems in the USA Pre-screening the wastewater before it goes through a membrane system plays a crucial role in water treatment and is becoming increasingly important in the USA. Its main aim is to protect downstream membrane systems and improve the efficiency of water treatment. At the same time, it relieves the downstream treatment stages and reduces maintenance costs. Various HUBER technologies are used for pre-screening, including the ROTAMAT ® STAR and RPPS screens. Similar to the ROTAMAT ® Ro2 screen, these machines combine the functions of screening, washing, discharging, compacting and dewatering in one compact and robust unit. In contrast to the ROTAMAT ® Ro2, however, the ROTAMAT ® STAR and RPPS are equipped with a perforated plate screen. This enables two-dimensional screening, which ensures a higher separation efficiency. The screen basket of the ROTAMAT ® RPPS has an aperture width of at least 1.5 mm, which already makes it suitable for membrane pre-screening. If even finer screening is required, the folded screen basket of the ROTAMAT® STAR can be used. This can be designed with a hole diameter of 1 mm and thus enables even finer separation. In addition, the screening surface is increased, which leads to a higher flow rate due to the star-shaped folding of the screen basket. In the USA, these two machine types have proven their worth in membrane pre-screening over the last two years. As in Salzburg-Siggerwiesen, the large machines are now also being used there. Both the ROTAMAT ® RPPS with a hole diameter of 2 mm and four machines are being used in one project, as well as the ROTAMAT ® STAR with two machines and a hole diameter of 1 mm. Two further orders were landed in the USA last year. ROTAMAT ® STAR with a basket diameter of 2.0 m and ROTAMAT ® RPPS with a diameter of 2.2 m are being used to protect the membranes. Another special feature of the two orders is that these machines are manufactured entirely at the HUBER Technology, Inc. production site in Denver, North Carolina and therefore directly in the USA. From West to East: major projects are in Asia HUBER ROTAMAT ® machines have proven themselves not only in America, but also in South Korea and India, leading to major projects. In South Korea, a total of 30 ROTAMAT ® STAR units with a screen basket diameter of 3 metres and a hole width of 1 mm for fine screening of wastewater will be supplied. Customers in India are also impressed. A project for a sewage treatment plant is in the pipeline there, which will be equipped with ten of the largest ROTAMAT ® STAR screens. These have a screen basket diameter of 3 metres and a hole width of 2 mm. It is gratifying to see how this technology, with which HUBER started its entry into the wastewater technology business, is now contributing to efficient wastewater treatment worldwide.[...]

[...]Floods are a growing and serious threat. With rising sea levels and increasing weather extremes, the frequency and intensity of flooding is increasing worldwide. These natural disasters not only endanger human lives, but also cause considerable damage to infrastructure, property and the environment. Given this reality, it is crucial to take flood prevention measures and implement solutions such as flood-proof doors to minimise the risk and impact of flooding. HUBER Flood-Proof Exterior Door TT6 HUBER has focussed its attention on the development of flood resistant doors and already has a product in its portfolio that meets these requirements: The HUBER Flood-Proof Exterior Door TT6 This door is designed to withstand up to 2 metres of water column, which corresponds to a pressure of 0.2 bar. This remarkable feature makes the door extremely resistant to the challenges associated with flooded environments. The specific design of the door makes it possible to effectively withstand the water pressure and thus protect the environment inside. Continuous optimisation HUBER is currently in an active phase of continuous optimisation of its flood-proof doors. A central focus here is on improving user-friendliness. The company is doing everything in its power to ensure that the door not only fulfils the highest safety requirements but is also extremely practical and easy to use. This focussed effort to increase the usability of the flood resistant door demonstrates HUBER's commitment to creating solutions that are not only effective but also practical and user-friendly. This not only improves protection against flooding but also optimises the everyday use of the door.[...]

[...]Current situation In industrial production, products are typically manufactured from raw materials using water and external energy. In addition to residual and waste materials, used water and not inconsiderable amounts of surplus energy in the form of waste heat are usually generated. In addition to immediate reutilisation of the heat energy within the production process and/or direct discharge from the system via separate cooling systems such as cooling towers, larger amounts of heat are also discharged via the wastewater. Increasing demands on discharge quality requirements Particularly in the case of industrial plants with direct discharge into small to medium-sized receiving waters, the discharge quality requirements are gradually being tightened under the influence of the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive. This currently very often affects the limit values for phosphate, but increasingly also the discharge temperatures. A distinction is often even made between summer and winter discharges in order to take account of the natural temperature fluctuations of surface waters. This poses major challenges for industrial dischargers, particularly in the winter months, as the wastewater has high temperatures throughout the year due to production processes. Implementation options: HUBER energy recovery from wastewater Ideally, the necessary cooling of wastewater is carried out in such a way that the extracted thermal energy can be recovered profitably and is not lost. Unfortunately, however, direct utilisation from the wastewater is rarely possible because the wastewater is rarely clean the temperature level is comparatively low With project-specific combinations of HUBER Heat Exchanger RoWin and a suitably designed heat pump, HUBER offers a wide range of possibilities to combine the reduction of discharge temperatures required for environmental protection with regenerative heat reuse. Each application is individually tested and conceptualised. The centrepiece of every plant is the HUBER Heat Exchanger RoWin, which can be operated continuously with wastewater containing solids and grease without any problems due to its automated cleaning system. This also makes it possible to transfer the energy discharge to the inlet area of the internal wastewater treatment plant, where more favourable / higher temperature conditions usually prevail. HUBER Heat Exchangers can be used as single or group units in parallel or series connection. Depending on the existing temperatures in the wastewater, its volume and the target temperatures for discharge and internal reuse, different energy utilisation concepts can be realised. For example, in the future and already today, plant buildings can be heated (especially in winter), rinsing and washing water can be preheated, production processes can be heated, fermenters or the fermenter inlets can be preheated. In each case, the primary energy input for these processes is reduced. In this way, a valuable contribution can be made to conserving resources while at the same time protecting natural surface waters.[...]

[...]Mooresville, North Carolina, USA The ninth belt dryer project was sold in the USA in 2022. The USA has thus established itself as the second largest belt dryer market in the HUBER Group. There is no doubt that the foundation stone for this success was laid in the Mooresville belt dryer project in North Carolina: This year we are celebrating 10 years of operation of the plant in Mooresville. The BT 20 belt dryer (formerly known as BT 5-2) serves the wastewater treatment plant with a maximum capacity of 28,400 m3/d (7.5 MGD). Since its commissioning in 2013, this dryer has made a significant contribution to efficient waste management and the sustainable utilisation of resources. ”Town brown”, the brown gold of Mooresville The belt dryer is loaded with non-stabilised excess sludge from the sewage treatment plant. This is dewatered to 18% DR using a belt filter press. The dewatered sewage sludge is then dried to at least 90% solids content. This is passed on to local farmers for agricultural use. Among farmers in the region and in internal circles, the dried sewage sludge is also called ”town brown” – the ”brown from the town”, the "brown gold of Mooresville" – because of its colour and the place where it is dried. Heat is supplied to the plant by a hot water boiler fuelled by natural gas. The dryer is designed for a water evaporation rate of 1,300 kg/h and offers the well-known and widely appreciated advantages of the HUBER belt dryer design: Sludge extruder for optimum feeding onto the dryer belt Minimised dust production Temperature control in the individual dryer modules The tenth anniversary of the dryer operation was used as an opportunity to talk with the wastewater treatment plant manager, Jamie Levis, and the sludge treatment plant manager, Larry Hendren, about the operating experience and future plans. The lively exchange of information allowed a look behind the scenes of this historic project for HUBER. Over 75,000 operating hours in total In the course of this, the experience gained from 10 years of operation, during which more than 75,000 operating hours were accumulated, was discussed in great detail. It was noted that it naturally takes some time to optimise the operation of such a system. This applies to the maintenance of the system as well as the special operating conditions of the individual system components. It also requires a machine operator who, as in most cases, should enjoy familiarising themselves with the machine technology and the subject matter. Insights from the plant personnel The plant personnel start their day with a daily inspection of the plant. According to Larry Hendren, this involves paying particular attention to the noises made by the individual components, which could indicate any developing susceptibility to faults. Smooth operation can be easily guaranteed with an appropriate stock of spare parts and proactive monitoring and maintenance work. In combination with stocking individual components, downtimes can be minimised and an average availability of the system of over 8,000 h/a can be guaranteed. The following key points were mentioned: Operation of the hot water boiler: water quality control Fresh air supply to the dryer: seasonal check of the antifreeze content for heat recovery Sludge delivery pump: rotor and stator replacement required, mechanical seal is preferable to normal packing seal Motor bearings of blower drives Sludge feed extruder + Perforated extruder plate + Cutter drive: - Axle bearing - Cutting knives High satisfaction with plant operation The sewage treatment plant staff are highly satisfied with the operation of the plant. This is also manifested in the fact that the staff regard the operation of the dryer as a personal matter when interested visitors come to see the plant. But it is also reflected in the large number of references that the Mooresville plant has provided for HUBER. This includes responding to enquiries from planning offices, through to personal visits to the plant, including answering questions relating to operation, maintenance and costs. The positive feedback from colleagues at the Mooresville wastewater treatment plant, especially Jamie Levis and Larry Hendren, regarding the belt dryer is certainly a major reason why the story of belt dryers in the USA has become a success story. Further HUBER products in use It should be mentioned in this context that other HUBER products are also in operation at the Mooresville WWTP: Tank-mounted HUBER Rotary Drum Fine Screen ROTAMAT ® Ro2 (1000, 6 mm) Third treatment stage for treatment plant effluent: Four HUBER Disc Filter RoDisc ® 18 units HUBER Multi-Rake Bar Screen RakeMax ® with Wash Press WAP ® , pumping station to the wastewater treatment plant The Mooresville WWTP is also available for testing plants of HUBER Technology, Inc., the HUBER subsidiary in the USA. These include the Screw Press S-PRESS and the Sludgecleaner STRAINPRESS ® . Firmly established in the region over the years It should also be noted that the operation of the belt dryer has become firmly established in the region over the years. The final product of the drying process is gladly purchased by several agricultural businesses in order to return the nutrients to the cycle. Hay production or grass production are examples of this. The use of dried sewage sludge has also manifested itself in the figurative naming. Farmers can't get enough of ”town brown”, the brown gold of Mooresville.[...]