3 December 2015

Firies put out sewage plant fire at Lower Molonglo centre

| Charlotte
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Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre

Firefighters have extinguished a small fire this morning at the Lower Molonglo sewage treatment plant.

The Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre is the main treatment facility for Canberra. It is the largest inland treatment facility in Australia.

ACT Fire & Rescue responded to the site with two fire pumpers, HAZMAT unit and commander after being alerted to the incident just before 10 o’clock.

Firefighters entered the premises wearing breathing apparatus and discovered a small fire on the conveyor belt with an incinerator and quickly extinguished it.

Fire crews were this morning ventilating smoke from the building. The cause was unknown when emergency services alerted us to the incident.

During the sewage treatment process at the plant all solid material, known as “sewage sludge”, is removed and incinerated in a high temperature furnace. The resulting ash, Agri-Ash, is sold to farmers as a soil conditioner.

A screening process removes all items over 5mm in diameter. Occasionally unusual objects such as false teeth, plastic toys, garden connections, cans, bottles, metal objects and paintbrushes are discovered in the sewage.

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rubaiyat said :

I observed the sewage plant by air several years ago and it seemed to me if it weren’t for mechanical engineers doing what mechanical engineers do, the whole process could be accomplished by terracing the slope so that the sewerage moves slowly through heavily forested and vegetated land to clean the water naturally.

Much like wetlands but on a slope.

Well done, you’ve solved all the world’s sanitation problems in one paragraph.

rubaiyat said :

I observed the sewage plant by air several years ago and it seemed to me if it weren’t for mechanical engineers doing what mechanical engineers do, the whole process could be accomplished by terracing the slope so that the sewerage moves slowly through heavily forested and vegetated land to clean the water naturally.

Much like wetlands but on a slope.

That would be a very “slippery slope” indeed.

no pictures ?

neanderthalsis said :

That may have been caused by the lakhsa I had the other night.

There are days when Riot Act *really* needs a “like” button.
This is one of them.

rubaiyat said :

I observed the sewage plant by air several years ago and it seemed to me if it weren’t for mechanical engineers doing what mechanical engineers do, the whole process could be accomplished by terracing the slope so that the sewerage moves slowly through heavily forested and vegetated land to clean the water naturally.

Much like wetlands but on a slope.

In NSW, similarly thoughtful land owners have been doing all sorts of things to improve and regenerate their land – invariably, they receive notices from the bureaucrats in Sydney informing them that they’ve breached subsection so-and-so of section what-not and prepare for prosecution.

Our leaders lack imagination and the capacity to implement good ideas.

I think I disagree with Rubaiyat about many things, but I’d rather Rubaiyat running this town than *any* of the party hacks currently busy tripling our rates.

rubaiyat said :

I observed the sewage plant by air several years ago and it seemed to me if it weren’t for mechanical engineers doing what mechanical engineers do, the whole process could be accomplished by terracing the slope so that the sewerage moves slowly through heavily forested and vegetated land to clean the water naturally.

Much like wetlands but on a slope.

A slippery slope indeed…

I observed the sewage plant by air several years ago and it seemed to me if it weren’t for mechanical engineers doing what mechanical engineers do, the whole process could be accomplished by terracing the slope so that the sewerage moves slowly through heavily forested and vegetated land to clean the water naturally.

Much like wetlands but on a slope.

neanderthalsis12:08 pm 30 Nov 15

That may have been caused by the lakhsa I had the other night.

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