In the catchment area of the Kaartjärvi wastewater treatment plant there are both permanent residents, an aerospace centre, a military training area, a campsite and motel in Räyskälä and a large number of summer cottages. The number of residents varies greatly, and especially in the summer season from May to late September wastewater volumes double from normal levels.
The first treatment plant was constructed in Kaartjärvi in 2008 in the middle of nature, tens of kilometres from central treatment plants. The plant selected by the municipality was the Raita BioKem XL Sewage Cleaner.
The 40 kilometre distance to Loppi was a challenge, as was the lack of transfer pipelines.
– We built an 11 kilometre pipeline with seven pumping stations before the treatment plant. There are two pipelines for wastewater: in winter we use one and in summer two, says Pasi Träff, property manager and HVAC technician at Loppi municipality.
Municipality chose Raita Biokem XL Sewage Cleaner in tendering process
– We visit the wastewater plant three times a week, which for us is the regular weekly inspection rate, and if necessary the system sends us alerts to our phones. Each visit takes about 15 minutes. The process works really well and plant maintenance has been swift, Träff says.
The treatment results have complied with the permit conditions all the time and the plant’s environmental permit has already been renewed once. The Kokemäki water protection association monitors the plant’s operations and sends its reports to the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.
– The treatment of organic matter, phosphorous and nitrogen has gone really well with very little surplus sludge for removal. It’s easy to pump out the surplus sludge once a year, Träff says.
Raita Biokem XL Sewage Cleaner unfazed by minor power cuts
Reliability has been good and there have been no disruptions. Having underground electricity cabling has definitely also helped.
– Raita’s production plant and warehouse are in Rajamäki, and we’ve sourced any spare parts quickly. We’ve done the maintenance ourselves, including clean-ups and pump replacements. But we could also get maintenance from Rajamäki promptly, Träff says.
Raita has designed its treatment plants to be easy to operate and adjustable.
– Especially in municipalities with summer cottages it’s important to have a wastewater plant that can be adjusted. We only use the maximum flow when necessary so as not to waste energy. The process is easy to manage and the plant doesn’t have too many moving parts, Träff smiles.
