An annual condition survey of a landfill leachate treatment plant audits records, inspects the plant, witnesses operating tests and reports defects and improvements. For a thermally driven treatment plant that has run for over two decades, a four-day inspection by a specialist team was proposed, giving the regulator an independent view of whether the plant is in satisfactory condition and what its remaining service life looks like.
The challenge: proving an old plant is still fit
The plant was designed and installed around 2000 and upgraded in 2003. Two independent systems operate on the site. The environmental regulator wanted an annual check that the plant and its infrastructure were in a satisfactory state.
The approach: six scope items
- Audit the manuals, maintenance schedules, reports and records against recommended operating procedures.
- Inspect maintenance and performance records.
- Inspect the plant, mobile plant, electrical and mechanical installations and structures for state of repair.
- Witness tests of the plant under operating conditions.
- Form a view of operation and maintenance condition, with regard to service life.
- Report: methodology, damage and defects, recommended rectification to meet the contract, and improvements to operation and maintenance.
Who does what
The report is prepared by the company’s technical director, who has been involved in commissioning thermal ammonia stripping plants since 1998 and designed the control systems. Because international travel was difficult, the on-site work was done by the company’s local representative, with the report prepared remotely. The managing director, as the process inventor, supports. The surveyor reports to the regulator, not to the plant operator.
Time and exclusions
About two days per system, four days on site in total, arranged at the convenience of operator, regulator and company. Parts, installation and manual labour are excluded, so the survey is purely an assessment. Fees were set for one survey with an annual inflation escalation.
Why it works
Records and observed condition are checked against each other. A plant with good records but visible corrosion, or good condition but missing records, will show up. The independent reporting line gives the regulator confidence. Using designers rather than generalist auditors means the surveyor knows where this process wears: heat exchangers, economiser sections, fans, bellows and instrumentation, items that recur in spare parts orders.
For UK practice on leachate management, see the Environment Agency’s landfill permit guidance.
What to consider for your own project
- Keep records ready: maintenance logs, performance data and manuals.
- Book witness tests when the plant is running normally.
- Decide who the report goes to.
- Use findings to plan spares and replacements.
- Budget annually, allowing for escalation.
For the technology itself, see thermal ammonia stripping using waste heat.
FAQ
What is a condition survey?
An independent assessment of a plant’s state of repair, maintenance and likely remaining life.
How long does it take on site?
About two days for each plant.
Does it include repairs?
No. Parts and labour are excluded.
Who receives the report?
In this case, the regulator.
Planning a plant survey?
Tell us about your plant and its history and we will discuss scope.