Industries are becoming increasingly aware of their responsibilities regarding the correct treatment of wastewater or effluent discharge. AJM has the technology to meet those obligations.
BASED in an office on Aucklands North Shore, Richard Bucholz is national sales manager for AJM Environmental Services NZ Ltd. The New Zealand operation is a subsidiary of Sydney-based AJM Environmental Services Pty Ltd a company formed in the late 1990s to provide multidiscipline engineering design services, project management and a quality range of products designed for industrial wastewater treatment, potable water treatment and sludge dewatering plants.
Although AJM has had a considerable market presence on this side of the Tasman for some time, a notable rise in enquiries prompted the need for a permanent New Zealand office, which was opened in May 2006.
Bucholz has since had considerable success in pitching AJMs water and wastewater treatment solutions to New Zealand industry. In its first year of operation, the company already has secured contracts for supply of wastewater treatment equipment into both the North and South Island.
In the South Island, an EnviroDAF2600 installation is capable of processing up to 10,000 litres per hour of primary abattoir effluent for a major meat processor. AJM has also supplied equipment to a major contracting firm for recycling water used at a fire fighting training facility based at Auckland International Airport.
In Australia, where water has become an extremely precious commodity, AJM Environmental Services has been contracted to provide primary and secondary wastewater and effluent solutions for a wide range of projects involving the dairy, meat and poultry industries, general food industry, and pulp and paper industry. And the company specialises in complete water recycling systems which have become vital to areas affected by one of Australias most prolonged droughts on record.
Bucholz says industries across the board in New Zealand, particularly in the food sector, are becoming increasingly aware of their responsibilities regarding the correct treatment of wastewater or effluent discharge.
In the South Island there are still a lot of companies with primary treatment only and outfalls into the ocean or rivers.
He says the primary drivers are the substantial savings in fees charged by the municipal wastewater treatment plant operators, a desire for companies to demonstrate sustainable business practices (often now demanded by consumers), and increasing awareness of environmental and water conservation issues.
AJM Environmental Services works with customers of all sizes any operation that involves wastewater discharge that has any degree of contaminants should be giving us a call, says Bucholz. He believes that in the past the wastewater and effluent treatment industry has largely been reactive to demands now its time to get proactive, and to educate process companies on the long-term benefits and savings available.
Dissolved air flotation
AJM Environmental Services focuses on industrial waste treatment and designs physical/chemical and biological treatment plants. The two major physical/chemical treatment systems AJM offer are: DAF (Dissolved Air Flotation) and Clarifiers.Clarifiers are an ideal solution for the treatment of wastewater when solids in the waste stream readily settle and there is little or no oily substance present. AJMs smaller industrial clarifiers are constructed in stainless steel with 60 degree cones. Larger units incorporate a shallow base with rake mechanism.
AJMs EnviroDAF is a high quality true dissolved air flotation unit. Unique features of AJMs DAF unit include a highly efficient dissolved air contactor with self-cleaning pressure reducing valve. The counter current surface scraping design of the EnviroDAF ensures outstanding results in terms of solids capture and overall performance compared to co-current units. Standard unit capacities range from 2000 to 350,000 litres per hour and most EnviroDAF systems can be pre-assembled. System components include tank with sloping base, mechanical surface scraper and integral sludge hopper; and recycle system including pump, dissolved air contactor, pressure reducing valve and air control panel.
All of AJMs DAF systems are fabricated in stainless steel.
Bucholz says AJM systems are specifically designed to cope with the irregular waste discharge flows often associated with food processing and hes ready to advise on specific projects. He says its about identifying the nature of the effluent, choosing the most suitable technology, applying the appropriate chemicals (some clients may choose not to use chemicals), and then installing and commissioning the system and monitoring the results. AJM Environmental Services have the in-house skills to provide the complete service from initial consultation right through to commissioning and ongoing maintenance.
