Chevron Opens Largest Wastewater Treatment Plant in SA

Chevron officially opened its R107 million wastewater treatment plant at its refinery in Milnerton, near Cape Town, South Africa.

Chevron opted to use the moving bed bioreactor (MBBR) technology as the preferred method for treating the wastewater and has been successful in reducing foul odors from the wastewater treatment plant itself. The refinery guides its treated wastewater through a 5.5 km underground pipeline to Table Bay, about 500 m from the coast.

The need to create the new plant came to light when kite surfers concerned about the odor and visual impact of the wastewater at sea complained, but Chevron Refinery manager Gordon Smith said studies conducted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) had found no ill effect on the environment as a result of the wastewater. He said, “We recognized, however that we needed to do something about the nuisance impact that the wastewater was having on kite surfers.”

Construction of the plant, the company’s largest single environmental investment to date, began in 2006 incorporating bio-treatment in November 2007. The plant also generated 250 jobs.