Gurney Environmental’s low-carbon footprint Nature Based Solutions offer superior performance & long-term problem resolution.

In the just released edition of CLEAN WATER, you’ll read how back in the late 1990s when Tayside Water (later merged into North of Scotland Water and eventually Scottish Water) first enquired about the possible use of Aero-Fac® for the local town of Errol, there was little discussion of carbon footprint, CSO/storm overflows and climate change challenges. Don McClean and his team at Tayside were interested in the technology essentially for its simplicity, low energy using wind power and lesser need for manpower, maintenance and its projected sustainability and total life-time cost.

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NoSWA began work with Montgomery-Watson Projects (now Stantec) to evaluate the Aero-Fac® technology — new-to-the-UK and a significant departure from the previously favoured options — to determine the benefits as opposed to traditional activated sludge options. 22+ years later, the numerous benefits and cost savings identified back in 1999-2000 (see below) have been more than accomplished for Scottish Water.

Meeting the Challenges of Climate Change

Aero-Fac® is uniquely suited to cost-effectively meet the challenges of projected growth and loading/flow swings (including CSOs), whilst also having an extremely low carbon footprint, dramatic energy savings, no sludge production or handling costs and complexities, plus energy-free disinfection, thereby making effluent suitable for irrigation water re-use or safe-bathing waters whether discharged to river or sea — or to the sensitive Tay Estuary reed area.

2021 marked 20 years of successful operation for the Errol facility. In 2023, Scottish Water engaged Gurney Environmental, the supplier of the Aero-Fac® system, to perform a relatively inexpensive 20-year refurbishment and expansion of the treatment works to accommodate a 50% increase in load and anticipated growth for the next 20 years of operations.

Several Unique Nature Based Wastewater Treatment Solutions from Gurney Environmental

Gurney Environmental offer several complete Nature Based Solutions as well as specialised equipment that include:

• • Full 100% treatment, standalone solutions (Aero-Fac® and Accel-o-Fac®);
  • Pretreatment systems to solve issues and expand existing filter plants (Aero-Fac PTS); and
  • Standalone sludge digestion systems (Aero-Fac SDS).

The very unique and economical Accel-o-Fac® system, as an example, utilises a mostly windpowered option to offer a zero-to-low energy solution that provides incredibly low OPEX with very low initial CAPEX. In many cases, no energy costs plus no sludge handling costs or complexities make Accel-o-Fac® extraordinarily sustainable and economical initially and long-term. Accel-o-Fac® has been used for over 17 years in the UK at such locations as Holkham Hall and Village.

READ MORE about our technologies here.