Macclesfield sewage treatment works upgrade

Work has now been completed on the construction of a groundbreaking mobile organic biofilm (MOB) tank at Macclesfield Wastewater Treatment Works in Prestbury.

The work forms part of a £50m upgrade by United Utilities.

The improvements will mean lower phosphorus and ammonia levels in the treated water that is released from the works back into the environment since stricter targets were introduced.

To meet the lower nutrient limits, the innovative Nuvoda Mobile Organic Biofilm™ (MOB™) process is being introduced for the first time at a United Utilities wastewater treatment works.

This biological approach uses a renewable plant material as a carrier to support the growth of the bacteria used to treat the wastewater. It has a number of benefits alongside being the lowest cost solution within a smaller footprint.

Using plant-based media rather than plastic results in the removal of phosphorus using biology rather than using chemicals. United Utilities is the first UK water company to install the novel process.

This video below gives an overview of the MOB process.

The Macclesfield works discharges cleaned water into the River Bollin, which rises in the forest of Macclesfield and forms a major tributary of the River Mersey.

The novel processes had to be installed while continuing to run the existing treatment works to avoid impact to residents and will enable the wastewater works to meet the needs of the forecasted increase in population.

This video below shows how United Utilities is using MOB.