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Gold Coast Marina Vacuum Pump Station Upgrade – A Challenge

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The Gold Coast Marine Precinct is a dedicated industrial zone in Coomera, on the Gold Coast of Queensland Australia. The precinct supports marine manufacturing, servicing, repairs and refits of recreational boats. It is one of the most advanced and respected marine industry cluster developments in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the only purpose built marine precinct in Australia. Covering 250 hectares, it it is home to some of Australias most prestigious motor yacht builders and industry leaders.

It includes Riviera Australia a winner of Australian Maritime Industry Exporter of the year on multiple occasions.

Maritomo  Handcrafted Luxury Offshore Motor Yachts

The Boat Works – a boatyard, marina and superyacht facility

The Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard   has over 90 expert businesses looking after a wide range of clients. They have won numerous awards for their facilities.

 

Related: Barcelona Port vacuum Sewerage System

The Challenge

All of the wastewater within the facility is collected via a vacuum sewerage system. Over the years the facility has grown and the requirements of what a sewerage needs to do has changed. How to handle the larger superyachts for example. How to reduce energy costs. And how to ensure that all equipment was the latest technology and would reduce any risks of sewage entering the waterways.

The hardest part of the challenge was to fit new vacuum pump station equipment into a very tight existing space. The upgrade needed to take place with minimal disruption to any of the businesses in the precinct.

Related: Sydney Superyacht Marina Upgrade

As the Vacuum Pump Station is located outside of the precinct’s grounds it is operated and maintained by Gold Coast Council.

Power Saving and Efficiency

The goal set by Council was to reduce the vacuum pump cycle time from around 6 minutes to less than 3 minutes. This would give a 50{f2ac4d1e1d40dc2e2d9280a1dfa90d854b2d8c80eba743affa37fc4ce2e16def} reduction in power usage throughout the day.

There was also a request to increase the discharged flow from the system by 15{f2ac4d1e1d40dc2e2d9280a1dfa90d854b2d8c80eba743affa37fc4ce2e16def} by using exactly the same specified discharge pumps that were currently installed. We managed to increase their flow from 18 L/S to 21 L/S.

Flovac’s engineers worked on the problem creating 3D modeling of the station to ensure that the equipment would fit the space. Then the operations group went over the plans to make sure that the operability of the system would not be compromised.

In the months after commissioning there has been a clear improvement and lowering of energy costs. Vacuum pump run times have decreased from 17 hours per day and are now running for only 6.7 hours per day. They previously had been running 3 x 500 m3/hr pumps most of the day with huge energy costs.

More information on Flovac’s Marina and Port Projects

Interview with a Utility Ops Team Leader

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A recent interview with team leader David Parkinson of Byron Shire Council gives insights into their vacuum sewer system and just how installing a monitoring system can have time saving and financial benefits to councils.

The Byron Bay community on the north eastern coast of New South Wales is listed as one of the top ten destinations in Australia for tourists from around the world. Its pristine beaches and popular cafes and restaurants ensured that even through covid, domestic tourism has kept the area as busy as usual.

A vacuum system was installed in 1993 in a section of Byron Bay which encompasses light industrial, commercial and residential users. Increasingly heavy rainfalls on the coast revealed the need to pinpoint operational overload issues in the system, this could only be accomplished via the use of automation tools. Retrofitting their system with a monitoring system has given the Council operators a better overview of their systems operation, and a means to protect the mechanical health of this key community infrastructure investment.

A recent interview with Team leader Dave Parkinson of Byron Bay Council gives further insight into just how installing an electronic monitoring system can have time saving and financial benefits to councils.

  1. What has been your role at Byron Bay Council what has been your involvement in implementing the Flovac Sewerage System there and the monitoring system?

“Essentially my job as Team Leader was to oversee the install of the telemetry pillars to the 89 pits. Also overseeing the installation of antennae to receive telemetry from the pits, and also the roll-out of training and instructions on installation to staff. I deliver an overview to new staff on the system and how it works”.

  1. How long has your Flovac system and the monitoring devices been installed?

“The Flovac system commenced being installed in 1993. The monitoring system in 2020”.

  1. How does your monitoring system work?

“It’s a great system which has empowered staff to monitor the system in operation using their iPads and mobiles on a daily basis. They are able to fix and rectify faults quickly and seamlessly”.

Saving Operational Hours

  1. What, in your opinion is the main advantage of the Flovac system itself, and in particular their monitoring system?

“The main advantage is in time saving after hours. Staff can monitor the issue before leaving home and drive straight to the pinpointed problem pit or pits”.

  1. Is the monitoring device a time and cost saving system?

“Yes, it’s benefits are both; in time and cost savings for operations staff. For example, when it’s extreme weather like our recent big storm event on the East Coast of NSW you can locate the problem much quicker, lessening the time spent in poor weather/working conditions for our teams”.

  1. Would you recommend it to other councils with similar low-lying coastal terrain as you have?

“Absolutely if you’re going to install this type of system, we would recommend you have the monitoring system on it. We asked our maintenance staff to assist us with the choice of systems when we needed to replace the old one and the Flovac system was selected because of the whole package that was offered. After five years we gradually moved over to this system”.

  1.  How did you hear about this system?

“Flovac approached Council when we were deciding to replace the ageing valves. We were impressed by the ongoing support offered by John Radinoff and his team when he presented the Flovac system’s many benefits to the Management and Operational teams”.

  1. Do Flovac provide good operational support when you need it?

“Yes, they have followed through with their ongoing support 24/7. Flovac also offered us the first monitoring service. The company is innovative and developed it to assist us in more efficient delivery of services to our residents”.

  1. Has the addition of a monitoring system helped you operationally? If so, in what way?

“Yes, absolutely it allows the operational team guys to take control of the system themselves. There are definitely long-term savings which we should recoup within a five-to-seven-year period”.

  1. Would you suggest that any new vacuum system automatically should have monitoring built in from the start?

“For sure, it’s helped us considerably”.

  1. Do you prefer having a vacuum system, or would you prefer a low-pressure pump system and why?

“We have both systems in Byron, each has their own specific purpose”.

  1. Would you like to add anything that is not covered in the questions?

“As the monitoring system is more refined we will be able to better assess the current Flovac system for even more benefits”.

 

To read how the monitoring system saved Byron’s vacuum system during major flooding earlier in the year please Click Here

For more information about Flovac’s Wireless monitoring system Click Here

EPA demands that vacuum technology to be used at Eco Resort

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The Couran Cove Eco Resort in Queensland Australia is an award winning environmental success story for Flovac and for our client.

Designing to best environmental practices which included refunds to staying guests if they used less than average electricity and water during their stay.  A vacuum collection system was a natural choice, chosen for its ease of installation and environmental credentials.

2,000 visitors plus staff with a swimming pool, function center, laundry facility, restaurant and marina.

The system at a glance

  • 1 Vacuum Pump Station
  • 2,000 Guests plus Staff
  • Villa’s, apartments and cabins along with a conference facility, restaurants, sporting areas, offices and marina pump out facility
  • 215 Collection Pits
  • Fibre Optic Monitoring System

System Benefits

The developer showed a strong preference for a vacuum sewerage system as he saw it offering significant benefits in this development over each of the alternatives. These benefits were identified as:-

  • Ability to handle low flush toilets thus reducing the ultimate treated water disposal problem
  • Minimal impact on the landscape during construction with shallow trenches
  • Maximum water recovery for reuse in the re-vegetation irrigation system
  • Construction route flexibility thus minimizing the damage to vegetation
  • Ability to transport grey and black water in the one small bore pipe
  • Ability to safely lay all services in the one trench with minimal spacing
  • Zero infiltration and exfiltration
  • Ability of the system to service the entire site with one centralized pump station
  • Ability of the scheme to service the Boardwalk accommodation and even the boat sullage

Couran Cove Web Page

If you would like more information about this project or would like a free concept and budget for your next project please contact Flovac Engineering by clicking here

Vacuum Valve and Collection Sumps were located under the walkways in stainless steel vessels.

 

 

Award winning project for Flovac as a Commerce by Design award in the annual Gold Coast Urban Design Awards

 

Able to handle seasonal flows from different areas within the resort. The remote beach restaurant is 3 km from the main resort

 

Rehabilitating Old 2-inch Vacuum Systems

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Those engineers thinking that vacuum sewer technology is new, may be surprised to learn that there are still a number of operating systems installed in the late 1960’s and 1970’s.

These early systems were installed using 2-inch vacuum valves rather than the 3-inch (80mm) vacuum valves commonly used today. The modern inventor of vacuum systems Joel Liljendahl wanted to separate grey (shower/laundry) water and black(toilet) water using vacuum. A 2-inch valve was sufficient for this use and Electrolux who bought the patent started using the 2-inch valve in a number of projects through The Netherlands, Germany, the Caribbean, Australia and the USA.

As a testament to the technology, many of these original projects are still operating, though not as well as modern systems. The same would be said for any technology (cars, computers, televisions).

Sylvania Waters Australia

In 1968 one of the world’s largest 2-inch vacuum systems was installed at Sylvania Waters, 12 km south of Sydney Australia. The vacuum valves in fiberglass pits collected wastewater from 2 houses sending it to the vacuum pump station. The early system used a ball float controller, similar to what was used in old toilet cisterns. As this was not a separated grey/black water system, a 2-inch valve was clearly going to be a choke point with a 3-inch toilet drainpipe. In 1994 we were hired by Sydney Water to fix up the system, replace the valves and float controllers. Sadly because of the collection pit size and the vacuum main size it was not possible to increase the valves to 3 inch, but the system was improved.

Now, with it being over 50 years old, some really positive changes can be made, specifically with the help of monitoring systems.

Even though most vacuum regulations call for a minimum sized valve of 3-inches there have still been some 2-inch and 2 1/2-inch valve systems installed. You have all met that client who wants to save $100 on a valve but doesn’t care that the utility will have to spend a fortune on maintenance trying to clear blockages. This has not helped the reputation of vacuum systems, and we often hear of problem systems and high maintenance costs. Quite often it is due to small or bad quality valves or old-fashioned ball controllers still being used.

Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia

Flovac recently upgraded three old 2-inch valve systems at Tacoma and St Huberts. Replacing nearly 1,000; 2-inch valves for new Flovac 2-inch valves. We also installed a new wireless monitoring system and remote mounted all controllers. The client has seen an immediate turn around in operational costs and callouts. At St Huberts the old valves were also using ball float controllers which are similar to old toilet systems and have no place in modern sewerage networks. Infiltration has been identified at multiple locations and resolved.

2 Inch Vacuum Valve Replacement

The monitoring system quickly identified infiltration occurring through the base of the old collection pit

Reusel, The Netherlands

One recent system replacement we made was in the village of Reusel in The Netherlands. The system was not that old, but the 2-inch valves had a lot of blockages, ball float controllers were used and there was no integrated monitoring system. Our team in the Netherlands has managed to upgrade the system and reduce operational costs considerably.

If you have an old 2-inch system. Contact us at [email protected] and we can give you more details about what can be done to help.

Pump Station Information captured for the operators and managers