Every
Resource
Counts

All resources around us count.
How efficiently we make use of them impacts our world today, and tomorrow.

Key Technology

關鍵技術

ECOVE in Circular Economy: Wastewater Purification

The Linkou Water Resource Center is the first of class 2 wastewater treatment plant built by the New Taipei City Government. In January 2018, ECOVE won the contract for operations of the Linkou Water Resource Center. After we took over the operation of the plant, we dispatched employees with professional certifications to implement every link of the operations stringently. Our employees enjoy labor criteria better than the contracted terms and our effectiveness has been recognized and approved by the competent authority.
The Linkou Water Resource Center has been operating for over 10 years. The sewage water from different sewage treatment stations converges into the treatment pond in the Center, and is treated through several steps: sludge filtering, sedimentation, biological treatment and disinfection, before being released. Besides the main treatment, there are side products, such as the recycled water and sludge, to be treated, and each step relies on the operations and maintenance done by a professional team.

Figure 1. Processing Flow at Linkou Water Resource Center.

Why ECOVE?

Performed Successful Cases in Wastewater Treatment

The ECOVE team has been actively participating in the water resource reuse related works. Currently, we operate 9 gravel purification stations and designed facilities that accommodate 106,700 tons of water purification per day, taking up 50% of the total purification volume among the 17 gravel purification facilities in Taiwan. For wastewater treatment facilities, CTCI has won the bids for two major wastewater recycle and reuse projects in Taiwan, including the Zhongli sewerage system BOT project and the franchise right for the first wastewater public release project in Taiwan - the Fengshan Creek Water Reclamation Plant.

Intelligent, Data-Driven Operational Systems for Better Water Quality

After ECOVE took charge of the center, we implemented our proprietary maintenance and management information system (MMIS). This system has an equipment malfunction diagnosis database and also defines the resources needed for each operation, time and priority to precisely control the work schedule. Infrared thermography devices are used to achieve real-time monitoring and ensures that every task is completed as scheduled with the expected quality.

The quality of the water is observed through the microbiota. ECOVE also observes the water quality through the microscope function built into mobile phones (Figure 2) to keep control of the state of the biological system in real-time. The observations are cross-referenced with the data in the MMIS and microbiota to monitor the water quality. Currently, the Center treats an average 14,674 CMD of sewage water per day. After ECOVE took over, the statistics of the actual effluent water are far lower than the designed values (as shown in Table 1). This means that our treatment has reached optimum efficiency and maintained the stability of the biological system.

Furthermore, to improve our employees’ equipment inspection efficiency, ECOVE set up the an Electronic Inspection System (Figure 3). Our employees use an electronic equipment to record the data and transmit the data back to the Management Center in real time. This system allows us to keep the status of the equipment in view and analyze the efficiency of the equipment instantly. Based on this data, we can arrange for proper maintenance and service, so that we can achieve maximum equipment availability rate, as well we true digital, real-time and paperless operations.

Every Resource Counts: Sewage Recycle and Reuse

ECOVE went into the business of water resource recycle and reuse with the core beliefs "Every Resource Counts". Through the sand filtering system, the water can be reclaimed for reuse from sewage water. A small hydraulic power generation facility is installed along the effluent channel at the Linkou Water Resource Center (Figure 4). The treated effluent water can be set up to achieve hydraulic power generation through position differential and the power generated supplies the electricity needed for the lighting fixtures inside the effluent machine room. This hydraulic power generation system saves around 5,000 kWh of electricity every year.

In addition, ECOVE also assists the Linkou Water Resource Center to collect recycled water from the different areas. The reclaimed water is used to irrigate the plants inside of the center compound and clean the floors. It is also made available to government offices and the general public free of charge. It can be used to flush the toilet, irrigate the landscape, water and sprinkle the road, wash cars and provide for firefighting.

Ecove also reclaims rainwater, which is converged into the effluent water system and used for the landscape pools at the control center building. This water provides an alternative water resource for landscape up-keeping and, at the same time, helps us conserve water and maximize the efficiency of water resources.

Performance Recognized by New Taipei City Water Resource Bureau

Since ECOV took over the operations and maintenance of the Linkou Water Resource Center in January 2018, we have successfully assisted the competent authority, New Taipei City Water Resource Bureau, to improve the environment in the Linkou area and cut down the burden from the sewage water pollution. Our performance has been recognized by the competent authority.

Director of the Sewage System Division, New Taipei City Water Resource Bureau, Mr. Huang Ming-Chang, commended ECOVE to have three high abilities, high-efficiency, high safety and high reliability. The gravel filtration facilities in New Taipei City and the Water Resource Center at Taichung Port have demonstrated abilities that have been widely recognized.

Director Huang Ming-Chang have high expectations on us. He expects that the Water Resources Bureau and ECOVE to work together to win the best recommendation in the National Public Wastewater Treatment Plant Evaluation organized by the Construction and Planning Agency (Ministry of the Interior) in June. We strive to show our best and make substantial contribution to the environment, recycle and reuse, and pollution prevention for the Linkou area.

Figure 7. ECOVE homored with the testimonial for outstanding operation performance from the Water Resource Departmenr of New Taipei City Government.

Aggravating climate change has brought the world imminent risk of water resources shortage. Clean water and sanitation has become one of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of UN.

As the largest environment resource management service company in Taiwan, ECOVE knows that wastewater and waste recycle are issues of equal stance. In the future, we will continue, under the context of circular economy, to extend our technology and abilities from the past experiences in operations, management and maintenance of incineration plants and gravel purification facilities into effective recycle and reuse of sewage water. This is our action plan towards our value of “Every Resource Counts”.