Wastewater Treatment Plant Wetlands Nova Lima | Sanitary Effluents

Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) for sanitary effluent treatment from the administrative buildings of a mining complex, with reuse of the treated effluent for irrigation of landscaped areas. The system was designed for a flow rate of up to 40 m³/day, equivalent to 800 employees, and is located in Nova Lima, MG.

The system arrangement consists of a septic tank, followed by two-stage horizontal wetlands and a chlorination disinfection system. The treated effluent flows to an ornamental lake, which functions as a storage tank for irrigation.

Throughout the first year of operation, the system guaranteed BOD removal efficiencies above 93%, meeting all other reuse indicators (internal standard of the mining company) for irrigation of the surrounding gardens.

Beyond guaranteeing the satisfactory performance of the system, the project aimed at implementing sustainable ideas through socio-environmental integration. The wetlands system was harmoniously landscaped with an Eco-plaza, an environmental education and rest area for the private use of the mining company's employees. The entire architecture was structured to reflect sustainability concepts. Waste from the company's operations was used as material for the ornamentation and landscaping of the system and the Eco-plaza: railway sleepers from the mining company (bridges and floors); paving stones made from tailings dam waste (floors); and ore expurgation (edges of the riverbeds).

The project won the "Águas Gerais" Environmental Best Practices Award from the Government of Minas Gerais in 2018.

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