Developers for a planned energy-from-waste (EfW) facility are proposing to use cooling water from nearby coastal infrastructure outfall to support the discharge of its effluent.

To support environmental consenting, the developers are required to ascertain the changes in water chemistry and/or turbidity of the water body receiving the effluent discharge.

ABPmer was commissioned to undertake this water quality assessment, reviewing the additional chemical and heavy metal loading associated with the proposed discharge, under both expected normal operation and the EfW discharge in isolation.

We conducted numerical modelling for both assessments, using a 3D hydrodynamic model for the discharge-in-isolation scenario. The models replicated observed conditions, including water levels, water column velocities and tidal flow rates. The results were compared with relevant environmental quality standards as described under the Water Framework Directive.

Our assessment concluded that the additional effluent will be sufficiently diluted at the point of discharge, while the existing outfall was in operation to meet relevant annual average and maximum allowable concentrations for all contaminants discharged.

The discharge-in-isolation (worst case scenario) assessment concluded that, while potential annual average exceedance for some chemicals could occur for short periods at a very short distance from the outfall, the implications for water quality both locally and within the wider water body were negligible.

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