Project description and overview:

Waste stabilisation ponds (WSP) are the most widely used wastewater treatment infrastructure worldwide and are used extensively in Australia, including the whole of the Northern Territory (NT) which is serviced by 70 WSPs.

The most challenging issue for WSP management is sludge accumulation which affects the pond’s hydrodynamic performance and treatment effectiveness. Bathymetry surveys are used to measure sludge accumulation and Traditional methods were inaccurate, unreliable and labour-intensive.

Rise’s proposed solution will introduce several Unmanned Surface Vehicle’s (USV’s) that float on, rather than in wastewater.

The USV’s would have the capability to provide high-resolution bathymetry surveys that can be used to 3D model sludge accumulation and WSP topography that can be used to:

• Assess the WSP hydraulic performance
• Diagnose problems
• Scope and program desludging works
• Inform the design of new ponds
• Design retrofits of current assets
• Plan future upgrades
• Enhance treatment performance

The proposed outcome of this early-stage project would be a functional prototype bathymetric USV to provide commercial bathymetric services to NT WSP clients, with the potential to expand into other industries that have high-debris WSPs such as mining and agribusiness and potential export opportunities into developing countries.