Nov. 22, 2002 -- A further step has been taken to ensure the protection of the precious water supply in Northern Chile's Atacama desert.
The recent opening of Cascal's wastewater treatment plant in Calama has stopped the discharge of raw sewage into local streams preventing contamination of the water supply. This plant uses the latest treatment technology to produce a final effluent that meets environmental standards.
The town of Calama is close to the World's largest copper mine, Chuquicamata and has a population of 150,000 people. The growth of Chile's copper industry has had a direct impact on the mining town, where existing infrastructure is struggling to cope with the growing population.
This BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) project consists of design, construction and operation of the plant that will process approximately 250 litres per second of sewage. Construction commenced in July 2001 and the plant was completed in July 2002.
Since completion Cascal has worked together with state owned Essan (Empresa de Servicios Sanitarios de Antofagasta) over a three-month commissioning period to ensure the plant meets the standards set by the Environmental Authority and the Sanitary Services Superintendence.
Following successful commissioning, the Calama wastewater treatment plant commenced full operations during October.
See the website for more information. www.cascal.co.uk
