The brief
A major industrial waste-management provider in Jubail Industrial City needed to add an Advanced Treatment Unit to handle high-volume industrial wastewater with biological and chemical sludge processing. The project sat squarely under Royal Commission Environmental Regulations (RCER-2015) for odour, noise, and groundwater. Staterra was engaged as the approved third-party environmental consultant to deliver the complete permitting package and secure the Environmental Permit to Construct on schedule.
Treatment train and assessment scope
The expansion involved automatic pH regulation, coagulation, flocculation, Dissolved Air Flotation, and anaerobic heat treatment. RCER-2015 mandates comprehensive impact assessment for Type II facilities — rigorous baseline data, impact modelling, and mitigation planning. We measured air quality against Royal Commission monitoring stations, confirming compliance with SO₂, NO₂, and CO standards while flagging potential hydrogen-sulphide concerns up front.
Modelling-led mitigation
We applied US EPA Emission Factors and SCREEN3 atmospheric dispersion to predict facility performance. H₂S concentrations modelled marginally above detection thresholds — we caught it early and engineered the mitigation, including stack-height adjustments and carbon-filter enclosures. Noise modelling identified a diesel generator as the dominant source; an acoustic enclosure brought levels from 85 dBA to 65 dBA at source.
Groundwater assessment evaluated contamination risks from process operations, with paved process areas and engineered drainage giving a low-risk design.
Deliverables
The package included a complete EIA Study, Permit Application Package, an Environmental Emergency Response Plan, a Noise Propagation Modelling Study, and an Environmental Management & Monitoring Plan. The EMMP defined a designated HSSE Manager, continuous fence-line odour monitoring, monthly wastewater analysis, and annual groundwater monitoring. Hazardous sludge cake routes to RC-approved Class 1 landfills; treated wastewater discharges to existing evaporation ponds.
Outcome
The client obtained their Environmental Permit to Construct on schedule. Construction proceeded without regulatory delays, and the EMMP framework now governs ongoing compliance through commissioning and operation.