Macdonald, Garry

Garry Macdonald is a Senior Principal and Business Director with Beca Ltd, New Zealand's largest consulting engineering and management company with almost 4500 staff. He is widely recognised as an expert in wastewater engineering with over 45 years’ experience in a wide variety of wastewater projects, both in New Zealand and abroad. He has a high profile involvement in many industry organisations, including WEF, Water NZ (a WEF MA) and Engineers New Zealand. Garry has held project leadership roles in many of the major wastewater projects carried out by Beca in the last 35 years. He is a WEF Fellow and has received a number of prestigious industry awards and presented over 65 technical papers at conferences in NZ, Australia, and USA. He is currently the Global Delegate Lead on the WEFTEC Program Steering Committee, and is a previous WEF Board Trustee and Executive Committee member.

Titles from this speaker

Bioboost Mark II: Decarbonizing Biosolids Drying using Hydrogen

Abstract

The New Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is owned and operated by New Plymouth District Council (NPDC or Council), and services approximately 87,000 people. Since 2002, Council has achieved close to 100% beneficial reuse of their biosolids by selling them as a granular fertilizer product Bioboost®. The current dryer is a rotary drum dryer, fueled by natural gas, and was the first such dryer installed in New Zealand. This paper looks at the critical success factors for Bioboost® and also explores the question “where to next?”, as the thermal dryer which produces Bioboost® reaches its end of life, and is replaced in a new facility with a larger drum dryer, partially fuelled by hydrogen

The New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) dries its biosolids in a thermal drum dryer, fuelled by natural gas. The dried pellets are marketed as a fertiliser, trademarked as BioboostÂ®. The existing dryer has reached the end of its service life and needs replacing. In assessing replacement options, NPDC decided to build a new facility around a larger drum dryer, but decided that it should be duel-fired, with 25% of the energy demand met by a new hydrogen supply to reduce its carbon footprint.

SpeakerMacdonald, Garry

Presentation time

16:00:00

16:20:00

Session time

15:30:00

17:00:00

SessionFull-scale Thermal Drying System Implementation

Session locationRoom S501d - Level 5

TopicAdvanced Level, Energy Production, Conservation, and Management, PFAS, Sustainability and Climate Change

Author(s)

Macdonald, Garry

Author(s)G. Macdonald 1; J. Daly 2 ; M. Hall 3; G. Morris 3; G. Macdonald 1;

Author affiliation(s)Beca Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1; Beca Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 2 ; New Plymouth District Council, Taranaki, New Zealand 3; New Plymouth District Council, Taranaki, New Zealand 3; Beca Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1;

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2023

DOI10.2175/193864718825159029

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count9

Planning a Resilient Wastewater System: From Beginning to End

Abstract

Tauranga is a medium sized coastal city of 141,000 people, located in the fast-growing Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. The city is served by two wastewater treatment plants, which are unusual in that they are connected at both the beginning and end of the trunk collection and conveyance system. The treatment plants are located at sea level and are subject to coastal and seismic hazards. Significant upgrades are required in the short, medium and long term to accommodate population growth and improve resilience to natural hazards and the effects of climate change. Tauranga City Council and Beca have worked together over the past five years to plan, design and construct wastewater upgrades to cater for growth and improve operational and natural hazard resilience. This paper describes how staged planning for operational and natural hazard resilience has led to better community outcomes for the Tauranga community.

SpeakerMacdonald, Garry

Presentation time

09:30:00

09:50:00

Session time

08:30:00

10:30:00

SessionResilience for the Future: Designing Water and Wastewater Infrastructure for Resilience Against Intensifying Extreme Weather Events

Session number329

TopicPolicy and Regulation, Sustainability and Climate Change, Urban Systems

Author(s)

W.J. PottsK. HermensG. Macdonald

Author(s)W.J. Potts1; K. Hermens2; G. Macdonald2;

Author affiliation(s)Tauranga City Council1; Beca2

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2020

DOI10.2175/193864718825157873

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count10

Putting the Screws on Non-Stabilized WAS: A Kiwi Experience

Abstract

The Te Maunga WWTP is one of two plants servicing Tauranga (population 150,000), New Zealand. Since commissioning in 1997, waste activated sludge (WAS) has been partially stabilised in an adjacent pond. A condition in the latest permits for the WWTP required the pond to be decommissioned. An options study was undertaken to select WAS thickening and dewatering equipment to be installed. At concept design, gravity belt thickeners and screw presses were chosen as the preferred thickening and dewatering technologies respectively. As screw presses are a relatively new technology in NZ wastewater treatment plants, and WAS without any primary sludge is difficult to dewater, dewatering trials were undertaken. Based on the pilot trials, picket fence thickeners were chosen over GBTs and two screw presses were installed in a new dewatering building, along with ancillary plant. The project and results from the pilot trials and full-scale operation are presented in this paper.

SpeakerMacdonald, Garry

Presentation time

10:50:00

11:10:00

Session time

10:30:00

11:30:00

SessionOvercoming Dewatering Difficulties

Session number520

TopicBiosolids and Residuals, Facility Operations and Maintenance

Author(s)

G.J. MacdonaldG.J. MacdonaldW.J. PottsJ. Daly