Snow and ice threaten the safety of Heathrow Airport’s take-offs and landings, making de-icing essential. However, untreated runoff risks damaging the local ecosystem. Discover our team’s environmentally conscious solution to safeguard operations and the environment.
Wintery conditions can significantly disrupt operations at Heathrow Airport — one of the busiest aviation hubs in the world, with approximately 1,300 combined take-offs and landings a day. Snow and ice pose safety risks to aircraft, making de-icing essential. However, the de-icing process introduces environmental challenges, as the chemicals used can contaminate nearby water bodies if not properly managed.
To address these risks and protect the adjacent River Crane ecosystem, Heathrow has partnered with us to create a biological wastewater treatment plant.
The facility relies on two of our technologies: Hydrotech™ Disc Filters, which are self-cleaning, mechanical filters designed for suspended solids removal ensuring Heathrow meets stringent performance requirements. And, Tracer™ Glycols, based on AnoxKaldnes™ specialized moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR) technology. This aerobic wastewater treatment process uses biofilm carriers to efficiently treat contaminants and complex compounds in the airport’s industrial effluents.
The on-site biological wastewater treatment plant specifically treats de-icing agents and other contaminants in the wastewater and processes up to 720,000 liters of runoff per hour, and 550 kilograms of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) daily.
Since December 2019, our experts have been operating the plant with built-in capacity for future expansion. This biological wastewater treatment plant is a cornerstone of Heathrow's long-term strategy for sustainable aviation, harmonizing safety, efficiency and environmental care.
