Wastewater treatment for Monte Ceneri railway tunnel

The construction of the Monte Ceneri base tunnel (2008 to 2016) with a length of 15 km is part of the new transalpine rail link through Switzerland. The tunnel wastewater is polluted and has to be treated. The two wastewater treatment plants, which are situated at the tunnel portals, are designed to treat 80 litres per second and include the following treatment processes: Neutralization, coagulation/flocculation, sedimentation, oxidation of reduced nitrogen compounds by using chlorine, sand- and activated carbon filtration. The treated wastewater, which has to comply with strict effluent standards, is partly reused as process water or discharged into the receiving waters.

Our wastewater experts and procurement specialist first assisted ATG in the tendering and the selection of the general contractor as well as in a corresponding appeal to the Federal Administrative Court.

After the commissioning of the treatment plants, we have evaluated on behalf of ATG cost-effective measures for the optimization and possible extension of the plants, in particular concerning the additional ammonium loads that occur due to the utilization of new emulsion explosives.