The following are extracts from a memorandum dated 1st July 1997 from the Acting Senior Scientific Officer, National Water Quality Laboratory, Fiji.

“The sample of BIEMS which you sent recently for analysis has been tested with the raw sewage at Suva Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, it is a fairly large plant servicing the area around Suva to Davilevu. Besides domestic waste the plant also receives trade wastes from several large factories.

Consequently the composition of the raw sewage entering Suva Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant is fairly complex. The average Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is approximately 450mg/L. Typical domestic sewage BOD is about 300mg/L. The variations indicate the presence of other stronger wastes as well.

New sewage samples were collected during peak flow period (1030 hrs). The samples had a BOD of 780mg/L and were considered to be fairly strong.

A blank and a control were put to test at the same time. The blank was the sewage sample without BIEMS and the control was fresh water from a creek. For technical reasons distilled water was not taken as control.

There was a distinct difference between the two tests. The sample with BIEMS was free of any characteristic raw sewage odour in approximately 90 minutes time while the blank still had the sewage odour.

The samples were left open for seven days in the open environment and exposed to outside weather conditions. The blank turned rather black in colour with some scum on top, it had turned septic well before the seventh day and produced an obnoxious odour. The sample with BIEMS remained virtually odourless. The control remained clear with a slightly stale muddy odour.

BIEMS if used in correct doses will definitely reduce odour problems particularly in raw sewage as shown by the above tests. It will however need to be used in the Sewage Pumping Stations and the actual conditions studied more closely.”

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