Description

Melaka Industrial Estate (MIE) First Phase (MIE – 1) is located in Batu Berendam near the
newly developing residential / industrial area. The plot of land measures 4 km by 4 km and is
bounded by the river. The river meets the sea downstream at a distance of another 5 km. In the
north boundary of the MIE, there is residential area consisting of 1000 families coming from
middle class income group. The land use here includes a paediatric hospital, a children park
and a mosque. At this mosque, there are frequent religious functions, attracting crowds. The
residents in this area and up north complain frequently about shortage of drinking water supply.

In the western boundary of the MIE, adjoining the national highway, there are illegal squatters
(slums) consisting of 80 huts. The slum has resulted mainly due to the displacement of resident
population, evicted by MIE nearly 10 years ago. Most of the people in the slum area illiterate
and unemployed. The Alor Gajah – Muar (AGM) highway on the boundary of MIE has a busy
traffic consisting of around 10,000 vehicles a day. The effluents from existing CETP at MIE
are discharged into river.

Details of Industries in the Melaka Industrial Estate

Due to the various promotional schemes announced, a number of industries – mainly medium
scale food processing industries have set up their industrial operations in this industrial estate
in the Phase I. Under the proposed Phase II, a group of 3 tanneries are planning to locate in this
site, with an average production capacity of 30 tons each per day (with hair pulp, chrome
tanning, retanning and wet finishing processes). Each tanning unit follows integrated operation.
Both beamhouse and tanning processing. The following table presents the typical waste
characteristics, as expected from three tanneries.

Management of Industrial Effluent

MIE has provided for an underground wastewater collection system to tap the industrial
effluents from MIE. The industries in Phase I do not have their own full fledge treatment plants
and carry out only pH correction before discharging the effluent to the collection system.

The effluent after collection are sent to the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) which
uses a conventional Activated sludge process. The design and current operational capacity of
the CETP is presented in the following table:

Presently, the CETP does not have a provision to remove toxic substances in the effluent. The
sludge arising from the treatment operations is hauled to a nearby municipal landfill asco-
disposal.
Answer the following questions;

1. Using a table format, list the major environmental and social issues the management
of MIE could expected if they allow the operations of this tannery group. In the same
table indicate how these issues could be mitigated.
2. Can the management allow the tannery group to use the CETP or not? Give the
rational for your decision.
3. If the decision is yes, then what type of recommendations you will propose as part of
the contract agreement.
ANSWER
Question 1: Melaka Industrial Estate (Mie): Issues of pollution.
Environmental Issues
This MIE area have an
underground wastewater
collection system to tap the
industrial effluents that may
causes of underground water
contamination.
Have no full fledge treatment
plants that can causes of heavy
metal pollution for the water like
aluminium and chromium
From the wastewater, there have
some issue with the ground pollution
because it is no have proper
treatment plant
BOD reading will be increase in the
river
The increasing value of Total
Suspended Solid and side waste
pollution and txic substance
Pollution from MIE Area
Suggestion
Restructure again the underground
wastewater collection system and
may have schedule inspection.
The local authority must check again
the law of treatment plan and they
can close temporary the plan until
they follow the law
About ground pollution,
Environmental Department must do
inspection and take a sample of the
ground. MIE area must close and do
some renovation to their plan. Built
a proper treatment plant.
Improvement of the purifying
performance of waste water
treatment plants, installing tertiary
treatment systems to reduce nutrient
concentrations and treat the waste
until clear.
Take or find a funding to remove
toxic substances in the effluent.
Remove the sludgeto the other or
remove at the special site just for
Social Issues
The people and residences in
surrounding area like at the illegeal
quarter are exposed to hazardous and
toxic water, air and ground pollution
Plant, food and water resources are
contaminated with the toxic and
residue from that MIE area
Hazardous and danger to the worker
that work at that MIE area
News and reporter will be write the
negative news for the activity
- -
Suggestion
Just close the MIE area or spare
someplace to transfers all the
residential and the people far away
from that area
Control and handle the effluent or
the pollution properly.
Provide a full protective equipment
and supervise the workers and give
them proper training to handle work
process at the area.
Make some news or commercial to
show them and the citizen how MIE
area work-

Disturb the ecology of river and the
sea
sludge and not at the same
landfill that solid waste use.
Stop the current of effluent to the
river. Make a pond or reservoir to
remove the effluent.
Question 2: Should the management allow the tannery group to use the CETP or not.

In my opinion, the Tannery Industry should not use the CETP bescaouse the waste come from
them is heavy and the CETP cannot handle the waste. Beside that the production is about of 30
tons each per day (with hair pulp, chrome tanning, retanning and wet finishing processes). Each
them come out with waste such as wastewater, BOD, total suspended solid and the veruy
dangerous substance, chromium. We just not make the management not allow the tannery use
the CETP, they must not allow also to operate at this MIE area.

Other that, CETP which uses a conventional activated sludge process and for the present CETP
does not have a provision to remove toxic substances in the effluent. The sludge arising from
the treatment operations is hauled to a nearby municipal landfill asco-disposal. For current, the
CETP cannot handle the sludge properly. If the tannery will be built at the MIE area, we will
see the increasingly of the sludge and the heavy metal and so on.

Question 3: Recommendations I will propose as part of the contract agreement (If Yes).

I will propose and recommended some sort of agreements that the tannery group must follow
if them want to make and built the tanneries at this area. We can see the product and the waste
that come out from the tanneries, and they use the same CETP with the other group. The waste
like BOD, Chromium and total suspended solid must have another and self-treatment plan.
They can’t join and use the same treatment. Other than that they must have the reservoir pool
to discharge the wastewater into it. Not discharge to the river and to the sea

Local authority also must take part with the enforcement. If the tannery group want to operate
at that area, they must follow the law that gazette for industry area.
WASTEWATER ASSIGNMENT

ENV521 - WASTEWATER
MANAGEMENT

PREPARED BY:

NAME: ADAM BIN MOHD NOR HAMIZI

MATRIC NUMBER: 2018458094

CLASS: NHSE4