BUKIT MERTAJAM, July 19 — What was once regarded as little more than waste from water treatment plants is now being transformed into high-value construction materials through an innovative circular economy initiative.

The breakthrough is the result of a collaboration between Alam Aliran Kualiti (M) Sdn Bhd (AAK) and the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP), which has successfully converted water treatment plant residue, which is classified as scheduled waste (SW204), into raw material for cement brick production.

The initiative makes PBAPP the first water operator in Malaysia to adopt a circular economy model for managing water treatment plant residue, while AAK becomes the country’s first facility to process SW204 into raw material for cement bricks.

Beyond reducing reliance on landfill disposal, the project demonstrates how waste previously considered to have no commercial value can be converted into quality construction products through sustainable technology and innovative waste management.

AAK Project Head G. Karthigayan said the technology was developed through a strategic partnership with PBAPP to provide a more sustainable solution for managing water treatment residue.

Our objective is not only to help water operators manage residue more efficiently, but also to change the perception that water treatment waste is merely something to be discarded.

“With the right technology, strategy and management approach, this waste can be transformed into a resource with economic value. Material that previously ended up in landfills can now be repurposed into commercial products,” he told Bernama during a recent visit to the company’s factory.

He explained that the process begins at the Sungai Dua Dewatering Plant (SDDP), where residue from the water treatment process undergoes belt press dewatering technology to separate water from solids. The recovered water is returned to PBAPP’s water supply system, while the remaining alum sludge is transported to AAK’s brick manufacturing facility in Bukit Minyak.

At the factory, the sludge undergoes chemical treatment to produce aggregates, which are then used as the primary raw material for manufacturing cement bricks using conventional production methods and a proprietary formulation developed by the company to meet industry quality standards.

“This technology enables the recovery of about nine million litres of water per day that would otherwise have been discharged into the river. The volume is sufficient to meet the daily water needs of between 10,000 and 12,000 households,” he said.

In addition to reducing waste sent to landfills, Karthigayan said tests have shown that the bricks produced using recycled sludge offer better fire resistance than conventional cement bricks.

The plant has the capacity to produce up to 150,000 bricks daily, although current production ranges between 70,000 and 100,000 bricks, depending on the volume of sludge supplied by SDDP. The bricks have already been commercialised and are being used in construction projects while also being sold through hardware stores across Penang.

Karthigayan said the technology was developed over nearly five years of intensive research and development, supported by extensive technical evaluations and regulatory approvals, given that SW204 is classified as scheduled waste under the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

He added that the product has obtained ISO 9001 certification and is currently undergoing certification by the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim) and the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM) to expand its use within the construction industry.

The project is implemented under a 15-year design, build, operate and maintain (DBOM) contract, under which AAK bears the full cost of capital investment, construction, operations and residue management, while PBAPP serves as the project owner and oversees auditing and compliance.

According to Karthigayan, the arrangement enables PBAPP to reduce its operational and capital expenditure while ensuring that AAK assumes full responsibility for scheduled waste management, environmental compliance and safety standards.

He added that AAK is also set to be recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) in the “Largest Belt Press System Dewatering Plant” category for developing and operating a 10-million-litre-per-day dewatering facility capable of processing up to 450 metric tonnes of sludge daily. — Bernama