Oceana – rapid response for treatment of extinguishing and wastewater
In February 2024, a major fire broke out at Liseberg’s new water park, Oceana, requiring an extensive firefighting operation. The efforts led to contamination of extinguishing water, wastewater, and stormwater. NCC, the main contractor for the project, quickly turned to Swedish Hydro Solutions for a solution. Just one week after the request, a filtration system was installed on-site to treat the extinguishing water for heavy metals, PFAS, and other pollutants. After one year of operation, analyses show that the treatment has been successful, with the majority of results falling below reporting limits.
On February 12, 2024, a fire broke out at Oceana, Liseberg’s new water park in Gothenburg, Sweden, which was in the final stages of construction and scheduled to open during the summer. According to the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority, the fire likely started during electrofusion welding of a bypass pipe on the exterior of one of Oceana’s water slides. A major emergency response was launched and continued for several days.
On July 17, 2024, during an extraordinary meeting, Liseberg’s board of directors decided that Oceana would be rebuilt. A rough estimate from Liseberg suggests that completing Oceana will take approximately two years. Liseberg is the developer of the project, and NCC is the main contractor.
System installed one week after request
Even before the decision to rebuild, more specifically on March 4, 2024, we at Swedish Hydro Solutions were contacted by NCC for help treating extinguishing water, wastewater, and stormwater that had accumulated on-site after the fire. Site investigations showed elevated levels of contaminants in the water, including phthalates, zinc, copper, and PAHs.
By March 12, just one week after NCC’s request, we had a treatment system installed on-site. The setup consisted of a filtration solution with three activated carbon filters and three BioMedia® filters, along with an insulated filter container – a well-designed system capable of efficiently capturing a broad spectrum of pollutants.
Photo Oceana, Liseberg: Kigsz, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Effective treatment for heavy metals and PFAS
The combination of activated carbon and BioMedia® provides particularly effective treatment of the pollutants that were prominent in the project. BioMedia® is a uniquely developed filter material made from pyrolyzed wood. The heating process generates a filter material with a large surface area and high capacity to adsorb and bind the substances that need to be removed from the water. It is especially effective against heavy metals such as copper, lead, and zinc, as well as various organic pollutants – from oil-based to chlorinated substances.
Activated carbon, on the other hand, is particularly effective against long-chain PFAS. The combination of these two filter materials ensures that the medium does not become saturated as quickly, resulting in a longer lifespan.
One advantage of BioMedia® is that the water is filtered through the solution by gravity. Since the filters are not pressurized, smaller pumps can be used, which require less energy than typical pressure filters. This also means that particles are not forced into the filter bed as much, but instead, they accumulate in the top layers of the filter. This allows for easier service and maintenance, where the top layer can be easily cleaned or replaced. As a result, the filter has a longer lifespan and time-consuming filter replacements can be avoided.
Analysis results
The system was decommissioned in the spring of 2025, meaning it operated for almost exactly one year. The analyses conducted show positive results for all substances, with the majority being below the reporting limit.
Below is a summary of the analysis results for the project.
