Ekama GA
Ekama GA
Ekama GA
, UCT
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OUTLINE
1. Introduction
2. Water, Carbon and Energy
3. Water quality threats
1.
2.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
01Sep2011
Eutrophication
Micro-pollutants Environmental oestrogens,
pharmaceutical residues
INTRODUCTION (1)
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INTRODUCTION (1)
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Atmospheric
N2 to NH3
(Haber-Bosch)
Fertilizers
Runoff /
Leaching
Phosphate
ore
01Sep2011
Eutrophication
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Urine Collection?
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SEWER CORROSION
But in Hong Kong, its cheaper to repair
sewers than to buy the extra fresh water.
And the sulphate from the seawater
(~200 mgSO4-S/l) can be used to great
advantage (and economy) as electron
carrier in the wastewater treatment.
So more often than not, necessity is the
mother of invention so the problem
becomes the means for the solution.
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RE-CONFIGURE WWTPs?
C/N cycles:
Conventional BNR
WWT - link C and
N cycles.
C/S/N cycles:
01Sep2011
New WWT
interpose S cycles
between C and N
cycles.
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01Sep2011
NH4+
H2S
Nitrate recycle
Nitrification
NH4+ to NO3-
Denitrification
NO3- to N2
H2S to SO42-
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UASB
Reactor
Equipment
Zone
01Sep2011
BAF2
Reactor
Control
Center
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SA CONTRIBUTION
Research on biological sulphate reduction
(BSR) in acid mine drainage (AMD) with
primary sewage sludge (PSS) (Biosure
process) is directly applicable to the SANI
process.
Primary sewage sludge (PSS) is a product
from raw sewage and so the characteristics of
PSS (unbiodegradable fraction, hydrolysis
rates) are directly transferable to raw sewage.
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BIOSURE DEVELOPMENT
First ran lab
UASB reactor
fed primary
sewage
sludge and
SO42-
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BIOSURE DEVELOPMENT
Then applied
in 10 ML/d
BIOSURE
prototype fed
PSS and AMD
at ERWATs
Ancor works in
South Africa.
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BIOSURE RESEARCH
Developed stoichiometry, steady state
and dynamic mathematical models for
both methanogenic and sulphidogenic
digesters (Biosure and SANI).
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SEWER DENITRIFICATION
Nitrate decreases sulphate reduction in
sewer and is denitrified to N2
Sewer acts as denitrification reactor,
removes dissolved organics and sewer
corrosion is minimized.
Treat brown and grey water in SANI process.
SANI process ND packed bed reactor
removes N from organic N and oxidizes
residual H2S to back to sulphate.
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ADVANTAGES (1)
Major reduction in oxygen demand at
WWTP only for nitrification. Electricity
for oxygen demand is conventional
WWTPs biggest carbon footprint.
Major reduction in sludge production
essentially only unbiodegradable
particulate organics of raw sewage (0.02
gVSS/gCOD AS is 10x higher).
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ADVANTAGES (2)
Major water saving (sea water flushing).
However, applies to coastal cities only
need seawater and no P removal (but P
accumulating SRB are being studied).
Could apply to acid mine drainage (AMD)
water also but this adds more complexity chemical P removal but additional sulphate
can be removed.
WWTP becomes resource recovery system
water (WW +AMD), S and P.
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ADVANTAGES (3)
There is one instance in SA where AMD is
treated to potable water standard.
If treated effluent is to be reclaimed, then
its better (less energy, higher yield, more
economical) to desalinate the effluent
(lower salinity) than seawater (gulf states
experience).
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CONCLUSIONS (1)
From a sustainability perspective,
conservation of surface water quality and
quantity has far greater priority than
energy and carbon reduction in
wastewater treatment.
While energy reduction at WWTP is good,
it should never be at the expense of water
quality.
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CONCLUSIONS (2)
Seawater distribution in a dual system
realizes fresh water saving with less
energy consumption and carbon
production than desalination.
Saline sewage treatment combined with
source separation of urine can mitigate
sewer corrosion and obviate N removal at
the WWTP.
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CONCLUSIONS (3)
Modelling biological sulphate reduction
sewage treatment is progressing well and
can be applied to saline sewage treatment
systems.
Applying saline sewage treatment and urine
separation (dual distribution and collection)
requires major rethink of the urban water
cycle design and management more
complexity but greater sustainability.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My co-authors..
Dr Jac Wilsenach, (PhD TU Delft) formerly at
the CSIR but now at Virtual Consulting, led
WRC Urine Separation project and
Professor GH Chen of Hong Kong Univ of
Science and Technology, who is running saline
sewage treatment projects in Hong Kong.
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THE PEOPLE
Professor GH Chen from Hong Kong University
of Science & Technology
Wu Du, MSc
student at
HKUST
Mark van
Loosdrecht
from
Technical
University of
Delft.
01Sep2011
Lu Hui, PhD
student from
HKUST.
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THE SA SPONSORS
Water
Research
Commission
National
Research
Foundation
University of
Cape Town
01Sep2011
Questions?
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THE END
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Urine Composition
Volume of Wastewater
N Content
10 %
70 %
19 %
P Content
Micropollutants
10 %
Greywater (shower, kitchen, washing machine etc)
Brownwater (Faeces + flushwater + toilet paper)
Yellowwater (Urine + flushwater)
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50 %
40 %
65 %
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Production of
Energy Consumption
(kWh/m3)
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Seawater
Toilet
Flushing
0.013 0.025
Freshwater Reclaimed
Supply
Water
0.05
0.2 1
Seawater
Desalination
2.5 4.0
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OPC/Sil lost
>64 mm
CAC/Sil lost
10-15 mm
No corrosion at invert
01Sep2011
This
makes
for costly
sewer
repair
work.
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BIOSURE RESEARCH
Found hydrolysis rate of biodegradable
particulate organics (BPO) under
methanogenic and sulphidogenic
conditions were the same.
Found same unbiodegradable fraction of
particulate organics (PO) for aerobic
(activated sludge) and anaerobic systems
(methanogenic & sulphidogenic).
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BIOSURE DEVELOPMENT
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EVALUATION
Criterion
Distribution
Collection
Sewer Corrosion
Energy demand
Sludge production
Sludge age
Reactor volume
Sludge treatment
Energy recovery
Nutrient recovery
Effluent Quality
N&P Removal
Water Reuse value: N&P
....Salinity
....Suspended solids
....Pathogens
......ED & EEs
Water saving
Water reclamation
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1. Convenl/
Membrane
Single
Single
Normal
High/V.High
High
Long
Large
High
Yes
Yes
V. Good
Yes
Low
Low
Low/V.Low
High/Low
High
No
Yes
2. Seawater
flushing
Dual
Single
High
Very low
Very Low
Not Applic
Large
No
No
No
Fair
No P rem.
High P
High
High
Low
High
Yes
No
3. Urine
separation
Single
Dual
Normal
High
High
Low
Small
High
Yes
Yes
Good
Not Reqd
Low
Low
Low
High
Low
No
Yes
Combination
(2) and (3)
Dual
Dual
Normal
Low
Very low
Not Applic
Large
No
No
Yes
Good
No P rem
Some P
High
High
Low
Low
Yes
No
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