Wastewater Reuse


Wastewater is now being recognized as a significant source of Water. Many of the current municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems are large centralized works that often waste the Water resource rather than reuse it and consume large amounts of energy to move Wastewater from the source to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. This has led to a growing recognition that infrastructure investment should be on the principle of sustainable decentralized Wastewater Reuse technologies where Water is captured, treated, and reused locally.


Membranes for decentralized applications

There has been a historic concern about the robustness, cost and operational effectiveness of residential and decentralized Wastewater Treatment and Wastewater Reuse Systems, creating the need for Wastewater Treatment and Wastewater Reuse Solutions that deliver reduced complexity, have a small footprint and are easily constructed within buildings to minimize aesthetics and odor concerns when located within existing neighborhoods. There is also a responsibility on regulators to ensure higher operation & maintenance standards while providing affordability for the customer.

A new generation of Wastewater Treatment and Wastewater Reuse technologies are being developed to meet these demands with Membrane treatment leading the way where Wastewater reuse or high nitrogen performance standards are specified.

The challenges for designers and manufacturers of decentralized Membrane systems include:

Flat plate systems exhibit many of these characteristics and a new generation of membranes designed specifically for the decentralized Wastewater Treatment market are now available that improve air scouring efficiency eliminating the need for chemical dosing and backpulsing equipment and allowing periods between recovery cleans in excess of 12 months. As the greatest portion of operating costs for decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems are often associated with the provision of manpower, unattended operation through simplicity in design, and introduction of remote monitoring technology will be critical to making these Wastewater Treatment Systems affordable.


Water mining

Other forms of decentralized Wastewater Reuse and Water conservation initiatives are being implemented including Water mining. There can be different ways that a decentralized Wastewater Treatment System can “mine” Wastewater from an existing municipal sewer line. For instance, a decentralized Wastewater Treatment System could connect to a sewer line anywhere along its path to the centralized Wastewater Treatment Plant, draw off Wastewater, treat it and utilize the reused Water locally. The sludge taken from the Wastewater can be put back into the sewer main to be sent to the central Wastewater Treatment Plant. Another would intercept some of the effluent, which has already been treated at the central Wastewater Treatment Plant and treat it again to a higher standard for Wastewater Reuse.

Using smaller, decentralized Wastewater Treatment and Wastewater Reuse Systems to draw off Wastewater from existing, centralized sewer systems is proving to offer wide-ranging benefits. Sewer mining relieves pressure on existing, centralized infrastructure by intercepting a portion of their volume, while at the same time conserving potable Water supplies by providing an additional Water resource that is especially beneficial to drought-stricken areas. This has also meant a benefit for taxpayers because their local, public utilities do not have to expand existing Water & Wastewater infrastructure to accommodate the new development, often leading to a much lower cost for each gallon of Water.


Technology for water mining

Bord na Mona's PuraM Wastewater Treatment and Wastewater Reuse Systems are being trialed in North Carolina at the TZ Osborne Wastewater Treatment Plant. A 28,000 gallon per day Wastewater Treatment and Wastewater Reuse System has been installed taking Wastewater from the works influent with 3rd party testing being undertaken by NC State University to verify performance. These high quality pre-engineered package Wastewater Treatment and Wastewater Reuse Systems come in standardized flow ranges in increments of 14,000 gallons per day and can treat up to 125,000 gallons per day as a single unit that can be delivered on the back of a truck allowing for a very cost effective Wastewater Treatment Solution.


The future for water reuse

Initiatives such as LEED certification and the National Association of Homebuilders “National Green Building Standard” are being promoted to rate buildings on their Water conservation credentials. With the support of these and other regulatory initiatives the future for Wastewater Reuse Systems is predicted to expand significantly driven by the concern on Water supply, the increasing cost of energy and the growing demand for sustainability.

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