Technology trends within water and waste water treatment

Harsha RatnaweeraProfessor, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Presentation at University of Makarere

Market drivers!

Investments!

Technological trends!

Technological innovations

GDP World = 77.6 trillion USD (in 2014)

Uganda: 0.03 trillion USDNorway: 0.52 trillion USD

Africa: 2.4 trillion USDChina: 9 trillion USDUSA: 18 trillion USD

GDP World = 77.6 trillion USD

71 trillion USD = 90% of world’s GDP is dependent on water

589 billion USD = Water and wastewater treatment and distribution market

(4% annual growth)

2014 figures, GWI

Market drivers for global water investments

(and developments)

Water facts

• 70% of the world is covered with water•Only 3% is fresh water•Less than 0.007% is easily accessible for humans (rest is either in frozen icebergs or in deep groundwater aquifers)

Cubic kilometers

Access to safe drinking water

Ratio of wastewater treatment

71 main Indian cities produce 70 million m3 ww/day (132 mill m3/d in 2050), but the treatment capacity is 12 million m3/d…

Global water market & drivers

Frost & Sullivan

589

Global risks- associated with water Water resources development market

© Global Water Intelligence

Market outlook - Uganda

Technological developments

Reduction of plant footprints

Particle separation 1 nm 1 µm 1 mm 1 cm

0.0000001 0.000001 0.00001 0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 Molecules Colloids Suspended Solids Bacteria Algae Virus

Removal of more particles= reduced load on subsequent processes= cheaper and smaller processes

Particle removal

Fine Sieves:• Majority of TSS can be removed with sieves >500

microns.• New systems with 100 micrones• Combination of sieves with chemicals

Salsnes/Trojan: 50% TSS & 20% BOD removal Frank Rogalla, Aqualia

Reduction of plant footprint

BAF – Biological Aerated Filters: Biostyr

1 500 000 PE Biostyr

1 500 000 PE Activated Sludge

Reduction of plant footprint

Membrane bio-reactors Reducing footprint of separation stage

Actiflow: from 2 hours to 10-20 mins

Polymers??

Advances in biological treatment

Nitrogen cycle revisited

• Short cut in N-removal• No need for external C-

source

• Must prevent NO2"NO3

• Slow growing organisms

Enzymology in Biological WWT• Use of selective enzymes in biological WWT

–Can shorten the space requirement by 50% in cold climates

–Faster start-up–Less odour–Controlling filamentous microorganisms

Disinfection

• Safer, cheaper and more efficient..

UV disinfection

• Lifetime from 2 years to >11 years with LED technology

• Combatting reactivation• Disinfection by-products: no THMs, but more exotic

ones?

Membrane technologies

• Membrane bioreactors for wastewater treatment• membranes for desalination• Removal of non-traditional pollutants cheaper and more

efficiently• Seawater desalination with solar-power

Nano technology

NanoadsorbentsMagnetic nanoparticles

NanofiltrationNanocatalystsNanobiocides

Nanofibers

Reuse of water• Recycled water is becoming to be recognized as a

beneficial resource and not a waste

Recovery of valuables from wastewater

NitrogenPhosphorous

Organic matterEnergy

Phosphorus crisis

• Coagulation – reduces the plant availability of phosphorous

– After treatment of sludge– Struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) production– Reduce Al/Fe use

WWTPs or energy plants?

Frank Rogalla, Aqualia

Energy from sludge• Thermal hydrolysis

One visit to toilet = car fuel for 350 m Biofuels from microalgae.

EU FP7 All-gas project

Real-time surveillance and control

Smart IT technologies = integral component of modern water networks• Earlier detection of leakages• Approximate location from data simulations• Process surveillance and control

Sewer systems

Coping with the Climate Change• More and frequent rains

–Overloaded sewers and WWTPs will have even more challenges.

• How to cope with the need?–Infrastructure expansions–Soft approaches: real time control of sewers and

WWTPs

Novel sensors and estimation tools• Water quantity- using weather radar and physical

measurements• Models to estimate water quality with simpler

measurements (flow, etc)• Advanced data processing• Remote surveillance & control

• Image analysis• Novel technologies for cheaper and faster detection• Bioindicators

Optimal dosages and images of flocs

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9 1 1,1 1,2

Tot.

P ef

ficie

ncy,

%

Dose, mmole Al/l

Floc features detection limit GLCM

A paradigm shift

Arve Heistad, NMBU

In household wastewater:

* 90 % of N* 80 % of P* 80 % of K* 40-75 % of org.matter

comes from the toilet fraction(blackwater)

Valuable resources:Wastewater as a resource

Household

Blackwater Greywater

Purified greywater

Discharge

Reuse

Urine

Feaces

IrrigationFertilizing

CompostingBiogas-prod.Fertilizer

Storingfertilizer

FoodEnergy

Be a water professional!

A world with lot of possibilities!

44Thank you