New wastewater system can cut plant size

– New wastewater system can cut plant size.

A new wastewater treatment system makes it possible to obtain cheaper water of a higher quality, reduces the size of treatment plants by more than half, and minimizes the resulting mud production.

A new technology based on membrane bioreactor systems makes it possible to shorten the water clarification process where active mud separates, eliminating the stage known as “secondary decanting,” said José Manuel Poyatos Capilla, researcher from the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Granada (UGR). The structure of every plant currently has four stages: pre-treatment, primary decanting, biological reactor, and secondary decanting. Researchers can also add in a tertiary treatment whenever they need water for irrigation.

Research carried out at UGR could reduce the size of the biological reactor between 40% and 60%, and would eliminate secondary decanting. “In the future, we could even suppress the primary decanting stage,” Poyatos said. In exchange, scientists from Granada have included a “biological processes” section in their wastewater treatment plant, which could make it possible to separate water from active mud by a membrane filtration process.

This system makes it possible to treat a larger flow of water in a smaller purifier, “and its building would involve a less expensive construction,” he said. Installation is therefore much cheaper than installation of plants with tertiary treatment, and it also makes it possible to use the water immediately after biological treatment.

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