A Natural Bio-Organic Wastewater Treatment for Sewage - A new and trending concept
Published on by Roger Holden, Solutions Ecologique Limited - Director Media and Communications
A Natural Bio-Organic Wastewater Treatment for Sewage - A new andtrending concept
In a recent article, "Natural Bio-Organic treatment for wastewater - an environmental and financial imperative", we discussed the merits of Natural Bio-Organic practices generally in water treatment. In this article we will look specifically at the sewage wastewater treatment process and review a particular application of a Natural Bio-Organic solution.
A general review of the many challenges facing sewerage plants includes:
- Residual Chemical Oxygen Demand/Biochemical Oxygen Demand (COD/BOD)
- Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen and Suspended Solids post effluent treatment - often major concerns
- Total Oxidised Sulphur and suspended solid and semi-solids post effluent treatment can extrapolate to non-compliance and significant cost
- Residual Oils, Fats and Grease discharged to the sewage conveyance network behave as an accumulating organic load leading to Septicity, Odour and Corrosion Issues within the pump wells and the network in general
- These issues lead to increased Maintenance and Labour Costs; increased Operating Costs; and a reduction in the life of the Plant and its Capital Equipment
Traditional solutions and their shortfalls
1. Chemicals
Pros
- Typically well understood
- Readily available
- Often compatible with the design of traditional STP's
Cons
- Usually treating a symptom, not an underlying source of a problem
- Increase in TDS
- Environmentally and financially wasteful if not addressing the underlying issue
2. Filters
Pros
- Simple
- Well understood
- Ideally suited to some separation tasks
- Typically a welcome part of an overall waste water strategy
Cons
- More specialised filters are easily damaged/fouled by unanticipated events (peaks of contaminants)
- Typically require backwashing or removal for remediation or replacement
- Some specialised filters are expensive to fit and replace
3. Bacteria
Pros
- Potentially strong positive impact on BOD/COD and TSS levels
- Could be compatible with the existing biology within the waste water stream
Cons
- Need to identify the correct bacteria for the treatment environment
- Need to keep the bacteria at the correct temperature (and light environment) throughout its supply chain and storage life
- Limited life - needs to be used before the end of shelf life
4. Enzymes
Pros
- Powerful chemicals
- Very specific to certain targets
- Potentially strong impacts on BOD and COD
Cons
- Expensive
- Impacts on downstream environment poorly understood
- Need solid understanding of waste water environment to ensure correct enzyme is applied
The Natural Bio-Organic Solution
The ideal solution is to treat the causes of STP problems and not just the symptoms, which is why we advocate the application of a Natural Bio-Organic Concentrate into selected parts of the wastewater treatment system.
Expected Results
- Reduction in Total Suspended Solids
- Substantial reductions in Oil and Grease with a resultant cleaning of wastewater pipes
- Significant reduction in COD/BOD
- Reduction or elimination of Odour within the plant
- Reduction in Kjeldahl Nitrogen
- Aerobic and Homogeneous effluent presented to the treatment plant
- Reduction in operating energy costs; reduction in maintenance costs; and extended plant life.
Other Major Benefits
- 100% bio-degradable, user and environmentally safe, non-corrosive, non-hazardous and non-flammable
- Natural Bio-Organic Concentrates comprise elements extracted from sustainably harvested, naturally occurring kelp
- It does not contain ‘live-cell' bacteria (bio-culture) or enzyme concoctions and cannot introduce renegade bacteria into your system.
Sewerage Plant Infrastructure and Maintenance Cost Savings
Using a sewerage network and treatment plant in Australia as an example, we can underline the financial benefits of using a Natural Bio-Organic solution to the treatment of wastewater:
- City size - 50,000 people
Natural Bio-Organic concentrate NOT used at the STP | When a Natural Bio-Organic concentrate IS used at the STP | Saving |
Approximately $10 million spent on major refit every | Major refit pushed back to | Allowing for interest on the capital - annual savings approximately $290,000 |
Direct annual maintenance - $400,000 | Direct annual maintenance - $250,000 | Difference - $150,000 |
Annual maintenance - labour | Annual maintenance - labour | Difference - $125,000 |
Power cost | Power cost | Difference - $250,000 |
- This STP uses approximately $150,000 of a Natural Bio-Organic concentrate annually, giving the plant:
- An operating cost benefit of about $375,000 per year
- With a total capital and operating cost benefit of around $650,000 per year
Leave it to Nature
Perhaps, after all these years of under-achieving methods used in processing the waste created by life on earth, it is difficult to comprehend that such a natural and simple solution to an ever enlarging environmental dilemma - human waste treatment - is right here under our noses (excuse the pun)…….or maybe more succinctly, under our boats.
The fact is that almost 20 years ago an inventor in southern Australia found the answer to coping with the production of carbon-based human waste…..and it lies right here on earth just below the surface of the ocean! Since then the formula has been tried and tested in numerous wastewater environments with consistent success.
Sewage Network Case Study - Grease and Septicity.
Cairns Regional Council, Port Douglas Sewage Network.
Background
Following 18 years of successful use of a Natural Bio-Organic Solution by Cairns Water, it decided to introduce it into a new and problematic sewage network. The Port Douglas (Douglas Shire): This had been amalgamated into Cairns Water and the maintenance and operation of the network and Sewage Treatment Plant had become their responsibility.
The restaurant precinct at Port Douglas was generating a vast amount of Oil and Grease. Due to an ineffective Trade Waste management system the pump wells were performing as communal grease traps. The accumulating organic load (Oil and Grease accumulating on the aqueous phase) led to septicity, odour and corrosion issues within these pump wells and the network in general.
The disproportional amount of well washing and education, along with sewage surges through blockages and network repairs/replacements, along with after-hour's operator call-outs, became an operational expenditure burden too great to ignore.
Results
A Natural Bio-Organic Concentrate was introduced into 7 pump wells to reduce the accumulation of Oil and Grease in the restaurant precinct and in the pump wells that were subject to septicity due to extended retention times near the extremities of the network. Remarkable results were achieved in Phase 1 during 2010 and 2011; Phase 2 is currently under way.
Details and Outcomes
Details
Total Network Flow Rate: 2,500,000 L/day
Dose Rate: 12 mg/L
Dosing Points No.: 7
Outcomes
Elimination of Septicity in Network.
Reduction of Dissolved Sulphides in Network.
Reduction in Odour in Network.
Reduction in Oil and Grease in Network.
Reduction in Ammonia in Network.
More information can be found at www.soleco-technology.com
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About Author :Roger Holden,Director Media and Communications,Solutions Ecologique Limited
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