Water Conservation: Tertiary Treatment and Recycling of Waste Water
ER-201020
Objective
Increasingly, water shortages and degraded water quality jeopardize the ability of the Department of Defense (DoD) to maintain training capacity and military readiness. Furthermore, water supplies on DoD facilities are usually treated to drinking water standards, though many uses do not require such high levels of water quality. To address this complex and multifaceted issue, this project will demonstrate and validate the performance of a commercially available technology for the on-site remediation and beneficial reuse of wastewater. Specific objectives are to conduct full-scale performance testing of on-site graywater treatment and reuse treatment, to evaluate test results, to calculate the life cycle costs, and to develop engineering requirements for integrating the technology with local reuse water standards.
Technology Description
This project will demonstrate and validate an innovative on-site wetland-based wastewater treatment system (Living Machine systems by Worrell Water Technologies) that remediates and produces reclaimed, nonpotable water from graywater or blackwater by mimicking and accelerating processes that occur naturally in wetlands.
Natural and constructed wetlands use plants and microorganisms to degrade most organic and some inorganic contaminants and extract metals from water, soil, and sediment. The combination of plant and microbial activity in wetlands is a proven and efficient technology that has been successfully used to treat low concentrations of contaminants that are difficult and expensive to treat by more intensive biotic and/or abiotic technologies. Natural and constructed wetlands are widely used to treat nonpoint sources of contaminants at concentrations similar to or lower than the concentrations encountered in wastewater, and they are used by the mining industry to recover metals from low-grade ores and to restore ecosystems degraded by past practices.
Commercial biological-based water treatment systems use a series of gravel-filled wetland cells planted with wetland plants. The plants filter the water and promote microbial growth, and in a short period of time, the surface of the gravel is populated by dense bacterial mats (biofilm) that capture and degrade the bulk of the soluble and particulate organic compounds in the wastewater. The cells typically undergo ten to twelve fill and refill cycles per day, which passively aerates them. As a result, the productivity of the wetland cells is greatly increased compared to hydroponic systems or traditional sewage treatment plants and wetlands with a similar capacity. Instrumentation and computer automation are used to optimize system performance, which reduces energy consumption, maintenance, and on-site operator attention.
During the demonstration, long-term performance data will be generated using on-demand data that is obtained by querying the computer used to operate and monitor the system (pH, oxygen, flow rates, power consumption) and samples collected and analyzed at 2-3 week intervals for different parameters (biological oxygen demand, total suspended solids, total kjeldahl nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, and total nitrogen). These data will be compiled, analyzed, and reported at regular intervals so that any operational issues that may arise are rapidly identified and corrected.
Benefits
One of the primary benefits of on-site water treatment and reuse is a reduction in potable water consumption, which translates into cost and water savings. The use of this technology can contribute to DoD compliance with federal water conservation directives and to a more consistent and reliable water supply at DoD facilities. The technology encourages comprehensive water planning that integrates water and wastewater management, and the resulting reduction in discharge to the sewer can allow for growth in DoD operations without incurring costly increases in sewage capacity. Reduced freshwater demand also benefits ecosystems stressed by water withdrawals. In addition, reductions in water costs are eligible for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits that encourage and accelerate the adoption of sustainable green building and development practices. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2013)
Points of Contact
Principal Investigator
Mr. Sonny Maga
Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC)
Phone: 805-982-1340
Fax: 805-982-4832
Document Types
- Fact Sheet - Brief project summary with links to related documents and points of contact.
- Final Report - Comprehensive report for every completed SERDP and ESTCP project that contains all technical results.
- Cost & Performance Report - Overview of ESTCP demonstration activities, results, and conclusions, standardized to facilitate implementation decisions.
- Technical Report - Additional interim reports, laboratory reports, demonstration reports, and technology survey reports.
- Guidance - Instructional information on technical topics such as protocols and user’s guides.
- Workshop Report - Summary of workshop discussion and findings.
- Multimedia - On demand videos, animations, and webcasts highlighting featured initiatives or technologies.
- Model/Software - Computer programs and applications available for download.
- Database - Digitally organized collection of data available to search and access.