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Customer(s)

Customers:


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Underpinning knowledge

Sources of funding

IAA EPSRC -  Holistic Approaches to Sustainable Water Supply

Wessex Water

Peer reviewed papers

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Further articles

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Home > WaterR2B > Sectors > Water Utilities > Can algae remove nitrates and phosphates from wastewater efficiently?

Can algae remove nitrates and phosphates from wastewater efficiently?

The challenge

Wastewater is high in nitrates and phosphates, which water companies have to remove to avoid pollution of natural water systems. Currently, a number of processes are used in sewage works to treat wastewater and remove these substances, but these are often energy-intensive, difficult to manage, and produce CO2 and other wastes.

Since algae require nitrates and phosphates as nutrients in order to grow, it could potentially reduce the cost and impact of wastewater treatment whilst providing biomass for biofuels and other uses. However, finding a cost-effective method for growing algae in large quantities has historically been difficult.

The solution

Wessex Water and the University of Bath recently established a joint venture to create a Water Innovation and Research Centre, based on the University campus, to conduct cutting-edge research to address issues of critical importance to the resilience of the water industry. The first programme of work has an initial focus in 5 areas: Sustainable water and wastewater treatment; Biogas enhancement and sludge pre-treatment; Environmental management (priority and emerging environmental pollutants); Customer and community engagement; and Asset management. The Sustainable water and wastewater treatment project aims to evaluate both microalgae and reedbed-based solutions for the removal of the problematic nutrients nitrates and phosphates and what contribution these systems can make to the degradation or transformation of pharmacologically active molecules.

Pilot-scale facilities for both technologies have been established at the UoB campus, with final effluent wastewater provided weekly by tanker from selected treatment works. The algae project includes the isolation, identification and evaluation of microalgal species from various regional treatment works and the trialing of these along-side species with established nutrient removal pedigrees. Promising species are then rigorously evaluated in 5000L raceway ponds for both efficacy of nutrient removal, growth rates and ease of dewatering and biomass recovery. The intention is to develop a series of species that all perform well for these criteria, but offer different end-uses for the biomass e.g. biofuel, animal feed, or anaerobic digestion.  

Resulting benefits

Algae grown in large raceway ponds have significant potential to reduce the cost and impact of wastewater treatment whilst contributing to the security of liquid fuel supply and potentially reduce the UK’s dependency on imported protein meal for animal feed.  In addition, algae consume large amounts of CO2; the production of biomass therefore helps to reduce carbon emissions.

Wessex Water chairman Colin Skellett said “The collaboration with the University will allow research into the future treatment of water and sewage as well as looking into efficiency, leakage reduction and waste to energy development.”

Future directions

Waste CO2 from industry, including the water industry itself, could further enhance the process, and make use of another waste stream. The University of Bath scientists are also investigating algae growing in the city’s Roman Baths, which survive at higher temperatures and could improve the efficiency and reliance of algae-based treatment solutions.

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