Different ways of turning wastewater treatment plants into resource recovery facilities
The EU FP7 funded project R3Water “Demonstration of innovative solutions for Reuse of water, Recovery of valuables and Resource efficiency in urban wastewater treatment“ demonstrated solutions to support the transition from being purely a wastewater treatment plant using energy and chemicals, towards a resource facility delivering different valuables.
Focus in the project was to develop, demonstrate and test solutions for upgrading existing urban wastewater treatment plants and to improve resource efficiency with the implementation of new technologies and business models.
In order to reach this target R3Water developed and demonstrated more than 10 innovative technologies at demo sites in Belgium, Spain and Sweden within three topics:
- Resource efficiency in treatment by improved aeration, better Anammox process, modelling and energy audit, better control systems and improved biogas production;
- Facilitating water reuse by on-line monitoring, efficient disinfection and treatment of pharmaceutical residues;
- Resource recovery by sludge valorisation with recycling of nutrients and other valuables.
R3 Water developed and demonstrated innovative technologies at three sites (Belgium, Spain, and Sweden) within three areas:
- Resource efficient treatment, e.g. by efficient aeration (Perlemax) and optimised process control (Prediktor), as well as use of modelling for process optimisation and energy efficiency (ICRA, Aquafin);
- Facilitating water reuse, e.g. by improved water quality monitoring (ADASA, Aqua-Q) and efficient disinfection (teqma) as well as removal of priority pollutants (IVL);
- Recycling of nutrients and other valuables, e.g. by valorisation of sludge (Ava Green Chemistry, Renotech).
More information about the results of R3Water is available in the final brochure of R3Water and on the website.